No comments about Rat Pack Christmas.

5 comments about Follies: A Broadway Legend (Excerpts).

1. I also saw this cast (wow, Phoebe, to have seen this AND the concert!) in December of '87. I was 22 then and familiar with the score, though of course the plotline didn't exactly resonate until I saw the whole show. What would I say to 50-year-old me?
   
   Memories: Diana Rigg, Diana Rigg, and Dolores Grey. These women rock. Rigg's "Could I Leave You" is definitive. I needed moisturizer, and maybe a Valium. The audience perked right up when Grey took the stage for "I'm Still Here": Think pin drop. She hit that thing outta the park and probably across the Channel. Wow. We lived it with her.
   
   Back to the CD: I picked up the 2-disc set at an exorbitant price while still in London, not knowing whether I'd find it at home (CDs in Europe were nearly 2x the U.S. cost then, and the dollar was doing OK). When I got home, I cued up "I'm Still Here" and... what happened? It's good, but not what I heard. Looks like the stars cranked it up as the show ran. Rigg and Grey are certainly good, but they were more vivid onstage.
   
   If you want one "Follies," go for the concert version. But there's good stuff to be had from all.



2. I was privileged to see this production in London. It was an amazing experience. Perhaps the recording doesn't do justice to the actual production just as the original cast album in the US didn't for that production. (That's why the concert version at Lincoln Center, which I also attended, was produced in the first place--so that a truly great recording of this show could be made.)
   
   Sondheim always disliked "Lucy and Jessie" (although personally I love this song with all its great internal rhyme) and replaced it with "What's Underneath". Diana Rigg did a tremendous job selling this number on stage. This memory may influence my feeling about the recording, but why not!
   
   The entire tone of the show is changed by the additions and deletions of the songs and by a few subtle changes in the lyrics. The story line is a lot less dark than the original. Well worth listening to for a different take on a brilliant musical.



3. This was the first cast recording of "Follies" I ever heard and I have to say I still find it definitive in many ways - even though I have since heard and seen superior-on-paper versions.
   Diana Rigg is definitive as Phyllis, giving renditions of "Country House" (in its musical debut) and "Could I Leave You" that are simply unstoppable and which easily decimate the competition. In fact whenever Rigg appears on this cast recording her unique vocal qualities can't help but make her stand out from the rest of the cast. This is unquestionably her finest stage performance and her power and passion are perfectly preserved on this recording.
   Julia McKenzie is a gentle, passionate ball of fire as Sally, giving an enthusiastic, emotional performance. Her rendition of "Don't Look at Me" will never be outdone to my mind - though admitedly her rendition of "Losing My Mind" has been improved upon by other artists.
   "Too Many Mornings" is excellent - thanks to the extraordinairy vocal power of McKenzie and her co-star Daniel Massey (Ben). Massey has a unique tenor that I will always associate with the role of Ben. He simply owns the song "Waiting For the Girls Upstairs" - a song which has never been done better than it has on this cast recording.
   Buddy is unfortunately quite forgettable on this recording, simply by virtue of the fact that he does not possess a defineable unique quality as with the other principle cast members. That said, he does not give a bad performance - he's just outdone by his co-stars.
   Maria Charles defines the role of Solange La Fitte with an "Ah! Paree" that defies belief! Simply hilarious and oh so very very "French"!!! Margaret Courtenay gives a passable rendition of "Broadway Baby" and the same must be said of Dolores Gray's rendition of "I'm Still Here". But then both are dealing with songs that have been defined by other actresses of no small importance.
   "I'm Still Here" will always belong to Yvonne DeCarlo and "Broadway Baby" will always belong to Elizabeth Shutta and Elaine Stritch. It's only a shame that (Gray's eventual replacement) Eartha Kitt's rendition of "I'm Still Here" was not recorded here instead.
   Small complaint: "Rain on the Roof", "Ah! Paree" and "Broadway Baby" are all on the same track, making it hard to navigate through the songs, especially if you just want to hear one of them.
   Much has been made of the fact that "Follies" has three versions. The Original Broadway version has now been dubbed the best with the passage of time, with the two more upbeat re-writes, the 1987 London cast and the 2001 Broadway revival, being dubbed inferior by comparison.
   I disagree whole-heartedly. This cast recording is infectious good fun and features some of the most enthusiastic performances ever captured on CD. Though it is certainly not lacking in faults, it more than makes up for it with the astounding performances of the four principle cast members. More over while it is only a "Highlights" cast recording, it does feature the principle songs and is far more complete than the tragically abridged Original Broadway cast recording.
   The alterations made for the London incarnation of "Follies" do change the dynamic of the show, but they do not damage it's integrity. A must for any fan of "Follies", Stephen Sondheim - whose work is done supreme justice here, Diana Rigg or Julia McKenzie.



