Funny Thing [Import]
Track Listings
|
1. Anyway
|
|
2. Wired
|
|
3. Inside Your Head
|
|
4. Big Fat Smile
|
|
5. Origami Mommy
|
|
6. Book Of Virtues
|
|
7. Be My Fix
|
|
8. Freak Like You
|
|
9. Unbroken
|
|
10. Miss You Blue
|
|
11. Fanatic
|
|
12. Anti-Zero
|
|
13. Touch
|
|
14. Shakedown
|
|
15. Hopeless
|
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks: "Shakedown", and "Hopeless".
Funny Thing,40 Ft Ringo,Universal,Rock
Funny Thing [Import]
Average customer rating:
- still hilarious
- Even with flaws, the best of the crop
- Terrific Songs!
- Perfect...Absolutely Perfect...
- Sondheim light
|
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962 Original Broadway Cast)
Stephen Sondheim
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Sondheim, Stephen
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Deluxe Edition) (1961 Original Broadway Cast)
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Applause Musical Library)
- A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)
ASIN: B000002SOA
Release Date: 1993-05-11 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Comedy Tonight
- Love, I Hear
- Free
- Lovely
- Pretty Little Picture
- Everybody Ought To Have A Maid
- I'm Calm
- Impossible
- Bring Me My Bride
- That Dirty Old Man
- That'll Show Him
- Lovely (Reprise)
- Funeral Sequence
- Finale
Amazon.com
"Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!" With that song, one of the most famous opening numbers ever, the brilliant career of Stephen Sondheim as a Broadway composer and lyricist was born. Sondheim had written lyrics for the classics West Side Story and Gypsy, but he wanted to compose as well, and after 1954's Saturday Night was derailed, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962) gave him his first Broadway show. Based on the Roman comedies of Plautus, it's a light frothy entertainment (as promised in the opening) led by the outrageous Zero Mostel as the scheming slave Pseudolus. The Gordian knot of a plot also involves Jack Gilford as fellow slave Hysterium, Preshy Marker as the vacant Philia, Brian Davies as the young hero, Hero, and Ron Holgate as the testosterone-oozing soldier Miles Glorious. Sondheim the composer proves an ideal match for Sondheim the lyricist: you can hear halting uncertainty and not-yet-blossomed passion in "Love, I Hear," "I'm Calm" perfectly captures Hysterium's hysteria, and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" is pure vaudeville genius. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
still hilarious.......2007-02-07
After providing the libretto for the musicals "West Side Story" and "Gypsy", Stephen Sondheim decided to write both music and lyrics for his next project, which turned out to be A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, a raucous, musical comedy (with the emphasis on comedy) set in Ancient Rome, and featuring a book by Larry Gelbart and Burt Shevelove.
The original production opened on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on May 8, 1962, and went on to run for 964 performances. The lead role of Pseudolus was originally earmarked for Milton Berle and Phil Silvers - for various reasons both were unavailable - and the part wound up going to Zero Mostel, who created one of his most well-remembered roles.
Brian Davies (fresh from playing Rolf in Broadway's "The Sound of Music") is a very well-sung Hero, nicely-partnered by Preshy Marker in the role of Philia. Their duet "Lovely" is adorable, and Marker's 11 o'clocker "That'll Show Him" is good value.
The colourful supporting cast included some big names on the Broadway musical comedy scene (Ruth Kobart, David Burns, Jack Gilford). John Carradine and Ronald Holgate (as the preening he-man Miles Gloriosus) add some fun to the numbers, too. Songs like "Comedy Tonight!", "Dirty Old Man", and "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid", are the kind of fall-down funny numbers that one seldom hears in musicals these days.
While ...FORUM established Stephen Sondheim as Broadway's "golden boy of the moment", his next big show, "Anyone Can Whistle", folded after only nine performances. In 1965, he decided to go back to doing the libretto for Richard Rodgers' "Do I Hear a Waltz?", only for it to be another middling failure. Success would come in the 1970s and 80s with a series of highly-stylised works (beginning with "Company").
Here in ...FORUM, you can hear Sondheim in full musical comedy mode, with a score that fairly bubbles with merriment and mirth.
[Angel Broadway/EMI 0777 7 64770 2 2]
Even with flaws, the best of the crop.......2007-01-18
After checking into all the available soundtracks of the musical, I selected this one primarily for the original performance of Zero Mostel. Like many remastered CDs, there are volume problems with the recording--I really had to crank it up to be able to hear anything! I do wish that the soundtrack from the film, with Phil Silvers and a young Michael Crawford, was available, but this will do in the meantime.
Terrific Songs!.......2006-01-06
I recently saw a great production of "Funny Thing Happened," in Roanoke not so long ago with my girlfriend. We had both listened to the CD prior to seeing it and loved the songs from it and the play was a riot! It was just so funny I couldn't stop laughing. I especially liked Hero, and want the part so badly. No wonder this musical is such a big High School and Summer Stock fave. Everybody ought to have a copy of this CD.
