Another "Which recording should I get?" thread, but with a purpose

I am SO JEALOUS of you right now! I would KILL to take a class like that!

IMO, I would go with the original cast recordings of all the shows. The casts are phenomenal and they give you a better idea of Sondheim's original vision (with the possible exception of "Sweeney Todd").

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I woud reccommend getting the original recordings of all of those shows, with the exception of 'Sweeney'. Personally, with the exception of Angela Lansbury, I find the revival cast to be much stronger.

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There is some real merritt to all three recordings of INTO THE WOODS, but the OBC is my fave and has the best performances

SWEENEY TODD revival with Patti Lupone and Michael Cerveris.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE with Mandy and Bernie

The others are purely up to you IMO Have fun with this

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With Sweeney . . . get the concert version with Patti Lupone and George Hern. Not only is there all the songs, but spoken dialogue as well.

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Updated On: 10/16/06 at 12:02 PM

Gypsy: most people agree that Ethel Merman is the ultimate Momma Rose and every collection of Gypsy *should* start with the OBCR. My favorite Rose on recording is Bernadette Peters from the 2003 revival.
Company: Original Broadway Cast, no question. The revival was mostly miscast and misconceived (i.e Debra Monk as Joanne, "Barcelona" played for the laughs instead of subtext, LaChanze's bland "Another Hundred People") and the London revival cast doesn't match the likes of Elaine Stritch, Dean Jones, Susan Browning, Pam Myers, and Donna McKechnie.
Follies: opinions about a definite recording of this show are mixed. Some believe the original cast can't be matched. Others dislike the OBCR due to the shameless butchering of the songs. The Papermill recording has almost every note written for the show, including most of the cut songs, and overall the cast is good.
Pacific Overtures: I prefer the original Broadway cast.
Sweeney Todd: nothing can beat the original cast recording of Sweeney Todd, especially because it includes the legendary performances of Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou, plus some of the most legendary orchestrations in a Sondheim piece.
Merrily We Roll Along: I particularly prefer the double-disc from the 1993 Leicester production with Maria Friedman.
Sunday in the Park with George: the new recording is more complete and the original recording is out of print, but in my opinion, nothing beats the beautiful print Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin, Dana Ivey and Barbara Byrne leave on their roles in the original cast.
Into the Woods: original cast, no question.
Assassins: a lot of people prefer the revival recording, I like both and can't really choose one over the other. It depends on the performers you like better I suppose.

Im going to chime in on just two:

Assassins- Go with the "revival" (aka OBC). I think the cast is better and the recording is more "meaty".
Sweeney Todd- Anything other than the Doyle revival. The show was amazing, but get one with the full orchestra.

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Thank you all so much! This really helps.

Gypsy: Sure, Merman's is the first and the best - but for the purpose of studying, I would recommend the Peters revival. It is the most complete and it's just easier to listen to. You can generally find Merman's pretty cheap. So buy both if you can - but if you can only get one - I would say Bernadette.

Company: OBC. The revival recording is enjoyable, but you MUST get the OBC.

Follies: For studying purposes, Papermill. Again, you can usually find the OBC pretty cheap - so buy both if you can - but the Papermill recording is the best.

Pacific Overtures: OBC. The revival recording pales in comparison.

Sweeney Todd: Eventually get both, but start with the original. The orchesrations are unbeatable.

Merrily We Roll Along: OBC. Revival recording is not great.

Sunday in the Park with George: OBC.

Into the Woods: OBC.

Assassins: Revival.

You may have some trouble finding INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK, and SWEENEY TODD - as they are all out of print. They are not making them anymore - I suppose they are preparing to release the "remastered" versions - but you will have a hard time finding them.

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Actually I think the most accessible recording of Gypsy is the TV version with Middler. It really honors Merman but, has the "newer" sound. Personally The Peters' recording, while interesting, pales to Middler, Daly, and especially Merman.

For GYPSY: The OBCR with Merman, without a doubt. The digitally remastered OBCR sounds great and has a little bit of extended incidental music. But also get the Bernadette Peters GYPSY for the added dialogue here and there and for the extended music for some of the dancing.

For FOLLIES: In addition to others, get the London Cast recording for "A House in the Country" and a few other songs that don't appear in other recordings. The London FOLLIES is the only production that I have seen and I was mesmerized by it.

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McFrenzied,

As far as "postmodern musical," I don't really know yet. That was in the course description. Here's the full description:

This course will focus on the postmodern American musical, with special attention to the work of Stephen Sondheim. The premise of the approach is that musical theater in the United States has traditionally manifested many of the characteristics of what we now call postmodernism: self-referentiality, intertextuality, performativity. These characteristics were deemphasized during the Rodgers and Hammerstein era (1943 to late sixties) in favor of a stylistic realism. In the late sixties, as the R&H aesthetic became exhausted, writers and composers rediscovered the earlier characteristics, now newly charged in the intellectual atmosphere of postmodern culture. Through this frame, we will explore several musicals of the second half of the twentieth century and the first six years of the twenty-first.

It's being offered this Spring at Illinois State University. The official title of the course is "Literature and the Related Arts," so the subject matter changes with the professor.