Babes In Arms (1999 City Center Encores! Cast)
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.41 You Save: $2.57 (21%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.99 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Babes In Arms (1999 City Center Encores! Cast)
Free Music Review: Encores Concert cast performs with youthful exuberance
Hit: 4 Stars
I confess a (very) slight preference for the New World Cd which has a bit more polish and a bit more pizzazz. Still, this version from Encores is quite enjoyable and offers a truly youthful sounding cast.
It's a shame that the book of BABES IN ARMS is such a mess and it has defied repeated attempts to revise and revive it. The songs are good but they are not exactly glued to the plot which may explain why they work so well out-of-context.
The songs remain evergreen classics, though of limited relevance to today's listeners.
DRG now has three Rodgers & Hart shows in their catalogue, all courtesy of Encores: PAL JOEY, BOYS FROM SYRACUSE and now BABES IN ARMS. It's a shame the concert of CONNECTICUT YANKEE was not preserved as well.
The songs remain evergreen classics, though of limited relevance to today's listeners.
DRG now has three Rodgers & Hart shows in their catalogue, all courtsy of Encores: PAL JOEY, BOYS FROM SYRACUSE and now BABES IN ARMS. It's a shame the concert of CONNECTICUT YANKEE was not preserved as well.
Free Music Review: A cute little show with Wonderful people but.....
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a pretty cute show and the voices are wonderful, but they are all way to old to be in the show. My school recently did Babes in arms and its is about teenagers with the exception of a couple parts. So though possessing wonderful voices they are much to mature for the parts.Free Music Review: GREAT Musical. Hehhh CD.
Hit: 4 Stars
It's fantastic to have all the songs in their original order and arrangements. On the other hand, this disc contains, let's face it, the worst version of "The Lady Is a Tramp" on record.Free Music Review: Only with reservations
Hit: 3 Stars
This is one of my favorite scores, and as much as I wanted to love it, I came away with very mixed feelings. Like other shows of the 1930s, we are not left with any original cast albums. We have old playbills and souvenir programs, an Al Hirscfield drawing, perhaps a snippet of a silent movie that was taken during performance. Sometimes we are even luckier. With BABES IN ARMS we have an actual radio recording made by original cast member, Wynn Murray, performing two of her songs from the show: Way out West and Johnny One Note. But what did the show mean to the audiences of its day? Probably a great deal if one looks at the people associated with it: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart and Gorge Balanchine (before he became Mr. B.) But what does this recording say to us today? Here is the problem. Unlike the previous recording of 1990, this recording lacks any consistent tone. We get of to a rousing start with the overture. But then the singing starts! I am sorry to say that the two leads, Erin Dilly and David Campbell have no sense of style or feel for these songs. They exhibit a 1990s pop feel which distracts from the emotional value of their songs. Thus the haunting and piercing WHERE OR WHEN and MY FUNNY VALENTINE remain vapid and fail to register on a visceral level. On the other hand, Melissa Rain Anderson does give us an exciting JOHNNY ONE NOTE and the Coffee Club Orchestra lets go with a wonderful rendition of ALL LIGHT PEOPLE (a revised title of what we would consider a politically incorrect song.)
Another plus to this recording: all the dance music is recorded so balletomances can have a field day imagining what Balanchine did with it. I would recommend this recording only with reservations. Listeners should also get the 1990 version with Judy Blazer and Judy Kaye.
Free Music Review: Coffe Club Orchestra
Hit: 3 Stars
Had not heard this disc prior and expected more orchestral treatment. Was disappointed in the arrangements.