4. This was the first recording I heard of Stephen Sondheim's Follies. I didn't like it at all, and believed the musical wasn't any good.
   
   Then I got the Complete Recording, and fell in love with Follies almost immediately.
   
   It is widely renown how misconceived the London version of the show was - songs were added, cut and rearranged. The result was more or less a mess.
   
   It is thus fascinating how something so bad can also be so good.
   
   As the recording has grown on me, I have now come to appreciate what this Follies version has to offer. It has a very "cold" and restrained attitude, which really suites the themes of the show itself.
   
   I find myself listening to it more and more often. If you wan't only one recording of Follies, this is not the one to get. But it is definately worth having for a refeence.



5. I've often found with Broadway musicals, the first version of a production or recording I'm exposed to and get to know is the one I end up liking the best. I familiarized myself with this version of "Follies" after playing in the pit for it in a small, local production, and now when I hear the 1971 Original Cast album, which many other people praise as the definitive best, I still hear, and want to hear, the inflections and phrasing of the singers on this CD. To my ears, the 1987 performances are more emotional and impassioned because of the more syncopated and meticulous and brassy vocal phrasing (and clearer recording). In contrast, the vocal style of the 1971 recording is smoother and more fluid, and executed in a more "classic" Broadway style. Fine performances, but not what I'm used to.

   Adding to that, the horrible editing and cutting up of songs in the 1971 release, I prefer this one. Cutting out the extended instrumental section and tap dancing in "Who's That Woman?" ruins it for me (I love the percussion of tap); ditto in cutting out whole verses of "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues". I also miss the ritard during the B sections of "Broadway Baby", which the 1971 version doesn't do, and is faster in general. However, big omissions on this version are "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" and "Live, Laugh, Love", which we did in the production I played in, and was thrilled with when I got the 1971 version, although I think they again shortened "Lucy and Jessie".

   Actually, I don't have this CD anymore, the original two-disc release. An ex-girlfriend ended up with it, you know how it goes. Grr. I don't want to buy this "highlights" version, so I want to pick up the New Jersey version to have complete versions of songs. I bet that I will like the 1971 versions of "Lucy and Jessie" and "Live, Laugh, Love" better.

5 comments about Lucky Stiff (1993 Original Cast Members).

1. There are several reasons for buying this CD
   1. Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens
   2. Stiff
   3. Fun
   4. The *totally wicked* Cast
   So, go get it.



2. Great satirical well written funny show with a LOT of twists and turns......Loved it.



3. This score is simply marvellous: witty, fast-paced, wonderful, clever, and the songs advance the plot well. As for the plot, briefly, it's silly and somewhat complicated, but don't worry, if you've never seen the show: neither have I! However, everything is given in a detailed synopsis in the CD booklet, and I feel as though I've really seen the play, and now I really do want to!
   As said, the songs are this CD are all excellent. There's only one that I have programmed out not to listen to--the others are all superb! The only problem is the cast. The supporting cast is quite good, but the two main characers, Harry Witherspoon and his uncle, are annoying. The nephew is British, and his accent makes everyone who's ever heard an English accent cringe. The uncle manages an Atlantic City casino--draw your own conclusions!
   Bottom Line: Although the cast isn't great, this CD is definitely one to get! Perhaps consider picking up the other version of the show for better performances, but if it's not available, you won't be upset if you get this one!



4. I LOVE THIS SHOW. It is funny, fast-paced, and intelligent (surprisingly well juxtaposed to the silly plot). However, the cast on this CD dissappointed me. Harry Witherspoon's accent is, to say the least, embarassing. (To say the most: nails-on-chalkboard-annoying). The Uncle is annoying as well, but at least it fits the character. Rita and her brother slightly less so, but still have their moments of going totally off-pitch. The soloist in Speaking French is quite good, but the person least affected by a bad accent/pitch is Miss Glick. If you like the show still by the recording, but if you don't know it don't get the wrong impression from this recording: the show can sound much better. And try Ragtime! Another great Flaherty/Ahrens collaboration.



5. Based on a (now) obscure novel by Michael Butterworth, "Lucky Stiff" is a frothy little musical that has been made into an album worth owning. I ran across it totally by accident when a friend loaned it to me because she was planning on auditioning for a role in it at her college. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it that much, but after listening to the whole thing, decided that it was way too witty and enjoyable to be passed up.

   The plot is silly and complicated. The leads are unassuming and stereotypical. It is Agatha Christie meets Cole Porter. The general idea is that a young, poor, British shoesalesman inherits a fortune from his dead uncle from New Jersey. The twist is, in order to get the cash, he's got to take his uncle (posthumously, of course) on his dream vacation to Monte Carlo. Chased there by the dog charity who is also up for inheriting the money and his uncle's mistress (who accidently is also his murderer) and her brother, chaos and humor naturally commence. But is Uncle really dead? Will uptight British nephew loosen up and find love in the south of France? None of these questions are exactly deep, but the show moves at such a clever, quick pace and the double twist at the ending, though expected, is satisfying.

