4 comments about 1940's Christmas.

1. This was an excellent set of CD's and quite a value, as well. I have thrown three seperate parties using these CD's in the past month and I have received nothing but praise from my guests. WONDERFUL!



2. I have a large variety of Xmas music but found this set disappointing. Disk 1 is ok, and the other 2 are fair. Some of the recordings are poor as one of the other reviewers mentioned. Other Xmas music will probably deliver a better value.



3. I swore I would never buy a LaserLight anything again. They have to be the worst of repackagers. Horrible mastering, ugly artwork, no liner notes of any sort and absolutely no thought to the material. Alas, I didn't check the label before I clicked. Only one of the CDs is a 1940s compilation. A Sinatra/Crosby compilation and a Glenn Miller Christmas collection are discs two and three. Half of the Sinatra/Crosby disc is from an old broadcast (actually I think it is from their Christmas special - if so. it isn't even 40's). The quality is really, really bad. The Glenn Miller disc is actually a radio program and unless there is a secret Christmas message in Little Bug Jug, the Christmas label is a bit deceptive.
   
   Check out the offerings from ASV - their discs are always high quality.



4. This is the greatest Christmas music..I look forward to listening to it every year! It recalls the WWII era in the most touching way - sentimental favorites like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I'll Be Home for Christmas are mixed with some more whimsical tunes like It Happened in Sun Valley (my personal favorite)... It swings and warms and evokes great emotion...I can't say enough...

   It is something that I think everyone should have in their collection at Christmastime!!

1 comments about Sings His All-Time Hall of Fame Hits.

1. I remember lying in bed while my mother was in the hospital recovering from her triple bypass, worrying about whether she'd make it or not when I took this out from the library. What tickled me about it was that almost every cut is introduced and recounted by Mr. Bennett himself. Giving us the background story to how he discovered his signature tune "... San Francisco", you come to appreciate all the perseverance he has showed throughout his exemplary career. His medley of "I Had To Be You/One For My Baby" is the highlight of this package - a must for all die-hard Tony Bennett fans.

   By the way, my mother is just fine.

No comments about Christmas: 16 Most Requested Songs.

5 comments about Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

1. The 2006 production of this show was excellent, and the CD is also excellent. Some thrilling and some very moving performances by a very talented group of singers.



2. I had heard of Jacques Brel, and I knew two songs from the show. But what made me buy the CD was the performer Gay Marshall who I had seen in Las Vegas when she performed the role of DIANA in A CHORUS LINE in the 1980's.
   Surprise surprise! She was terrific, of course, and I fell in love with the rest of the show, which I will recommend to community theatres to produce here. I am also buying the DVD---break a leg, Gay! Teri



3. It should be noted that this is NOT the original, or even a revival (though I believe they call it that). This is a reworking of the original. It has deleted many of the songs from the '60s version, including "Marathon". Now before you wail too loudly, the replacement will knock your socks off: the powerfully rendered "Ca Va" sets the tone with an even darker humor than the original. There are other additions and deletions, but I swear, you won't mind. And you won't have to decide which version is better, because they are different. Also having seen this production (the week before this recording was made), sitting in my living room in Kansas I was transported back to the Zipper Theatre and the magic created by this spectacular cast and their incredibly talented musical director (you hear him singing on the "The Middle Class"). Sit back, close your eyes and enjoy!



4. I may be slightly biased because i've seen this show with this cast seven times so far, but it is utterly magnificent. the cast album is beautiful and the vocal ranges are spectacular. Each song is a complete story, some dealing with love, despair, anguish, war, ageing, joy and just about all aspects of human emotion.
   
   If you saw the show in the sixties or have the CD from that show, you will totally disregard it after you have heard this cast. These performers are so talented that they are thrilling. You owe it to yourself to experience the joy of this cast album.



5. ...but the off-Broadway revival of which it's a recording was fantastic. Like unbelievably fantastic. I was raised on Brel (a younger brother was named after him), and this is simply the finest I've ever heard. Buy it, but it, buy it.
   Everyone involved should be very, very proud. Kudos!

5 comments about No, No, Nanette - The New 1925 Musical (1971 Broadway Revival Cast).

