WSS CD- Page 4

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 5:19pm

"Poor Stephen Sondheim was compromised"
Not really. He himself stated that he was actually glad that the lyrics to I Feel Pretty were changed to Spanish because he said they were some of the weakest lyrics he had ever written.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 5:59pm

"he commented that the current Broadway production was as if it were a high school production (as in, he thought it was amateurish in comparison). And this is coming from an eleven-year-old. "

Yep. Let me tell you. The revival has NOTHING on these high school productions....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S8Fqt4ovOY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3gJL0bj5w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojwij2qdRFc (best part of this one is how Doc laughs at the boys when he tries to stop them, LOL)


Updated On: 6/1/09 at 05:59 PM

[Scripps2]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 6:04pm

I agree the opera singers are miscast on the 1980s Bernstein conducted recording but the orchestra, particularly during America, is superlative - when you see Bernstein conducting this during the documentary he is so into it. The aural gratification from the dynamics in the orchestra just resonates through me, in a way that America on this recording does not.

The international tour that has been doing the rounds for a couple of years reaches where I live this week. I'm seeing it tomorrow and am hoping it will be an improvement on the lacklustre 1990s UK tour - the only other time I've seen WSS on stage.

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 8:08pm

Is it up on iTunes yet?

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 11:53pm

it's up now. just downloaded it. just type in West Side Story-The New Broadway Cast Recording

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/1/09 at 11:55pm

The English 'A Boy Like That' is awesome! But Karen is much more passionate in her Spanish version, obviously.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 6/2/09 at 12:49am

Not really. He himself stated that he was actually glad that the lyrics to I Feel Pretty were changed to Spanish because he said they were some of the weakest lyrics he had ever written.

Then he should have rewritten them himself. If any song were to be translated into Spanish, this probably would have been it, but to open the second act with a scene and song entirely in Spanish does not draw in the audience. If anything, it makes them tune out even more. The changes in the music and harmonies were more annoying than anything. It made the song a throwaway number. And yet, I still found Josefina to be charming as ever. She was the best thing in that production.

~Steven

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 6/2/09 at 1:07am

While the recording (and production) can't touch that of Hair, I certainly don't think the recording is disappointing at all. The orchestra sounds amazing and Cavenaugh, Scaglione, and Olivo are all in top form. the biggest issue is that the Jets sounds like they're singing well under their range - these pop tenors don't have the baritone character voices, so much.

But not nearly as bad as being painted here.

Also, what's this about the Hair recording having low energy? I think it's more contained than the Actor's Fund, for sure, but certainly not low energy.

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 6/3/09 at 4:20pm

I think it's beautifully sung, and indeed the orchestrations are gloriously present.
BUT, I just dont feel any passion in any of their singing, even in Olivo. It feels, to me, that a lot of passion has been erased from the music.

It's tough to figure out how I feel. The voices are amazing, but...I'm a little bored.

[Josh Freilich]

Posted: 6/3/09 at 5:03pm

Which tempo for the "Tonight Quintet" do you like the best?
The original? The movie? The symphonic cast? The revival?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/3/09 at 5:04pm

The tempos on the OBCR are not Bernstein's tempos. It's been said the revival is very accurate to his tempos.
Updated On: 6/3/09 at 05:04 PM

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 6/3/09 at 8:10pm

Just got mine. Cavenaugh sounds MUCH better on record than in person.

And thanks to the producers for scamming the public by releasing multiple versions of this recording. WTF.

The characters in WSS have always been one dimensional; even Sondheim says so. This show has and will always be about the music and choreography, not the book despite Arthur Laurents's attempt to push it to the forefront with this revival.

And where in the world is Cody Green anyway? He's been away a lot. Who does he think he is? Donna Murphy in WONDERFUL TOWN? LOL!
Updated On: 6/3/09 at 08:10 PM

[kboze1017]

Posted: 6/3/09 at 9:16pm

I agree about Josephine's speaking voice but her singings not too bad. The album as a whole though isnt that great, America is a good song because of its energy and Karen, and collectively the orchestra is amazing, in my opinion.

