CAST RECORDINGS OF 2016: A PERSONAL LOOK

In 2016, between cast recordings and movie/television musicals soundtracks, I counted 80 releases. I didn’t listen to all of those, but I only missed a few (ex. BUMBLESCRATCH).

Before crucifying me for my choices, let me confess that I love the traditional Broadway sound and I have strong difficulties to enjoy other music styles. So, everything that sounds like rock (ex. LAZARUS), country (ex. BRIGHT STAR) or folk (ex. TUCK EVERLASTING) hardly have a chance to catch my narrow-minded ears. In order to get an idea, take a look at my 20 FAVORITE SCORES of all time.

Without further delays, here are my choices. First, and for first time ever, the “Jorge’s Place Awards” and then my “Top Twelve” recordings of 2016 (in preference order).

JORGE'S PLACE AWARDS 2016

TOP 12 RECORDINGS OF 2016

If you like this, take a look at my choices of 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

CAST RECORDINGS OF 2015: A PERSONAL LOOK

I love end of the year lists and to choose the favorites of something. In this case it’s my 10 favorite Cast Recordings (soundtrack of musical movies included) of 2015. So, besides revealing my choices, I took a personal, a really personal, look at more or less 30 recordings that were released last year.

Before reading this keep, in mind the following: I have old fashion tastes, a nice way to say that I’m very narrow-minded when it comes to music; I don’t have any kind of musical formation except that I know what I enjoy to listen to. Last, but not least, take a look at my all time 20 Favorite Scores.

MY TOP TEN (in preference order):

GYPSY – 2015 London Cast

LADY, BE GOOD – 2015 Encores!

ON THE TOWN – Broadway Revival Cast

DAMES AT SEA – Original London Cast

MISIA – Studio Cast

ELF – Original London Cast

ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - Broadway Revival Cast

GIGI - Broadway Revival Cast

SEVEN BRIDES TO SEVEN BROTHERS – Studio Cast

SIDE SHOW - Broadway Revival Cast

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS – How I love a Gershwin tune, it’s always a pleasure to my ears. Here there’re plenty of his songs, plus more classical pieces of music, all sung with gusto by the cast and beautifully played by the orchestra. This isn’t as exciting as MY ONE AND ONLY and CRAZY FOR YOU, but let the Gershwin music embrace you, “put on your dancing shoes and watch your spirits climb!” To read my review click here.

BEGGAR’S OPERA – If you like 18^th Century music, this London Cast recording might be for you, but it isn’t definitely for me. I think the songs sound too much alike and it’s kind of monotonous and boring. To read my review click here.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM – For the stage adaptation of the hit movie, Howard Goodall & Charles Hart wrote a pop score, with a little touch of Bollywood and heavy on ballads, which I’m sure could please a lot of people but not me. In the whole, it’s kind of strange.

CLINTON THE MUSICAL – This is what I call a loud, confusing and irritating score. Maybe it works on stage, but it’s one of those scores that I only played once and I try to forget all about it.

DAMES AT SEA – I doubt the recent Broadway production will be recorded, but this London cast is a pleasure to my ears. This is musical heaven for anyone who, like me, loves traditional musical scores and it’s so deliciously funny and melodious that it’s impossible not to succumb to its charms. Personally, I simply love this kind of stuff! This is pastiche at its best! To read my review click here.

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO – The music by Lucy Simon takes us back to the time of the big dramas by Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boublil or the musicals by Frank Wildhorn.  Ballads and epic numbers fill the emotional score. I’m not a huge fan of this style, but it’s an interesting score, sung by a very good cast.

ELF – This London Cast recording is as good, if not even better, than the Broadway one. The Christmas delightful score by Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin warms your heart, puts your foot taping and, if you find yourself humming, that’s magic! I really like this one!

FINDING NEVERLAND – It’s very rare for me to enjoy a pop score and this one by Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy didn’t catch my fancy. For me, all the songs sound too much alike and sometimes it reminds me of the Eurovision Festival songs; not a good thing.