Perfect...Absolutely Perfect..........2004-06-19
Innitially, when i first listened to this recording after buying it, i was slightly dissapointed. I certainly enjoyed the different music styles and clever lyrics, but i felt that the stars, and Zero Mostel in particular, were not as great as i had been led to believe they were. Comedy Tonight proved something of a dissapointment, and i winced several times during Free, where it seemed to me that Mostel had stopped singing and had started yowling. The only numbers that immediately made a favorable impression upon me were Lovely and Impossible, and these are still my favorite moments in the CD. What i didnt realize was that i had been listening to the recording with the ears of someone who expected to find the classic,overwhelming style of the period, full of showstoppers and sweeping romantic moments. This piece is none of those things. Indeed, in many ways, it is not like any musical i had ever heard before, and i have heard quite a few. It is...I suppose the only way to describe it is to call it a phenomenon that occured purely by chance when three men came together with a vision of a musical that would mesh the comic style of the Roman playwright Plautus with classic American vaudeville and do it so effectively that it would become a timeless classic of musical theater that would continue to delight audiences for over fourty years. This piece has been performed so often, and is such a well known favorite that it is a wonder to me that i, devoted musical fan that i am, could have gone so long without having any knowledge of it. I now know how deprived i was, and how deprived you will be if you do not buy this recording. And whatever you do,dont buy a different one until you own this one. While i have only heard extracts from other recordings, i can safely say that no musical collection is complete without THIS recording of the material. It isn't only because there is a freshness, a tentative bubble of excitement hanging over this recording, or because the orchestrations and the quality of the CD are very good. After you have bought it, and listened to it several times, ask yourself, honestly if you could imagine A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum without Zero Mostel, or indeed without any of the other stars. The cast are so superbly suited to the piece that it is little wonder that it became an immediate hit, and they have a lot to do with the fact that this musical has made its mark in an industry that is one of the most popular forms of live entertainment the world has ever known. The whole thing is wonderful...there is not one song in it that does not grow on, or appeal instantly to the listener. How i could have ever been less than overwhelmed with Comedy Tonight is beyond me, and there are many other memorable moments on this CD. Do not hesitate over this one. Just buy it. You can always give it away if you find it less than satisfactory, but i seriously doubt that you will. Sorry for taking up so much of your time, but when i am passionate about something, i want the whole world to share it with me.
Sondheim light.......2004-01-31
There are so many productions of FORUM each year that Sondheim could easily have retired and lived off the royalties of this one show. (Fortunately for us, he didn't)
Usually the first original cast recording is prferable over later revival and film versions. In this case, the 1996 revival cast with Nathan Lane is slightly better and more closely resembles the score the way it is presented in the theatre.
This original 1962 cast is not quite as polished a recording, but it does have Zero Mostel, Jack Gilford and the other members of the original cast sailing though Sondheim's music and lyrics with a spririt of fun.
The London cast with Frankie Howard is now out-of-print but it s a very amatureish recording. And avoid at all costs the film soundtrack!
Average customer rating:
- Sweet melody
- Woot! The best recording of Forum
- Timeless and Classic
- Everybody ought to have this CD
- Music in Good 'Forum'
|
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996 Broadway Revival Cast)
Stephen Sondheim
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Sondheim, Stephen
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Revivals
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Applause Musical Library)
- A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1962 Original Broadway Cast)
- Matthew Broderick in "How to Succeed in Business WIthout Really Trying!"
- A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)
ASIN: B000002SJO
Release Date: 1996-06-25 |
Tracks:
- Overture
- Comedy Tonight
- Love, I Hear
- Free
- The House Of Marcus Lycus
- Lovely
- Pretty Little Picture
- Everybody Ought To Have A Maid
- I'm Calm
- Impossible
- Bring Me My Bride
- That Dirty Old Man
- That'll Show Him
- Lovely (Reprise)
- Funeral Sequence
- Comedy Tonight (Finale)
Amazon.com
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the first Broadway show for which Stephen Sondheim wrote both music and lyrics, has proven to be one of the master's most enduring creations, appearing in community theaters and, in 1996, in this full-scale Broadway revival. In the role of the scheming slave Pseudolous, Tony-winner Nathan Lane isn't the maelstorm that was Zero Mostel in the 1962 original Broadway cast, giving a subtler, neurotic performance. While one might miss the sheer force of Mostel's personality driving these madcap antics (based on the Roman comedies of Plautus), Lane's approach allows the show to become more of an ensemble vehicle. In a gender- and race-neutral move, Lane was subsequently replaced on Broadway by Whoopi Goldberg. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
Sweet melody.......2003-12-16
1) Show is hysterical. The music, the tempo, the acting, it all worked so well, and there was such cohesion it was superb
2) I played Hysterium in my high school play (Greenwich, CT: Brunswick - '01), and I had so much fun, and the CD helped immensley, as I heard several versions of the songs, and this one just rocked
3) N. Lane's voice is very strong, but can sound whiney at times. I don't know...I'm not getting money for this, so what do I know?!
4) Any chance I can get on stage?
