E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen - The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast)
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Music CD Cover Artist: E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen Edition: Music CD Format: Cast Recording CD Release Date: 1998-09-15 Music Label: Tvt Soundtracks:
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Free Music Notes for The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast) Album
Free Music Review: Worth it.
Hit: 3 Stars
I had to rate 3 because I had to rate in the middle. This album can be good or bad, depending on who is listening to it. It is good for those who want simple, upbeat, quick, renditions of the song. It is not good for those looking to hear the songs in their entirety or attempt to learn them for a stage production (There are WAY too many cuts and changes to do that here!). I bought this album because I am an Oz collector. Also, I will give them credit on their decision to include the Witch in "The Jitterbug."
Jessica Grove` has a beautiful voice, however, a bit too operatic for the role of Dorothy. Lara Teeter, an amazing Scarecrow (and you may also note this was not his first time in the role). The rest of the cast is pretty good. But lets get this clear: Mickey Rooney is not as good as he once was. Eartha Kitt was a surprisingly good Wicked Witch of the West. The choral arrangements are pretty good, well, from the little bit that remains on the album to hear.
As I said before, the music has been tweaked. The opening verse of "Over the Rainbow", although not removed entirely, is moved to the end and Glinda sings it (yeah). The three solos of the leading men are virtually the movie versions, however, The Scarecrow retained his opening verse. "The Merry Old Land of Oz" is chopped WAY too short, a 5-8 minute production number is reduced to under 2 minutes (unless you count the dialogue on the track). "The Jitterbug" is also chopped, but with a solo for the Witch and a very powerful orchestration, it just may be worth it. "Off to See the Wizard" got a slightly new vocal arrangement for Dorothy: on "the wonderful WIZard of Oz," Jessica splits from the group and jumps to a high soprano note (very different to those used to alto Judy Garland in the film). There is an annoying reprise of "Merry Old Land" just before the Wizard leaves, but luckily, it's very brief. A very beautiful choral rendition of "Over the Rainbow" closes out the album.
Overall, this album is worth the money. Personally, I listen to it whenever I want to listen to the songs, but have a limited amount of time.
If you love the film: Stick to the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Rhino Records. If you're true Ozian, look for the 2 disc deluxe edition (including the scoring, background music, and extras.
If you are looking to learn the music to the stage version, or want a rehearsal supplement: Look for the 1988 London Cast Recording. It is the original Royal Shakespeare Company production from which the amateur stage version comes. However, it like all albums has some minor differences that the vocalists make (and face it, your vocalists will ad-lib slightly as well).