1. This 1971 revival/reworking of "No, No, Nanette" evokes memories of the earlier days of Broadway musicals (which I never experienced personally, but have heard on some vintage recordings). The show was loaded with pre-production problems. Cast members were replaced; replacements were replaced; the director was replaced; the book adapter was replaced; one coproducer was forced out; the choreographer was inadequate for the job and had to be bailed out by others more capable than he (and he won a Tony, basically for the work others had done); new songs were dropped; the remaining producer tried unsuccessfully to have her daughter cast in the title role. Still, the whole thing worked. The professional reviewers liked it; three rave reviews, three good, and one mixed, no pans. The audience liked it; it ran for 861 performances. The financial backers liked it; it made a lot of money. The American Theater Wing liked it; it won four Tonies, including the one for choreography.
   It is good to hear music that has been familiar for some time, but whose original context was not familiar. In particular, "Tea for Two," "I Want to Be Happy," and "I've Confessed to the Breeze."
   My one problem is with "Too Many Rings Around Rosie," a really interesting number. I do not know how it is supposed to sound; but, it "wows" (for want of a more descriptive word) like a 78 rpm record played on an old wind-up player that is running down. Isn't that taking nostalgia a little bit too far?
   Clearly, though, the pluses outweight the minuses, and every fan of Broadway musicals should enjoy this recording.



2. I am quite satisfied and happy with the production and content of this product. Also, particularly pleased with the bonus interviews. I must take this opportunity to thank your prompt ordering and mailing service plus, your competitive pricing.
   
   Regards, John Gaunt



3. We absolutely love the music from No, No, Nanette. It is a very well written play, with great music and lyrics and the cast is the very best that Broadway can offer.



4. NO, NO, NANETTE, by Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar, and Otto Harbach, is the show that defined fun-filled 1920's musicals. NANETTE first opened on Broadway in 1925 and was revived sucessfully in 1971; this is the cast recording of that revival. Today, the musical's story and songs -- which include such hits as "I've Confessed to the Breeze," "I Want to Be Happy," and "Tea for Two" -- remain charming. The humorous story concerns Jimmy Smith, a married Bible publisher, who is guardian to teenage Nanette, a would-be "flapper" (liberated woman). Jimmy has been giving money to three pretty girls in different cities, and trouble results when Jimmy, Nanette, Jimmy's wife, and the three girls all turn up at the Smiths' Atlantic City vacation home. Rather than parodying NANETTE, this production treats the show with affection and respect; as a result, the album is sheer delight to listen to. Susan Watson as Nanette sings with spirit and fresh innocence, and Jack Gilford makes a loveable guardian. Roger Rathburn sings well (and with his tongue in his cheek, as it were) in the role of Nanette's rather dull suitor, Tom. Two standouts in the supporting cast are Helen Gallagher and Bobby Van as the Smiths' friends, Lucille and Billy (the secondary "comic couple" seen in so many musicals). Gallagher's rendition of "The 'Where Has My Hubby Gone?' Blues" is terrific. A welcome bonus is a duet called "Only a Moment Ago," sung by Gilford and Ruby Keeler (as Smith's wife); although it was dropped from the show, it is a wonderful song, and I'm glad it was recorded. The orchestra plays the score -- the overture particularly -- with tremendous energy. The recorded sound is excellent and atmospheric -- there is even "tapping" during the dance numbers. This NO, NO, NANETTE is a fun CD that takes the listener back to a more lighthearted era of the musical theatre.



5. NO NO NANETTE was given a lavish Broadway revival in 1971, starring a stellar cast and garnering several Tony Awards. It's sparkling cast recording is one of my all-time favorites.

   The show features Helen Gallagher, Ruby Keeler, Jack Gilford, Bobby Van, Patsy Kelly; and Susan Watson as Nanette herself. The story concerns young Nanette's romantic misadventures and complications in a rather formulaic and traditional 20's-style musical comedy plot.

   Both Helen Gallagher (as Lucille Early) and Patsy Kelly (as Pauline the maid) won Tony Awards for their performances in the musical, and Bobby Van was nominated for his role.

   Susan Watson (the original Kim in Broadway's BYE BYE BIRDIE and Laurey in the 1960 City Center production of OKLAHOMA!) makes for a delightful Nanette, singing the infectious title song as well as "I've Confessed to the Breeze" and "Waiting for You".

   Helen Gallagher is given the show's best songs, including "Too Many Rings Around Rosie", "The Where-Has-My-Hubby-Gone? Blues" and "You Can Dance with Any Girl at All".

   A wonderful recording. Sony.

5 comments about Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (Original Broadway Cast).

1. I SAW ANTHONY & ANNA DO THIS SHOW ON BROADWAY IN OCTOBER 1962. IT REMAINS MY FAVORITE MUSICAL OF ALL TIMES - BETTER THAN FUNNY GIRL AND HELLO DOLLY - AND THAT IS SAYNG A GREAT DEAL. I AM HAPPY TO SEE IT IS OUT IN A CD AS MY RECORD HAS WORN OUT LONG AGO.



2. Hadn't heard this musical in over forty years and was delighted to find it as wonderful in 2007 as I did in the mid Sixties. I'd forgotten how brilliant a singer Newley was -- and how marvelous the score is. In this pre-election year, I was particularly impressed with how well "Mumbo Jumbo" still wonderfully satirizes all the bs re: politicians on the campaign trail. Do yourself a favor and buy this CD.



