Nine original cast reissued!

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 9:26pm

I was wandering around Virgin Megastore the other day and I see that they've reissued the original cast recording of Nine with some extra's! It's now two C.D.'s, and they've added tracks that weren't on the original (I'm especially excited about the Movie Themes--anyone who saw the revival knows how hilarious those are!) and extended some of the original tracks.
I'm physically restraining myself from buying this C.D. because I already have the original and I'm dying for the revival, but...new tracks...!!!

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 9:50pm

omg, I'm dying for the revival recording as well! I may have to invest in another copy of the OBC recording for the extras! The excitement!!!

*hugs her Nine cast albums with glee*


daisy


PS: Becky Norman remains my favorite Carla, vocally... though Jane embodies the character so well. :) Anita who? :)

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 10:02pm

*hugs her OBC* Don't diss Anita Morris! She was the original Carla for a reason!

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 10:12pm

"Original Carla" ONLY because they hadn't discovered yet the wonder that IS Miss Norman and how the fantabulous Becky could rip that song ("A Call From the Vatican") apart... and yet, at the same time, give a heart-wrenching rendition of "Simple" with the same style and ease in which she delivered "Vatican." (Unlike *some* people who can pull off one and not the other... we won't go there... "Seemple.")

That woman had one helluva set of pipes on her, dude. She was the only good thing in the London version!

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 10:21pm

A lot of people on the London version make me want to run up walls. I thought Jonathan Pryce was only an okay Guido, but that could be because I've got Raul Julia and Antonio Banderas burned onto the back of my eyelids. I think the only performer I REALLY loved on that recording (aside from Becky Norman, of course) was Ann Crumb as Luisa. I thought her "My Husband Makes Movies" was a little high, but her "Be On You Own" blew me away. Elaine Paige's "Unusual Way," on the other hand, caused me physical pain.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 10:27pm

Ann Crumb's "Be On Your Own" is incredibly powerful. It gives me chills.

Elaine Paige... *sigh* What are we going to do with her? "In a very unusual way... I owe what I aaaaam to you." It was too stylized to be effective. She sings everything one way -- the Elaine way. Laura wins there.

I agree about Jonathan Pryce. He was 'fine'... he was no Antonio. :)


daisy

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 11:19pm

It was "And you're the reason whyyyyy" that made me skip the track. I love Shelly Burch's version, but Laura Benanti's definitely takes the cake. I couldn't get that out of my head for days.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 11:22pm

Ha... good ole Elaine! Seriously... Claudia? What *was* that?

"And you're the reason whyyy... you're the reason why-iiiiiiiii *voice goes all over the place* I... live..."

And the, "YOU! don't know what you do to me... YOU don't have a clue..." Her over emphasis on 'you' makes me want to throw a brick at her head. Okay, that's a bit harsh, but you get my drift?

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 11:29pm

That was harsh, but you are right...I think she was still sort of channeling Chess and Cats when she did the concert.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/20/03 at 11:33pm

Isn't she ALWAYS channeling "Chess" and "Cats"? LOL

Posted: 5/21/03 at 4:14pm

aye yi yi! stop the diva bashing of elaine paige. she's brilliant, ok, so maybe she isn't the best claudia, let's leave it at that. It's hard to bash one of the greatest leading ladies of our time! :)

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/21/03 at 8:48pm

Elaine Paige is the diva who started my Broadway obsession--she was my Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. I was really upset with her Claudia, though. They definitely could have chosen someone else for the role.

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/21/03 at 8:50pm

We're not diva bashing. We love Elaine... she just was a HORRID Claudia. Just because she's London's LEADING lady doesn't necessarily mean she's right for EVERY freakin' lead. It was highly disappointing.

However, Becky Norman kicks some SERIOUS booty. Heh. :)


daisy

Posted: 5/22/03 at 1:05am

Alright Miss Daisy Hilton, an acceptable answer. Just making sure we all love Elaine. lol

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 1:25am

We love Elaine. However, in the big love fest book (yes, I own one of those!)... Elaine is like... equivilant to Alice and Becky is equivilant to Emily. :)

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 10:34am

I can't agree less with y'all. Ann Crumb's interpretation of Luisa is one of the most oversung performances I've ever heard in my life. The scoops. The slides. The constant attack on every word. She may have better tone than Karen Akers, but Karen's simple, straightforward and deeply felt renditions of those songs are incomparable.

