CAST RECORDINGS OF 2014 – A PERSONAL LOOK

When one year comes to the end, I always enjoy doing my “best of” lists. So it’s time to take a quick tour through the cast recordings, plus a few soundtracks, that were released during 2014 and to reveal my 10 favorite ones.

I don’t know if this is strange, but I guess it happens to most people. Sometimes, what you feel when you listen to a recording for the first time, change after repeated listening or with time. Some scores need to grow on us, so we should always give them a second or third chance. It happened to me with two new scores, IF/THEN and HONEYMOON IN VEGAS; I found myself going back to both more than I thought I would and each time I’m enjoying those scores more and more.

Before I go on my tour here is the list of my favorite recordings of 2014 (I didn’t include reissues), with the fabulous YANK! at the top:

TOP TEN (in preference order):

YANK! – Original Off-Broadway Cast

ALADDIN – Original Broadway Cast

LADY DAT AT EMERSON'S BAR & GRILL – Original Broadway Cast

IF / THEN – Original Broadway Cast

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS – Original Broadway Cast

INTO THE WOODS - Original Movie Soundtrack

LI'L ABNER – Original Movie Soundtrack

PETER PAN LIVE! – 2014 Original Television Soundtrack

ROBERTA – Studio Cast

ON THE TOWN – Original London Cast

And now that you know what I like, here is a quick look to all the recordings I listened, some of them with a link to my review.

ALADDIN – I know many of you dismiss any Disney musical, but this is a funny, contagious and, at the same time, pop and conventional score. Personally I think it’s one of the best of the year, with a killer cast and two of my favorite new songs of 2014: the very Broadwayish “Somebody’s Got Your Back” and the emotional “Proud of Your Boy”. To read my review click here.

ANDROCLES AND THE LION – A score by Richard Rodgers is always attractive, but this TV soundtrack is recommend only to die-heard musical fans. I love Rodgers music, but this is far form his best work; nevertheless, there are more than a couple of interesting songs. To read my review click here.

ANNIE – What were they thinking? This soundtrack simply destroys the beloved score by Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin and the new songs are terrible. As for the cast, what can I say? Not one of the actors sounds convincing. Just forget this disaster and get your hands on the Broadway Cast or, my favorite, the soundtrack of the 1982 movie adaptation.

BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL – Jukebox musicals being what they’re, this one sounds good and have a winning performance by Jessie Mueller. It’s true, this isn’t my kind of music, but I enjoyed it. To read my review click here.

BIG FISH - Andrew Lippa came up with a lively score, brilliant orchestrated by Larry Hochman, that mixes Broadway traditional show tunes with contemporary songs. The show failed on Broadway, but I hope this rewarding cast recording will keep it alive. To read my review click here.

THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY – I know I’m probably alone with my thoughts regarding this one. Although I think Jason Robert Brown wrote a melodious score, it’s also monotonous and boring; it only comes alive when Steven Pasquale sings. But it won the 2014 Tony for Best Original Score, so what do I know? To read my review click here.

BULLETS OVER BROADWAY – Like the Woody Allen movies, this musical is a jukebox of jazz age songs. With terrific orchestrations by Doug Besterman, the songs are a joy to hear, the cast don’t take themselves serious and there’s a foolishness in the score that is contagious. To read my review click here.

FROM HERE TO ETERNITY – Can someone feel embarrassed by listening to a cast recording? Well, this one is sometimes so bad that I felt embarrassed. The action takes place in the 40s but the score by Stuart Brayson and Tom Rice is an uninteresting pop one. To read my review click here.

GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER - Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak take us back to the glory days of the operetta and the English Music Hall and gives us a delicious comic score. The cast couldn’t sound better and I promise you’ll have a smile on your face while listening to this recording. To read my review click here.

HONEYMOON IN VEGAS – I love musical comedy and I never thought Jason Robert Brown, who I see as a serious and boring composer, could write one, specially as enjoyable as this. That’s what happens when you have preconceived ideas. The cast is in perfect tune with the songs and the result is a lively and funny recording, that have two of my favorite new songs of 2014: “Forever Starts Tonight” and “Waiting for You”. To read my review click here.

IF / THEN – For someone who, like me, doesn’t usually enjoy contemporary musical scores this may be a nice surprise. The cast, lead by Idina Menzel in great shape, is a strong one and the melodious songs by Tom Kitt, with unpretentious realistic lyrics by Brian Yorkey, make this a strong emotional score that grows on you. To read my review click here.