Woot! The best recording of Forum.......2003-10-05
My high school is doing Forum for there musical this year (I play Erronius by the way..), and this play is hysterical.Although, the movie conversion was totally crappy. The stage version is funnier. Nathan Lane was superb as Psudolus, and i reaaly didnt like him being replaced by Whoopi Goldberg...o well...
Timeless and Classic.......2002-05-06
I personally am not a fan of classic musical theatre (although the time it was written may not be classic, but I do consider the music to be), but I love this album! The lyrics are witty and clever, and the wonderful music is all that I'd expect from Sondheim. This is a sure bet for anyone who's looking for a light-hearted musical where everything turns out okay in the end.
Everybody ought to have this CD.......2001-08-21
If you want to laugh, listen to Everybody Ought to Have a Maid. If you've never seen this show, I feel sorry for you. It's hysterical from start to finish. A great show and a great CD. I only wish that the early 70s revival which starred Phil Silvers was out on CD.
Music in Good 'Forum'.......2000-05-27
The number one reason to buy this remake is this: They took all of us musical theatre people's advice and speed it up! The tempo of this rendidtion is quick, smart, well timed musically and comically, and wonderfully orchestrated.
Saks and his team have turned in a fun album of a show that sometimes needs to be seen (Coutesans, Marcus Lycus) to be appreciated. Great attention was paid to sound effects which helps the listening audience understand the action that more than likely was happening on the stage at a particular momnet. And that, my friends, is the mark of a good musical theatre recording.
Much has been said about the individual performances, all of which are clear, well sung, and spoken. However, to say they are good performers is to take away from the real genius here. To make this musical work (and I've done it a couple of times) one has to find a complete cast of talented character actors. Romeo, Maria, Hamlet, and Barbara please sit down and make way for the circus fare. Saks has found his faux with the likes of Lane, Sabella, and Linn-Baker.
At times the orchestrations drag on and the quality of the actual recording could be better if you have an audiophile ear. But for the most part this is a must have for the musical theatre person.
Average customer rating:
- Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
- Top Shelf
- TERRIFIC CD'S
- Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
- Great Compilation!
|
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Ballets
| Ballets & Dances
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Bernstein
| Bernstein, Leonard
| ( B )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Gershwin
| Gershwin, George
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Porter
| Porter, Cole
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Rodgers, Richard
| ( R )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Sondheim, Stephen
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Weill
| Weill, Kurt
| ( W )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
All Works by Mancini
| Mancini, Henry
| ( M )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Film Scores
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Modern & 20th Century
| Historical Periods
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
English
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
German
| Languages
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Classical Music
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Classical Instrumental Music
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Opera & Vocal
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Musicals
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
- Broadway: The American Musical
- Broadway: The American Musical
- Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
- Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals
ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19 |
Tracks:
- Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
- Swanee- Al Jolson
- When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
- A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
- My Man- Fanny Brice
- Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
- If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
- Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
- Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
- Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
- Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
- Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
- Body And Soul- Libby Holman
- Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
- Night And Day- Fred Astaire
- Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
- Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
- You're The Top- Ethel Merman
- Summertime- Anne Brown
- September Song- Walter Huston
- My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
- It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
- Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
- Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
- Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake
Tracks:
- New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
- If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
- Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
- There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
- How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
- Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
- Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
- Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
- Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
- Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
- Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
- Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
- Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
- Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
- Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
- Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
- Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
- I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
- Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
- The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
- Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
- Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence
Tracks:
- Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
- I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
- Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
- My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
- Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
- Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
- Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
- Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
- I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
- The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
- Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
- What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
- As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
- Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
- People- Barbra Streisand
- Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
- If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
- Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
- The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
- If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
- Open a New Window- from Mame Voice
Tracks:
- Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
- Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
- I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
- The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
- Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
- I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
- I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
- We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
- Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
- Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
- Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
- One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
- All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
- Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
- Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
- Come Follow The Band
- Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
- And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
- The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia
Tracks:
- Memory- Betty Buckley
- I Am What I Am- George Hearn
- Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
- Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
- The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
- You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
- The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
- Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
- With One Look- Glenn Close
- On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
- Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
- Seasons Of Love-
- Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
- I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
- Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
- Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
- Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
- I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
- Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30
Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.
Top Shelf.......2007-01-04
This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.
TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23
THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14
This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway
Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17
If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway
Average customer rating:
- you cant beat an Ira lyric.
- A Wonderful CD
- Quiet and elegant
- Disappointed
- they can't take that album away from me
|
Pure Gershwin
Michael Feinstein
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Nostalgia
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Cabaret
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Pop
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Isn't It Romantic
- Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins
- Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin
- Michael & George (Feinstein Sings Gershwin)
- Live at the Algonquin
ASIN: B000002H4W
Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
- S' Wonderful
- Our Love Is Here To Stay
- Liza
- The World Is Mine
- They Can't Take That Away From Me
- Isn't It A Pity?
- Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
- Embraceable You
- What Causes That?
