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Broadway in a Box Disc 14 (Original Broadway Cast)
11 to go
What a great set it is. By the way, did you notice how all record label verbiage was absent from the above album cover? Only time they ever did that, I think.
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Re: We have two fine threads on this board for folks to showcase their listening habits, Now Playing for soundtracks and non – soundtracks. However, like myself, there are a number of people here who enjoy listening to Broadway and West End Cast Recordings. We have had some discussion on the non-soundtrack thread about these, so how about a seperate thread where we can post and maybe have more discussion about the Cast Recordings we listen to. Overture…
Interesting post. Elsewhere here (under "Your greatest experiences as a theatre-goer?") I recently got into a discussion about favorite moments in live theatre, and I wrote about the 6 times I saw Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin and Bob Gunton in the American cast of "Evita" -- 6 truly memorable nights! I also mentioned that back in the 80s and 90s I used to review both instrumental soundtracks and shows for a CD magazine, and my first review for them was a comparison between Patti LuPone's "Evita" cast and Elaine Paige's for the West End -- while I've long adored Paige, LuPone and her men are the easy winners in that one.
As for listening to theatre recordings, earlier today I sat out in the shade in my garden with my iPod, and out of 18,000+ tracks chose the original Broadway cast of Lionel Bart's "Oliver!," and was startled at how fresh and alive it sounded so many decades later. I had only intended to listen to a few songs, but ended up listening to the entire recording. That show will live forever, I scribbled in my journal, as will so much theatre music we've been blessed to have preserved.
As for the best versions of Sondheim's "A Little Night Music," I agree that the Broadway original with Glynnis Johns is the best, although the London cast with Jean Simmons, whom I saw do it many times back in early 1975 before they took it to London, remains a sentimental favorite. But you just can't beat that Broadway recording of that show.
I'm glad others continue to love "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" ... and I'm referring to the ORIGINAL version with Robert Morse! I've heard songs from others who played J. Pierpont Smith, but none of them have come close to the wonderful Robert Morse, who broke the mold when he created the role, much as Robert Preston did in "Music Man" and Rex Harrison in "My Fair Lady." In some ways they raised the bar too high for anyone else who came after them.
To tarasis, yes, Bernadette Peters' original is the best version of Sondheim's "Into The Woods," but I also have Vanessa Williams, who has her moments. But Peters' original has such great support from Chip Zien and lots of others. As for "Man of La Mancha," one of my thrills was seeing Richard Kiley and Joan Diener a few times in 1967, and that was monumental, as was the show itself. But Howard Keel did a fine job of it in, as I recall, the late 1970s or early 1980s.
To Thomas, about his favorite version of "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," that's the one I prefer too. It stars Bill Hutton, and in 1984 Bill was in a West Hollywood production of William Finn's "In Trousers" (part 1 of his "Marvin Trilogy") which I saw so many times that it would embarrass me to give a count. I always tried to sit at the same front row seat and was obsessive about recording the show each time on my high end (for the time) recorder. But I think it was Bill who spotted me tinkering with the volume and got theatre staff to stop me, although I snuck it back closing night, and eventually sent a copy of that memorable recording to Finn himself, whom I had met when they were preparing the show.
This brings us to songs that may have been added to shows AFTER they were recorded. In the case of Finn's "In Trousers," he practically rewrote it, and I'm glad to have recordings of what I view as the quintessential version of that show. When the men who composed "Les Mis" had their "Martin Guerre" in Los Angeles, they added a couple of songs, one of which I loved, but they added them AFTER the London recording, and since the show never made it to Broadway, were never recorded, which is such a shame, because I loved that show and they were terrific songs. Anybody have any OTHER examples of show songs that eluded recording?
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Posted: |
Sep 15, 2013 - 5:08 AM
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By: |
Thomas
(Member)
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Thanks for your fantastic post, Ron. Your posts here and on the 'theatre-goer' thread are really interesting, I hope you continue to post and share your experiences with us.
Your comment rearding 'Martin Guerre' has me intrigued, though. I went to see that Original London production not long after it opened, and I also loved it. Apart from one or two dubious scenes (mainly involving the idiot and his scarecrow girlfriend!), I thought it was harshly treated by the critics. I believe it had the largest orchestra in the West End at the time, and it sounded like it! I wasn't aware that when it went to LA they added a few songs. I know after it closed in the West End, they mostly rewrote it for a UK production a couple of years later, which generated this recording..
Do you know if the songs you heard in that LA production were subsequently used in this recording, or where they different songs again?