INTO THE WOODS – I’ve loved this Stephen Sondheim score since the first time I heard it and this new recording is really good. It’s true, a couple of songs are missing, but the orchestrations are lavish and the female cast is a strong one. Meryl Streep delivers one of the best “The Last Midnight” I’ve listened to and Emily Blunt is a surprise. It’s a great way to introduce this music to everyone who never heard about the show.

LADY DAY AY EMERSON’S BAR & GRILL – In this recording the great Audra McDonald metamorphoses into Billie Holiday and the result is brilliant! With a fabulous catalogue of golden oldies this was one of the best releases of 2015. To read my review click here. 

THE LAST SHIP – A musical by Sting is the kind of thing that doesn’t appeal to my traditional musical tastes, but he came up with an interesting score sung by a good cast. There’s melody here, a little bit of “Riverside”, but in the whole is kind of depressing and turns me off.

LI’L ABNER – This movie soundtrack takes us back to a time where musicals were supposed to be fun and no one cared about messages and real life. Better than the Broadway Cast, it’s a highly entertaining score with catchy songs and the cast sounds like they we’re having fun. To read my review click here.

THE MAN WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS – Ron Lytle, like he did with his previous musical OH MY GODMOTHER!, takes us back to a innocent time with a melodious and feel good score, sung with heart by the cast. Among the songs the best is “No More Love Songs”, a kind of Jule Styne love song. To read my review click here. 

MISS SAIGON – I’m sure this new recording will have all the MISS SAIGON fans (I’m not one of them) excited. It doesn’t bring anything new to the original score, but the new cast delivered strong voices and make the songs theirs. I never loved this score, but I always enjoyed some of its songs and this new recording is a good one. 

MURDER FOR TWO – Two actors, Jeff Blumenkrantz and Brett Ryback, sing all the songs and play all the roles of this Off-Broadway whodunit musical by Joe Kinosian. It seems like it could be funny on stage, but the songs sound too much alike and it didn’t conquer me.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN – A jukebox rock musical isn’t, without any doubt, for me. This one sounds more like a rock concert than a cast recording, with a strong performance by Mary Bridget Davis. Personally, I prefer the songs not sung by her like “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” and “Maybe (Cantels)”. To read my review click here.    

ON THE TOWN – The Original London Cast of this musical was finally released on CD and it’s probably the less operatic recording of this classic. Light, easy and fun, with a good cast, it’s a joy to listen. To read my review click here. 

PETER PAN LIVE! – I haven’t seen the TV production, but this soundtrack took me by surprise. I read terrible things about it and I expected the worst, what I got was a lively recording and I don’t have anything against the added songs. The cast sounds more than okay and I had a great time with it!

ROBERTA – It was about time for this terrific Jerome Kern & Otto Harbach score to have a luxurious cast recording and finally we have one. I confess I would have preferred for this two-disc release to have less dialogue, but even so it’s a must for all musical lovers. To read my review click here.

SAMSON AND DELILAH – Contemporary pop/rock musicals aren’t my thing and this one is uninteresting and repetitive. I doubt this concept recording can be improved, but you never know. To read my review click here.

SECOND CHANCE – It’s easy to see the Stephen Sondheim influences in this new score by Ted Shen, sung with talent by Brian and Diane Sutherland. The songs are melodious, sometimes a little bit jazzy, but kind of repetitive. Nice if you are on a quiet mood.

STARS OF DAVID – This new musical revue celebrates the lives of some famous Jewish public figures and does it with the help of a huge group of composers and lyricists, plus a good cast. The result is a diversified score, with songs for every taste. My favorite tracks are, no surprises here, “Smart People“, “Just Be Who You Are and specially “Book of Norman”.

VIOLET – I’m not very fond of country music and Jeanine Tesori’s score is a country-flavored score, but a terrific cast lead by a wonderful Sutton Foster delivers the songs with heart and soul making this an interesting recording. To read my review click here. 

YANK! – For me this is the best cast recording of 2014! Brothers David & Joseph Zellnik came up with a heavenly delightful old fashion score that really made my day (many days to be correct). The songs have an innocent, humoristic and melodic quality that seems to be missing from most new musicals. The cast is simply terrific and it has two of the best songs of the year: the nostalgic “Rememb'ring You” and the deliciously amusing “Click” (my favorite song of 2014). To read my review click here. 

You can also take a look at CAST RECORDINGS OF 2013 - A PERSONAL LOOK.

CAST RECORDINGS OF 2013 - A PERSONAL LOOK

It’s time to take a quick tour through the cast recordings, plus a few soundtracks, that were release during 2013, more exactly the ones I listened. At the end you’ll find my Top Five list. 

