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A Year With Frog and Toad - Original
Broadway Cast
101 Productions
Designed for children, but a witty treat for audiences of all ages, this
charming musical is nicely preserved on this fine recording. Jay Goede
and Mark Linn-Baker are delightful as two amphibians sharing friendship
in the forest. The supporting cast is excellent, with Frank Vlastnik
hilarious as a messenger snail. Groups seeking a delicious but
relatively simple showcase for a talented ensemble of actors will find
this underrated musical to be a family-friendly godsend.
The Boy From Oz - Original Broadway Cast
Decca
After all the negative reviews the show received, its a pleasure to find this
cast recording is so fun packed. There is all the glitz and hyper kinetic
energy
Peter Allen was known for, and fellow Australian Hugh Jackman uses just enough of
Allen's vocal characteristics to make this a stellar performance -- not a
mere imitation. The same cannot be said for the treatment of Judy and Liza,
but then both of them descended into self parody in real life. As Allen's
mother, Broadway favorite Beth Fowler offers a soulful, show stealing rendition
of "Don't Cry Out Loud." The orchestrations tend to be aggressive,
but how else could anyone capture Peter Allen's larger than life sound? I suspect
the critics pounding on this show would have been just as hard on Allen himself.
Fans of Allen and Jackman will definitely want this recording.
Camp - Original Soundtrack
Decca
The most delightful summer movie musical in decades is also the basis
for a super soundtrack CD. The film's youthful cast mostly does its own
singing in numbers as varied as the spankin' new "How Shall I See
You Through My Tears" (a sizzling rendition by Sasha Allen) and the
old Promises, Promises show stopper "Turkey Lurkey
Time." There are some fun CD-Rom features, including cast
interviews, etc. Musical theatre and film buffs will love this film, and
this recording.
Gypsy - 2003 Broadway Revival
Angel
The most complete version on CD, with lots of great dialogue and
incidental music thrown in. The digital sound is dazzling throughout –
a superb job. A strong supporting cast is ultimately overshadowed by
Bernadette Peters' problematic performance as Mamma Rose. Vulnerable,
funny and seductive as ever, Peters has many superb moments but audibly
strains in the role's harsher moments, including "Everything's Coming
Up Roses" and the climactic "Rose's Turn." Peters hits
notes here she didn't bother attempting the night I saw her, but it is
still disquieting to hear what she puts herself through. We should be
reacting to the character, and instead wind up feeling for the actress
– ouch. Still, its hard not to love Peters for trying. Overall,
this cast is more enjoyable here than it was on stage,
where am inexplicably dreary physical production detracted from the
overall impact of this glorious material.
(How does this recording stack up against other versions of Gypsy? See
our Comparative CD reviews.)
Man of La Mancha - 2002 Broadway Revival
RCA Victor
Those who share my abiding love for this score will find much to
enjoy in this handsomely produced recording. Brian Stokes Mitchell's
glorious baritone has never sounded better, and Ernie Sabella is comic
perfection as Sancho. One could gripe about the absence of the
magnificent overture, and while the stellar supporting cast is uniformly
strong, many sound a tad too gentle and refined. In fact, the whole
production lacked the raw spirit that characterized the Albert Marre
staging. But Mitchell's fans can relish his well-crafted Don Quixote,
and those new to the score will find this a capable introduction to a
classic musical drama.
(How does this recording stack up against other versions of Man
of La Mancha? See
our Comparative CD reviews.)
Naughty Marietta - Ohio Light Opera Cast
Albany
The Ohio Light Opera's ongoing attempts to restage and record neglected operettas
and comic operas deserves praise, but this particular recording shows
how much great material can suffer in amateurish hands. It is
fascinating to hear the original 1910 orchestrations and to have much of the
dialogue included, but the cast ranges from passable to embarrassing -- not
the sort of ensemble that would justify investing in this costly 2 CD set.
Nine - Broadway Revival Cast
PS Classics
The stars shine brightly in this top-notch recording. Antonio Banderas
sounds almost as sexy as he looks on stage, giving a musically and
dramatically satisfying performance as a tormented movie director.
Broadway babe Jane Krakowski shimmers as a sexy starlet, Chita Rivera
purrs as a Parisian producer, and Mary Beth Peil is perfect as the
director's indulgent mother. Laura Benanti's "Very Unusual
Way" is pure magic, and Mary Stuart Masterson's performance seems
less inappropriate here than it did on stage. While the original cast
recording remains my personal favorite, this is an excellent
reconsideration of Maury Yeston's glorious score.
The Red Mill - Ohio Light Opera Cast
Albany
Although some of the performers are annoyingly uneven, this 2 CD set is
one of the stronger entries in the ongoing Ohio Light Opera series. Victor
Herbert's original 1906 orchestrations are still fresh and enchanting after
almost a century. The score is filled
with jewels like "In Old New York" and "Ev'ry Day is
Ladies Day With Me," but the sometimes inept cast makes the extensively
revised dialogue painful to listen to. Professionally priced, but amateurishly
performed – not my idea of a fair deal for showtune lovers or for
Herbert's reputation either.
Wicked - Original Broadway Cast
Decca
The stars make this a flawlessly produced recording a must-have for musical
theatre buffs. Kristen Chenoweth finally gets to prove what a knockout
leading lady she can be, singing everything from socko belt to high coloratura,
with breathtaking moments of intimacy to boot. What a joy she is! Idina Menzel's
powerful performance as the misunderstood "wicked" witch Elphaba
is sometimes compromised by a near-terminal case of pop song melisma. Joel Grey
is underused perfection as the Wizard, and Norbert Leo Butz is winning as the
romantic interest. It's great to have Stephen Schwartz composing
for Broadway once more. Songs stick in the mind, which is more than most new
musicals can claim these days -- "What Is This Feeling?," "One Short
Day" and the all too brief "Wonderful," among others. If you're
ready to find out why so many think Chenoweth is the Broadway musical's first great
21st Century star, check this recording out!
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