Cast recordings for X-mas gifts?

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 1:52am

In the past year or so, one of my friends has been coming with me to most shows just because she always loved seeing shows but her husband doesn't like going (what does he anyway?). We've seen The Producers (with Nathan and Matthew), TMM and she absolutely loves the music from Chess. She's also a she's a HUGE Patti Lupone fan (her first show was Evita when Ms. Lupone was in it), I took her to see Christine Ebersole a few months ago and she's a huge Sutton Foster fan.
Most of the time when she's in the car with her son (he's 6) she'll have music on and he's started asking to listen to certain CDs (he loves Wicked and Little Shop the best I think) and started watching musicals on TV (he watched The Christmas Carol and I think they are going to try to catch The Wizard of Oz when it's on TV next week. He saw "Little Shop...", I bought him tickets to see Wicked for X-mas and we'll probably end up going to see "Chitty..." when it comes out.
Anyway, I thought I'd get some other show CDs for both of them, especially since seom new Elmo CD came out and I think she's starting to go a bit crazy with that one.
I was in the music store today and didn't even know where to start. Anyone have any suggestions for either of them? Any help would be great, thanks!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 1:55am

i took my kid sister to see the hairspray tour.. she is a teen... she wasn't big on theatre.. but loved the show. i got her the cast recording

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 1:58am

If you friend is a big Patti LuPone fan, the best Christmas present you could buy her is the original recording of THE BAKER'S WIFE.

It was composed by the author of WICKED, and is, in my opinion, his best work.

It was a show that never even made it to Broadway, but it is a sensational score. (It's getting a revival this spring at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, if you're anywhere near there, I think it's a must see for both you and your friend).

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 5:26am

Thanks for the help, but is anyone else thinkgs if something, PLEASE PM or email me. thanks!! I just checked out the papermill site and no cast was listed? Has it been announced? Anyway, she loves "Children of Eden" as well and is convinced that somes from that show are similar to Wicked?

Veuve Clicquot, about your member name, I must ask...Grande Dame? Vintage? I'm a big fan of champagne. :) Thanks again

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 6:26am

veuve is the "official champagne of Hairspray". That is what drunken Corny is chugging during I Can Hear The Bells

[jczelyph]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 8:14am

You have go tot buy her Children of Eden (if she doesn't already have it), it is brilliant. If she likes Wicked, she'll like Children of Eden. I bought Th Baker's Wife assuming that because it had LuPone and was written by Schwartz, I would like it. How wrong was I? I really didn't like it at all and was seriously let down by it. I'd reccommend a listen before you buy it. Also try Godspell which is more Schwartz.

There are a bazillion cast recording to recommend. Try Aida, Phantom, Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. They're all popular and accessible

Hairspray is a good recommendation - check it out. For the kid, maybe Seussical or The Lion King? Kinda obvious I know but they're fun nonetheless. I would love it if you bought the kid Joseph. It was the first show I ever saw and set me up for a lifetime of musical theatre! It's great for kids and lovely all-round.

[DancerGirl16]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 10:18am

For the holidays I bought my best friend

Zombie Prom
Tbe Wild Party (Lippa)
Jacque Brel is alive and well and living in paris (its a camp thing)

[Anne5122]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 10:27am

When my little sister is with me (she's 10), she'll ask for certain shows (I corrupted her with Broadway since she was born). She likes
TMM
Wicked (she liked it so much I gave that to her for her birthday)
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown (she liked that one since I recorded the Tonys that year that Kristin won)
Ragtime (she saw it with me when she was 6)
Aida
Into the Woods (saw a local college production and she was hooked)
Seussical

Updated On: 12/15/04 at 10:27 AM

[ChrisLovesShows]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 10:29am

These recording might appeal to the 6-year-old and (hopefully) your friend. I bought most of them for my neice when she was a tot.

Suessical The Musical
You're a Good Man Charlie Brown
Snoopy!
A Year With Frog And Toad
The Lion King
Beauty And The Beast

Updated On: 12/15/04 at 10:29 AM

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 10:35am

Yes, the Papermill cast has been announced. The divine Alice Ripley is playing the Baker's Wife, and Lenny Wolpe is playing the Baker.

[robbiej]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 10:43am

I cannot WAIT for THE BAKER'S WIFE revival.

Greatest musical I ever did (in college). Stunning score.

And yes...that was going to be my recommendation as well.

[wendy72]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 11:12am

I second the suggestion for "A Year with Frog and Toad"--it is a terrific CD. It was on steady, if not constant, rotation in our home (my child was 6 or 7 at the time) after we saw the show on Broadway. Great books, also!

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 7:37pm

About the Baker's Wife, not knowing anything about it would it be ok to bring her 6 year old or not?

[Lorelai]

Posted: 12/15/04 at 8:58pm

About the Baker's Wife, not knowing anything about it would it be ok to bring her 6 year old or not? I ask because whenever her son finds out she's going to see a show without him he always wants to go as well (my friend even caught him trying to hide tickets when he found out that she was taking her mother to see the Wicked. So, when possible, we try to bring him to b'way stuff when it's appropriate (like..Broadway on Broadway).

They have the Snoopy CD (since her and I went to the benefit show awhile ago), Aida, Children of Eden and also the off-Broadway version of The Wild Party because we both like Julia Murney from seeing Chess.

I saw You're a Good Man Chrlie Brown cast recording and I know Kristin Chenoweth and Anthony Rapp (I think??) are in it and my friend really likes her from Wicked...but I have never heard any of the music. Same goes for A Year with Frog and Toad. Anyway, tickets for The Baker's Wife sounds like a good plan too, I'll just have to search a bit to try to find some music from those 3 to get some kind of idea of them before I buy the CDs and the tickets.

Thanks so much for the great ideas everyone! I was kind of worried about which cast recordings to get, especially for the 6 year old (can't blame him for having good taste though, can I?)

Thanks again!!

[jczelyph]

Posted: 12/16/04 at 6:10am

You gotta get the kid Joseph! He'll love it! Special!