BOMBSHELL – This television soundtrack of SMASH’s musical-within-a-musical is one of the best new original scores written for a musical. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman deliver several terrific songs, strongly sung by Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee. “Let Me Be You Star” is a true winner and so is “Don’t Forget Me”. Personally I also love “At Your Feet” by Bernadette Peters. Without doubt one of the best new scores of 2013.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY – This new score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman reminded me of better scores like OLIVER, MARY POPPINS, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG or DOCTOR DOLITTLE. None of the songs are catchy but, thanks to different kind of songs, no one can say the score is monotonous, but it’s easily forgettable and sometimes boring.

CINDERELLA – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA arrived on Broadway and the result is a pleasant cast recording with a cast to die for and great orchestrations. To play this recording is like being taken to an impossible world of melody, fun and magic. It’s not R & H best work, but they really knew how to write for the stage. 

DEAREST ENEMY – Although I’m a huge fan of Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, this isn’t their best work. Anyway it’s nice to finally have a decent and complete recording of this musical, with a little bit too operatic good cast and rich orchestrations. Any score with the likes of “Here in My Arms”, “Bye and Bye”, “Here’s a Kiss” and “Where the Hudson River Flows” has my approval.

DOGFIGHT – I know, this one isn’t for me. But at least I gave it a try. It has good singing by Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena, but, with exception of “Come Back”, I couldn’t care less for the songs. I’m too much in love with the traditional Broadway sound to enjoy this kind of stuff.

FAR FROM HEAVEN – For this musical adaptation of the movie of the same time title, Michael Korie & Scott Frankel come up with a melodious but uninteresting score. With a few exceptions, it’s not’s very easy to distinguish the songs ones from the others; not even the strong cast is able to turn it into something lively. It’s like this story never needed songs to be alive. 

GIANT – I think this Michael John LaChiusa’s score is sometimes melodious, but the songs sound almost all the same, making it boring. At the same time it has an epic quality that made me wish that Rodgers & Hammerstein where still alive. The entire cast is in great shape and I enjoyed “Topsy Turvy”, “My Texas” and “When to Bluff”.

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS – Already a Christmas favorite of mine, this score by Mel Marvin & Timothy Mason it’s highly enjoyable, with tuneful songs and some funny lyrics. The cast sings with gusto and “One of a Kind” is one of the best new songs I heard in 2013.

KINKY BOOTS – Everyone knows I’m old fashioned, specially when it comes to music, so it comes as no surprise that this pop score by Cyndi Lauper wouldn’t be my cup of tea. There’s nothing wrong with the cast, everyone sounds great, but I have a hard time relating to this kind of music. I can understand the excitement of songs like “Sex is in the Heel” or “Everybody Say Yeah”, but they don’t do much to me. I believe this may work better live on stage. Of the entire score I enjoyed the ballad “Hold Me in Your Heart” and “What a Woman Wants”. I wish the score was written by someone like Cy Coleman. 

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC – The first time I heard this fabulous score was when I saw this movie, many years ago. By that time I didn’t knew who Stephen Sondheim was but I fell in love with the score and so my love affair with Sondheim began. Of course this isn’t the best rendition of the score and Liz Taylor’s voice is far from perfect, but even so is a beautiful haunting score.

LIZZIE - This “musical” by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt isn’t for someone who, like me, doesn’t enjoy rock music. The cast delivers strong voices and I guess many people will enjoy it, but not me.

MARRY ME A LITTLE – A new recording of this intimate revue with songs by Stephen Sondheim, beautifully sung by Lauren Molina and Jason Tam. A nice way to discover lesser-known songs by Sondheim, sung with talent, humor and love with a simple piano for support. 

MEET JOHN DOE – Interesting score by Andrew Gerle and Eddie Sugarman, with more than a couple of good songs and a winning cast. Anyway, I couldn’t stop thinking how it would sound if Kander & Ebb had written the score.

MOTOWN – This one is exactly what it pretends to be, a jukebox of Motown hits sung by a joyful cast. It depends on your tastes in music, if you like this kind of stuff you’re in for a treat. Otherwise this is a nostalgic trip to the past, with more than a couple of contagious numbers.

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD – I always enjoyed the Original Broadway Cast recording of this Rupert Holmes musical and I still preferred it to this new one. That doesn’t mean this new cast isn’t fine; not only it’s a great cast, but we also get a more complete score. There’s plenty to enjoy here and everyone sounds like they were having a great time. 

