Anyone Love Revival Recordings, but Hate the Originals???

[Phantom487]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 10:59pm

Are there any shows that you love the revival recordings of, but despise the original??? One that comes to mind is "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown". I could listen to the revival CD for hours... but God, the original makes me wanna slit my wrists!

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:00pm

I find the Assassins revival recording a bit more pleasant than the original.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:02pm

Well, with musicals like Kiss Me Kate, the quality of the original recording just can't compare to the revival simply for technological reasons -our ears aren't conditioned to listen to music with that quality. And a lot of revivals have music that's revamped and modernized, so it appeals more to us.

[timote316]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:04pm

I was the same with Assassins for a while, but recently, I've really come to like the original (which I got after I got the revival).

I think the only one show that falls into this category is Fiddler. I only dislike the original production on for the cuts in the music and the overall sound quality.

However, Into the Woods comes to mind for the opposite (love the original, hate the revival)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:04pm

I'm guilty. I know it's frowned upon, but most of the CDs I own of the "classic" musicals like Oklahoma, Oliver, the Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, South Pacific and others are all revival recordings. I usually prefer them because they are more complete...

[Phantom487]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:06pm

I agree Pinguin... It's not that I would downgrade the classic original cast recordings... I would never. These a fro mthe one and only Golden Age, and I'm not putting them down. But, like you said, "Kiss Me Kate" is a perfect example. The orginal, though wonderful and fatures famous stars of the past, would never outlast the revival recording.

Revival recordings are often more complete... they always had a Repirse or bit of music that wasn't put on the original. They also usually have some dialogue, which I personally enjoy.
Updated On: 7/5/05 at 11:06 PM

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:23pm

almost all of my "old" musicals are revival casts. This is usually for 2 reasons, first is sound quality and second is they usually include more performers who i know of. Also more recent recordings often feature the full lyrics in the booklet so you can actually sing along the first time you hear it.

also a bit of threadjacking- on the subject of dialogue on recordings that is what aggrivates me the most about rent, not the dialogue thats on there but whats missing, with just those little mark monologues it would be the complete show.

[juice23]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:26pm

YAGMCB
Little Shop (the old off bway one is soooo annoying!)
and i love the OLIVER recording of Cameron McIntosh's production with jonathan pryce as fagin
Cabaret
Chicago

REVERSE:
I HATE the new 1776... love the original!

[Plum]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:29pm

It's very, very rare for me to choose anything but the original cast of a show. Most of the time I get revivals to supplement rather than replace originals in my listening. Revivals might do a few things better than originals, but most of the time the total product of the original is best, especially casting-wise.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:39pm

people are gonna kill me...

But I prefer my George Hearn/Patti LuPone/Neil Patrick Harris Sweeney to my OBC...

go ahead. Let the bullets fly. I CAN'T HELP IT! I LOVE GEORGE HEARN!!!!!!

(btw, I know this isnt a revival, but it's kinda... well, you know. Concert. Shmeh.)

TEN DAYS TEN DAYS TEN DAYS!!! Updated On: 7/5/05 at 11:39 PM

[Pinguin]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:40pm

::speechless::

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 7/5/05 at 11:43pm

I'm honestly having trouble thinking of a revival that I find completely superior to the original. Perhaps, "Nine" because I think I prefer Banderas' voice to Julia's.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:08am

The 1979 OKLAHOMA! recording is fantastic. I find the original cast almost unlistenable.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:11am

i don't know how to explain... but i can only listen to revivals... there's something about the orchestrations of older shows that irk me... as well as how they sing... can't explain it... just irks me

[RaininSmilies]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:21am

I love the revival of Little Shop. The original off broadway is okay, but I think the revival is so much better!

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:23am

Sarah... you are my new hero... I couldnt agree with you more...

[apdarcey]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:26am

generally. i love good quality.

[ljay889]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 12:47am

It just upsets me that back in the day the Cast Recordings were so short.

The King And I - which I feel is one of the best scores. The OBC is not very complete, and the cast was SUPERB. Gertrude Lawrence WAS Anna Leowens, what an amazing woman. Gertrude's sometimes pitchy singing just made her even more charming on the OBC, I love it - and really wish I could hear more of her Anna. Then there is Yul, and the rest of the great cast, that we don't get to hear a lot from on the recording. I feel the 77 Revival is MUCH more complete, but I miss Gertrude.
Updated On: 7/6/05 at 12:47 AM

[wonderland]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 5:05am

Godspell... the OBC is almost unlistenable. As is the 2001 tour. The 2000 revival, however.

There are bits of the Company revival I like better, especially the orchestrations. I can't take all the synth in the original, especially in "Being Alive", "Another Hundred People", and "Sorry/Grateful." I prefer the voices of the OBC, though, even crazy Elaine Stritch.

Having read all three scripts, I find the recent revival of Cabaret to be the best, but that's from a book perspective.

[Urban]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 6:34am

I actually prefer the revival of "Cabaret" and "Oliver"

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 7:42am

I prefer those too, Urban. I also prefer the Applegate CHARITY revival recording.

[Urban]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 8:56am

I have yet to hear Applegate's Charity, so I cannot comment, but I did enjoy the original soundtrack alot.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 9:25am

Since many of the posters here think the musical world began with POTO and that 'Rent'is a good show, it does not surprise me that many of you prefer the over-orchestrated revivals to the OBC recordings. Someone actually said it irked them the way they used to sing. Huh? Maybe that's because these were trained theatre professionals who were expected to perform the role unamplified, 8 times a week, for at least a year and their voices needed to carry up to the balcony. Sorry that you're 'irked' at having to listen to a real theatre voice sing the song that was written for them, but the experience of hearing Alfred Drake, Rex Harrison, Mary Martin, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Merman, or Zero Mostel in the role they orginated is priceless. Harrumph.

[twogaab2]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 9:57am

Listening to original recordings is invariably better than the "new" recording. I say this because the original creative teams viewed this as a new work and, because of this attitude, has a freshness that can not be equaled. Most revival recordings (and I say this advisedly) take the attitude that this piece is some "old chestnut" that drastically needs to be "fixed". Best example "Annie Get Your Gun" (although the L C recording of 1966 has much to reccomend for completeness).

My opinion, I may be wrong.

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/6/05 at 10:23am

In most cases, I still prefer the original recordings to revivals. In many cases, it's our only chance to hear the people who created the roles and appreciate their contribution to theatre history. But I agree that audio technology and more complete scores are two big reasons to favor later versions.

I have one in particular that I'm curiously very fond of... The Debbie Allen revival recording of Sweet Charity. As much as I love and appreciate Gwen Verdon, the '86 revival wins for me. I saw the show, which no doubt has something to do with it. The orchestra was amazing, both live and on the recording, with a lead trumpeter that hit some incredible notes. The cast was top notch, and I wasn't a Debbie Allen fan at time. In fact, I'd had my fill of her strutting around on "Fame" like she was Mother Earth. But she was completely convincing as hard-edged but vulnerable Charity. I guess that's why they call it acting! Her singing was very good (if not great), and her dancing knocked me out of my seat! As a result, the dance arrangements on the cast album really kick into high gear. And I LOVED Michael Rupert and his rendition of the "movie version" of the title song. Thankfully, it replaced the pleasant but bland original song here.

I hear that DRG or some other company may be re-releasing it after many years of it being out of print! Anyone have updates on that? It's worth checking out, if you haven't. Don't know if you'll love it more than the original, as I do.