3. If you are a fan of Anthony Newley you will find this superb C.D. a welcome addition to your collection. It is easy to understand why this musical is considered Newley's finest. In addition to playing the lead role, he wrote, directed and composed many memorable pieces of music including "What Kind of Fool Am I", "Once I In a Lifetime", "Gonna Build a Mountain", and many, many more. His genious is well defined in this piece, it's a joy.
   
   Dottie Conlon



4. STOP THE WORLD - I WANT TO GET OFF is one of the most fascinating musical theatre scores of the 1960s, the `new-style musical' was written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and was largely tailored to Newley's vocal style.
   
   Rarely has the score been bettered than on the original Broadway cast album, crisply reissued here on the Decca Broadway label. Anthony Newley and his pert leading lady, underrated British performer Anna Quayle, perform the score with flash and verve. The entire score is fantastic though the penultimate number "Someone Nice Like You" must count as one of the most beautiful love songs ever written for the musical stage.
   
   Anna Quayle is a marvellous performer, sadly only really remembered for her role as the Baroness in the movie of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (a role that is great but does not represent all she was capable of), and Anthony Newley, who also headed the London company to perhaps ever greater acclaim, is in his element.
   
   A top cast album.



5. This Bricusse-Newley musical is still fresh today. Some of the songs are classic. They include "What Kind of Fool am I" and "Once in a Lifetime". Newley's voice and vocal range was at its height when this album was recorded. If you like the music in this show then you will also like the music from "Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd".

5 comments about Merrily We Roll Along (1981 Original Broadway Cast).

1. This is a fine recording of a profoundly moving show BUT the remastered version is presented very poorly when compared to the initial RCA release.
   
   No libretto, a few black and white photos (as compared to the original colour ones, and a superficial essay - not even a summary of the show's plot. Ridiculous.
   
   The bonus tracks are of minimal interest, so if you own the original, keep it. You are much better off.



2. I'll admit, I was completely ignorant of musicals and of Stephen Soundheim until my son joined his high school theater troupe and he got the role of "Terry". I reluctantly attended, only because I wanted to see my son's performance, and prepared myself for what I thought would be a boring night. Boy, was I wrong! Not only was it amazing but my 10 & 8 yr. old daughters, whom I thought were going to be whining after 10 minutes, were enthralled too! I didn't realize my son's theatre troupe was so amazingly talented, the musical was so professionally performed I felt I was at a broadway show! The music is wonderful and entertaining! We have been transformed by this. We now own the soundtrack and often we catch ourselves humming various parts of it often! Especially love "Franklin Shepard, Inc.", which isn't on this copy. You've got to see this to appreciate it!



3. While I have never seen this show, I picked up this remastered version of the original 1981 production due to my interest in Mr. Sondheim's scores. An interesting premise - to stage a show in reverse - but the score doesn't captivate like "Company" or "Sweeney Todd", two of my favorite scores ever. Still, a worthy effort w/ a few standout songs:
   
   Old Friends
   Not A Day Goes By
   Our Time



4. Several years ago I saw a college production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. At the time, I knew the musical had been a flop in its original run on Broadway; I went to see the production only because two friends of mine were playing the leading roles of Frank and Charlie. But while watching the show I realized that MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG has a great score -- probably one of the greatest of any unsuccessful musical. "Like It Was," "Not a Day Goes By," and "Good Thing Going" are all haunting ballads, unusually emotional for Sondheim, while "Now You Know" and (especially) "Franklin Shepard, Inc." are patter songs in Sondheim's typical, brilliant style. Even the school "commencement song," "The Hills of Tomorrow," is memorable, as are the ensemble numbers "Rich and Happy" and "Merrily We Roll Along," not to mention the moving anthem "Our Time." Both the title song and "Old Friends" are woven through this backwards-told tale of disillusionment, recurring several times as commentary on the action.
   Another original idea was to have all the roles played by very young actors -- teenagers, in fact. (Sondheim and director Harold Prince must have thought that a story about broken youthful ideals would be even more affecting if the cast itself was youthful.) Fortunately, Jim Walton, Lonny Price, and Ann Morrison as the three "old friends" INHABIT their roles to a degree that few mature actors could hope to match, while singing with confidence; Walton's "Not a Day Goes By" in particular is beautifully sung. At times, it is truly hard to believe that these performers are little more than children, so thoroughly assured do they sound. And the choral work is stunning; the chorus, in fact, may be the real star of the recording. Those unfamiliar with MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG and this original Broadway cast recording don't know what they are missing!



5. Here, I will give a detailed comparison between the two version of this musical available, character by character, song by song. To begin...