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS – After more than a decade, this studio cast recording was finally released and it’s a true treasure for musical fans. Kurt Weill & Ogden Nash score never sounded so good and, until now, was never released in its entirety; it even includes cut songs like the beautiful “Love is a Mist”. The cast is simply terrific and I’m never tired of listening to “Speak Low”.

PASSION – Here is a rarity, a score where although the songs sound much alike, never becomes monotonous. Stephen Sondheim wrote another beautiful and haunting score, here sung by a terrific trio of actors: Judy Kuhn, Ryan Silverman and Rebecca Luker. This is one of those scores that grows on you; don’t give up after the first listening! Anyway, I confess I prefer the original Broadway cast with Donna Murphy.

PIPPIN – Patina Miller leads the terrific cast of this new and exciting recording of Stephen Schwartz musical. I confess I was never a huge fan of this score, but it never sounded so good as it sounds here. Sometimes contagious, sometimes magic, it’s an enjoyable recording. 

SCANDALOUS – Carolee Carmello gives her all to this kind of pop/godpsell musical. The big problem is the fact that the songs by David Pomeranz, David Friedman & Kathy Lee Gifford sound all the same with just a few exceptions: the bad girls’s “A Girls Gotta Do What’s a Girl’s Gotta Do”, the more musical “Hollywood Aimee” and the romantic “It’s Just You”. There isn’t any great song here and Carmello deserved better; I just wish “I Have a Fire” was a better song.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC – Television Soundtrack of the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, with Carrie Underwood in the leading role. Her voice seems sometimes a little strange for the material, but she sings well and has a terrific supporting cast helping her. This isn’t the best rendition of the score (my favorite one is the movie soundtrack starring Julie Andrews), but it’s a nice introduction for the new generations.

STEPHEN WARD – I’m not a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but in the past he wrote more than a few great songs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any of these in this new score, but no one can blame him for trying something new with this musical, largely influenced by the 60s sound.

TOP FIVE (in preference order):

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS

BOMBSHELL

THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD

PIPPIN

CAST RECORDINGS OF 2012 - A PERSONAL LOOK

2012 was also the year that I surrendered to the digital downloads. The albums are cheaper and come to my “hands” quicker than if I had to order them from some foreign site. Living in Lisbon, Portugal, isn’t easy to find cast recordings on shops and even at iTunes there are some titles that aren’t available yet (I hope they will in a near future) at the Portuguese shop and, for irrational reasons, I can’t buy them from the other shops. 

After listening to samples of the new musicals that were released on CD (or for digital download) in 2012, I come to the conclusion that their scores weren’t my “cup of tea”, so I didn’t buy the likes of BRING IT ON, CALVIN BERGER, LYSISTRATA JONES, ONCE, CARRIE, LEAP OF FAITH, QUEEN OF THE MIST, A CHRISTMAS STORY, NEWSIES and BONNIE & CLYDE. It’s true, some of these scores have a song or two that pleased my traditional musical tastes, but that’s not enough to spend money on them. 

Regarding revivals like EVITA, SWEENEY TODD, PORGY AND BESS and GODSPELL, none of those got me excited, so I passed those too. As for reissues, the truth is I already have the ones I like. But I recommend the London Cast of CABARET with Judi Dench, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, ME AND JULIET and the remastered edition of FOLLIES. 

That leaves me with only eleven albums, here in alphabetical order:

CHAPLIN – although it isn’t a great score, for me is the most interesting of all the new musicals;

DONNYBROOK – I expected more from this 60s musical, but even so it has an enjoyable score by Johnny Burke;

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY ALIVE & KICKING – they’re back and they’re missed. I always had a thing for this funny series;

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES – this City Center Encores recording is my favorite rendition of this classic score and, more than Megan Hilty I love Rachel York;

THE LAND WHERE THE GOOD SONGS GO – a revue of songs by the great Jerome Kern sung by a good cast. Everything is pure melody, but I wish the tracks didn’t sound so much alike;

MERRILLY WE ROLL ALLONG – this troubled Stephen Sondheim musical was never one of my favorites. Sung by a terrific cast and with a jazzier touch, this is probably the more complete recording of the score;

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT – another “new” musical with a score by the fabulous Gershwin brothers. I love this kind of stuff and it has a few contagious tracks. As for the cast, Matthew Broderick doesn’t sound his best, but everyone else seems like they’re having fun. Anyway, I prefer CRAZY FOR YOU;

PIPE DREAM – a lesser Rodgers & Hammerstein score is more interesting than most new musicals. Here, a winning cast makes this recording more enjoyable than the original cast recording;

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN – it’s true, I’m not very fond of the male singing voices, but how can I resist these kind of songs?