- He Loves And She Loves/How Long Has This Been Going On
- They All Laughed
- The Girl I Love
- Someone To Watch Over Me
Amazon.com
Pure Gershwin was Michael Feinstein's first album, and it remains one of his best. It may not have the production values of his later Gershwin tributes, Nice Work if You Can Get It (1996) and Michael & George (1998), but it simply and directly presents Feinstein in his piano-bar days, singing to his own tasteful accompaniments with occasional contributions from bass and drums and a second piano. Establishing the patterns for his later albums, he sings unjustly neglected verses to familiar songs, uncovers some never-before-recorded gems ("The World Is Mine," "What Causes That"), and provides song-by-song notes. Longtime friend Rosemary Clooney guests on "Isn't It a Pity?" --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews:
you cant beat an Ira lyric........2007-01-05
this is good...and just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. I REPEAT: just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. listen & enjoy some great american music. you cant beat an Ira lyric.
A Wonderful CD.......2005-05-19
PURE GERSHWIN is just that, pure!. Feinstein interprets Gershwin the way it was meant to be performed. This is pure delight!
Quiet and elegant.......2003-04-20
Michael Feinstein's thin voice is compensated by his apparent enthusiasm for the material and a spare arrangement of piano, bass, and drum that gives this recording the ambiance of an intimate piano bar. Before hearing this disc, I knew only Gershwin's biggest hits, so many of the numbers here were new to me and increase my appreciation of that great American composer.
Disappointed.......2003-04-10
I bought this cd because I am a huge Gershwin enthusiast and am always on the lookout for versions of one of my favorite pieces, "Liza". I'd heard a lot of buzz about Feinstein and the supposed wonderfulness of his Gershwin interpretations, so I thought I would give this album a shot.
I was extremely disappointed. Feinstein seems to suck the life out of Gershwin's compositions, a feat I would have previously thought impossible. Though I concede that vocalists are free to reinterpret songs (many to a great success, as in Louis Armstrong's and Ella Fitzgerals's enjoyable versions of Gershwin), I think Feinstein's lazy tempos "loungy" voice make the tracks on this album boring and annoying.
I have loved to listen to and sing these songs my entire life. I just wanted to warn listeners who perhaps, like myself, enjoy George Gershwin's music for its beautiful clarity and energy (as easily experienced through Gershwin's own recordings, early interpretations by artists such as the Astaires, and even recent broadway "Crazy For You") that they will not experience any feeling of the sort from Michael Feinstein.
Amidst all the gushing that has recently been done over him, I found Michael Feinstein to have attempted to murder "Liza" and the other songs on this album. He merely displays a very unexceptional voice and poor interpretive taste. Fans beware, Feinstein proves that it is possible to make a bad cd of Gershwin songs. I'd recommend listening elsewhere.
they can't take that album away from me.......2002-05-09
they say the third time's a charm, but in this instance, it is the first time -- michael feinstein's first gershwin album -- that is the charm. this album is by far better and more listenable than the next two -- "feinstein sings gershwin" and "nice work if you can get it".
the listenability of this album may stem from the fact that it is a bare-bones arrangement, with two pianos, a bass and drums, a la a jazz trio, with no embellishment, so michael feinstein's then sincere and unsophisticated voice is the featured instrument.
i heartily recommend this album, as every song on it is a gem and feinstein's voice is more appealing than on the two later albums, when he jazzed it up with what sounds like an echo chamber and other electronic enhancements and he seems to be doing the songs by the numbers.
feinstein's version of "liza," slowed down to ballad form and plaintively phrased, is the best i have ever heard. the duet with rosemary clooney on "isn't it a pity," again brings out the best of feinstein's then-new voice and shows why george's (clooney) aunt is rightfully considered a jazz legend.
the combined "he loves and she loves/how long has this been going on" is another melodic/poignant highlight, while the album's finale, "someone to watch over me," is a stirring anthem to wanting and needing someone and is done with vocal and instrumental passion; it brings this collection of songs to a fitting crescendo.
for a lawyer's kid from columbus, ohio who started out cataloguing gershwin estate material for the reclusive ira and then began singing the songs for family and friends, michael feinstein has done all right for himself. he has become the recognized interpreter of the gershwin legacy, sort of the same way his pseudo-cousin, john, jr. feinstein, has become the recognized interpreter of the bob knight legacy... .
michael feinstein may have hit a home run his first time up with this album, and it may be his best, as it is the purest and most joyful celebration of gershwin tunes, while the others are fancier, more jazzed up and ponderous and less appealing.
the other albums are certainly not bad, though, and i recommend buying them to fill out a feinstein or gershwin collection, but this one is by far the best one to get if you are only going to get one as a sample of either's work. it is nice work, and you can get it.
Average customer rating:
- Great CD
- Simply the Best
- Inconsistent, but mostly excellent
- "Celebration" is not strong enough a word
- A maginificent evening, a magnificent album
|
Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Sondheim, Stephen
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Hadley, Jerry
| ( H )
| Featured Performers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
1990s
| By Decade
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
1990s
| By Decade
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Pop
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
1990-1999
| Decades
| Compilations
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
Classical Music
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Opera & Vocal
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Musicals
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast)
- Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast)
- Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim
- Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
- Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall
ASIN: B000003FDW
Release Date: 1993-02-23 |
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
- Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
- Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
- Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
- Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
- Being Alive--Patti LuPone
- Good Thing Going--The Tonics
- Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
- Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
- Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
- Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
- Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble
Tracks:
- Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
- Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
- Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
- Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
- The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
- Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
- I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
- With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
- Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
- Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
- Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
- Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
- Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus
Customer Reviews:
Great CD.......2006-08-06
This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.
