5 comments about Meredith Willson's The Music Man (1991 Studio Cast).

1. The other reviews are of a different recording - that of the recent Broadway revival with Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker.
   This is a studio recording starring baritone Timothy Noble. The performance tries hard and includes probably more music than most recordings (including "Being in Love" from the film). The main problem seems to be with the tempo. All the songs could be performed twice as fast as the are. While orchestral details might be missing at that speed, the score would get an injection of energy which is what makes this musical work.



2. First of all, let me say that I love this show, but the old Robert Preston recording gets...well, for lack of a better word...old. Preston created the role, yes, but his less-than-stellar voice is often overpowered by the golden voiced divas he was duetting with (i.e. Barbara Cook and Shirley Jones). Craig Bierko, however, has a VERY good voice and he and Rebecca Luker blend nicely. I am a big fan of Luker's work, too, so her presence on this recording is an added bonus.
   
   It is also a "complete" recording, if you will. I mean that it includes all the songs that are performed in the stage version of The Music Man including the "Pick-A-Little" reprise and "My White Knight", which was re-written for the film.
   
   If you're looking for a Music Man recording, this is the one to buy. If you want Preston, buy the film, but stay far, far, FAR away from Matthew Broderick.



3. This is the best Music Man CD yet! It has enough new instrumentations that it is interesting, but not so many that it is very different than Broadway. The book that comes with it (the one with the cover on the front) is great, it has pictures, lyrics, cast, and a summary of the play. The quartet was not that good, though. In all this is a 5-star album that any real Music Man fan should own.



4. If you like musicals, buy this CD. It is THE best Music Man cast recording of all time for one main reason; Susan Stroman (many Tony awards) directed it. Since Susan is a choreographer as well as a director she included dance music on this recording. It is great to finally hear complete songs. Although it is not the exact music you will hear if you go to see a "non-Susan Stroman" production of the music man; at least there is dance music. 76 Trombones is the most well known song from the show. On most other cast recordings it has been reduced to about 3 minutes, on this CD however, it is well over 7 minutes long. Also the Shipoopi is horrible on ALL the other recordings, on this one however the music is fabulous and the cast is great! All the songs on this CD are perfect. Craig Bierko is amazing (as good as Robert Preston, maybe better). Rebecca Luker is a great singer and does not at all bring down this cast recording, but she is not quite as good as Kristin Chenoweth from the new movie (but who is?). A lot of the songs have been slightly updated; the best are 'The Wells Fargo Wagon' and 'Finale Ultimo'. This new cast recoding is wonderful and greatly appreciated my music man fans and dancers all over. BUY IT!!!



5. Forget all but the Original Cast Recording. Everything about this Digital Recording blows every other recording of this musical out of the water. I've heard them all (including the new Kristin Chenowith/Matthew Broderick version) and this beats them all. Reading all the reviews of every version of this available here on Amazon.com, I am honestly shocked more people don't know about this incredible version. The cast is by far the best, the chorus is full and on target, and the orchestra is right off the bandstand--and wonderfully recorded. GET THIS NOW!

1 comments about The Wizard of Oz.

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ * ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM is a CBS Special Products release. Besides well over an hour of music and film dialog, a bonus track is provided. "The Jitterbug" was cut from production in order to shorten the movie.
   
   Audio quality is good, if somewhat low compared to the average CD. All of the original Arlen & Harburg songs are here. The album's 12-page booklet includes a two page color reproduction of a 1939 Wizard Of Oz movie poster, as well as details on the making of the film.
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 72:51

2 comments about Merry Widow.

1. This is a rather lovely 1952 studio cast album of THE MERRY WIDOW starring renowned soprano Dorothy Kirsten in the titular lead role. Broadway fans will delight in hearing CANDIDE's Robert Rounseville as Count Danilo.

   As another reviewer has stated, the sound quality is quite awful (but I've heard cast albums that post-date this and sound even worse), however the ear easily adjusts.

   Dorothy Kirsten is absolute magic as Anna (or depending on the translation, Sonia, Hanna or Zenia). She is at her best with "Vilia" and "I Love You So". Robert Rounseville's voice is full and rich, as befits the role and the music.

   This is the Adrian Ross translation of WIDOW, which isn't the best. I still consider the Joan Sutherland studio album on the Decca label as the definitive translation. However, despite its shortcomings, thanks to Miss Kirsten, this is a WIDOW to treasure.




2. but FIVE stars for the devine Ms. KIRSTEN!