FUN HOME – Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Korn wrote one of those scores that I believe may work beautifully on stage. As for the recording, it has some good songs (“Days and Days” come to my mind) and a terrific cast, but it didn’t won my heart.

GALAVANT – A kind of companion piece to SPAMALOT with songs by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, this television soundtrack is fun to listen to and have more than a couple of good songs. My favorite song is the Broadwayish “No One But You”. To read my review click here.

GIGI – I always liked the MGM movie soundtrack, but in this new lush and lively recording the songs sound refreshing and it’s now my favorite rendition of this score. It’s true, I miss Maurice Chevalier and I don’t like Vanessa Hudgens voice that much, but the rest is really good. I think this is a great way to discover or rediscover this classic melodious score by Loewe & Lerner. To read my review click here.

THE GOLDEN APPLE – For many Musical lovers, this score by Jerome Moross & John Latouche is a treasure and for them this first full-length recording is an essential one. Personally, I never cared much for this score and, with the exception of the terrific “Lazy Afternoon”, it never made a big impression on me. Maybe it’s too operatic for my lighter tastes.

GYPSY – One of my all time favorite scores get’s a new London Cast recording where Imelda Staunton shines; her Rose may not have the voice of previous ones, but she really has the guts and sounds real. As for the score, it’s simply perfect!

HAMILTON – Before you kill me, let me explain something. I simply hate hip-hop and rap, so it will be impossible for me to enjoy this so hyped score. Like it happens with RENT, I believe it might work on stage even for me, but this is the kind of recording I have a hard time playing for my pleasure. Sorry, but I’m sure it will be a big winner at the Tonys, but not in my heart.

HIS MONKEY WIFE – Probably, the biggest curiosity of the year. With a score written by Sandy Wilson, musically this is closer to his VALMOUTH than to his THE BOY FRIEND; I confess I prefer the later. Very British in style, it’s also kind of strange, but melodic. I’m sure Musical enthusiasts will want to add this recording to their collection, I did!

IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU – This might not be a great score, but it sure is a pleasant one, sung with gusto by a great cast. The songs by Barbara Anselim & Brian Hargrove brings us back to the days were a musical was supposed to be just entertaining and I really like that.

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH – A cast of Broadway veterans give life to this new musical by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. The score is an entertaining one with nice melodies, vaudeville numbers and more than a couple of contagious numbers. To read my review click here.

THE KING AND I – For me this is one of the best scores written by Rodgers & Hammerstein, but this new recording isn’t as good as I wish it would be. To begin with, Ken Watanabe is probably the worst singing King I’ve listened to. As for Kelli O’Hara, she has a beautiful sweet voice, but I miss the nuances of, for example, Donna Murphy. Even so, it’s always a pleasure to hear these wonderful songs.

LADY, BE GOOD! – One of the best Gershwin’s scores in a new and terrific recording. It’s true, the previous studio cast recording was as good as this one, but it’s always a pleasure to hear great songs sung by a winning cast. And who can resist Tommy Tune revisiting one of his numbers from MY ONE AND ONLY? I can’t. This is one of the best recordings of the year!

THE LIGHT PRINCESS – Like FINDING NEVERLAND, with which it sounds very similar, this Tori Amos pop score didn’t conquer me. The songs sound too alike, with a few nuances along the way, and none of them stand out.  But what do I know about pop scores? Absolutely nothing.

MISIA – To find a new Vernon Duke in 2015 is a joy no musical lover can resist, specially when a great lady is leading the cast, Marin Mazzie. She’s at her best, with wonderful support by a terrific group of male supporters, plus Lauren Worsham. Like Duke’s best work, the songs have a haunting quality that grows on us. I believe this is one of the best releases of the year and, probably, the best surprise of the year! To read my review click here.

ON THE TOWN – I believe this is the less operatic recording of this score and maybe that’s why I love it so much. The cast is terrific and so is the orchestra, turning this into the most refreshing and exciting recording of the classic Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden & Adolph Green’s musical. A must! To read my review click here.

ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY – I was never a big fan of the original Broadway cast, so imagine my surprise when I realized this was a highly entertaining score. The new cast and orchestrations make it sound livelier and more theatrical. Kristin Chenoweth is on top form and the end result is one of the best releases of 2015!  To read my review click here.

PAGEANT – In the footsteps of the Howard Crabtree’s gay musicals, this Off-Broadway Cast recording isn’t as funny as I expected. The cast sounds like they are having more fun than us, but it isn’t a boring score and it has at least a couple of enjoyable songs: “Something Extra” being the best.

SCHOOL OF ROCK – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new score it isn’t definitely for me. Sincerely, I think it’s probably his worst score, but I hate rock, so why did I bother to listen to this? Well, I expected to find at least a song in the vein of his more famous tunes. I was wrong, there’s nothing for me here.

THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS – Like with ELF, this London Cast (with several members from the Broadway production repeating their roles) recording is as good or even better than the Broadway one. Somehow, the Kander & Ebb score sounds more theatrical and lively here and I enjoy that.

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS – I think Gene de Paul & Johnny Mercer’s score is one of the best original ones written for a MGM musical. This new studio recording brings it back to life, added the new songs that Al Kasha & Joel Hirschhorn wrote for the stage adaptation, and for the first time this new songs blend perfectly with the movie ones. A very pleasant surprise with a good cast! 

SIDE SHOW – I’m a huge fan of the original Broadway cast and although this new recording doesn’t have the emotional power of that one it still is contemporary Broadway at its best! As the Siamese twins, Erin Davie & Emily Padgett deliver their songs with talent and emotion, making it impossible no to enjoy the Henry Krieger & Bill Russell score. To read my review click here.

SOMETHING ROTTEN – It’s true, the more modern (can I say rock?) songs aren’t for my taste, but how could I resist a song like “A Musical”? This is an amusing score, with a talented cast and enjoyable orchestrations. There’s nothing serious about it, it’s just pure fun! To read my review click here.

TWO’S COMPANY – Bette Davis in a musical revue may sound strange and it is. I love Davis, but her singing voice wasn’t her best talent; but she sounds like she was having fun with her numbers, specially “Roll Along, Sadie”. The score is by Vernon Duke and includes the beautiful “Roundabout”; this isn’t his best work, but it’s a historic recording that will look well on every musical fan’s music library. To read my review click here.

THE VISIT – This musical by Kander & Ebb took almost 15 years to arrive on Broadway, but it did in 2015 and the result is an haunting score, that reminded me of the work of Kurt Weill. I believe this might be Chita Rivera’s swan song and it’s an exquisite one. Let the quiet charms of this score conquer you. To read my review click here.

THE WIZ! LIVE – Don’t kill me, but I think orchestrator Stephen Oremus gave this pop-soul score a more exciting and musical feeling than in previous recordings of the score. Shanice Williams shines as Dorothy and the emotional songs will lift your spirits. To read my review click here.

You can also take a look at CAST RECORDINGS OF 2014 - A PERSONAL LOOK.

MY 20 FAVORITE SCORES

INTRODUCTION - If you love musicals as much as I do, you know it’s very difficult to make a list of your favorite scores. Some titles came to your mind in a blink of an eye, in my case CHICAGO, MACK & MABEL, GYPSY and FOLLIES are among the first. But when you are faced with the task of choosing 20 titles, things became a little more difficult. Which ones to choose in a list of hundreds of shows?

Well, I imagined that someone forced me to just keep 20 of my cast albums and I came up with this list. I choose the ones I play more often, the ones who give me more pleasure. It’s true, some of my favorite songs didn’t make the grade (example: “Be Human Again” from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST or “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from HELLO, DOLLY!), but I choose the scores as a whole and not for a particular song.

By giving a quick look at my list you’ll notice that three things are pretty obvious. First, with one exception, all of these scores have traditional Broadway music. Second, at least in half of these musicals the action takes place in the 20s or 30s (I simply love that period). Third, Stephen Sondheim is the composer with more titles.