Simply the Best.......2005-06-29
First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.
In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.
In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.
If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21
I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30
This review is by Crosley.
I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.
There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.
I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16
There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.
This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.
My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."
Average customer rating:
- Let the Buyer Beware
- Historical and Pristine
- "Rhapsody In Blue"
|
Gershwin Plays Rhapsody in Blue
Manufacturer: Shout Factory
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Gershwin
| Gershwin, George
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Film Scores
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Piano
| Keyboard
| Instruments
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Jazz General
| Traditional Jazz & Ragtime
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Vocal Jazz General
| Vocal Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Pop
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Tin Pan Alley
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls
- Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue/An American In Paris
- The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
- Levant Plays Gershwin
- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano Concerto in F - An American in Paris
ASIN: B000098ZSS
Release Date: 2003-05-13 |
Tracks:
- Rhapsody In Blue
- An American In Paris
- Swanee
- Walkin' The Dog
- Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
- Somebody Loves Me
- Our Love Is Here To Stay
- S'Wonderful
- Embraceable You
- Oh, Lady Be Good
Customer Reviews:
Let the Buyer Beware.......2007-01-12
I do not disagree on any level with the other reviewers of this CD. However, the content is recorded from piano rolls rather than directly from the artist. This fact is not explicitly presented on the web page. Yes, if one clicks on the CD cover photo to get an enlarged image, one can read "First recording 1924 from rare piano rolls" at the bottom in small type. Not everyone will do this however. For this reason alone I only rate this product 3 stars.
Historical and Pristine.......2006-12-22
This compilation of Gershwin selections taken from the piano rolls of the composer offer a perfect introduction to the music of Gershwin, offering a balance between his serious symphonic pieces and his accessible popular songs. Beginning with two of his concert works, "The Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris," the CD just hints at what the composer accomplished in the concert hall and the world of serious music. To my understanding, the "Rhapsody in Blue" was originally performed at a concert titled 'An Experiment in Modern Music' in 1924 at Aeolian Hall in New York. The piece was performed by an orchestra with Paul Whiteman as director, and with the composer at the piano as part of a concert experiment in jazz. The version on this CD is a piano adaptation created by the composer based off of the original symphonic work.
"An American in Paris" is also a concert work that did not achieve the widespread adoration that the Rhapsody has garnered. It was intended by the composer to capture the emotions of a tourist visiting Paris, and was purportedly auto-biographical. It was performed in 1928 at New York's Carnegie Hall with Walter Damrosch conducting the New York Philharmonic. It received mixed reviews at the time but remains a favorite of Gershwin's classical works. Like the "Rhapsody," the version included here is a piano adaptation of the original orchestral work.
The remaining works on the CD are those of a popular composer, the flipside of Gershwin's career. No other American composer (or any for that matter) has strattled these two different fields of music with the success with which George Gershwin did. And the popular songs, among them, "Embraceable You," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," and "Love is Here to Stay" have achieved enormous pop culture penetration and secure Gershwin's place in history as a master of popular song composition. Notably missing from this CD, however, are Ira Gershwin's contributions, i.e. the words, which add an element important to these songs' true place in history. Along with Ira's contributions come the countless Gershwin vocal interpreters who helped to realize these songs' true significance and their dispersion throughout the American popular music idiom.
On these versions, it is simply Gershwin playing his works (albeit the recordings are taken from his piano rolls, not an actual live recording). In these arrangements, the melodies are incorporated into lush and often convoluted harmonic accompaniment, in which the melody often becomes lost (i.e., the bridge or B section of "Oh, Lady Be Good!"). However, the opportunity to hear the composer express the harmonic possibilities of these disguisingly "simple" American tunes is truly a valuable one. The particular bouncing style with which Gershwin jumps from chord to chord to accompany his melodies is clearly apparent on many of these tunes, and that is an aspect borrowed from Ragtime that contributes to Gershwin being labeled as a uniquely "American" styled composer. The idiosyncracy of his composition and playing are tied together and come to life on this CD. The harmonic statements are sophisticated and evasive to the common ear, and the rhythmic precision and prolificity are legendary. Together with the melody, these elements of the musical composition on which Gershwin demonstrates mastery come together to produce a truly quintessential and essential Gershwin compilation.
"Rhapsody In Blue".......2006-07-12
"This piece (Rhapsody In Blue) seemed to sweep through my mind. It was the heart of America, the feverishness of life, the musical welter of races, of peoples, their joys and their passions, their dissipations and their exaltations." ~ George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 - July 11, 1937) ~
Today, July 11, 2006, marks the 69th death anniversary of one of America's most versatile songwriters, George Gershwin. The birth of one of my favorite jazz-infused-classical pieces, "Rhapsody In Blue" in 1924 made Mr. Gershwin an overnight and sensational star and had gained him a worldwide recognition. He had been my late parents' (and mine, too) favorite composer along with Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. His harmonious collaboration with his brother, Ira Gershwin, had produced the most beautiful songs of all-time. They were the most prolific team of songwriters and their compositions have been recorded countless times by famous interpreters of Great American Songbook such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Tony Bennett, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Michael Feinstein, Natalie Cole, Linda Ronstadt, Rod Stewart, Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Michael Bublé and Chris Botti, among many others.
