Sondheim Recordings Help- Page 3

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:09pm

I'm left cold by the revial too. The original is great, in my book. Victor Garber, Debra Monk, Annie Golden, Patrick Cassidy, Terrance Mann... Can't beat that line-up!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:11pm

and DEBRA MONK!


(I know, just had to point it out again)

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:11pm

I'll have to check it out then.
I'm way excited about Pacific Overtures...I haven't heard a single note from it.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:12pm

Second that, Bobby--I thought the revival's orchestrations seemed a little thin and odd sometimes--like they sort of had to make do with the voice types they had. But the OCR is far superior vocally, except I thought Alex was a better Hinckley.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:21pm

Please-I beg you-get the OBC of Pacific Overtures. Though doable on stage-the revival recording is annoying throughout, and inferior to the OBC, which I think is amazing.
Updated On: 11/25/05 at 01:21 PM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:24pm

The Assassins revival, on disc at least, sounds to me like Disney produced the show.

[lildogs]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:30pm

Is the PO revival THAT bad? The OCR always gives me chills at the end of "Next." And I love "Chrysanthemum Tea"--very funny.
I also think "Pretty Lady" is one of the most beautiful of Sondheim's songs--considering it's about rape.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:32pm

Well, ld, Johanna is about stalking and kidnapping, and look how beautiful that is!

That Sondheim is a sickie.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:33pm

Yeah, I think the orchestrations aren't as good. That big blast at the beginning of "Please, Hello" is gone, and the geniune thrill of the score is somewhat muted. I'm also not a big fan of B.D. Wong as a musical theatre performer. Someone dull, and lacking the energy of Mako.

I liked the show well enough on stage, but I can't get through the entire revival recording. I shut it off, and turn on the OBC. Even the London recording, which has horrible sound quality, is better.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:38pm

I love "Pretty Lady" on Side by Side by Sondheim.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:41pm

Just listened to the Pacific Overtures clips on amazon.com...it sounds beautiful. I'm definitely getting the OBCR.

Any thoughts about Adam Guettel's other work? (Floyd Collins, Myths and Hymns)

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:48pm

Piazza is the most listenable of his scores. The other 2 are good, but I don't listen to them often. "Come to Jesus" (Myths and Hymns)is an amazing song, but I prefer his version with Audra on her first Cd. Floyd Collins is better live, than on disc, but worth having I think.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:51pm

Thanks for the suggestions...my wallet is going to be so dry thanks to great musical theatre. :-P

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 1:53pm

Lol. Check out amazon.com's used marketplace or Half.com. I built my collection up cheaply that way.

[GovernorSlaton]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 2:37pm

I've been listening to Myths and Hymns a lot lately -- there are a lot of wonderful songs, and you can tell that the music is very personal to Guettel. Floyd Collins is also a great cd.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 5:18pm

The Original Pacific Overtures is sheer heaven.

It's up with Follies and Sunday in my most listened to Sondheim.

It gives me chills like no other Sondheim score. The final "Welcome to Japan" gives me goosebumps just thinking about it...

And I agree that the original Assassins is better, though I may be one of the few people to actually like SOMETHING JUST BROKE. Cerveris just can't match Garber, and Monk and ANNIE GOLDEN (!)absolutely rock...

[Plum]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 5:24pm

I actually really loved "Something Just Broke" onstage, but I think it loses something on CD. Can you get it by itself on iTunes? Because I'd totally do that as a cheap alternative.

[paradox_error]

Posted: 11/25/05 at 5:49pm

You probably can Plum, and that'd be the best solution...