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Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss of the Spider Woman#0

Posted: 3/8/05 at 11:21pm

Should I buy this? I love Cabaret and Chicago. Which is the best recording?

Princeton78 Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#1

Posted: 3/8/05 at 11:22pm

I'm not fond of either recording..but I'd go with Chita.


"Y'all have a GRAND day now"

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#2

Posted: 3/8/05 at 11:24pm

Buy it. Go with the Chita recording.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

Tesse Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#3

Posted: 3/8/05 at 11:26pm

The Chita recording, IMHO, has the better performances and overall sound, but the Vanessa recording has more dialogue clips, and gives you more of a theatrical experience.

Both are very good in their unique ways, but if you can only get one, I'd recommend the first.


"I hate musicals... People don't sing in real life."
"Well, maybe they should."
--Kiss of the Spider Woman (cut line)

frontrowcentre2 Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#4

Posted: 3/9/05 at 1:12am

Both are good recordings. The original cast has better performances, but the 2nd New York cast CD captures more of teh show (dialogue and music.) Howevere... the Vanessa Williams CD is no longer in print. Copies can be found in used CD stores.


********

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a soundtrack. If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!



Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

BlueWizard Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#5

Posted: 3/9/05 at 1:58am

Definitely get the original cast recording (with Chita Rivera and Brent Carver). I just bought myself a new copy, actually. It's a wonderful recording -- Brent Carver's Tony Award-winning performance is so heartbreaking and earnest.

The show itself is wonderful -- a very moving portrayal of love, betrayal, and injustice.


BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."

perfusion Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#6

Posted: 3/9/05 at 3:36am

I dig them both (Chita & Vanessa),they are both very different & worth a listen too.


melissa errico fan Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#7

Posted: 3/9/05 at 6:29am

If you've got the cash, buy them both. Like frontrowcentre2 said, the Vanessa Williams version (which features Brian Stokes Mitchell as Valentin and Howard McGillin as Molina) is out of print, but there are still many affordable ways to obtain it (Amazon, most notably). If you can only buy one, though, I would suggest that you go with Chita.

hannahshule Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#8

Posted: 3/9/05 at 7:17am

I agree, I always like to have the original cast first, and then If I really like it, I'd buy another version. But I'd deffinately start with Chita Rivera.


~And let us try, before we die, to make some sense of life~

sparky310 Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#9

Posted: 3/9/05 at 9:07am

it was a great show and vintage kander and ebb..it is a must have..but make sure to get the chita version not the vanessa oh my god why did i do this version

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#10

Posted: 3/9/05 at 12:05pm

buy Chita! Terrific recording!

WISHIHADATONY Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#11

Posted: 3/9/05 at 1:45pm

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is good, certainly Chita's cd is the best.

HOWEVER, if you love CABARET and CHICAGO, might I recommend you purchase a far superior score by Kander and Ebb? I believe you will find either of the following much more enjoyable than KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN:

70, GIRLS 70 (simply fabulous--you will adore it) or

WOMAN OF THE YEAR (delightful Kander&Ebb and capture's Lauren Bacall's and Marilyn Cooper's great performances.)


"Blow out the candles Robert and make a wish. Want something, want SOMETHING."

mallardo Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#12

Posted: 3/9/05 at 2:24pm

I certainly agree that Kiss of the Spider Woman is NOT top drawer Kander and Ebb. To me they succeed with the fantasy elements but the world of the prison comes off as weak and almost campy - i.e. the Over the Wall stuff. I don't think they ever found the right "sound" for this show.


Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#13

Posted: 3/9/05 at 2:26pm

Chita Chita and more Chita.

WISHIHADATONY Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#14

Posted: 3/9/05 at 2:32pm

mallardo, I agree with you two hundred percent. :)


"Blow out the candles Robert and make a wish. Want something, want SOMETHING."

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#15

Posted: 3/9/05 at 2:40pm

"To me they succeed with the fantasy elements but the world of the prison comes off as weak and almost campy - i.e. the Over the Wall stuff."

I believe that's because they had conceived this show as a star vehicle. (Did they first intend it for Liza? I can't remember). I do agree that the prison scenes are weak. "Dear one, I don't miss you inside me". I think they could have done better.


If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

WithoutATrace Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#16

Posted: 3/9/05 at 3:09pm

Woman of the Year is out of print. i have been looking for the Cd on ebay and haven't come up with anything so far. I should check again right now!

melissa errico fan Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#17

Posted: 3/9/05 at 3:13pm

Re: Vanessa as Aurora:
I thought that she was a brilliant Aurora. She was not as good as Chita, of course, but she brought something special to the role. And her singing voice is lovely, as always.

WISHIHADATONY Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#18

Posted: 3/9/05 at 3:17pm

withoutatrace,,,,,,,,,,I bought WOMAN OF THE YEAR cd not toooo many years ago at amazon.com(actually I just checked and I bought it in 1999.)

have u checked for it at amazon.com or
barnesandnoble.com
alibris.com

anyway,,,,,you are welcome to listen to my copy of the cd anytime you like:)

p.s. amazon has an option where they will try to find a used copy for sale for you.........I greatly enjoy this recording. goodluck!


"Blow out the candles Robert and make a wish. Want something, want SOMETHING."
Updated On: 3/9/05 at 03:17 PM

melissa errico fan Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#19

Posted: 3/9/05 at 3:29pm

I just checked Amazon. It is indeed out of print, but used copies are available.

spiderdj82 Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#20

Posted: 3/9/05 at 4:06pm

I actually love the Vanessa Williams version (but that was the first one I heard)


"They're eating her and then they're going to eat me. OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!" -Troll 2

melissa errico fan Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#21

Posted: 3/9/05 at 4:12pm

Vanessa was phenomenal. I hate it when people say, "She's no Chita." She wasn't trying to be Chita.

mallardo Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#22

Posted: 3/9/05 at 6:41pm

MEF, I agree with you about Vanessa Williams. How many times have we seen people on this board slamming her for not being Bernadette Peters in Into the Woods?


Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!

melissa errico fan Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#23

Posted: 3/9/05 at 7:31pm

It's so very true, Mallardo. When I saw Vanessa in the role (after seeing Chita in the role, also,) I found it so refreshing that she was doing the role totally different from Chita. The same with her wonderful performance in "Into the Woods".

DreamingChaseR Profile Photo

re: Kiss of the Spider Woman#24

Posted: 3/9/05 at 8:37pm

what kind of music is this musical? i saw the soundtrack at a used CD place and almost got it but i dunno... i really love rock and pop musicals would i like it? Chicago's cool but i prefer Wicked or We Will Rock You... should i try it?


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