NEW South Pacific Recording!!

[sfs1414]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 3:27pm

It is glorious! Everyone sounds amazing and the orchestra is lovely!! Kelli and Matthew and Paulo are great! There truly is nothing like an old fashion R&H Musical. Makes me remember why I fell in love with musicals.. What does everyone else think?

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 3:39pm

I have it, but I have made a vow to myself to not listen until I see the show!

[musicalmaster703]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 4:56pm

I just got it today, I love it so far!

[once a month]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 5:31pm

Tonight while driving I'll be hearing it for the first time since seeing it at the beginning of the month. I can't wait! I was able to cancel my Amazon order in the nick of time to get it from Barnes and Noble, for all the bonus tracks. I am stoked!

[justafan2]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 5:49pm

I just got it today, but like CyCoSpAz2, I'm not going to listen to it until I've seen this production. (hope I hold out)

[KrissySim]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 6:54pm

I got mine today from amazon (I'm not worried about bonus tracks) and I like it, too. I think it's a quality production. I'm used to the film soundtrack but I accept this as being a different interpretation. The first reviewer on amazon didn't care for the recording:

"Unfortunately, little if any of the magic and excitement that the stage performance has in spades is to be found on this cast recording of the show."

Well then, I have something to look forward to when I see it in September.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 6:56pm

Mine just came in the mail! I'm so excited!

[keen on kean]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 7:06pm

Just started listening. Such beautiful music.

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 7:17pm

justafan, thanks for letting me know I am not the only one torturing myself. Good luck!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 7:24pm

Beautiful music indeed, Rodgers & Hammerstein were geniuses, there's no way around it.
Paulo Szot is...wow, what a voice. Loretta is all everyone had told me about and MORE, excellent performance on recording and can only imagine how she is live. Kelli O'Hara is expectedly dull but not in a way that it ruins the recording, I just rather listen to Mary Martin's or even Reba's renditions. My main quibble is Matt Morrison...after listening to Jason Danieley's "Younger Than Springtime," Morrison just doesn't do it for me.
Overall, I have to say is a brilliant cast recording, and God that Overture! Doesn't get much better than that, I think I even like it better than GYPSY's.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 8:18pm

I'm not fond of Matthew Morrison on this recording (ain-JEL????) but everyone else sounds incredible!!!

[folkyboy]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 8:20pm

does anyone know why they didn't include all of "Honey Bun"?

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 8:57pm

-- "Doesn't get much better than that, I think I even like it better than GYPSY's."

Assuming you mean the Gypsy REVIVAL, have you somehow heard it?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 8:59pm

"Kelli O'Hara is expectedly dull but not in a way that it ruins the recording"

I don't see how anyone could possibly think she is dull. First of all, how is one dull on a musical recording? Secondly, her performance is so beautiful I can't even stand it.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 9:05pm

I think it sounds pretty great. I didn't listen to all of it. But I will say, I think I like the tempos on the Reba/Stokes version slightly better.

[Sauja]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 9:06pm

I can't stop listening to this. It really is rapturous. In a season of incredibly strong revivals, this show just charmed the pants off me. The recording does it complete justice. And just the fullness of the orchestra...I can't get over it.

The night I saw it, I turned to the usher at the Beaumont and asked, "So is it as good as I hear?" "Darling," she answered, "it's much better than that." How right she was. Between this, Gypsy, and Sunday, I don't even care that I didn't fall in love with any new musicals this season. Which isn't to say I didn't like a few. Just not love.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 9:13pm

Love the recording.

Morrison, O'Hara, and Szot all sound glorious. "Wonderful Guy" is RAPTUROUS. O'Hara isn't as belty as I would prefer in a Nellie, but the way she simply makes LOVE to the phrases is irresistable. She very much reminds me of a young Mary Martin. Also love "Twin Soliloquys" and the Act I Finale.

whenever I listen to revival recordings, I always think the orchestra sounds thinner since new technology makes it sound cleaner, so sometimes I wish for a fuller sound - most notably is "I'm Gonna Wash That Man...", particularly at the end. but that's my only gripe. all in all, A+

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 10:00pm

Man! All these cast recordings coming out now and I can't afford any until probably the end of June. darn it!

[A Grey Spring]

Posted: 5/28/08 at 10:08pm

Ugh, I can not wait any longer..... When will the cd finally arrive in my mailbox?

Also how are the extra tracks on the Barnes & Noble exclusive recording?? Am I missing anything special/big by having the regular cd over the exclusive?
Updated On: 5/28/08 at 10:08 PM

[jewishboy]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 12:42am

bjh2114, I haven't listened to this recording yet, but for instance on The Pajama Game revival CD, I found O'Hara's vocals to be dull during "I'm Not At All In Love" and "Small Talk." I think Ray is saying if you compare her vocals to Mary Martin or Reba it's less exciting. And I have to say Morrison gave a very intense performance the night I saw it, I'm not a fan of Danieley's version and much prefer William Tabbert's rendition on the OBCR.
Updated On: 5/29/08 at 12:42 AM

[thatgirl712]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 4:48am

Thanks for telling us about this.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 5:02am

Jewishboy basically explained all I meant when I referred to O'Hara's "dull" performance (IMO anyways).
And H. Higgins, I meant that surprisingly enough I prefer the SOUTH PACIFIC Overture to the one from GYPSY, the latter used to be my all-time favorite Overture, but listening to that gorgeous orchestra performing the SOUTH PACIFIC Overture I think I have changed my mind. I wasn't referring to the cast recording overall.
Jewishboy, I think Danieley adds such sexual intensity and an overt sense of romance to "Younger than Springtime" plus I just can't get enough of that gorgeous manly voice of him...I don't get that from Morrison on this recording, perhaps if I see him live I'd change my mind.
Let me give another shout-out to Loretta (can't remember her last name to save my life and I'm too lazy to ibdb.com-it), she hypnotizes me in this recording, when I hear her singing I picture myself in Bali Ha'i.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 5:17am

Where's the cheapest price for this, please?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 5:20am

It is an excellent recording. Nothing can top the dynamic original cast stars, but this new album offers a more complete recording of the score as well as better sound. (The old Columbia sounds brittle - after all it was originally recorded on 78-RPM discs.)

Perhaps the new one is tad "too" complete - taking down every reprise. Then again it is easy to program those tracks out. And I would not want to be without the powerful Act One Finale scene.

I had already planned to play "Bali Ha'i" on my radio show this Sunday using the original cast, but since the new CD arrived I decided to use this new recording instead...which gives me a bit of a Broadcast premiere. :)

Updated On: 5/29/08 at 05:20 AM

[bwybuff87]

Posted: 5/29/08 at 5:26am

I just finsihed listening to it. I always love Kelli O Hara and Matthew Morrison, but I was very impressed by Paulo