CAROUSEL revival cast album to be released 7/13; tracklisting and cover- Page 2

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:03am

It would actually be a mostly enjoyable recording if it weren't for the cut songs. Overall, I still prefer the 1994 recording with Audra McDonald even though that production cut "Highest Judge of All." Maybe one day we'll get a revival with all of the songs.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:09am

This is actually my favorite album of the year. It's really exquisite, but the cuts are still glaring to me. What they've done to What's the use of Wondrin is just bizarre. It's still beautifully sung however and the producing of the album is crisp yet warm. Far prefer it to the 94 album which, Audra aside, didn't have a single capable singer in the cast. Wish it was that production with this cast. A good director could've gotten brilliant performances out of these actors... and told Lindsay to drop the accent. It's a bit much. Overall though, it's a gorgeous album. I wish it were complete though.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:11am

I see this picking up a Grammy nomination. Especially with Renée attached.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:13am

Frankly, I'd probably give it the Grammy. Gorgeous singing, shimmering new orchestrations on a great, classic score, great producing, and Renee Fleming. Sounds like a Grammy winner to me. Crazy that such a terrible production could create such a lovely album.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:18am

If one really good thing could emerge from this production (the actors aside), I’m glad it was this album. Especially since in the years to come this is what will be remembered and how others will have a glimpse into it. If nothing else, we and the rest of the world have this score sung by this cast to listen to.

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:20am

The cuts in the bench scene are jarring. I didn't hear Billy say, "You're a funny kid" nor the beautiful music and dialogue after Julie finishes singing "If I Loved You" ("Anyways you don't love me...". These are what, 30 seconds, and were in the show. Wish they would have left them.

Still, the recording is gorgeous 3 tracks in. I love hearing those small details (is that a flute making those sounds at 6:01 in the bench scene?!).

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:44am

Listening now and it does sound great, but Lindsay Mendez's accent... WTF why didn't anyone stop her?

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:47am

I’m glad to be right in my statement after witnessing v the first preview: Forgettable production, gorgeous cast recording.

How often can a cast recording of a production wash out the sour taste that production gave you?

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:48am

Honestly listening to Mr. Snow makes me sad we didn't get to see Betsy's carrie. I know Lindsay has gotten acclaim (Tony NOM), but I can't help but wonder what Betsy would have done with this.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 2:03am

Whizzer will disagree with me on this, but i found Mendez’s every move at the first preview brilliant. I didn’t see the Lincoln Center revival, but she does what I imagine Audra did: create a living, breathing portrait of Carrie. She also showed some people who questioned her casting (me) her beautiful legit voice. She sounds great on the recording.

I’m debating whether to respond to the Betsy comment, especially since I’m trying to be nicer. I suppose the best nicest thing I could do while in the subject of Betsy is shut my mouth.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 2:23am

Sally Durant Plummer said: "Whizzer will disagree with me on this, but i found Mendez’s every move at the first preview brilliant. I didn’t see the Lincoln Center revival, but she does what I imagine Audra did: create a living, breathing portrait of Carrie. She also showed some people who questioned her casting (me) her beautiful legit voice. She sounds great on the recording.

I’m debating whether to respond to the Betsy comment, especially since I’m trying to be nicer. I suppose the best nicest thing I could do while in the subject of Betsy is shut my mouth."

 For what it's worth I think Lindsay's singing is really beautiful in this recording. Her accent is still whack though. Not negating her performance, but I was just saying I wonder what Betsy could have done with it.  

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 2:46am

There's a lot to like about this recording (the singing is certainly better than the '94 revival), but have to question the new orchestrations from Tunick. It's not that they're atrocious, it's just that they're not, well, all that necessary. They weren't written to cut down on the size of the orchestra, and there's really nothing wrong with the original Don Walker orchestrations, nor with the '94 revival's by Bill Brohn. Obviously the new dance arrangements in this revival had to be orchestrated, but apart from that, what was the point? They mostly stay very similar to the original, and most of the deviations I notice have less character than the originals. This is kind of how I felt about the 2016 revival of She Loves Me... like, the new orchestrations aren't necessarily bad, but they're not as good as the originals, and as long as you're paying a full orchestra, what's the point of hearing a new and slightly less good version?

