CD Reccomendations...

I've been a fan of muscial theatre since I was a wee boy. Joseph was the first show I saw (hence the icon). Recently, since I've been a student (therefore in posession of a student loan), I've been indulging my amazon.co.uk habit by buying every cast recording I want. I've got at least one cast recording from most contemporary musicals.

Maybe through over-exposure to modern shows, I'm starting to crave something a little more traditional. The trouble is, I've been blinkered to any show created before 1960 so I really have no idea which shows are good. And I've not really paid much attention to Sondheim so I'm ignorant where it comes to him too...

>Insert collective BWW gasp here

That's where the musical expertise of BWW cognoscenti come in! Can you advise me on 5 classic musicals (I already have Oklahoma movie version, Guys And Dolls 92 revival and Anything Goes OLC) and 3 Sondheim (already have Into The Woods and Company), and if you do reccomend a show, which recording is best? Sorry if this is a bit of a complicated question, but think of it as being an opportunity to educate...

Shows I've thought I might like include:
Fiddler On The Roof
Gypsy
Mame
Carousel
My Fair Lady
Showboat
Kiss Me Kate
Annie Get Your Gun
42nd Street
Wonderful Town

Thanks guys!

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Updated On: 10/25/04 at 09:45 AM

everything Mister Matt said...

but i would also include Sunday In The Park for Sondhemin and Show Boat as a classic choice... most historians agree that musical theater is divided into two eras... those that came before Show Boat and those that came after...

I have the 2003 OLC of Anything Goes and it is SO good. Love it. I have a sneaking feeling I wouldn't like Sunday In The Park from what I've heard of it.

Thanks everyone, these are useful reccomendations! Keep 'em coming!

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Sondheim:

Pacific Overtures
Sweeney Todd
Sunday in the Park with George

Other:

South Pacific
Fiddler on the Roof
Hello Dolly
Annie Get Your Gun
Carousel

My favorite of these recordings is Pacific Overtures. I think it's an extremely underrated show that never got its time to shine. It's very different and may not be for everyone, but I personally love it. Especially "Please Hello."

If you want a somewhat modern Sondheim, go for Assassins. The new cast recording is excellent. And yes, Bernadette's Gypsy is very good too

As for Sondheim, I'd recommend the GYPSY cast recording with Bernadette Peters.

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You must own Sondheim's SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.
And I hope you have the original INTO THE WOODS, not the wretched Vanessa Williams' version. ASSASSINS is ok, but hardly representational of his best work. Whenever buying classic musical cd's stay away from the movie versions - they're often bad and incomplete. Get the 1994 revival of CAROUSEL with Audra MacDonald, and Bernadette in GYPSY. The new FIDDLER CD is quite good - better than the original, even if none of the women can sing.

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Superb! Thanks so much for all these. I'm getting a good idea of what some potential Christmas presents could be.

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If you want Rodgers and Hart, I strongly suggest the 1989 cast of BABES IN ARMS. I love it to death.

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CHICAGO 1996 Broadway Cast Recording (Bebe's fab!!)
WICKED OBCR

These two are my absolute favourites. Other favourites are

RAGTIME
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Canadian Cast Recording
SUNSET BOULEVARD
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
THE KING AND I the studio album with Julie Andrews & Ben Kingsley

Some stuff I've liked:

FOLLIES (the 1998 Jersey cast is prettier, the 1985 concert version is more energetic and star-studded, both are terrific and have some of the best songs ever written for musical theatre)
MACK AND MABEL--From MAME's Jerry Herman, a great score, can probably find it cheap
DEAR WORLD is also good.
SWEENEY TODD--a classic.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH--both the off-Broadway and movie versions are very, very good when you want to rock out a wee bit.
TENDERLOIN--Underrated score from the FIDDLER duo, with Patrick Wilson, natch!
SHE LOVES ME--both versions are great. Evergreen musical.
ANYTHING GOES--Need one say more?

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