(Reminds me of Hal Prince's famous line - "Great musicals aren't written:they are rewritten")
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Thomas: No, the London recording had already come out -- I had bought it -- when the show was at our Ahmanson Theatre. Benoit the fool (not the idiot, as you call him), had the best (or better) of the new songs and it was beautiful, and I think they may have softened his character by the time it reached these shores (as well as some of the heavy-handed references to religion I hear on the CD). I met the fellow who played Benoit, who was young and energetic and a real spark plug, and quite a crowd favorite (and had a great voice). Wish I had my playbill handy to recall his name. Incidentally, Guillaume, the villain of the piece, was played here by the golden voiced José Llana and he really shone, although the 2 principals were amazing and, frankly, had far better voices than what we hear on the "Martin Guerre" recording. Llana would go on to star with Lea Salonga in a very interesting re-imagining of the Rodgers and Hammerstein "Flower Drum Song," updated to the Chinese protests at Tiananmen Square, with some songs rearranged for different characters -- I've misplaced my CD of the wonderful Broadway recording of it and, alas, never downloaded it to my iTunes, so I may have to buy it again. (I think I loaned it to someone who never returned it.) It was, for the most part, thrilling on stage and it's a great original cast CD. The ending, where each cast member states precisely where THEY were born -- Manilla, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Toronto, New York -- always brings tears to my eyes.
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Thomas! I'm stunned! That IS the production, starring Stephen Buntrock as Arnaud and Hugh Panaro as Martin. And you know that theatre recordings, especially non-professional ones, are always imperfect with crowd noises and echo and other distractions. But that WAS the Benoit I loved (Michael Arnold) and José Llana as the lecherous Guillaume (at first totally unaware that it was the Los Angeles production, I was immediately sure that I was watching Llana). I think I heard Benoit's added number toward the end, "Benoit's Lament," after his scarecrow girlfriend has been ripped apart by Guillaume, but will have to check my CD to be sure. I had gone backstage and met Michael Arnold, who was cute as a button out of his grimy clothes and wig. (I had started it so quickly that I overlooked the graphic telling us that it was from the U.S. tour from April 2000.)
Of course the video isn't studio perfect and one would be expected to prefer the studio recording, and I must confess that at no time did I think that I was watching Hugh Panaro (who starred in a Broadway production of "Phantom" less than 2 years ago -- we saw him during intermission breaks for the PBS broadcast of the wonderful 25th anniversary performance of "Phantom" at Albert Hall ), and a very young Hugh Panaro can be seen in the film "Broadway Damage." But, at the end, there was his name.
Incidentally, you noticed, of course, that the entire first part where Martin Guerre goes off to war and meets Arnaud and tells him about being married was omitted, along with a couple of other things (like what leads up to the flogging for the young Martin not consummating his marriage an the long and devastating draught), and I didn't hear him saying near the end that he will raise the child under its dead father's name.
But I am simply beside myself! I had long hoped that someone had recorded a performance when the show was in Los Angeles, and while imperfect, it's more than I probably could have realistically hoped for. I'll have to look for the dates when I saw it -- I think my 6 times (I seem to see a LOT of shows that I like 6 times!) were in the second half of its run here. I don't know what to say! Thank you soooooooooooo much!
A quick interjection. I just found my playbill for the show, which was at the Ahmanson Theatre in February of 2000, and had to return here to change the jumble I had made of the names -- I had gotten Panaro and Buntrock and Arnold confused, so had to change my references to them. But that WAS more than 13 1/2 years ago, and I hadn't given them much thought since then. But I'll say this again: They were far better than what I see and hear in this video. Take my word for it!
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That's my favorite, with Chip Zien and Bernadette Peters, but the revival with the wonderful Vanessa Williams has its moments. But I always return to THIS one.
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Re: I suppose you have seen that a film version is in the works. The director is Rob Marshall who directed Chicago. The cast includes Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp.
I'm not encouraged! I pretty much hated "Sweeney Todd" with Depp, nor am I a big fan of Marshall's musicals!
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Posted: |
Sep 17, 2013 - 5:44 PM
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By: |
CH-CD
(Member)
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A welcome thread. I have hundreds of Broadway & London Cast albums, along with Movie Musical Soundtracks.
They do get played, to suit my mood, but, since the advent of iTunes and Playlists, nowadays I find myself listening to my Musicals Playlists.
In fact, I have one playing right now. Here is a typical selection, this one a little heavier on the Movie Soundtracks than Broadway tracks.......
Come along now....All jump in on the chorus  .......
