South Pacific Recording: 2006 Concert or 2008 Revival?

Which recording do you think is better: the 2006 concert with Brian Stokes Mitchell or the 2008 Broadway Company?

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Go with the revival.

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The revival, definitely.

I'd say the revival. Beautiful performances by the actors and orchestra.

~Steven

Revival, of course.

Brian Stokes Mitchell and Alec Baldwin are pretty much on par with Paulo Szot and Danny Burstein, but Kelli O'Hara is far superior to Reba McEntire. So I say go with the revival.

Updated On: 6/1/09 at 03:04 PM

As someone who is not a fan of Kelli O'Hara, my gut reaction to anything would be the one without her.

Personally, I think most of the recent Sony recordings have an over-produced, hollow feel.

Given the choice I would go with the concert, however, if you can get a copy, the 2001/2002-ish RNT recording with Phillip Quast and Lauren Kennedy is by *far* my pick.

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The NT recording (and production) were very much in your face...the Lincoln Centre recording (and production) was far more subtle, and moving.

(and this is coming from someone who loves Quast..his playing in La Cage..now being reprised ...is superb. I'd love a new cast recording of that production)

The revival. It just has so much charm to it. Both are fantastic, but the revival just has something more to it. Plus, Reba's scoops really get annoying after a while. It's almost like she can never hit a note straight on.

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The revival wins hands down. Although I like some of the songs on the Concert Recording, the combo of O'Hara and Szot on the revival is too good to be missed.

On the stage live, you can't beat the combination of O'Hara & Szot, but none of the energy of the stage production is on the cast recording and although Matthew Morrison's acting was great as Cable, on the recording we are left with his weak vocals of two of the best songs in the show. While the orchestra plays beautifully, Szot and O'Hara do not display any of the magical qualities that made seeing the show live such a wonderful experience. Something was seriously wrong on the day this was recorded.

The Concert recording has flaws and Reba McEntire may not be everyone's cup of tea, but this recording has energy and excitement.

Separated from the rather lackluster film, the 1958 soundtrack recording remains the best modern recording ever of South Pacific and it is still available in surprisingly excellent stereo sound. It was Richard Rodgers favorite recording of his score. As good as Szot and O'Hara are in the revival, Mitzi Gaynor & Giorgio Tozzi are better yet, Bill Lee is vocally and dramatically the best Cable ever, Muriel Smith is the most perfect vocal embodiment of Bloody Mary and no recording will ever be able to come close to the virtuoso 65 piece orchestra and fantastic chorus used on the soundtrack. The 1958 soundtrack is the most atmospheric of all South Pacific recordings but keep in mind that a lot of theatrical purists frown on this recording because it is a movie soundtrack but it is very faithful to the score and is, to my ears, the most magical of all South Pacific recordings. Richard Rodgers was right.

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Updated On: 6/2/09 at 09:08 PM

Take Brian Stokes Mitchell's recording of This nearly was mine over the revival. It's probably the most stunning recording/performance of that song I've heard. When I saw Paolo Szot live in the theater, that moment did not have even one ounce of the heartbreak, feeling, incredible timing, and loss that Stokes had while he was singing.

Then again, I was probably one of the few people who were left a bit cold and disappointed by this revival.

My suggestion is take the rest of the revival recording over the concert mainly because Reba goes too country with most of her singing.

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musikman-
Honestly, I feel like Reba going "Country" was not a horrible thing at all. Nellie is from Little Rock, Arkansas. After spending 3 years in central Arkansas, her accent was pretty perfect.

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