Smile the musical. Does any OBC recording exist?

No idea, but I sang Disneyland for an audition recently and I love it!

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Even though the LP was never released, there are copies circulating widely. I love the score, and have heard this recording, which seems to have been made with a band of one person on a synthesizer. Maybe that's why someone made the decision not to release it.

Updated On: 9/15/05 at 11:19 PM

There was a recording recorded with some members of the Original Broadway Cast including the two lead girls, Anne Bobby (currently in I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE) and JODI BENSON (who later went on to be the voice of THE LITTLE MERMAID). It was recorded for Samuel French for basically demostration purposes. It is a recording of the revised Samuel French script, not the score as it was heard on Broadway.

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The LP recording with Jodi Benson previously mentioned is offered on eBay as a CD frequently. The sound quality is quite good. Get it!

I am actually playing Tommy in a local performance of 'Smile'! the music is very good and though the characters are very stereotypical and flat, it is still a fun show! If you liked Miss Congeniality or even SMILE the movie lol, you would like it!

I remember when I worked in the musical dept of Sam French, we would get calls all the time of people trying to buy the recording...I actually thought I remembered them saying that Howard Ashman did more than the two boys on the recording, I could be wrong...Anyway, Samuel French also had a great demo of Howard Ashman & Alan Menken's GOD BLESS YOU, MR. ROSEWATER where the two of them did all the characters...Howard Ashman was so brillant on it! Priceless!

Actually Veanne Cox is not on the SMILE recording. It was recorded several months after the show had closed and Veanne was playing the lead in FLORA THE RED MENACE at the Vineyard at the time. Everyone thinks she's on it, but Lauren Goler did the part of "Sandra Kay" for the recording.

Back to the score, I actually prefer the Broadway version of the score. I think recording of the revised Samuel French score lacks the bite that it had on stage. I missed Robin's opening number of "Who Is She?" before going into "Typical High School Senior" was a great way to set up the show. Also, because the girls did have to double for the recording, it's not as choral as it was done on stage. I also prefer "Brenda's" number "Orientation" which they replaced with "The Very Best Week of Your Life". It was more satrical and Robin's "Postcard" (which were changed to "Letters" in the revision) were some of the best moments in the show. If anyone did see this on stage before Jodi Benson sung "Disneyland" she did a little song titled "The Horny Skin Doctor". It was a true highlight and to this day I don't know why it was cut.

Other things bothered me a little also, as "Shine" was a great duet with Tommy French and the girls, and it revised to be a production number for the girls. I did like however how they gave "Big Bob" a song in the first act. I always thought him doing the final number, but not having any other real songs was odd. I also like "Ted Farley's" number of "There Goes The Girl" better than him starting out "Pretty As A Picture", but I perfered "Robin" and "Big Bob" doing "Pretty...". I liked the irony of the song better.

All in all, I think it's wonderful that people are still talking about SMILE, which is now an almost 20 year old production. They did record the show for Lincoln Center, and if anyone gets a chance they should head over there and see it.

Updated On: 9/18/05 at 10:19 AM

that why we should save the shows that did get lp's made and put them on cd's and the new shows like lennon and good vibrations. before they all fade into the sunset forever.

i remember thinking the same thing when i listened to it, about how synthesized it sounded.
I love Jodi Benson on this. I did the show a few years back, and actually like the version that is being licensed by Samuel French now MUCH MUCH more than the actual broadway version.
some things i like better-
-Robin's "Dear Mom's..."
-The song that Robin sings at the end, beginning with "Antelope Valley, You're Young American Miss is coming home..." (might be "last postcard")
-the finale, where doria sings a reprise of disneyland

Smile was definitely one of my favorite shows of the 80's. It's such a shame it didn't last longer.

A few posts back, BrodwayDoc said, "...They did record the show for Lincoln Center, and if anyone gets a chance they should head over there and see it." Just wondering-- don't you need a specific reason to see the show- ie choreographer/director? or do you just have to pay an entrance fee? or what? thanks:)

ah, ok.

and agreeing to disagree is perfectly fine with me. another thing i liked better (which you expressly talked about actually) was "Shine" being Tommy AND the girls. i think it's a LOT better with just the girls..

I do very much like the "Who is She" that Robin did at the beginning, though, as you said..

I saw this one at Stagedoor, also. We switched dress rehersals with them.

"Until Tomorrow Night" was stuck in my head for a week afterwards and I think I might die if I can't listen to it.

Hester Prynne:
As for: "I also have trouble believing "darkmist115" saw the show. As his profile states that he's 15 years old. The show opened in November 1986, which by my math is almost 19 years ago. So, either he's lying about his age or he's like Shirley MacLaine and channeling his former lives."
I didn't realize people analyzed my profile, hah.

"Maybe when he gets over to see the show at Lincoln Center instead of judging it by either a sound board recording or an audience one, he will change his mind."

I have, in fact, seen the show with the 1986 Original Broadway Cast. You're right- I did not see it in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, but I have seen it- in a way most members of this board do not condone, so I didn't really want to just go right out there and say, "Oh, by the way, in the Smile bootleg that I saw, I didn't like...."

And as for Tommy French's "Shine" scene, I liked the way it was done in the Samuel French version better. I may be biased, because I was in an amateur production of Smile a few years back... (also, I said "i think it's a LOT better with just the girls..{") I never expressly said I hated it done that way, or something like that.) The way they did it in the original show was all right, but I didn't find it as funny as you did.

That being said, there are a lot of things that can be missed while seeing a bootleg than actually being there. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I seen it live. But since that wasn't an option for me, I'll take all I can get..