Another thing, after getting through my choices, you’ll probably think that I’m kind of a superficial person who prefers good old fashion musical comedies to more serious theatre work; you are absolutely right!

So here is the list in alphabetic order, this way you can get an idea of what I like. Taking a cue from AVENUE Q, this list is just for now. Tomorrow things can be different.

Last update: December 25th, 2015

ANYONE CAN WHISTLE - This musical may have seemed a little odd when it opened in 1964, but even then some people realized that Stephen Sondheim’s score deserved to be recorded and the result was a cult album that, among other things, marked Angela Lansbury debut as a musical star. I always enjoyed this recording and was more than pleased when a new one, more complete, was made starring Bernadette Peters and Madeline Kahn. I think both CDs are worthy having and there are always so many interesting things to discover in Sondheim’s score that I’m never tired of playing it.

THE BOY FRIEND – Although the original Broadway cast has Julie Andrews as Polly, I prefer the 1984 London cast recording. I think that Sandy Wilson’s delicious score never sounded better. This Twenties musical comedies spoof began life as a small show but soon its charms turn it into a big hit. For a lover of the 20s like me, this is musical heaven! This may sound like a naïve musical, but it’s a flashback to happier innocent times and songs like “Won’t You Charleston with Me”, “I Could Be Happy with You” and “The Riviera” are an irresistible invitation to dance.

THE BOYS FROM SYRACUSE – It’s hard to believe that so many classic standards were written for just one musical, but that happened with this enjoyable Rodgers & Hart musical. “Falling in Love With Love”, “Sing for Your Supper”, “This Can’t Be Love”, “Oh, Diogenes” and others were original written for this show and the result was one of the best scores of the 30s and my favorite by Rodgers & Hart. This City Center’s Encores! cast recording couldn’t be better, with a fantastic cast and terrific orchestrations. Today no one writes scores like this one and I surely miss it.

CHICAGO – The first time I heard it I was 12 years old. On that day I fall completely in love with it and today it still is my all time favorite score. The original Broadway cast recording with Chita and Gwen is highly theatrical but the new Broadway cast with Bebe and Ann has more music and it’s more exciting, but I strongly recommend both. From the lively “Overture” to the fabulous “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag”, don’t forgetting one of the best songs I have ever heard, “My Own Best Friend” and one of the most riveting numbers of any musical, “Cell Block Tango”, this Kander & Ebb score never fails to lift up your spirit.

CRAZY FOR YOU – Using old songs from the Gershwin’s songbook, this new musical was responsible for bringing dance back to the musical. This Broadway cast recording is riveting and it’s a pleasure to hear so many great songs in just one show. With, among others, “I Got Rhythm”, “I Can’t Be Bothered Now”, “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Shall We Dance”, “Embraceable You”, “Nice Work If You Can Get It”, “Naughty Baby”, “But Not for Me”, “Slap That Bass” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”, who can ask for anything more? I’m sure I can’t and it’s lamentable that no one writes songs like these nowadays.

DEAR WORLD - After becoming a huge star thanks to MAME, the lovely Angela Lansbury teamed with Jerry Herman for this Broadway flop. This may have been a flop, but Herman’s score is among the best written for a musical. Everything in it is perfectly melodic and Herman came up with his best work as a lyricist. The hilarious “The Tea Party” is a masterpiece and “I Don’t Want to Know” is an enchanting song. I know that Herman didn’t like the title song, but I always enjoyed it and Angela and the rest of the cast have a great time with it.

FOLLIES – This is the stuff legends are made of! A truly remarkable Stephen Sondheim score, that is at the same time a nostalgic trip down memory lane and a bitter look at its reality. I don’t think there’s any other musical written after the 60s with so many unforgettable songs (“Beautiful Girls”, “Broadway Baby”, “Who’s That Woman?”, “I’m Still Here” and others) like this masterpiece of musical theatre. The original Broadway cast is the best recording of this fantastic score, but the Paper Mill Playhouse cast recording is more complete (although it doesn’t include a personally favorite of mine, “Make the Most of Your Music”, that was written for the London production), so every musical fan should have both. If dreams are made of this why should anyone want to wake up?