This CD is a musical treasure and one that I would strongly recommend not only to any Gershwin enthusiast but also to any new fan for this includes the original recording of "Rhapsody In Blue" from rare Piano Rolls. The sound quality is just terrific. It highlights two of his major works - "Rhapsody In Blue" (1924) and "An American In Paris" (1928). It also features some of his well-known popular songs and favorites of mine, my parents' theme songs "Our Love Is Here To Stay" and "Embraceable You." It has been said that Mr. Gershwin functioned best and had written his very best compositions at 3 o'clock in the morning and when he finish eight bars that he likes, he can finish a chorus in a few minutes, like the songs "`S Wonderful" and "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." This recording also includes "Swanee," "Walkin' The Dog," "Somebody Loves Me," and "Oh, Lady Be Good."
It's so amazing that he composed frequently and never run out of inspirations for writing melodic tunes that are so pleasing to the ears. He can write three to five songs in a single afternoon. When he completed the melody of a song, he gives it to Ira to write words to it. He was such a genius and played the piano by ear after a fashion, tapping out the tunes with a finger.
Not known to many, Mr. Gershwin had tried his hand at painting. I've seen a portrait of himself that he painted a year before his death from brain cancer, and I would say, it's a beautiful work of art, almost like a work of a professional painter. He could have been a great painter.
George Gershwin will always be remembered as one of the greatest 20th Century composers and his music will always linger in the hearts of music lovers like me who truly appreciate and enjoy fine music.
Average customer rating:
- Sondheim recital
- Also a very dissapointed fan
- Adequate performance; poor entertainment
- a very disappointed fan
- What a train wreck!
|
Sings Sondheim
Mandy Patinkin
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Dress Casual
- Mandy Patinkin
- Experiment
- Oscar & Steve
- Kidults
ASIN: B00006JP2C
Release Date: 2002-10-29 |
Tracks:
- Opening
- Lesson #8
- Another Hundred People
- When?
- Someone Is Waiting
- Johanna
- Green Finch and Linnet Bird
- Pretty Women
- Finishing the Hat
- If You Can Find Me, I'm Here
- Live, Laugh, Love
- Live Alone and Like It
- Everybody Says Don't
- Rich and Happy, Part 1
- Our Time
- Broadway Baby
- Rich and Happy, Part 2
- Uptown, Downtown
- Liaisons
- Send in the Clowns
- Live, Laugh, Love (reprise)
- You Could Drive a Person Crazy
Tracks:
- Free
- Company
- Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
- Pleasant Little Kingdom/Too Many Mornings
- Not While I'm Around
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- It Takes Two
- In Someone's Eyes
- Beautiful
- Losing My Mind
- Take the Moment
- Sunday
Amazon.com
Recorded live at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia, this double CD is one heck of an extensive tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Backed only by Paul Ford on piano, Mandy Patinkin gets through nearly three dozen songs penned by the Broadway master. Some are obvious (excerpts from Sunday in the Park with George, in which the singer created the title role), others less so ("If You Can Find Me I'm Here" from Evening Primrose). Patinkin is often mocked for his shivering falsetto, but here, it's actually when his voice explores a lower register that it falters. What's more interesting is when he tackles songs usually sung by women, such as Follies' "Broadway Baby" and Company's "Another Hundred People" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy"--the latter hammed up so much that you can hear the chewing of the scenery. A distinctively mannered interpreter, Patinkin remains an acquired taste, but fans of his will be in heaven with this set. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
Customer Reviews:
Sondheim recital.......2007-01-22
Probably the best way to approach these disks is to treat them like a recital in a concert hall. Rather as you would listen to a Schubert or Schumann song cycle. Taken together this way, we come to hear Sondheim as one of our finest composers, serious, comic, manic, depressive, always dead on target no matter what the subject matter. And Patinkin is perfect for these songs; he understands the meaning and value of every note and every word, just as a fine concert singer would do, and he makes his listeners understand, too. One of the most intriguing concept albums in recent memory, and a joy all the way through. Bob Finley, Palm Springs, CA.
Also a very dissapointed fan.......2003-08-22
I too LOVE Mandy and Stephen Sondheim and own just about everything both has ever made! I also have been to 6 of Mandy's live performances. This was truly a big dissapointment to me. Every concert I have seen Mandy in has been filled with emotion and his personality just grabs hold of you for an evening of wonderful escape-ism. This to me was very un-entertaining and I actually became irritated after awhile of listening to it. It seemed to drone on with out the wonderful feelings and emotions and soaring voice that Mandy typically puts into his music. I gave this as a gift too (since my friend and I had missed Mandy at his Sondheim review in DC last year) and felt badly that I had. There are so many other great recordings of Mandy...Kidults, Saturday in the Park with George, The Secret Garden, Mandy sings Rogers & Hammerstien and Sondheim. This one has just sat on my shelf after I played it through twice hoping to warm up to it...while my other recordings are very worn out with years of playing!
