Fred Ebb - Cabaret (Original Broadway Cast)

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Free Music Notes for Cabaret (Original Broadway Cast)

Free Music Review: A Perfectly Marvelous Recording
Hit: 5 Stars

Joel Grey starts matters off with "Willkommen," and this sets the tone for the rest of the recording. Grey, whose impish performance was recreated for the film, is still remarkable fun. His numbers are fun, yes, but they also make brilliant, dark commentary on the show's events - particularly "If You Could See Her," even though that used a compromise line in the very end. Jill Haworth plays the immortal character of Sally Bowles with style, and her rendition of "Cabaret" is stunning. We don't hear much of Bert Convy's Cliff (it's mostly a speaking role), but his solo "Why Should We Wake Up?" is a treat nonetheless.

Then, we have the "comic couple" of the traditional musical - played here by Lotte Lenya and Jack Gilford as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, respectively. Lenya was a legend, and with good cause - from the first note of "It Couldn't Please Me More," you will doubt that anybody else could ever play Fraulein Schneider. And while I'm not all that fond of "Meeskite," Gilford is wonderful in the beautiful duets "It Couldn't Please Me More" and "Married." It's worth noting that there is some beautiful choral work here, particularly on the song "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" - which is a lovely, lingering number all about the Nazi message. It's with "Tomorrow..." that we really feel the underlying sickness of Cabaret, and its true genius.

There are a few numbers I don't care that much for - "The Money Song" and "Meeskite" in particular (the revival did away with them, so I'm clearly not alone) - but every other number on this recording is solid gold. And even the lesser songs on this album are excellent. Cabaret is, I think, the greatest American musical of all time...and this is as good a starting point as the new recording or the movie on DVD. And if you're a fan of the revival or the film, there's more joy to behold here.

It's worth noting that the album has a great ear for every song, and sounds fresh and crisp - like it was recorded yesterday. This is probably the best album in the Columbia Broadway Masterworks series, in no small part thanks to the fact that Goddard Lieberson produced the original, and his successor Thomas Z. Shepard was behind the remastering. And the great part is, these albums are only $$! So there's no reason not to pick it up.

Cabaret (Original Broadway Cast) Poster

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