42ND STREET – Join those happy feet in one of the most dazzling scores Broadway adapted for the stage. Inspired by those delicious black and white movies that Busby Berkeley did for Warner, this show delivers the unforgettable songs of Harry Warren and Al Dubin (“Young and Healthy”, “Lullaby of Broadway”, “We’re in the Money” and “Dames” among others). The Broadway revival recording is much better than the original one, with improved orchestrations and a few more numbers, among these the delightful “With Plenty of Money and You” and “I Only Have Eyes for You”. There’s only one problem with this score, I can’t keep still. Wherever I’m listening to it I just have to “go into my dance”.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM - For his debut as composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim came up with this hilarious Roman farce and the result is highly enjoyable. With songs like “Comedy Tonight”, “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid” and “Lovely”, this is musical comedy at its best and besides LITTLE ME this is the funniest of all musical scores. The original Broadway cast with Zero Mostel is great, but the Broadway revival with Nathan Lane and new orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick is much better and livelier. Among other things it includes the terrific “The House of Marcus Lycus” and a better ensemble cast. If you think Sondheim can’t write simple songs, just play “Love, I Hear” and “Pretty Little Picture” and I’m sure you’ll change his mind.

GOOD NEWS! – Although this Music Theatre Wichita production never made it to Broadway, it was preserved in this exciting recording. This score by DeSylva, Brown & Henderson is a reminder of long forgotten times where the aim of a musical was simply to entertain. There’s an almost guilty pleasure when we hear carefree songs like “Button Up Your Overcoat”, “The Varsity Drag”, “Never Swat a Fly”, “The Best Things in Life Are Free”, “Keep Your Sunny Side Up” and “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries”. The cast sound like they were born on the 20s and they make us want to go back in time and have as much fun as they had in those times.

GUYS AND DOLLS – This “musical fable of Broadway” has one of the most perfect scores ever written for a musical. Frank Loesser must have been deeply inspired when he wrote it and it never sounded better than in this 1992 Broadway revival. The irreprehensible cast is fantastic, specially Nathan Lane and Faith Prince, who sing their roles like they have been written just for them. Peter Gallagher and Josie de Guzman also sound very convincing in their roles and Walter Bobbie delivers an exhilarating “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”. Fill with gorgeous songs, from beautiful ballads like “I’ve Never Been in Love Before” to comic ones like “Adelaide’s Lament”, not forgetting perfect musical tunes like “Luck Be a Lady”, this is pure Broadway and there aren’t many opening numbers as good as “Runyonland”.

GYPSY – If there’s a score that defines what a Broadway musical is, this Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim is it. With the best of all "Overtures" and some of the most unforgettable musical theatre songs, this is truly an amazing musical. I have the versions with Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury (my favorite before Lupone), Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters, but none of them, with all their talent, can be compared with Patti Lupone’s amazing tour de force. Can you imagine a world without “Some People”, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”, “Together”, “All I Need is the Girl” and “You Gotta Get a Gimmick”, just to mention a few? I can’t and I’ll always treasure this glorious score.

INTO THE WOODS – Since I was child that I love fairy tales and Stephen Sondheim is one of my favorite composers, so its no wonder that I fell in love with this score since the first time I heard it. This is probably Sondheim’s most accessible score and, although it may not have the genius of SWEENEY TODD or COMPANY, the truth is that I prefer it to those distinguished scores. The original Broadway cast is excellent, but this London recording has more feeling, atmosphere and is more theatrical. The cast couldn’t be better and among my favorite moments there’s “It Takes Two”, “Our Little World” (specially written for this London production) and “Moments in the Woods”. Please accept this invitation and “go into the woods” and be “happy ever after”.