Adequate performance; poor entertainment.......2003-05-04
I received this disc the same day a "Philip Quast Live at the Donmar". The Quast disc has its own flaws (and I dont wish to compare the two performers) but it has been strung together in a more thoughtful manner, with witty imagination and using a more dangerous in the choice of songs, which is really where this disc fails. The songs here are generally enjoyable though rather standard, and the lack of cohesion (running the songs together doesnt count) means I just dip into the discs listening to a few favourites, rather than enjoying the whole show.
a very disappointed fan.......2003-02-05
I have every recording Patinkin appears on, even if he's only on one track; I adore his voice, his flair, his emotion, his ability to deliver a song.
But (much of) this recording is disappointing, mainly because Mr. Patinkin's voice in the lower range sounds muddled and forced, as though he's lost ability to control it (however, the more falsetto sounds are as clear and sharp as ever).
And I don't care for the format of this performance. Live recordings should have live audience reactions: one (often unrelated) song after another without applause had me wondering when--if ever--was the audience was going to be allowed to react.
Also, while I've never had the privilege of attending a Patinkin concert, I imagined that--above all-- he would be passionate. Perhaps he was. But what (mostly) comes across on the CD is a somber--almost technical--performance.
I hope he's healthy, that mixed quality of singing on this recording was just a fluke, and that his next CD will be a Five-star as all his previous ones have been
What a train wreck!.......2003-01-15
Hate to join the chorus of neigh-sayers, but jeeeez! I have to agree that with the exception of a few cuts (such as "Hyphenated Harriet") Mandy is a vocal bull in a china shop -- what he doesn't shatter he ... on. What should have been a tribute (I love Sondheim, but do we need ANOTHER anthology recording of oft sung songs?)is more like a wake. Mandy seems intent on becoming the male Ethel Merman -- if you can't hold the note, belt it out with a misplaced vabrato and maybe no one will notice. I REALLY wanted to like this recording, but is truly horrible. If the pipes are gone, Mandy, I hope you get back to acting.
Average customer rating:
- Pleasant Enough
- Pure joy
- A Different Type of Musical
|
Brownstone the Musical (2003 Studio Cast)
Liz Callaway , Brian D'Arcy James , and Rebecca Luker
Manufacturer: Original Cast Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
- The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
- I Love You Because (2006 Original Off-Broadway Cast)
- Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)
- Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
ASIN: B0000AYL3S
Release Date: 2003-08-26 |
Tracks:
- Someone's Moving In
- Cellphone Song
- Fiction Writer
- There She Goes
- We Should Talk
- Camouflage
- Thanks a Lot/Neighbors Above, Neighbors Below
- Pretty City
- What Do People Do?
- Not Today
- You Still Don't Know
- Not Today Trio
- Babies on the Brain
- Almost There [Act I Finale]
- Don't Tell Me Everything
- One of Them
- Fiction Writer (Reprise)
- He Didn't Leave It Here
- It Isn't the End of the World
- Since You Stayed Here
- We Came Along Too Late
- Books
- It's a Funny Thing
- It Isn't the End of the World (Reprise)
- If It's Time to Go
- Almost There (Reprise)
Customer Reviews:
Pleasant Enough.......2007-02-19
A pleasant score. Fine singing, especially the wonderful Liz Callaway. The score, however, doesn't have those one or two numbers that stand out and stop you in your tracks. I haven't seen the show, and perhaps when integrated with the text.....
Pure joy.......2005-03-08
I have bought this CD with Wild party and each of them was amazing. Fist I have heard Wild party and after that I haven't thought that I would enjoy the second one but Brownstone was simply so amazing. I didn't skip songs, because all of them are beautiful sung by actors who's singing voice are pure, strong and wonderful.
As you can see, I'm a true Brian D'arcy James fan but each singer amazed me, really.
Buy this Cd if you want to hear a fantastic musical.
A Different Type of Musical.......2004-03-09
I bought BROWNSTONE at the recommendation of a friend and have mixed feelings. I know this show has quite a history as far as transfer from off-Broadway to Broadway and the controversy surrounding its revamping for its journey to the Great White Way. I think the songs are catchy and clever, I just am sort of turned off by the orchestrations. The instruments sound like they are coming from a computer built in 1990. They sound too fake and I think there could be better orchestration, though the melodies are nice. Some songs are just corny like The Cell Phone Song, added only recently. Certain songs are great like The opening, Fiction Writer, Camouflage, and Babies on the Brain.
I would say that if you are looking for a musical CD to add to your collection that is a little different from what you're used to, BROWNSTONE is for you. And also, it features an amazing cast of seasoned veterans and new comers as well.
All in all, a nice CD.