That said, this production fares much better on disc, where one can't look at the ugly sets and sloppy staging, nor hear the dialogue awkwardly delivered. And Fleming is the first Nettie Fowler I find intelligible. Mendez, whom I have liked in the past, gets on my nerves by playing the role too broadly. Too bad Fleming seems to have little chance at winning the Tony, hers was really my favorite performance in that category this year.

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 2:58am

Did anyone else find the tempo on If I Loved You a little rushed?

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 3:24am

broadwayboy223 said: "Did anyone else find the tempo on If I Loved You a little rushed?"

Tempos were generally faster than my liking, but that was also the case live in the theatre. Caesuras and fermatas were also really moved through on this recording. It feels like they are really struggling to fit all the music on one disc, though it's not as much a problem as the crazy Stratford cast album.

[msmp]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 3:50am

This really is a beautiful cast album. Agreed with others that this should be in the running for the Grammy this year, especially given the likely competition.

[C4b2a3b]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 8:46am

broadwayboy223 said: "Did anyone else find the tempo on If I Loved You a little rushed?"

Yes, I agree. 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 9:37am

This is a glorious recording of a horrendous production.

[TheatreRocks]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 11:35am

In the You'll Never Walk Alone Reprise... isn't there supposed to be here-and-theres of Billy talking? All I heard was the "Know that I loved you" in the beginning

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 11:39am

This production made some... choices concerning Hannerstein’s rather-perfect book.

[FranklinDickson2018]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 12:29pm

Just gave this a listen.  Very little that I loved actually I wouldn't put this at the top of my list of favorite "Carousel" recordings by any means. I put it far behind the OBC, the 1965 with John Raitt and the movie soundtrack and the TV soundtrack. Not to mention a true favorite of mine, the Command recording with Drake, Peters, Treigle and Venora. 

The worst offender is the awful "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end.  They make it sound like Gounod's "Faust."  Obvious choice made to give Mme. Fleming more to do.  Ditto the "What's the Use of Wonderin."  But the finale with the "now I sing, now you sing," just didn't work for me. 

I thought the tempos were so fast at times it almost sounded like the speed of the recording was wrong.  Just listen to "Blow High Blow Low" and elsewhere. 

And oddly as I have heard such great things about Fleming in the theater, I found her solo version of "Never Walk Alone" to be pretty bland (but at least free from most of the mannerisms that affects a lot of her pop work) It was well sung but didn't tear my heart out, like Patricia Neway on the TV soundtrack for example. She is issuing a Broadway cd in the fall. I want someone to sound like the "earth mother" of all time in this music!

I liked Joshua Henry although his accent while singing seems to come and go.  But I thought he was really involved. And his voice was gorgeous. 

I liked Lindsay Mendez's singing but that accent!  Yikes.  Should have been toned down for the recording.

I found Gemignani to be very brassy and also with an overdone accent. And so little of him on the recording. 

I like Jesse Mueller, always a beautiful singer. 

I didn't care for the re-orchestrated "Carousel Waltz"  The original will do quite nicely thank you!

My nomination is for the superb "My Fair Lady" to get the Grammy!  Now that is an exciting CD!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated On: 6/8/18 at 12:29 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:01pm

It actually does remind me a lot of the 2012 Annie revival cast recording. Bizarre orchestrations, distracting accents, perplexing changes and an overall disappointment.

[TheatreRocks]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:02pm

Some string parts in the overture were replaced with trumpets. It just sounds odd when listening to it. 

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:38pm

I’m really enjoying this recording - a few quibbles here and there. The minute changes to the orchestrations are odd - I love Tunick, but one wonders why they are changed when the orchestra is so sumptuously full... higher chances of Tony recognition for Rudin? And the cuts and changes made to the score for this production... which is to be expected, but upsetting when the production itself was so lackluster. But all in all, it’s a ravishing recording. I’ll be listening to this for a long time. Would that the same could be said for My Fair Lady...

Updated On: 6/8/18 at 01:38 PM

[schubox]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 1:47pm

It’s on Spotify? Is it going to be on Apple Music soon too?

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 6/8/18 at 2:10pm

It's on Apple Music! I just downloaded it to my phone.