Merrily Off Bway or Leicester? and Spider Woman Chita or Vanessa?

[fiyero8132]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 10:51pm

Please give me some advice on which to get. I want some opinions. Thank you.

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:02pm

Chita Rivera in Kiss of The Spiderwoman. This is one of her most important roles and she rises to the challenge. Ms. Williams is a pretty singer but she does not have the "theatrical" quality that I want in a cast album.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 12/17/05 at 11:06pm

Get the OBC of Merrily if you don't have it already. It's so incomplete it sometimes makes me want to cry, but I love the performances and I do adore 'The Hills of Tomorrow.' I would recommend avoiding the Off-Broadway one, I personally can't stand ANYONE on it, especially the woman playing Mary (don't know her name) and I've only heard bits of the Leicester cast so I can't really comment on it. My favorite of the three though is the OBC.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:12am

Ignore the post from lamentingenvelope. If you have the OBC of Merrily and are choosing between the Leicester or Off-Broadway recording, buy the Off-Broadway recording. And Malcolm Gets is the best Frank on record.

And I greatly prefer the Chita recording of Spider Woman, though the Vanessa Williams recording has its partisans.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 4:10am

Chita's Spider Woman, though no dis to Vanessa's, I love Vanessa too!

[TheBalladeer]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 4:26am

For Merrily, I would get the Leicester over the Off-Broadway. It is a more complete recording, and I think has the better performances over the Off-Broadway with the exception of Malcolm Gets as Frank and Michele Pawk as Gussie. As for Spider-Woman, its a tough choice. I enjoy both recordings immensely. But I would go with Chita for your first exposure to the show. She was the original star. But I would definitely get Vanessa's too....she is an incredible Spider-Woman too.


Cheers,
The Balladeer

[fiatlux]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 4:59am

I'd go with the Haymarket recording over the off-Broadway - the orchestra alone would guarantee that - the off Broadway orchestra sounds as tho' it's not only tinny but on speed. The Haymarket performances are wonderful - Michael Cantwell has made the part of Frank his own having played it in its different versions from 1984 onwards, Evan Pappas is delightful as Charlie but most of all, there is Maria Friedman's incredibly moving Mary. Such a pity that this production never got to London.


And Chita Rivera - obviously :)

Updated On: 12/18/05 at 04:59 AM

[AAO26]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 7:24am

Chita Rivera no contest....

Vanessa W has a pretty voice--but Chita owns this one...Chita can deliver the title song like no one....

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 10:33am

Get the off-Broadway Merrily and the OBC of Spiderwoman.

[pattifan2]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 11:11am

Leicester 'Merrily' and I like the Vanessa Williams 'Spiderwoman'.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 11:19am

Yes, PLEASE ignore my post, as I am aware that my opinion means nothing.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 11:40am

Well, your post, where you say you can't stand anyone on the Off-Broadway recording dismisses some very fine work from Malcolm Gets as Frank, and Michele Pawk as Gussie. The Sondheim Review also recently had very high praise for Anne Bobby's "Not a Day Goes By," as the closest to Sondheim's intentions with Beth's bitter version of the song. (I wouldn't pick Anne Bobby's version as the best sung, but it is well acted and I understand their point).

And as the poster was asking for opinions as to the Leicester vs. Off-Broadway recordings, telling them to get the Original Broadway cast recording seems irrelevant.

Sorry, though, for my flip tone.

[lamentingenvelope]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:01pm

That's why I said I personally... I know that many people do enjoy the performances on it. I don't. And I was merely suggesting the OBC if they didn't have it already... but I can see your points and I apologize for being snappy.

[MichaelCassara]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:06pm

Oh, wow, really - if you don't have the OBC of Merrily, there's no other option. I would buy the York/Off-Broadway cast and save Leicester for last. The Leicester recording just bothers me... a lot.

And... Chita, sure. But, there are some truly lovely things about the Vanessa Williams recording.

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:50pm

Chita's version of the title song is worth the price of the recording alone.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 12:57pm

I prefer the Off-Broadway one....Love Malcolm Gets...

[perfectlypink3]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 2:30pm

I prefer V's version of Spider woman...but then again I am just biased... lol

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 2:32pm

I think Stokes and McGillin give great performances, but Williams can never top Rivera.
Updated On: 12/18/05 at 02:32 PM

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 2:39pm

I'd say Off-Broaway, OBC, then Leicester.

[Anne_here]

Posted: 12/18/05 at 3:16pm

I agree. I love the Off-Broadway One. As for SPIDER WOMAN. I perfer the Chita version.

[Joe Mike2]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 12:27am

Original Broadway cast for both shows, definitely. I saw Spider Woman with both Chita and Vanessa and Chita was much better.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 12:39am

alright...let's see a dancer who is brilliant?...or a grammy nominated singer? i would go with the 2nd one...Chita is charming...and she is super nice, on the other hand she never claimed to be a great singer...but i prefer Vanessa's voice and the recording overall...everything sounds better on Vanessa's CD. I guess i am younger and i was just so impressed to see Vanessa -who back then was a huge pop star- and made her Broadway debut in the middle of her biggest moment as a singer, her song "Save the best for last" was a # 1 hit in 1991 and her CD "Confort Zone" sold millions. She actually extended her contract to star in "Kiss of the spider woman" because of her rave reviews and ticket sales boost for a few more months, while she recorded her CD "The sweetest days".

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 2:26am

Get the Chita Spider Woman. Though I have not heard the recording for williams, stokes mitchell, and mcgillin, the original recording is phenominal. I actually havent stopped listenting to it in the past week. There is no doubt that it is chita's role and chita as well as her co stars won tony's for that show.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 2:40am

there we go...yeah...someone saying that a recording is better than the other one and he heard just 1!!!

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 12/20/05 at 2:45am

I have heard the original cast though. The show that was created by these 3 performers who all won Tony's. I love all 3 performers on the Williams recording but I don't think that Williams could be better than Chita in that role.