"Allegro" At Last!

This as well as the other releases mentioned in the article are all quite thrilling. I only wish we could get full-scale mega-revivals of Allegro and The Most Happy Fella.

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Hasn't anyone ever seen Allegro?

I didn't mean the original production, just any production. I was in a production of it, way back in 1970.

The Canadian premiere of ALLEGRO happened just 5 years ago (Feb 2004) and I too eagerly anticipate a ccomplete recording.

The original cast recording was done when the record industry was still using 78-rpm discs which could hold about 4 minutes per side. RCA VICTOR recorded 5 records of ALLEGRO highlights -and they sound like bleeding chunks. (Imagine SWEENEY TODD being recorded that way!)

Because ALLEGRO was not a success in 1947, there were no major revivals, no film, and no TV version. So for the past 60+ years all we had was this OCR - and we barely had that. It was out as a set of 78's but in 1950 when RCA started releasing LP's, they did not reissue the ALLGRO album. It did NOT appear on LP until 1965 (in mono adn fake stereo.) That album was around a few years then deleted. RCA Red Seal re-released it in 1977 (finally using the show's poster art on the cover) but again it did not last but a few years in print.

The CD edition was timed to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein in 1993, and surprisingly it is still in print.


ALLEGRO - OCR

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I'm with Dollypop re. a full length studio cast recording of HIGH BUTTON SHOES, and I approve of her leads--Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. There is an abbreviated cast album available, and the terrific Mack Sennett style ballet is included in the 2 disc set of JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY, along with the soft shoe number which could be done by Nathan Lane and Faith Prince. Paging Thomas Shepherd(Columbia's Broadway producer).I, too, will wait patiently.

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WOOT a release date at last. Been excited for this since the Summer.

And yeah a lot of the roles were given to one song only to add focus back on the main characters--it was controversial at the time too (and maybe a prob for its floppage, although I knwo both characters had a lot of dance)

Is this a recording of the entire show or just the entire score?

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So, seriously, when they say complete recording, do they mean complete score or complete show?

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It's definitely the complete score - every little incidental piece of the score is included, with all of the ballet and dance music. It also has some dialogue segments, but I can't vouch that it's all of the dialogue. The commentary from the chorus gets a bit tiresome - they are a real bunch of buttinskys - but the recording is lovely and the show is certainly one of a kind.

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With all the hoo-hawing about the Allegro recording -- to which I look forward and will buy ASAP -- I'm a little bit surprised that no one has mentioned Pipe Dream. It was the closest that R&H came to having a full-fledged dud, but it does have some nice music. I know it only from the Victor OBCR -- have any of you out there ever seen the show? I know there were major reservations about Helen Traubel, but Suzy and Doc have some nice ballads (nicely recaptured by William Johnson and Judy Tyler on the recording). Would a note-complete recording be warranted or is it best to leave well enough alone?

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For the compleatists of the world, it would be nice to have a note-complete "Pipe Dream." Or at least another recording to compare with the OBCR.

Or is this just a pipe dream?

lol Sorry, I just couldn't resist............. heh heh heh

I'm a little bit surprised that no one has mentioned Pipe Dream. It was the closest that R&H came to having a full-fledged dud, but it does have some nice music.

Don't forget Me and Juliet. The score featured Keep It Gay long before Mel Brooks' number, though it had an entirely different meaning. I think.

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