   Frank Shepard: Jim Walton (OBC) has undeniable potential, and does especially well in "Old friends", the original Frank version of "Not a day goes by". Still, his performance has serious flaws, and his "Our Time" in particular is painful to listen to. By contrast, Malcolm Gets (NBC) was quieter and subtler in the role, but "Our Time" is the character's most important moment, and he handles it terrifically. His spectacular vocals and soaring idealism contrast sharply with Walton's shrill, shallow delivery.

   Charley Kringas: Lonny Price (OBC) is spectacular as Charley. Since Charley remains an uncorrupted idealist at the play's "end", casting a teenager in the role was actually a wise move, and despite his lack of experience, Price turns out one of the most skillful performances in all of Broadway history. I tell you, the kid's a prodigy! Adam Heller (NBC) was adequate in the revival (personally, I'd love to see him do Buddy in "Follies"), but most of Charley's personality is expressed in subtext, and without the tragic complexity Price gave him, he seemed rather boring.

   Mary Flynn: Ann Morrison (OBC) is quite talented, and did an excellent portrayal of an angsty teen late in the play, particularly in the second half of "Our Time". Still, she simply sounded too upbeat to be convincing as a cynical middle-aged drunk. Amy Ryder (NBC), on the other hand, is perfectly suited to the role; she has a wonderfully expressive voice and does an excellent job of subtly altering her personality over time.

   Beth Spencer: This role requires a measure of overacting, but Sally Klein (OBC) goes so over the top it's not even funny. Anne Bobby (NBC), on the other hand, kept her control and gave a charmingly flamboyant and very human performance.

   Gussie Carnigie: Michelle Pawk (NBC) sounds like a real Broadway headliner, and she is just delicious as the show's evil seductress. Terry Finn (OBC) had only a brief dialogue bit on the CD, and she couldn't even handle that without making a fool of herself.

   Joe Josephson: Famed comedian Jason Alexander (OBC) made this character funny and charming. Paul Harmon (NBC) was intensely annoying.

   As for the individual songs...

   Merrily we Roll Along: The song has excellent lyrics, deep and introspective, but in the OBC you can't hear them because the obnoxious Geoffrey Horne is shouting something pointless over them.

   Like it was

   Amy Ryder sounded far more authentic here than Ann Morrison, although I will say Lonny Price handled his dialogue bits extremely well.

   Franklin Shepard INC.

   Adam Heller's diction was better in this wordy monologue-song, but I prefer Price's more passionate version.

   Old Friends

   The OBC has better peformances by everyone except Ann Morrison, as well as two very interesting extra verses tacked on the end.

   Not a day goes by

   This song was blessed with two great performances, and I honestly can't decide on a favorite between Jim Walton's gorgeous vocals and Anne Bobby's intense acting.

   Now you know

   The OBC did a great job of setting the mood for this number, and Walton and Morrison are at their best. Still, Amy Ryder did a decent job of salvaging the watered-down, badly edited NBC version.

   It's a hit

   The OBC cast were much more interesting in this number, and some key material was cut in the NBC anyway.

   Good thing going

   Heller was by no means bad in this number, but Price blew him out of the water.

   Bobby and Jackie and Jack

   The NBC is far better; Sally Klein was at her worst here, and Lonny Price, for all his many talents, is no comedian.

   Not a day goes by (reprise)

   Due to an asinine recording job, you can barely hear Amy Ryder in this number. Thankfully, Ann Morrison does a fabulous performance here.

   Opening Doors

   Jason Alexander sings beautifully and projects a loveably pushy personality in this montage. Let me say delicately that Harmon does neither of these things. The rest of the cast is excellent in either versioon, except for Jim Walton, who foreshadows the problems with his next song in an unsubtle, extremely annoying performance.

   Our Time

   If not for Jim Walton, the OBC would have this one in the bag; they close it with a haunting ensemble chorus led by Ann Morrison that gives the song a beautifully profound feel. However, Walton was horrendous in the first half of the song, and because he was so utterly outclassed by Malcolm Gets' exquisite performance, the song overall is far more effective in the NBC.

   Finally, as for the songs that were in both versions...

   The Hills of Tomorrow (OBC)

   A lovely song and an excellent opening. I appreciate its importance to the plot as the first song Frank ever wrote, but I think reprising it to close the show was not as effective as simply closing with "Our Time".

   That Frank (NBC)

   Weak as a plot climax. I understand that in the show, it was merely intended to "set up" a dramatic confrontation in the book scenes, but on the CD it was a noticeable letdown. Still, Amy Ryder's antics as Mary were fun and powerful.

   Rich and Happy (OBC)

   A powerful and disturbing climax and an excellent alternative to the shallow "That Frank", even if Walton could have performed it better.

   Growing up (NBC)

   A complex and thought-provoking song with a beautiful melody, performed extremely well by Malcolm Gets and Michele Pawk. I personally think it serves a necessary role in the play, and I'm very glad they added it to fill that void. It gives us a chance to see into Frank's mind, something none of the other songs do. Gussie's later reprise of this song, however, is watered down and, despite its beauty, completely unnecessary.

