Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?
Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?
Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#0
Posted: 4/19/06 at 11:54pmYou know - the one with Stokes and Reba? I actually do like this score, but is it worth 12 bucks on itunes?
Broadway Star Joined: 7/27/03
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#1
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:09am
I enjoyed it very much, and I don't see why people were complaining about Reba's performance at all. I think she is so perfect for this role, and I enjoyed her renditions of all of Nellie's big numbers. And Brian Stokes Mitchell did not dissapoint. Lillias White was phenomenal too. I think you should give it a try. It's worth the 12 bucks and more. Just my humble opinion.
Cheers,
The Balladeer
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#2
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:28am
I just bought "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine." Unless you're a big South Pacific fan, I don't think it would be worth getting the entire recording.
However, I thought it was very amusing that on iTunes they put asterixes in the song title "A Cockeyed Optimist," evidently because they thought "cockeyed" was a dirty word, lol
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#3
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:33amThat said, why doesn't Stokes go up to the high E at the end of "Some Enchanted Evening"? It's not like he can't hit the note. WTF?
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#4
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:39amI would say yes, it is worth getting. Reba brings a lot of comic energy to Nellie's role (and does back down from the comic when appropriate); Stokes is, as expected, excellent, and I have to second what was said about White. In general, I am not a fan of South Pacific at all, but there is a lot of energy to this recording that I am not used to hearing in it, especially in Nellie's songs.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/27/03
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#5
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:43am
I guess Brian Stokes Mitchell wanted to focus more on the interpretation of the song, as opposed to trying to blow everyone away with his voice, which I think was a wise choice. He is so different than what you would expect to hear from him. We all know he has a rich, powerful voice, but the nuances, and dynamics he incorporated into his performance really made this role his own. And sometimes, that is more important than just impressive vocals.
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#6
Posted: 4/20/06 at 12:54am
Really? Because I felt the opposite way. Especially in "Some Enchanted Evening" I felt that he was just doing an Ezio Pinza impression and trying to be Mr. basso-profundo rather than really interpret the song. Perhaps his facial expressions, etc. were effective during the performance, but on the recording there are no nuances or anything. I had to listen to his rendition of "Marta" from Kiss of the Spider Woman just to make myself feel better. Given that he was my childhood hero, I'm rather disappointed in Stokes' rendition of THE quintessential Broadway baritone song.
Updated On: 4/20/06 at 12:54 AM
Broadway Star Joined: 7/27/03
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#7
Posted: 4/20/06 at 1:07am
I guess there were times where he did sound similar to Ezio Pinza....I did notice that...but he wasn't as focused on the singing, and lifeless as Pinza was on the OBC recording of South Pacific. Now I know I might be in the minority in this opinion, and I wasn't anywhere NEAR born when Pinza and Martin did it on Broadway, but I never understood their appeal in these roles, especially Martin. They both sound lifeless on the OBC recording. I did really like what Mitchell did with songs though, even though I knew he could have blown the roof off the house, but he chose not to.
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#8
Posted: 4/20/06 at 1:39amI still like the Royal National Theatre Recording the best if for nothing else than the revisions that they made to the song order which I like a lot better and the inclusion of the new song...
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#9
Posted: 4/20/06 at 9:36amI give it a big thumbs up. I have been quite pleased with it and have listened twice now. I was wonderfully suprised at the effots that Stokes, Baldwin, and White put into their accents/voice charaterizations. Reba, when speaking, is just Reba but I think she sounds great in the songs. The last phrases of This Nearly Was Mine, followed by the burst of applause, are thilling.
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#10
Posted: 4/20/06 at 11:25amDecided to buy it and I'm enjoying it a lot. Everyone sounds great, and Reba is probably the most authentic sounding Nellie since Mary Martin. Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts!
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/03
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#11
Posted: 4/20/06 at 11:36amAnd its SOUTH PASSAIC....
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#12
Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:06pmDid anyone else notice glitches in their copy of South Pacific? Mine will play all the way through, but it won't skip past track 29. I returned the first one and got another at a different store.
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#13
Posted: 4/26/06 at 4:55pmNo, it's SO PATHETIC!
re: Is the new SOUTH PATHETIC record worth buying?#14
Posted: 4/26/06 at 5:13pm
This is one of those shows I've never had a liking for. Never liked the story or the movie version. This cd though is very enjoyable, the songs sound great, and I even like Reba's voice, which I expected not to.
So..michaelbennett...are you going to change the title of the thread now that you are actually enjoying the recording?
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