Average customer rating:
|
'S Wonderful
Manufacturer: Avid Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Gershwin
| Gershwin, George
| ( G )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Film Scores
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General Modern
| Modern, 20th, & 21st Century
| Historical Periods
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Swing General
| Swing Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Classic Big Band
| Swing Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Jazz General
| Traditional Jazz & Ragtime
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Vocal Jazz General
| Vocal Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Pop
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Tin Pan Alley
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Classic
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Nostalgia
| Miscellaneous
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Dance Pop
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Vocal Jazz
| Jazz
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
Classic Vocalists
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
Vocal Pop & Oldies
| Pop
| Box Sets
| Stores
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B00002MRH1
Release Date: 1998-12-15 |
Tracks:
- 'S Wonderful - Buddy Clark, Dinah Shore
- He Loves and She Loves
- My One and Only - Jack Hylton Orchestra
- How Long Has This Been Going On? - Mel Torm
- I've Got a Crush on You - George Gershwin, Sarah Vaughan
- Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) - Al Jolson
- Strike up the Band - Carroll Gibbons & His Orchestra
- Bidin' My Time - The Foursome
- Could You Use Me? - Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney
- Embraceable You - Frank Sinatra
- I Got Rhythm
- But Not for Me - Teddy Wilson
- Treat Me Rough - Mickey Rooney
- Boy! What Love Has Done to Me! - Jane Froman
- You've Got What Gets Me - Roy Fox & His Band
- Gems from of Thee I Sing: Wintergreen for President/Who Cares?/Of Thee - Jane Froman, , Victor Salon Group
- Mine
- Slap That Bass - Fred Astaire, Johnny Green & His Orchestra
- (I've Got) Beginner's Luck - Roy Fox & His Orchestra
- They All Laughed - Red Nichols
- Let's Call the Whole Thing Off - Greta Keller, Brian Lawrance
- They Can't Take That Away from Me - Fred Astaire, Johnny Green & His Orchestra
- Shall We Dance? - Fred Astaire, Johnny Green & His Orchestra
- I Can't Be Bothered Now - Fred Astaire, Ray Noble & His Orchestra
- Things Are Looking Up - Fred Astaire, Ray Noble & His Orchestra
- Foggy Day
- Nice Work If You Can Get It
Average customer rating:
|
There's No Business Like Show Business!
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
All Works by Porter
| Porter, Cole
| ( P )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Sondheim, Stephen
| ( S )
| Featured Composers, A-Z
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
Film Scores
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music
| Forms & Genres
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Classical
| Styles
| Music
General
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Musical Theater
| Vocal Non-Opera
| Opera & Vocal
| Styles
| Music
Movie Soundtracks
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Soundtracks
| Styles
| Music
General
| Musicals
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Vocal Pop
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Broadway & Vocalists
| Styles
| Music
General
| Vocal Pop
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Traditional Pop
| Oldies
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Classical Music
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Opera & Vocal
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Musicals
| The Sony BMG Masterworks Store
| Amazon.com Label Stores
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Composers on Broadway (George Gershwin)
- The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
ASIN: B00005QK4S
Release Date: 2001-10-23 |
Tracks:
- The Producers: Main Title And Credits - Orchestra
- The Producers: The Plot - Zero Mostel/Gene Wilder
- The Producers: Opening Night: Lobby, Overture - Gene Wilder/Zero Mostel/John Zoller
- The Producers: Springtime For Hitler - Chorus/Mel Brooks
- The Producers: Prisoners Of Love - Zero Mostel/Gene Wilder/Chorus
- A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum: Comedy Tonight - Jason Alexander/Scott Wise/Joey McKneely/Michael Kubala/Company
- Chicago: All That Jazz - Bebe Neuwirth/Company
- Annie Get Your Gun: There's No Business Like Show Business - Ethel Merman/Bruce Yarnell/Rufus Smith/Jerry Orbach
- 42nd Street: Lullaby Of Broadway - Jerry Orbach/Full Company
- Guys And Dolls: A Bushel And A Peck - Faith Prince/Tina Marie DeLeone/Denise Faye/JoAnne M. Hunter/Nancy Lemenager/Greta Martin...
- Gypsy: You Gotta Have A Gimmick - Debbie Gravitte/Faith Prince/Susann Fletcher
- Gypsy: Everything's Coming Up Roses - Angela Lansbury
- A Class Act: Better - Lonny Price/Julia Murney/Nancy Kathryn Anderson/Carolee Carmello/Jonathan Freeman/Ray Wills...
- A Class Act: Broadway Boogie Woogie - Carolee Carmello/David Hibbard
- Cabaret: Willkommen - Alan Cumming/The Kit Kat Girls And Boys
- Kiss Me, Kate: Another Op'nin', Another Show - Gogi Grant/Howard Keel/Anne Jeffreys
- Kiss Me, Kate: We Open In Venice - Gogi Grant/Howard Keel/Anne Jeffreys
- 42nd Street: Finale: 42nd Street (Reprise)/Bows - Jerry Orbach/Full Company
Music:
- Guns N' Roses X-Posed: The Interview
- Handstands for Love
- Hawks & Doves [Import] [Original recording remastered]
- Home Is Where I Belong [Import]
- Hotel California/Desperado
- In Relation to Our Times [Import]
- Interview With the Angel [Import]
- Invisible Band [Import]
- I on U [Import]
- It All Catches Up With You [CD-single] [Import]
Music
music