   The Blob (NBC)

   A satirically funny and mildly disturbing song. Part of it appears in the OBC, but Gussie's cynically witty second verse really brings it to life.

   In general, I actually recommend you get both version if you get either. Each one contains wonderful moments the other one screws up. If you must get only one, though, get the NBC. It may not be as good is some places, but it has fewer flaws.

5 comments about The Wild Party (LaChiusa) (2000 Original Broadway Cast).

1. If you are the person who thinks Wicked is the greatest show on Earth.... this is not your flavor of candy. This music is absolutely amazing. Wicked was good, but it was the special effects that grabbed the audience. This cast recording is so unique, it's unbelievable. I didn't expect what I was going to hear.
   
   This style of musical theatre is sophisticated and witty. Amazing and stupendous. Absolutely wonderful. I have listened to this recording about 30 times total. Which is a lot for me considering I have 100+ shows. I am a musical theatre addict. It's what I do. I eat, sleep, work, go to school, and listen to showtunes. it's an exciting life. What can I say...
   
   Buy this if you are into sophisticated and "smart" musical theatre.
   Plus, this is the ideal show for any college. It showcases every voice. It's not a one man show, I'll tell ya that much.
   
   Buy it. It's worth every penny.



2. Both versions of "The Wild Party" suffer when they are transferred to CD. The Lippa show, in particular, has more than half of the music cut from the show to the disc. This leads to some strange choices for the final product... why on earth would you keep the most irrelevant, lyrically vapid character number ("Two of a kind") in the final production over the "kitchen scene", the "confrontation", or even the sweet Queenie / Black number "Man with a dozen women"? The world may never know...
   In LaChiusa's show, the only downside to the recording is that very much of the show is visual. "Wild Party" was up for the Best Lighting Tony when it came out on Broadway in 2000, and it has some absolutely brilliant staging. On the CD, it's also impossible to see the physical interactions among the characters. For most of the cast, this is not a problem, as they are predominantly characterized in their songs. However, the one cast member who gets screwed over is Yancey Arias. No one seems to like his characterization of Black: either he's whiny or dull or otherwise not adequately fleshed out. On the recording, the whole Queenie/Burrs/Kate/Black love-quadrangle seems a little disjointed. In the actual show, Yancey Arias has more strictly-dialogue interactions with Toni Collette that make him a likeable, if somewhat static, character. Black's progress from the initial attraction to Queenie to his willingness to protect her from her violent lover Burrs is clearer and more believable. Not to mention that Arias has a smooth, beautiful voice and can definitely stand up vocally to those he sings against.
   Many reviews have already stated that this, moreso than the Lippa show, is an ensemble effort. The supporting cast, consisting of Eartha Kitt, Norm Lewis, Marc Kudisch, Leah Hocking, Jane Summerhays, Michael McElroy, Nathan Lee Graham, and Brooke Sunny Moriber, are all wonderful singers and actors in their own right. Jane Summerhays and Brooke Sunny Moriber (Madelaine True and Nadine, respectively) also suffer from their transition from show to recording, but they are nonetheless very talented and indispensible members of the ensemble.
   Toni Collette is, of course, a blessing to every project she participates in. She creates an trapped, outwardly jaded and ultimately heartbreaking portrait of Queenie and she is an absolutely mindblowing singer, (not to mention lyricist. Check out her solo CD under "Toni Collette and the Finish"). Tonya Pinkins is similarly wonderful as Kate, the "dagger-tongued beauty", who is either Queenie's best friend or her greatest rival. Mandy Patinkin's Burrs is a demonic alter-ego to Brian D'Arcy James' portrayal of Burrs in Lippa's show. Patinkin's voice is an incredible instrument, but perhaps he's overqualified for his role here. Burrs is terrifying, and not at all sympathetic. This creates a weakness in the show because you have no reason to believe that Queenie is torn between her two lovers (Black and Burrs). This is not entirely Mandy Patinkin's doing, as it is the responsibility of the show's creators to give the actors something to work with.
   The score is magnificently discordant and effectively unsettling. The ensemble numbers such as "Gin/Wild" and, though it's not included on the disc, Madelaine's solo "I Need", are genius, and the solo numbers keep the show rattling along to its tragic conclusion. You should decide for yourself what side to pick in the "Which is better" debate that arises, but LaChiusa's show is definitely an underrated musical theater classic.



3. The Broadway version of THE WILD PARTY, written by Michael John LaChiusa, is surely one of the best scores of the past decade. It is a jazzy, thrilling, brilliant score, and the show has one of the best ensemble casts ever assembled.
   