   The best numbers on the soundtrack, by far, are "Rita's Confession" (which has strains spookily reminiscent of "Little Shop of Horrors" song "Mushnik and Son", which is probably only interesting to the handful of people who like that number), "The Phone Call", "Speaking French" (my personal favorite), "Fancy Meeting You Here" and "Nice".

5 comments about Bernstein: Candide/Various (Ger).

1. Since almost everyone owns a CD burner now, it's possible to compile a hybrid performance that merges the classic 1956 original cast recording (Sony) with this very complete DG performance from 1989, which features Bernstein conducting nearly every delicious bit he composed for the show over a period of three decades. Candide is the sum of original inspiration and a lot of mixed after-thoughts.
   
   I mention this recourse becasue for all its virtues--this is a well-reocrded set with alert conducting from Bernstein (without the extra fat he added to his semi-operatic West Side Story with Te Kanawa and Carreras) the weakest thing here are the two leads. Jerry Hadley has a gorgeous voice, but he applies a layer of ersatz emotion carried over from the Met, and June Anderson is even more the crossover diva who never lets us forget that she was born to sing Norma, not Cunegonde.
   
   They are so inferior to the brilliant Barbara Cook and Robert Rounseville on the original-cast album that I hit upon the idea of a hybrid performance. Keep all of the 1956 selections and splice in additional music from this set in proper sequence. It doesn't make for perfection, because after decades of tinkering with the score, allowing Broadway babies Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim to hang ugly tinsel on it, Bernstein includes some trashy numbers (the text of the opening quartet is a cringe-worthy Sondheim addition) and revives some inferior discards from the original score.
   
   Even so, the finished hybrid product is very satisfying, much greater than the sum of its parts. One gets to hear a classic show saved by the skin of its teeth when Columbia producer Goddard Lieberson decided to make a cast recording of a flop, with the addition of brilliant music that never got into that first album. This DG performance gets 4 stars, the hybrid 5 stars.



2. I would have given this 5 stars if I had not listened to the 1956 version first. The advantage this has over the 1956 recording is that it gives you more songs. Jerry Hadley does a great job as Candide, and anything where he has center stage is excellent. Also, the liner notes are worth having. However, June Anderson does not compare to Barbara Cook's Cunegonde, and Irma Pettina is much better as the Old Lady than Christa Ludwig. I also prefer the 1956 version of The Best of All Possible Worlds to the version in this recording. And while having the extra songs is nice, you really don't miss much not having them in the other recording. That being said, this is a very good recording to have in your collection.



3. I've had this 2 CD set (an earlier pressing of it, actually) for well over 10 years and I STILL listen to it regularly. Lately I've become a huge fan of the second half, especially "What's the Use", a comic waltz.
   
   I've heard other recordings (my Dad had the 1956 cast recording on LP for years), but this is my favorite.
   
   I've made highlights-only tapes for my friends to listen to in the hopes they'd become fans and buy the CDs. They found the music unlistenable. Unlistenable? UNLISTENABLE? Primitive heathens! Be gone, uncultured swine!



4. I bought this disc especially for the final piece "make our garden grow." Due to the death of a family Siberian Husky, my dad began to plant a small garden of wild flowers upon which we will spread some of her ashes. I wanted to put together a cd for my parents and brother that I felt characterized our beloved dog. Anyway, I heard this finale done on TV at a Richard Tucker gala and very much enjoyed it. However, I am terribly disappointed in June Anderson's wobbly, wiry singing. AND, it was the text that I really was looking for to fill the bill, but you can't understand any of it! It's like Joan Sutherland on a really bad mush mouth day, but without her beautiful voice and warmth of tone. Thus, Make Our Garden Grow sounds more like "mee mow arin oh" Damnit!
   The rest of the cast is great and I very much enjoy the work. Anderson is the debit.



5. When Leonard Bernstein tried to be a "serious" composer, the results were only pretentious. When he wrote "light" music, the results were wonderful and original. In Candide, he is really the great composer Leonard Bernstein. And the great conductor too - he and his cast are unbeatable. I don't care what the Broadway standards are for length of a musical, all the music in this cds is valuable, belongs to the piece and should be heard every time this show is given.

No comments about Christmas Treasury Of Classic Ladies.

2 comments about A Party With Betty Comden And Adolph Green (1977 Broadway Revival Cast).

1. An absolutely fascinating, thoroughly entertaining live performance, and an invaluable learning experience for musical theater students and afficionados alike. My only reason for giving it 4 rather than 5 stars is that there is no tracking; both discs are each one long track.