[JLY Fan]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 4:55pm

I loved everything about this show, including Matt Cavenaugh, who to me is no more bland than the actor who played Tony in the movie. I actually like Matt better than the movie Tony, who I disliked even back when I saw the movie as a kid. Anyway, most people detest this show, so I'm starting to get a complex now! The last time I saw it (2nd time), I was studying it to see what the heck is wrong with it; will study it some more to try to catch what's wrong with it on my third time seeing it (and any other times I see it past 3 times)!

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 5:01pm

Matt Cavenaugh makes my ears bleed on this recording. I really do love his voice but his voice is competely wrong for Tony. He also sounds too mature for the role of Tony.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 5:15pm

"I was studying it to see what the heck is wrong with it;"


I do the same thing! And I really cannot find much wrong. I don't think it's an absolutely amazing production, but I do enjoy it. And Karen Olivo's performance is what makes me return to the production.

This board just has a lot against this production, and there's a few members who like to make people feel guilty for enjoying the production. It's pretty insane. The critics were a lot kinder to the revival than the members on here. And when ATC enjoys a production more than BWW....that sure says something, lol.


Updated On: 6/4/09 at 05:15 PM

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 5:24pm

"there's a few members who like to make people feel guilty for enjoying the production."

Don't feel guilty about enjoying it! I love it and I don't feel an ounce of guilt!

[bethnor]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 7:52pm

I enjoyed it as well, and I'm glad it has some advocates here.

You know, before, I was against Olivo winning the Tony for the exact reason that some had cited... that it might be seen as a slight against those who came before her.

Now I want her to win it to witness the Bitch Storm as cast by a level 21 magic user that will ensue here (Bitch Storm causes those effected to run away, hands covering their ears. Higher levels cause blindess from tears in the optic nerves as the eyeballs roll back into the skull and ear drums rupture from the sheer droning repetitiveness of it all).

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 6/4/09 at 10:00pm

I really like the revival as well, so I'm in the I LIKE THIS WSS REVIVAL camp.

I've waited for a long time to see a professional production of WSS, and while this production is not perfect, which I largely attribute to the book more than anything else, the music and choreography are divine.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/5/09 at 12:15am

ljay--who exactly was it who said the tempos were closer to what Bernstein wanted?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/5/09 at 1:35am

Even if they are closer to what Bernstein wanted, you can't say that the tempos make the material stronger than they do in the OBCR. Particularly the "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" scene loses A LOT of steam with the tempos in the new recording, a scene that plays perfectly in the OBCR as performed by Chita and Carol Lawrence.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/5/09 at 1:41am

PJ. I read that on ATC. But I forgot you worked first hand with Bernstein. So I am sure you could tell us. The only song that seems slightly slower than usual is "A Boy Like That."

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/5/09 at 8:27am

They're not. He worked very closely with John DeMain on the tempi for the 1980 revival.

I would say that DeMain and Sondheim are the two people best qualified to answer that question, or perhaps Lenny's kids. I'm not a musician, but from seeing the revival once and listening to the recording, I doubt any of them would say the tempi are more true to Bernstein's wishes than the OBC recording or the tempi on the the badly sung Carreras/Te Kanawa version.

I think whoever said that anonymously on ATC was shilling.

If you really want to hear the music (sans vocals) the way Bernstein liked it, this early-60s recording of him conducting the NY Philharmonic in the Symphonic Dances from WSS is probably your best bet.


Bernstein: Candide Overture & Symphonic Dances from

Updated On: 6/5/09 at 08:27 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/6/09 at 10:33pm

Well, West Side Story gets a big FAIL for CD packaging. While other shows are going green by packaging their new cast recordings in environmentally friendly cardboard cases West Side Story packaged their CD in the old environmentally unfriendly plastic case with a needless additional cardboard slip case containing the same information included on the case inserts. Maybe they didn't get the memo?

[binau]

Posted: 6/7/09 at 12:49am

Yeah, I bet Arthur did it 'cause he wanted to screw the Earth over before he dies.