The Fleet's In 1:53 Betty Jane Rhodes The Fleet's In ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Oh, Better Far To Live & Die 5:55 Kevin Kline & Pirates The Pirates Of Penzance ( Original Broadway Cast )
Ca c'est l'amour 1:39 Taina Elg Les Girls ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Blind Date - Album Version 5:00 Barbra Streisand Funny Lady ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Burlington Burtie From Bow 2:06 Julie Andrews Star ! ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Pretty Little Picture 2:50 Frankie Howerd, John Rye & Isla Blair A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum ( Original London Cast )
Baby You Knock Me Out 2:38 Cyd Charisse & Boxer's Chorus It's Always Fair Weather ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Totem Tom-Tom 2:45 Marion Keene Rose Marie ( 1958 Studio Recording )
Ladies in Waiting 2:55 Mitzi Gaynor, Kay Kendall & Taina Elg Les Girls ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Tosy and Cosh 3:02 Barbara Harris On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ( Original Broadway Cast )
Climbing Over Rocky Mountains 4:08 Daughters The Pirates Of Penzance ( Original Broadway Cast )
The Lonely Goatherd 3:13 Julie Andrews & Children The Sound Of Music ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
As On Through The Seasons We Sail 2:32 Don Ameche And Hildegarde Neff Silk Stockings ( Original Broadway Cast )
When You Hear the Time Signal 2:28 Dorothy Lamour The Fleet's In ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Go to Sleep 3:01 Barbra Streisand. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
All I Do Is Dream of You 1:27 Debbie Reynolds & Chorus Singin' In The Rain ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
I Like Myself 4:07 Gene Kelly It's Always Fair Weather ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
The Next Time It Happens 2:58 Judy Tyler & William Johnson Pipe Dream ( Original Broadway Cast )
Oh, Lady Be Good! 3:48 Jason Alexander & Ann Morrison Lady, Be Good ( Original 1992 Studio Cast )
Where Did The Summer Go To ? 2:15 The Kids Anne Of Green Gables ( Original London Cast )
Follow That Girl 3:55 Peter Gilmore Follow That Girl ( Original London Cast )
You're Just Too, Too! 1:54 Gene Kelly & Kay Kendall Les Girls ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Sorry You've Been Troubled 2:29 Hubert Gregg Chrysanthemum ( Original London Cast )
Salzburg 2:40 Jean Stapleton & Eddie Lawrence Bells Are Ringing ( Original Broadway Cast )
With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal 3:23 Pirates, Police & Stephan Hanan The Pirates Of Penzance ( Original Broadway Cast )
Glad To Be Unhappy 3:54 Christine Andreas On Your Toes ( Original 1983 Broadway Cast )
Just One Of Those Things 2:11 Maurice Chevalier Can-Can ( Original Soundtrack )
Dear Little Boy (Dear Little Girl) 2:00 Daniel Massey & Julie Andrews Star ! ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
The Legacy 4:37 John Cullum On The Twentieth Century ( Original Broadway Cast - 1978 )
You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea 3:50 Stuart Damon & Julienne Marie The Boys From Syracuse ( Original 1963 Broadway Cast )
A Million Miles Away Behind The Door 3:23 Jean Seberg Paint Your Wagon ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
Come Back to Me 4:24 Yves Montand On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever) 2:51 Yves Montand On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ( Original Motion Picture Soundtrack )
The Highest Judge Of All 1:53 John Raitt Carousel ( Original Broadway Cast )
Always Mademoiselle / Coco ( Reprise ) - Finale 7:28 Katharine Hepburn, Orchestra & Chorus COCO ( Original Broadway Cast )
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To CH-CD, I really don't think that Thomas wanted us to post a long list of every cast album, film and show (or songs), that we own. He wrote "...where we can post and maybe have more discussion about the Cast Recordings we listen to," with "discussion" the operative word. If I listed every cast album I own, it would run in the several hundreds. Why don't you tell us about how you discovered a few of the ones you most love and maybe any you might have seen on stage? And I've come back, because I see now that you've included tracks and times from, presumably an iPod playlist. If a song means enough to you to single it out in such a compilation of favorites, why not tell us what it means to you? Just a thought for possible discussion.
Well, this is contrary to what I just wrote above, but let me give you an example of one of my own personal playlists, a collection of mostly favorite Broadway (with a few non-Broadway thrown in for good measure):
2 from "A Chorus Line" (including "At The Ballet")
4 from "Destry Rides Again"
7 from "Love Never Dies" (London)
5 from "The Rothschilds"
1 "If I Ruled The World," Harry Secomb, from "Pickwick" (London)
5 from "Dames At Sea"
4 from "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying"
7 from "Seesaw"
4 from "Chess" (Broadway AND London)
4 from "Man With A Load of Mischief"
6 from "I Can Get It For You Wholesale"
3 from "Camelot"
4 from "Dear World"
7 from "Forever Plaid"
1 from "Golden Boy" ("Night Song," Sammy Davis Jr.)
6 from "Follies"
4 from "Chicago"
4 from "Sunset Boulevard" (London)
3 from "Half A Sixpence"
7 from "Man Of La Mancha"
1 Beth Howland doing "Getting Married Today" from "Sondheim - A Musical Tribute"
6 from "Sugar"
3 from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (the concept album version)
2 more from "Chess"
2 from "I Do! I Do!"
6 from "Jekyll & Hyde"
5 from "Les Miserables"
1 from "Evita"
4 from "Falsettoland"
4 from "Milk & Honey"
6 from "Miss Saigon"
4 from "My Fair Lady"
2 from "Oklahoma!"
3 from "Pacific Overtures"
2 from "Phantom Of The Opera"
3 from "Show Boat"
3 from "Two Gentlemen Of Verona"
4 from "Company"
2 from "The Rink"
3 from "The Fantasticks"
3 from "March of the Falsettos"
3 from "Falsettoland"
1 live recording of Glynis Johns & Len Cariou singing "Send In The Clowns" from "A Little Night Music" with dialog
3 from "Zorba"
4 from "Fiorello"
4 from "Grease"
1 from "Hair"
Frankly, I see little purpose in such a litany of a playlist I made for my own pleasure, but, in keeping with previous posts, will include it anyway.
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