LITTLE ME – Is there a funnier score in all the musical theatre history? I don’t think so, not even THE PRODUCERS or AVENUE Q. For this fabulous musical comedy, Cy Coleman wrote his best music and the lyrics by Carolyn Leigh gave it the perfect final touch. Many people dismissed the 1999 Broadway revival starring Martin Short and Faith Prince, but I loved it and I think this recording is much better than the original Broadway cast. The new orchestrations by Harold Wheeler give fresh life to numbers like “Rich Kids Rag”, “I’ve Got Your Number”, “Boom, Boom” and “Real Live Girl”. This is an absolutely amusing score that will put a big smile on your face.

A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC – Do you love waltzes? If you do you’ll love this Stephen Sondheim score. I’m not an expert in music, but I read that all the show songs were written as waltzes and the result is one of the most melodic scores that have ever been written for a musical. Sondheim’s most famous song, “Send in the Clowns”, belongs to this musical, but my favorite is the haunting “Every Day a Little Death”. I also have to mention the superb “A Weekend in the Country”, a flawless example of Sondheim’s genius. For me this Royal National Theatre cast recording is the best of all these show’s recordings. There’s something dramatic and artificial about it that makes it perfect and the cast is truly remarkable.

MACK & MABEL – Jerry Herman is one of my favorite composers and is responsible for some of the more cheerful scores ever written for a musical. For me this is his best work, there isn’t one song that isn’t great and it’s difficult to understand why this show failed when it opened in 1974. There are two cast albums of this show and it’s very difficult for me to choose one of the two. Both are wonderful and their casts are terrific, but since the London recording is longer I’ll go for this one. Among the unforgettable songs, my favourite is “Tap Your Troubles Away”, but I love the beautiful “Time Heals Everything” and I always get high when I hear “Look What Happened to Mabel” and “Big Time”, and a big time you’ll have hearing any of these two recordings.

MAME – My all time favorite song, “It’s Today”, belongs to this musical and the rest of the score is unpretentiously glorious. Jerry Herman was at the top of his form when he wrote it and lucky to have a perfect cast to give life to the characters; Angela Lansbury, Beatrice Arthur and Jane Connell are irresistible and irreplaceable. Herman is known for his feel good scores and this is perhaps his most uplifted work. With unforgettable songs like “We Need a Little Christmas”, “Open a New Window”, “Bosom Buddies”, “Gooch’s Songs” and the breathtaking “If He Walked Into My Life”, this is truly Broadway at its best!

NO, NO, NANETTE – This Broadway revival was a surprise hit when it opened in 1971 and thanks to it we have this highly enjoyable recording. The songs by Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar & Otto Harbach never sound fresher and livelier and the result is one of those scores that just make you want to dance. Dear old Ruby Keeler returned to Broadway to lead the happy tap dancers of the company in big numbers like “I Want to Be Happy”. A group of terrific veterans joined her and the result couldn’t have been happier. Among the numbers there’s the famous “Tea for Two”; Helen Gallagher shines with “Too Many Rings Around Rosie” and has a great time with Bobby Van with “You Can Dance with Any Girl at All”; Jack Gilford is a delight with “I Want to Be Happy”. This may be frivolous, but I love this kind of stuff! It’s irresistible!

SIDE SHOW – This may seem out of place in this list, but think again. The action takes place in the 20s and Henry Krieger and Bill Russell came up with a couple of period songs. It’s true the rest of the score have a pop flavor that I usually don’t like, but when it’s this strong and emotional I can’t resist it. The cast is perfect, with Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner giving truly star turns. From the disturbing “Come Look at the Freaks” to the touching “I Will Never Leave You”, not forgetting those period songs and the dramatic “Say Goodbye to the Freak Show”, this is contemporary Broadway at its best!

STEEL PIER – In one of the songs they ask “Why don’t you come to the Steel Pier?” and it’s a pity that the public didn’t went to see it on Broadway when it opened. But thank God someone decided to record it and the result is Kander & Ebb best work since CHICAGO. This sound like pure Broadway and has a theatrical feeling missing from most new musicals. The cast couldn’t be better and among the songs there are the delightful “Second Chance”, the riveting “Willing to the Ride” and the haunting “First You Dream”. So come to the Steel Pier and you’ll never be “gloomy or glum”.