SWEET LITTLE DEVIL – a forgotten 1924 musical by George Gershwin and B. G. DeSylva, brought to life by PS Classics and a star cast.  I like it but I didn’t fell in love with it;

TOP HAT – music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, that was enough for me to buy this recording. A highly enjoyable return to the fabulous Astaire & Rogers movies, with contagious orchestrations and, with the exception of the leading man, a good cast.

THE TOP FIVE

(in preference order)

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (2012 City Center Encores Cast)

TOP HAT (2012 London Cast)

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (2012 Broadway Cast)

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (2012 London Cast)

PIPE DREAM (2012 City Center Encores Cast)

RICHARD ADLER DIED AT 90

While I was in my summer vacations it come to my knowledge that composer and lyricist Richard Adler died June 21. He was 90 years old.

Together with Jerry Ross he wrote two successful musicals, THE PAJAMA GAME and DAMN YANKEES, and both won the Tony Award for Best Musical in, respectively, 1955 and 1956. Although his name isn’t as well known as other composers of the time, he and Ross gave the world famous songs like “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets”, “Heart”, “Hey There”, “Hernando’s Hideway” and “Steam Heat”. This two shows have been revived often and the 2006 Broadway revival of THE PAJAMA GAME won the Tony for Best Musical Revival. In the 50’s Hollywood gave them both the movie treatment, with highly enjoyable results.

Unfortunately, Ross died at the young age of 29 in 1955. Alone, Adler wrote the scores for KWAMINA and MUSIC IS, but both shows failed. Another musical, A MOTHER’S KISSES closed out of town and never made it to Broadway.

But more than words, here are a few videos featuring his work. I hope you’ll enjoy it.

MAD ABOUT ABOUT SHOW TUNES

Why do we like what we like? Most of the times we don’t know the answer to this question. Take me for an example. When I was a kid I saw an Astaire & Rogers movie on television and I fell in love with that style of music. Why? Honestly, I still don’t know.

In my parent’s house there wasn’t any record player, so it wasn’t from them that I got my taste in music, although they loved to dance tango and other ballroom dances (in fact they meet at a ball). They told me that when I was a little boy I was fascinated with music, but at an early age I was more into Opera and Operetta. Back on those days, both art forms were a constant in our television and I refused to go out every time they were broadcasted. I don’t know exactly if my first taste with the Musical was with an Astaire & Rogers movie, but that’s what I remember.

Soon I forgot all about Opera and I start focusing only on the Musical. There was something in that kind of music that attracted me and it was like it spoke privately to my feelings. One day my parents gave me a cassette player (remember that?) and I started recording the songs from the movies that were broadcasted on the television. When I did my fourth grade I finally got my first record player. It was in the shape of a suitcase and the sound wasn’t that good, but I loved it! My first vinyls were the movie soundtracks of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, MY FAIR LADY and SONG OF NORWAY. Soon I found out that, for someone living in Portugal, it wasn’t easy to find musicals in vinyl.

By the age of eleven I also found out that my musical tastes didn’t match the ones of my school colleagues. For them I was kind of weird. While they listened to the likes of Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Queen, Michael Jackson, Madonna and others, I was listening to OKLAHOMA!, THE KING AND I, CHICAGO, HIGH  SOCIETY, CABARET and everything I could find in that genre. A couple of colleagues were fond of Musical Movies, but they also enjoyed the music of our time. Not me.

I felt lonely in my musical tastes and my father was always saying “I had the mania of being different”. But in truth I didn’t care much about my generation music styles. Yes, Disco was fun, but I preferred Jerry Herman. So, I enjoyed my Musicals in solitude and thought I was all alone in the world.

Forward in time. In 1989, I went to London for the first time in my life and guess what? There I discovered two shops, Dress Circle and another one that closed years ago, specialized in Musicals and for the first time in my life I realized I wasn’t alone. There were others like me, who enjoyed the work of Gershwin, Porter, Sondheim, Berlin, Coleman, Kander, etc, and that made me feel very happy.

I still don’t know exactly why I love this kind of music, but it has something to do with its power to uplift my heart and soul, for its joy of living, for its delicious melody, for its contagious rhythms and for its irresistible humor. Mel Brooks said, "Musicals blow the dust off your soul." and he couldn’t be more right. Believe me, there’s nothing better than a musical to “kick the clouds away” and put you in a good mood.

Composer and lyricist Jerry Herman got it right in one of his first songs – “There’s Just No Tune as Exciting as a Show Tune”.

Read more of my Chronicles at MusicalChronicles.htm