WSS movie soundtrack or cast recording?

[BellatrixxLestrangee]

Posted: 9/17/10 at 10:02pm

I have a question for all you super smart Broadway people. Which would you recommend I get, the Original Broadway Cast Recording of West Side Story? Or the Movie Soundtrack?

[Kad]

Posted: 9/17/10 at 10:15pm

I prefer the soundtrack. I feel WSS is one of the few instances that the changes to the score actually improve upon the material.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 9/17/10 at 10:50pm

^^^
Ditto. Not to mention you get an overture with the soundtrack. The end credits music is nice, too.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/18/10 at 1:07am

The new Brodway cast album is excellent. I absolutely love it!

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 9/18/10 at 1:45pm

movie soundtrack, hands DOWN.

[BellatrixxLestrangee]

Posted: 9/18/10 at 8:33pm

I ended up getting the Movie Soundtrack and I absolutely love it! Thanks guys!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 2:59pm

Always like the Movie Soundtrack better. Also like the book changes with new song placements in the movie too. Those changes did improve the material.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 3:17pm

I agree with Dollypop. That and/or the movie soundtrack.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/19/10 at 5:54pm

Wow, I really don't like the movie soundtrack.

Nothing beats Chita on the original. I hate the truncated "A Boy Like That" from the film.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 12:32am

I think Chita sounds so thoroughly American as Anita, like she had been here all her life.

[Usnavi]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 1:28am

Updated On: 9/20/10 at 01:28 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 7:01am

While I appreciate the original cast album, I like the singers and the expanded orchestrations on the movie soundtrack much better.

I can't remember the exact number, but during the opening Prologue in the film, instead of one xylophone (during the chase scene), they used something like 20! It's the only time I've felt a xylophone (or a "gang" of xylophones, in this case) sounded menacing.

And it isn't just the shear size of the orchestra, it's the quality of the musicians and the musicianship. I've heard bigger orchestras play this music, and they haven't nailed it as well.

I don't think the film soundtrack can be beat.

As for the voices, Larry Kert and Carol Lawrence have pitch problems throughout. They were criticized "back in the day" for singing sharp, and I agree. I love Marni Nixon, Jimmy Bryant, Rita Moreno, Betty Wand, Tucker Smith, George Chakiris, and the rest of the vocal cast of the film.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 4:57pm

I think Chita sounds so thoroughly American as Anita, like she had been here all her life.

I never really thought of it like that. Interesting. Karen Olivo did use a fairly thick accent for her Anita. But Karen had to speak and sing some parts in Spanish. Chita didn't.
Updated On: 9/20/10 at 04:57 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 6:47pm

Rita Moreno utilizes a very effective accent, and she spoke only English in the movie.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 9:13pm

Both versions are good, well worth having and have sold millions of copies over the years.

Fortunately you don't have to choose: Sony has repackaged both versions together at a very attractive price:

WEST SIDE STORY 2-pack

[BellatrixxLestrangee]

Posted: 9/20/10 at 9:24pm

frontrowcentre2, I saw this at Borders the other day. I was so angry because I had already bought the movie soundtrack from Itunes for .50 cents less!

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 12:03am

The film's orchestrations, alone, put all other versions (especially Bernstein's), to shame. Besides, it holds the record for an album (any genre) most weeks at Number 1 (54) compared to Number 2's Thriller (37 weeks).

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 4:59am

I adore the film's soundtrack. It just seems a lot richer and more full the the cast recording. And Marni Nixon is really a treat, it's quite amazing to think she also provided vocals for My Fair Lady as well.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 7:03am

Perfectly Marvelous---in addition to Marni Nixon's chameleon-like qualities, you also have Betty Wand dubbing Anita on "A Boy Like That." She also dubbed Leslie Caron in the movie "Gigi." And you've Tucker Smith, who plays and sings the role of Ice on screen ("Cool"), and who also dubs Russ Tamblyn in the same movie for "The Jets Song." Russ does his own singing on "Officer Krupke," though, and Rita does her own singing on "America" and the first part of the "Quintet." But Marni also dubs Anita for the last part of the "Quintet" when they're all singing together. She's the voice of Anita AND Maria at the same time! And there are three ladies (total) singing Anita in the film.

Talk about a talented and versatile bunch of singers! By the way, if you have the special edition DVD, you can see and hear these numbers with the original voices (Natalie Wood, Rita Moreno and Russ Tamlbyn). And it's not as if they suck at all! But the decision was made to make them better, which they did. And dubbing was a very standard practice back then.

EDIT: Here's a very nice radio interview with Marni. She talks about dubbing in general, dubbing for Marilyn on "Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend" (the high notes at the beginning and a line or two, here and there), and especially dubbing for Deborah Kerr in "The King and I." It was Deborah who let the cat out of the bag publicly about Marni's singing. A very gracious lady!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-lt1vAbtZs

Updated On: 9/21/10 at 07:03 AM

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 7:29pm

Some of Natalie's takes of the songs are on youtube.

natalie clips

Updated On: 9/21/10 at 07:29 PM

[strummergirl]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 7:42pm

There are things I like in both recordings and but I lean toward the film soundtrack. I loved the decisions in the orchestrations and juxtaposition made for the film, though I will say Russ and Rita did not need to be dubbed based on listening to them imo.