Sweet Smell of Success/Showboat Cast Recordings

I'm contemplating buying the cast recording of The Sweet Smell of Success as I've recently become a huge fan of Kelli O'Hara and Brian D'Arcy James and this catches both of them fairly early in their Broadway careers. I can't get a good sense of it from the 30 second clips on iTunes, but I've heard "I Can Get You in JJ." Just wondering if this is one that's worth buying or if there are a few standout songs that I should stick to. Thanks in advance!

Updated On: 10/22/10 at 02:06 AM

Get it! The score is fabulous. It was the book that everyone complained about.

I love the score, and the whole CD is worth buying even just to hear BDJ sing "At the Fountain." Hope you enjoy!

it is a very often played recording on my itunes (due to sydney falco being a dream role) and is really a cool show. enjoy it!

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For historical accuracy you won't get anything more definitive than John McGlinn's 3-Cd set of the entire show plus various cut and added songs, nearly 4 hours of SHOW BOAT material.

http://www.amazon.com/Kern-Hammerstein-Frederica-Sinfonietta-Ambrosian/dp/B000I2ISLS/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1287782741&sr=8-13

There is also a single disc of highlights but it sounds like what it is: bits clipped out of a longer recording.

If you want a single disc of the key numbers it gets a bit trickier. Livent's disc of the 1993 Toronto production is quite good but it preserves a revised version, and while the performances are great, it is a really "dry" recording - no reverb at all. It's also out of print; mixed in with Livent's assets it could be a long time before we ever see it released again. But used copies are fairly plentiful, and inexpensive. (There are several used copies for ONE cent each!)

http://www.amazon.com/Show-Boat-Premiere-Cast-Recording/dp/B000001ZBA/ref=sr_1_44?ie=UTF8&qid=1287783631&sr=8-44


Although not authentic, the Columbia studio cast with John Raitt and Babara Cook is quite enjoyable, but it has been sanitized into a very "white bread" SHOW BOAT.

http://www.amazon.com/Show-Boat-1962-Studio-Recording/dp/B00004THLR/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1287784267&sr=8-7

Beyond these discs is mostly a pick and choose to get your favorite version of each song as no single disc has everything.

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Updated On: 10/22/10 at 05:54 PM

Thanks for all the recommendations for both cds. That Showboat is a little expensive for me right now, but it'll go on my Christmas list for sure. And Sweet Smell of Success is on its way to me right now! You all have helped immensely!

Thanks, dragon. I actually have that cd, but haven't given it a good enough listen to get into it yet. It'll be on my list of to-listen-on-the-subway for the week, though!

Yes, check out the Amazon marketplace listings. A great way to affordably fill gaps in your collection. Also in New York check out Academy on 18th street and if you get to Princeton NJ The Princeton Record Exchange has hundreds of cast album CD's under $5.

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