2. What an extraordinary treat. please do yourself the favor and get this cd now. You will be in for great cascades of joy. full of showstoppers, performed by the composers, i saw them do this party on broadway, and this cd gives the entire live performance, with audience, completely intact. what a trip!!!! can you wear out a cd from too much play? i love this show.

5 comments about London Concert.

1. If only American Radio produced and broadcast events as electric and sophisticated as this, perhaps I'd be listening and not typing on my computer. This CD has become an old friend, opening with Sondheim's "Old Friend", and here's to us. The most amazing "Meadowlark" arrangement gives Buckley a running start as she takes flight and pulls the listener up with her to stay. The haunting medley of Paul Simon's "Old Friend">"Unchained Melody" is astounding. The defiance in "Pirate Jenny" and "Memory" sticks in my soul.



2. This CD captures all the excitement of Ms. Buckley live. Her voice is awesome here, and the song selection is a nice mix of her personal favorites, current role (she was starring in Sunset Boulevard in London at the time), and theater/cabaret music that is completely well suited to her voice and styling. There are moments where I am blown away by her intensity, and then the next minute she pares down her voice to the most intimate and vulnerable sound. My favorites here are:
   
   1) Pirate Jenny - sung with a ferocious bite to her voice, yet also capturing the gloomy desperation of the piece.
   
   2) Finishing The Hat - A bold interpretation of the song, sung in the original arrangement from the show - heartfelt and beautiful.
   
   3) Marry Me A Little - I think I have waited my whole life to hear someone put this much passion into this song.
   
   Those are my faves, but the rest of the album is great too. Her interpretations of Meadowlark, Memory, and With One Look are as brilliant as ever.
   
   If you like good theater singing, you MUST own this album!



3. I'll start by putting my cards on the table: I have mixed feelings about Betty Buckley. On some recordings, her vibrato could cut glass. Then there's her extreme divaness, which can veer into hilarious pretentiousness (case in point: the DVD "Betty Buckley - Stars and the Moon").
   
   That said, this CD (taped live in London) is a must-have for any Broadway fan. Buckley is in her very best voice, and she throws herself fully into the songs. It's both tremendously exciting and moving.
   
   If you've heard her other CDs and wondered what all the fuss is about, then give this one a chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed.



4. ....I had been wanting to get a recording Betty Buckley's signature song "Memories" for quiet some time. This live CD recorded in London contains that song and whole host of other treasures. If you are a lover of show tunes or a fun of Ms. Buckley this CD is definately for you.



5. This CD was recorded Live in London with the BBC Concert Orchestra & the BBC Big Band while Ms. Buckley was performing as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. Ms. Buckley has a truly awesome voice that sounds so wonderful with a full orchestra. This Diva can "Belt it." Her rendition of "Over You" is the best to date. "The London Concert" is one of her very best performances, and I have seen many of her performances live over the past 20 years.

1 comments about Call Me Irresponsible/My Fair Lady.

1. Two of Andy Williams finest LPs (from 1963 and 1964) on a single, attractively-priced CD. The material and sound reproduction are great, the liner notes are useful, and the original LP covers are reproduced (front and back) in the booklet. A nice job all around.

2 comments about Bayless Meets Bernstein: West Side Story Variations.

1. I have always loved "West Side Story" and have a few albums of different versions as well as the original soundtrack. John Bayless has done something completely amazing on this album. His improvisations are nothing short of genius as he has reworked the show, by placing some numbers out of the show's original sequence, joined two numbers together ("One hand, One Heart/Maria"), created an entirely new number that was not part of the original show (Meditation"), and eliminated one number altogether ("Gee, Officer Krupke"). Sometime's the song's theme is only briefly stated, and when it is, it has been shortened, elongated or otherwise transformed. Throughout the album there are echoes of Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Strauss and Mahler. In fact, Mahler's "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" from the Ruckert Lieder is quoted at the very end. This is a wonderful album, full of suprises...every listen brings something new.



2. John Bayless is phenomenal, as usual. "West Side Story" is quite possibly my favorite musical/operetta, and hearing the piano versions given that magical "Bayless Touch" is sometimes breathtaking. John has a true sense of the "classic" classical music, but also of showtunes and of jazz, so each piece is played in a loose, creative way.

   The entire album is my favorite, but I particularily love listening to John's versions of "America" (in the style of Scarlatti, then Bluesy and Brassy, and lastly, in the style of Beethoven), in which the original theme of the song is kept, but given three amazing treatments. Fantastic! Also, "I Feel Pretty" is given special meaning when played by a male Texan! This is probably the only version of "I Feel Pretty" I can handle listening to on repeat, as most singers don't do it justice.

   John is truly a master of "completely inhabiting" a piece in a different style than originally intended. This album is a perfect example of this talent of Bayless'. Buy this one for any piano or musical fan, and then get another one for yourself!

No comments about The Match Girls (1966 Original London Cast).