Cabaret cast recordings?

[Weez]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 8:24am

In your opinions, which cast recordings of 'Cabaret' would you recommend? I have the 2006 London revival cast and the New Broadway Cast, but I'm feeling curious for recommendations and reviews today. ^_^

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 8:27am

Definitely get the OBC.

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 8:54am

OBC stinks. Good cast, but bad recording, and a lot of the songs tthat were subsequently dropped are pretty bad. Flame me if you want, for that guys, but the original money song and "Meeskite" are awful.

The New Broadway cast is the best, I find.

[Urban]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:08am

I really don't care for the OBCR even though it is worth it just to have Lotte.

Actually the OBCR is interesting just to see how far the show has evolved.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:10am

OLC w/ Judi Dench is AMAZING!

[misschung]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:20am

I think there was already a longer thread on this, if you're interested in more opinions, haha.

For me, its a toss up because I love certain songs from each recording. If you're looking for the most complete one, I'd say get the 1998 revival

[Piercemn]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:23am

I would love to get the OLC with Judi Dench, but it appears to be unavailable. I have her singing the title song on a collection I bought in Scotland called West End Girls.
Any idea how to get the OLC recording?

[jewishboy]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:16pm

Wow, I think the OBC is great! Jill Hayworth is my favorite recorded Sally (I haven't heard Judi Dench) and Joel Gray is a truly gifted performer and his Emcee, though not as dark as Cummings is fascinating in its own right. Also, I wouldn't normally suggest this CD, but the movie version has Liza doing Maybe This Time which is riveting!

[algy]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:43pm

I'm a big fan of the Maria Friedman recording. Big.

[EdmundOG]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:28pm

I love Lotte and Jill Hayworth, but Joel Gray grates occasionally, and Jack Gilford just sounds like his own self, which is very out of place in 1928 Berlin.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:33pm

There is a 2006 London Revival of Cabaret!?!?!?! I DID NOT KNOW THIS!!!!!! I'm going to check this out!!!!!!

Anyways, if you have the 1998 Broadway Revival, you need the OBC Recording!

[Raspberry]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:35pm

Aside from what has already been mentioned, I love the new French recording... even though I don't speak any French.

There's also some more discussion about this CD and other "Cabaret" recordings on this thread:
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?page=2&thread=924641&boardname=bway

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:57pm

o MTVMANN, you don't want that London Lyric cast recording. it sounds awful. i got it just because i am a freak and need to own everything but yeah: if you can prevent it i recommend you DO

[misschung]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:02pm

The movie soundtrack is amazing - even if just for the Joel and Liza doing The Money Song and Liza singing Maybe This Time

I like the OBC too, the only reason I'd suggest the '98 version is that it includes more of the songs

[joshy]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:27pm

The 2006 London Cast is my absolute favourite but you should get the OBC one too!

I desperately want the Judi Dench one - I've only heard Perfectly Marvelous and Cabaret, and Judi sounds so fantastic!

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:42pm

Yes to the French cast - Fabian Richard is wonderful.

The Complete Studio Recording is decent, although Cliff is a little too bland and Jonathan Pryce's "I Don't Care Much" majorly lacks emotion. Judi Dench and Fred Ebb are rather good as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz [I really like Dench's "What Would You Do?" They're both adorable on "Married" and "It Couldn't Please Me More"]. The instrumentals aren't so tawdry, in fact, the "Entre Acte" is probably one of the best I've heard and the "Kickline" is also fun.

The OBC, in my opinion, is excellent. Lotte Lenya [as Fraulein Schneider] is terrific, Jill Haworth is a fantastically brassy Sally [I love her "Don't Tell Mama" and "Cabaret"], and of course, Joel Grey is great. And we get to hear Cliff sing! [which is so nice... yes, I like Cliff's "Why Should I Wake Up?" I'm a sucker for ballads. ] Also, you'll get to hear the "Telephone Song" which appears in the revival as background music when Sally is in her dressing room.

If you order the cast recordings off Amazon, they give you an option that allows you to listen to selections from the score. It definitely comes in handy when deciding whether or not to buy an album. However, if you are planning to get the French recording, you can go here -> http://www.cabaret-lemusical.fr/extras.htm - which allows you to play clips from their recording as well as videos from the show.

Hope that helps you out some!


OH, and I almost forgot - I've been told that Dusseldorf recording [if you can come by it] is also very good, as well. Whatever you do, don't go near the Vienna one [it's rather dreadful].

Updated On: 5/22/07 at 02:42 PM

[raphael06]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 3:42pm

The Broadway Revival cast is my favorite! But the OBC is worth owning because it has a lot of the original songs that are not done as much anymore in CABARET productions.