   Toni Collette is pitch-perfect as Queenie. Every word she sings is entralling. Mandy Patinkin is also fantastic as Burrs, Queenie's violent lover.
   
   Adding great support is Eartha Kitt as Dolores. Her "When it Ends" is a highlight. Tonya Pinkins and Yancey Arias are thrilling as Kate and Black, respectivley. Norm Lewis as Eddie and Marc Kudish also do great work.
   
   Some of the best tracks are:
   
   Queenie is a Blonde
   Dry
   Breezin' Through Another Day
   Gin/Wild
   Black is a Moocher
   People Like Us
   When it Ends
   
   Go out and get this brilliant CD. It is very worth the money.



4. Put this CD in your player. Turn the volume knob up. And hit play. Sit back.
   
   
   .....
   
   
   BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT!
   
   Way to open a show, Michael John. And it just gets better from there - a rat-tat-tatting drumbeat cuts through the chaos, and the band swings into full hot-jazz swagger. Marc Kudisch smirks out the eternal line "Queenie was a blonde, and her age stood still", and from there on the recording is pure bliss.
   
   Michael John LaChiusa is an immensely gifted lyricist and composer, possibly the most promising of the "New School of Composers", but suffers from the same disease as many of his contemporaries - while his songs are intricately layered and textured, with fantastic lyrics that cut to the core of the characters, he too often forgets to include a melody. Or actually a tune of any kind. Not so here. While his signature key changes, atonality, and surprise tempo shifts are still here, he supplies steel-trap tunes for the overwhelming majority of the songs. It's a genuine surprise to listen to something like "People Like Us" - it's instantly memorable, with a gorgeous melody and lyrics that mist the eyes. It's everything a theater song should be - instantly memorable, heartbreaking, smart and tuneful. And there's more where that came from.
   
   Everybody knows by now the differences between this Wild Party and that Wild Party - Lippa's party is a great source for show-stopping pop tunes and anachronistic bombast, LaChiusa's is the cerebral cousin that requires repeated listening but turns out greater rewards in the end . It's Jerry Herman versus Stephen Sondheim all over again. I will say that I prefer this one, because LaChiusa has widened the scope - while Lippa's show is indisputably the property of the four leads (Queenie, Burrs, Black, and Kate), this is a true ensemble effort. While the brothers D'Armano (here played riotously by Nathan Lee Graham and Michael McElroy) are nothing more than token homosexuals in the Off-Broadway version, here they are absolutely delightful debauchers, singing vaudeville duets and sleeping around, sometimes in the course of the same song. Same with Jackie (Marc Kudisch), Eddie and Mae (the always-welcome Norm Lewis and Leah Hocking), Gold and Goldberg (Adam Grupper and Stuart Zagnit, deliciously Yiddish), the sometimes-comatose Sally (Sally Murphy) and of course Dolores (Eartha Kitt herself, in full vamp mode, purring and sliding and stealing the show with every word out of her mouth). Each of them is a person - a real, flesh-and-blood person. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes terrifying. While the majority of the credit must go to the talented actors (Lewis, Kudisch, and Kitt especially must be singled out as terrific singers), LaChiusa does deserve kudos for refusing to write these oddballs off.
   
   And now for the leads. Here they are, ladies and gentlemen - Mandy Patinkin, Toni Collette, Tonya Pinkins, and Yancey Arias. Toni Collette was born to play Queenie; her slightly husky voice, undeniable singing and acting chops, and way with a wisecrack flesh out the character more than Julia Murney's constant belting ever could. She is more than up to the vocal demands of the score, and every word she says reveals a little more of the damaged goods beneath the hard shell of sex and drugs. Tonya Pinkins is kind of shafted as Kate. She's not given anything particularly revelatory, like Idina Menzel's "Life of the Party". However, she is a far better actress than Menzel, and does good work with what she's given. Yancey Arias shares Taye Diggs' dubious honor of being the weak link in an otherwise excellent cast - he's dull throughout, competent but unspectacular. Maybe it's the character, but at least here Black has some worthwhile material to work with. And finally?
   
   Oh, Mandy. I've listened to this recording over seven times, and I still can't figure out whether his Burrs is a perfectly unhinged portrayal of a shattered vaudeville star or just Patinkin's indulgences allowed to run rampant. He works every single vocal and characteristic quirk he has to its fullest. He's passed "over-the-top" by his third line. He screams, hisses, snarls, growls, tightens his voice to a thin dog's-whistle and widens it to a full, encompassing belt, usually in the same sentence. You can almost hear the foam flying from his mouth. At the very least, he IS scary. (and the way he delivers the line "Don't ever think about not loving me" is absolutely perfect) Also, the differences between characterization on the part of the composers must be noted - Lippa makes Burrs a broken and violent man, while LaChiusa skips the "broken" part and focuses on the "violent", throwing in a pinch of "gibbering mental patient".
   