   A highly recommended recording - quite rare for its period, and imminently enjoyable. The recording quality is not too great, but considering the period quite acceptable ~ an absolute must for the collector!

   The zither usage is especially effective!

   [Sure there ARE other recordings, but this one has special charm]

5 comments about The Frog Prince: Original Movie Soundtrack.

1. Completists will probably tell you otherwise: Ignore them!
   
   If you're looking at this because you enjoy the multi-layered vocal and keyboard sounds Enya usually brings to bear on songs like "Only Time" and "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)", you should look elsewhere.
   
   First, Enya's voice is only heard on 2 of these tracks: the title tune and "Dreams", neither of which is particularly memorable. Second, another 4 tracks are taken up by a competent if uninspired jazz combo along with 1 from French ingenue Edith Piaf ("Les Flons-Flons du Bal"). That leaves 9 instrumental Enya tracks of which nearly all end up resembling the interludes of G.E. Smith and his Saturday Night Live orchestra thanks to showy saxophone work.
   
   BOTTOM LINE:
   "The Train to Paris" is probably the best tune here. From there, it's all downhill.



2. I bought this CD because it seems to be Enya's first post-Clannad album and I thought I'd just try it out.
   You get a 16 track recording, only 11 of which appear to be Enya's work, 4 are some Jazz Club something and one is by Edith Piaf. It doesn't really sound anything much like her later work which I found to be disappointing. Two songs have her singing, a couple more have vocalizations but it all has a less polished sound compared to The Celts onward. It all manages to come across as early 80's romantic soundtrack stuff, not bad but not really what I wanted.



3. Even considering this a very early work of Enya, I must critize it. Especially when you love ANYWHERE IS, ORINOCO FLOW or ONLY TIME don't you even bother to buy it. The mid-80's soundtrack consist (except of few non-Enya tracks) just of songs of a very simple melody and synthetic arrangements. The two songs which are sung by Enya are poor and she sings it with a very unnatural, high voice:( Only Enya collectors should buy this...



4. Even compared to her work on "The Celts," this is different. I found it hard to hear much of her style in this, and there's a goofy synth sound that should have stayed out of the songs. Overall, the vocal tracks are the best, the theme is nice, but gets slightly repetitive. A good disc, and a very interesting part of Enya's history. I recommend trying it before you buy it.



5. This, of course, doesn't come across as the Enya we know and love, but it is a beautifully done sound track. She only sings two songs (and it's a short--37 minutes--CD), but it definitely belongs in every true Enya fan's collection. Besides the 11 cuts that she composed, there are four pleasantly done jazz standards, and a song from Edith Piaf. By the way, those two songs are beautiful...not like her present work, but beautiful in their own right.

2 comments about The Boy Friend.

1. This is such a fun show and this is my favorite of the myriad versions available. The show "starred" Judy Carne; but I still remember a then-unknown Sandy Duncan stopping the show on opening night. The orchestra sparkles on this recording; the principles are wonderful and the remastering was very well done. Of all the versions I own of this show, none can touch this one in my opinion.



2. The 1970 Broadway revival of THE BOY FRIEND was only notable for featuring then up-and-comer Sandy Duncan in a great supporting role; though the actual production was geared to showcase Judy Carne, the resident comedienne on TV's "Laugh-In", but perhaps in hindsight slightly-miscast as the musical's ingenue Polly Browne. The audiences and the critics instead poured all their superlatives on Sandy Duncan, in the beautifully-written support role of Maisie (who gets three of the best musical numbers "Won't You Charleston with Me?", "The Riviera" and "Safety in Numbers"). Most of the Ted Royal orchestrations from the original production were thankfully used again in this revival.
   
   The cast also includes Harvey Evans as Bobby, Barbara Andres as Hortense, Ronald Young as Tony and Jeane Beauvais as Madame Dubonnet. The production itself was plagued with problems and closed after 111 performances at the Ambassador Theatre. At a time when Broadway was going in a completely new direction, with "Hair" and "Oh Calcutta" on the immediate horizon, THE BOY FRIEND, with all it's quiet charms, sadly faded into the backgound.
   
   This CD premiere from Decca Broadway is crisply remastered and nicely-priced. Two thumbs up!

No comments about Jazz Baby.

No comments about Vol. 1-American Musical Theater.

No comments about Poppie Nongena.

No comments about Vol. 3-American Musical Theater.

No comments about Vol. 4-American Musical Theater.