'Hairspray' also. The new songs rocked my world, and I did like Nikki better.
And 'Camelot'. It's lacking a lot of the songs, and the cast aren't really singers, but it breaks my heart every time. ;_;
And 'West Side Story'. I get confused and offended if I hear WSS and it's not the movie (singing XD) cast.
Overall, I liked the sound of the Chicago soundtrack better than the cast recording; however I enjoyed some songs from the cast recording better such as "We Both Reached for the Gun."
Broadway Star Joined: 2/23/08
I third "Hairspray".
And I also like "Fiddler on the Roof"'s soundtrack better than any cast recording.
Updated On: 7/28/08 at 08:33 PM
I have both the revival and the film recordings of Chicago and I find myself reaching for the film version over the revival.
Definitely Hairspray
The Sound of Music (Love Mary Martin, but Julie Andrews IS Maria Von Trap IMO)
Absolutely West Side Story and The Sound of Music.
RENT: it rocks harder than the OBC.
Aside from one or two songs, there is no entire soundtrack that I think does a better job than the OBC.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
Sound of Music
Mary Poppins I know some of the songs are different, but I'll always prefer the movie soundtrack.
With the dreadful OLC recording of Mamma Mia!, the films soundtrack is a breath of fresh air. "Does Your Mother Know" is now on par with what you see on stage.
The Sound of Music
West Side Story
Oklahoma!
Carousel
Flower Drum Song
Mary Poppins
South Pacific
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
Oh good, I'm not the only one who enjoys the WSS soundtrack more than the cast recording!
Stand-by Joined: 5/10/08
Jesus Christ Superstar. Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson rock!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
Oh, yeah, JCS is another.
All of the Disney soundtracks that have become musicals.
Same for me with WSS and Chicago. And honestly, I don't think I have ever heard the OBC of Sound of Music. I grew up my whole life listening to the soundtrack and I can't imagine hearing it any different!
Hairspray, Rent and Chicago I find are much stronger in the film versions.
As much as its understandable, it gets irritating when you go back to listening to the cast recordings and they appear to plod along at a snails pace in comparison to the film soundtrack.
Chicago
Paint Your Wagon
Damn Yankees (ONLY because it's in stereo)
Little Shop of Horrors, i love the soundtrack.
Wow, I thought I was going to be alone and killed for mentioning Hairspray. The pros to the OBC: Kerry Butler and Laura Bell Bundy definitely were better than Amanda Bynes and Brittany Snow. However, I really feel that Nikki Blonsky sings better than Marissa Janet Winokur. I think I liked James Marsden better too. The music was also just a little more fun sounding in the movie.
Mamma Mia. Because the on the OLC, Sophie is SOOO whiny. It makes me cringe. And her accent seems really fake to me.
Swing Joined: 7/27/08
Marieanne2, I 100% agree with everything you said! Hairspray...no contest!
I third the West Side Story Soundtrack. Not only is it better than the original cast but it is superior to all subsequent recordings of West Side Story, including Leonard Bernstein’s own. Also the 1962 soundtrack of Gypsy has the biggest orchestra and best orchestrations of any recording of this score. And the soundtrack of the film version of Oliver is played and sung with a level of brilliance that far outclasses any stage recording.
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Flower Drum Song, The King and I and especially Carousel are gigantically superior to the original cast versions. No Broadway album can compete with the 65 piece orchestras and expanded orchestrations and choral arrangements used in these films.
In a class by itself is the 1958 soundtrack to South Pacific. It is simply the greatest recording of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s score ever. Sure, most of the singing was by voice doubles, but on a recording who cares, especially when the singing is this magnificent. Also the singers were hand picked by Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves. Mitzi Gaynor, who did do her own singing, has the perfect voice for Nellie Forbush and Ken Darby’s choral arrangements and Robert Russell Bennett’s expanded orchestrations blow away all other recordings by a mile, including the new 2008 Broadway revival. The lush atmospheric orchestrations, played by the 100 piece 20th Century Fox Studio Orchestra, augmented by many exotic instruments conducted by 9 time Academy Award winner Alfred Newman, leave every other recording of South Pacific in the dust. Also Giorgio Tozzi, who sings Emile de Becque and Bill Lee, who sings LT. Cable on the soundtrack, are far better and more expressive singers than Paulo Szot and Matthew Morrison on the new 2008 revival recording. Lee’s performances of Younger than Springtime & Carefully Taught are the best vocals ever of these songs. Richard Rodgers himself said, at the time of the film’s release, that the 1958 soundtrack was the most perfect recording of South Pacific ever. I agree.
Other soundtracks that I think are better than the Broadway originals are: Finian's Rainbow, Call Me Madam. The Pajama Game, Bells are Ringing, L'il Abner and Fiddler On the Roof.
Stand-by Joined: 12/31/69
basically what everyone else has said before me.
WSS - God bless Marni Nixon.
The Sound of Music - how could you EVER beat Julie Andrews?
all Disney. ever.
there are some aspects of the Hairspray soundtrack (Nikki Blonsky, James Marsden) that I like, but I'm partial to the OBC.
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