   The music is great, the characterizations run the gamut, the voices are fantastic. It adds up.



5. As you may be aware, there are two musical versions of WILD PARTY: this one, written by Andrew Lippa, which premiered off-Broadway, and another version written by Michael John LaChiusa which premiered on Broadway.
   
   Much debate rages in theatre circles about which version is better. In the interest of helping you, the consumer, make an informed decision about which one would better suit you, I have a simple multiple choice quiz you can take. Answer honestly, then scroll to the bottom to tabulate your results (NO PEEKING!).
   
   1.) I think musical theatre is primarily _______.
   A) entertainment
   B) art
   
   2.) I think RENT and WICKED are bright, shining pinnacles of musical theatre.
   A) True
   B) False
   
   3.) In a musical, my biggest requirement for songs is:
   A) that they be pretty, hummable and toe-tapping.
   B) that they be vital to plot and character development.
   
   4.) I think a musical's score should accurately reflect the time period in which it is set.
   A) False
   B) True
   
   5.) Speaking broadly, I think Stephen Sondheim is _______ while Jonathan Larson is ______.
   A) overrated / genius
   B) genius / overrated
   
   6.) In a musical, I think the score should:
   A) wash over the audience and be easily digestable.
   B) require its audience to listen carefully.
   
   Pencils down!
   
   If you scored three or more A's, you will be happier with the Lippa version of this show, as it is a typical book musical in the modernist vein, with an emphasis on musical numbers that function like set-pieces rather than plot points.
   
   If you scored three or more B's, you will be happier with the LaChiusa version of the show, as its score is more stylistically appropriate for the time period. It also develops its characters through music rather than through the script, with an ironic post-modern approach to the subject matter that doesn't attempt to dispell the moral ambiguity of its characters.

5 comments about Build a Bridge.

1. Once again one of the most beautiful voices in musical theater wraps her mezzo around a mix of quasi-theater and pop songs. When it works--in the dual Laura Nyro songs, and the surprising, thoughtful rendition of John Mayer's My Stupid Mouth (note to singers: words matter, acting counts)--McDonald achieves a glint of the delicious friction she unfurled on her most satisfying outing, 2001's Happy Songs. But the CD buckles under repetive, uninspired arrangements, making McDonald's vocal gifts feel like useless beauty; it meanders when it should soar; it lulls when it should cut like a knife to the heart.



2. My first album of hers was "How Glory Goes", and I fell in love. Her voice is flawless. Her strength, tone, vibrato, emotion... it's all pure ecstasy.
   
   However, I felt that some of the songs chosen on this album were awkward. It's not that I didn't like them, but for her being the princess of Broadway, there was not much traditional or familiar in this repertoire. Maybe that was intended, and if so, kudos.
   
   The album did seem to come together at the end, and I actually enjoyed hearing some less familiar pieces. I just don't know that it was the best choice for her at this point.
   
   I'm looking forward to completing my collection from this diva!



3. I love Audra McDonald, especially her debut album, Way Back to Paradise. For a while I felt like her song choices have been not up to par with that first album, but she is back to picking unique, different songs for Build a Bridge. If you like hearing something other than the same old theater songs again and again, this is a great one to pick up.



4. Not my favorite album of hers, but the Laura Nyro songs alone are worth the price.



5. I have been mostly a fan of Ms. McDonald's Theatre music so this CD filled with pop music selections took some getting use to. But as usual I have been won over by Audra's beautiful voice and musicianship. Her individual style and fearless fresh approach to music making is rare and very special. She has the best voice and technique of any singer singing Broadway and popular music today. She is never afraid to take on a classic associated with another singer( Dusty Springfield's "I think its going to rain today", by Laura Nyro) But let this CD live in your CD player for a while and you'll find yourself finding new joys in it with each new listen.

5 comments about Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001).

1. "Barbara Cook Sings Mostly Sondheim (Live at Carnegie Hall 2001)," a double CD album, comprises the complete critically-acclaimed live concert that was first heard in February, 2001, at Carnegie, beginning, as it does, with "Everybody Says Don't," and ending with "Anyone Can Whistle." It combines songs by the famous Broadway composer-lyricist, with others that he would have liked to have written, at least in part; and includes the guest appearance of Malcolm Gets. And it goes to prove once again the acuity of legendary Broadway director/producer Hal Prince's well-known remark that his favorite singers are "actors with voices....A musician who appreciates words, and has the taste, brains and quirky wit to make the most of these wonderful show tunes."
   
   Cook, an Atlanta native, made her Broadway bones, and leapt to Tony award-winning stardom, as Marian the Librarian in the 1957 premiere production of Meredith Willson's "The Music Man." She has continued her Broadway career, while, at the same time, carving out further careers in the worlds of concert and cabaret, and initiating the giving of greatly-esteemed master classes in voice: I've a friend, an aspiring singer, who was absolutely bowled over by being accepted for one of Ms. Cook's workshops.
   