I suspect Anita Morris' perfromance needed to be seen rather than just heard. That said, however, I think even on the recording she can't be touched. She may not have the expansive range that Becky Norman does, but her almost Betty Boop-ish quality layered her songs in a way Becky Norman doesn't. Ms. Norman sings the hell out of it, but I don't think she does a very deep interpretation.

And Elaine Page's UNUSUAL WAY is so gorgeously phrased, it just breaks my heart every time. Her placement is astonishing. Shelly Burch's was a little too legit for me and Laura Benanti's was a little too immature and affected.

Wow...you guys really got my goat today! :)

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 10:50am

I don't dislike Elaine's rendition... I just find humor in it. Her voice is just so damn predictable. I DO love Laura's voice, but I think she was totally wrong for the role. WAY too young. Agreed about the lack of life experience, etc.

I still stand strong in my belief that Becky is my favorite and always will be. If you put her voice with Jane's interpretation, that would be one kick ass performance! Granted, I did not see Anita's performance... perhaps you're right and maybe I'd have a different opinion if I had seen her. However, based on the recordings alone... I'd rather listen to Becky any day.

[robbiej]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 11:16am

that you would rather listen to Becky Norman (actually...so would I, for the quality of her voice). All I know is that I keep hearing all these things about Anita's performance. Remember, she was a dancer and Tune created that number for her body. I think I may have to go to Lincoln Center and watch the tape.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 4:19pm

Anita's voice is so dynamic, which is what makes her renditions of "A Call From the Vatican" and "Simple" so appealing and fun to listen to. I particularly love the fact that she can make her voice vibrate like a striiiiing in "A Call From the Vatican." I can't begin to imagine what she did to the number.

robbiej--My main problem with Ann Crumb's "My Husband Makes Movies" is that it lost the simple quality it had with Karen Akers. Ann Crumb's rendition was WAY too pretty; Luisa is supposed to be making excuses, or defending Guido, depending on the actor's choice, and I just don't think the way she sang it was right. It was her "Be On Your Own" that definitely got me. Karen Akers' portrayal of Luisa is heartbreaking, and I don't know many singers who can tell a story through song the way she does (I'm on this major Grand Hotel kick right now, too, so I've been listening to a lot of Karen Akers lately ). I really loved Mary Stuart Masterson's Luisa, too.

AGH! I am having major Nine withdrawl. Must...get...to...Eugene O'Neill

Updated On: 5/22/03 at 04:19 PM

Posted: 5/22/03 at 4:25pm

flaemmchen - to add the comment you made about Anita Morris "I particularly love the fact that she can make her voice vibrate like a striiiiing in "A Call From the Vatican." I can't begin to imagine what she did to the number."

well have you heard Anita in Stephen Schwartz's THE MAGIC SHOW cd where she sing "Charmin's Lament"???? She does the same type of vocal acrobatics that have you guessing, how the hell does she do that with her voice???

In that song "Charmin's Lament" it reminds me of European, now crossover Diva Ruthie Henshall. She has incredible pipes that seem to handle ANYTHING! And boy, can she dance... Ruthie's been deemed the next Judy Garland by Mickey Rooney himself, but Ruthie's got a little Morris in her as well!

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 4:34pm

I have to get it now!

Posted: 5/22/03 at 4:38pm

yup she sings two songs, "Charmin's Lament" and "Sweet Sweet Sweet." which is awesome, she hits this incredible belt note on "REEEAAAAL GOOOOOOOOD!!!!" lol

anita also appears on the Magic Show Dvd Musical, also at amazon.com but I think she doesn't sing her solos...

Magic Show amazon.com

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 4:43pm

It's my birthday this weekend and I just got some money...I think that's one of the things I'm going to get...

Posted: 5/22/03 at 6:19pm

ya u should check it out! It features some great tunes!

*Solid Silver Platform shoes (Alice and emily sang that on their Unsuspecting Hearts cd)
*Lion Tamer (Kristen Chenoweth sang that on the Stephen Schwartz Album)
*West End Avenue (Alice sings on SS Album)
*Two's Company (alice and em sing on their duets cd)

(Boy alice and em love stephen schwartz, lol)

Cd also features robert lupone (Patti's brother, Zach fom Chorus Line) and David Ogden Stiers (many vocal talents for Disney: Cogsworth, Priest in Hunchback, Radcliff in Pocahontas..etc..

anyhow, enjoy

[ShineOn]

Posted: 5/22/03 at 6:22pm

Going TONIGHT! WOO!

I just performed "A Call From the Vatican" and my boob nearly fell out of my lingerie... it was quite alarming. I pity Miss Krakowski, I do, really!