   The late Sheridan Morley, author of many greatly praised biographies of theatrical performers, once said, "I have been lucky enough to have been kicking around the New York and London cabaret world for about as long as Barbara Cook has, but I have only ever in my life heard two singers who could match her lyric for lyric: one was Mabel Mercer and the other was Judy Garland."
   
   Well, Morley, Mercer and Garland are no longer with us, but Cook, at 75, still is, her voice still as clear and silvery as a bell, and she is still able to hit her high note in "Ice Cream," a song from "She Loves Me --" she first performed it in the 1950's --that's luckily on Sondheim's list. Her incisive way with a lyric, and her actorly approach are still very much with her. A pair of songs from Sondheim's "Passion," another pair from the Arlen-Mercer St. Louis Woman score, and Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost in His Arms," might be considered especially fine. But I was once lucky enough to see Cook in person, doing this repertory while she was having her greatest success with it, at New York's Brooklyn College. And what blew me away was a simple tune, almost a childish one, "The Trolley Song," from "Meet Me in St. Louis;" one of Judy Garland's signatures. I would not have imagined - no one would have, I expect --that anyone could take it away from Garland. But Cook most successfully at least borrowed it: she acted it as she sang it, and she was "in the moment" all the way.
   
   Ms. Cook is accompanied here by her long-time musical director, unfortunately no longer with us, pianist Wally Harper, who accompanied her throughout her triumphs with this material, in London, Washington D.C., and at Lincoln Center's Beaumont Theater in early 2002. You may never have been lucky enough to catch her live in this - but we have this album.



2. Having read the other reviews there is little more for me to add. I have been a Barbara Cook fan for a longtime and for me, this is one of her best concerts ever. I do, however, prefer the DVD. As with some other reviewers, I do not want to hear Malcolm Gets (as much as I like him) when I want to listen to Barbara. Her flawless interpretation of music is a hard act to follow for any singer! I managed to see this concert 4 times over a year and a half. Each time I saw her the voice was stronger and more assured (I would not have thought that possible). I can't help but think we will have the pleasure of hearing Ms Cook for many years to come. For those people who enjoyed his CD I strongly recommend purchasing the DVD. Barabara's rendition of So Many People is breathtaking (literally, I don't think I breathed once during the entire song). If you ever have opportunity to see her live - go! She has an ability to make you feel as if every song she sings and every word she speaks is directed to you alone. She can take a large venue and make it feel as intimate as your own living room. Having had the pleasure of meeting her I can say she is as youthful and pleasurable in person as she is in her performance.



3. After being privileged to attend this concert, I had to own the CD. Once a lyric coloratura and the original Cunegonde in Bernstein's Candide, Ms. Cook has become (in her 70s) a true diva, blessed with a velvety, warm sound. Every note has meaning. Her high B-flat on "Ice Cream" is still the envy of any soprano today. Everyone should whistle after hearing the superb performances on this CD. Even better, though, is the experience of having been in the concert hall for the live performance. Brava, Ms. Cook!



4. When I first bought tickets for the 'Mostly Sondheim' show on tour (in San Francisco) I figured it couldn't be too bad. Besides, I had only been exposed to a few of his songs (Anyone Can Whistle, Losing My Mind...) and had only seen "A Little Night Music". On the way out of the theater I immediately picked up this recording of the program. It is truly amazing. I immediately began listening to it and have barely put it down in the last few months. Furthermore, my Sondheim CD collection increased in size from an unflattering zero to five (and it's still growing)! This is an amazing introduction to the works of Stephen Sondheim, who is now my favorite modern musical composer). Buy this now if you don't already have it!



5. This is a wonderful CD set with a great selection of songs. I do want to express a slight reservation, however. Barbara Cook has been one of my favorite singers for a number of years and the way her voice defies time is extraordinary -- for her to be singing with such bright, beautiful tone in her mid-70s with no wobble or beat in the voice is an amazing achievment.

   I do have to say that by 2001, when this concert was recorded, Cook seemed to have a lost a little bit of power and intensity in her singing. This is only natural for someone of her age. Her voice is still lovely, but you can sense her keeping it in reserve a bit. She's as expressive as ever, but compare the rendition of "I got lost in his arms" on this album to the one on her previous album recorded in 1999, "The Champion Season", and there's less urgency and vocal depth in her singing here. That said, the high B at the end of "Ice Cream" is sensational.

   So, despite that caveat, this is, again, a wonderful album, a must for Cook fans, especially for the gorgeous renditions of songs I'd never thought I'd get to hear her perform: "Not a Day Goes By", "Happiness/Loving You", "San Francisco", etc. Buy it!