Sounds great
BRILLIANT
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/23/05
Is Keaton Whittaker singing Fredrika's solo. I know that Katherine Leigh Doherty is doing the dialogue scenes with Angela.
I'm not sure how I feel about it. The overture sounds lovely. I'm loving Erin Davie and Angela. CZJ sounds VERY hammy. Ramona Mallory and Leigh Ann Larkin sound a little too contemporary to me. Mallory is also very screechy. The orchestrations are thin as paper, even with the added instruments.
I don't know. I'm very underwhelmed.
Leading Actor Joined: 7/12/07
ColorTheHours, have you seen the show live? Ramona basically screeches for 3 hours straight!
I adore it. I'm so happy the dialogue is there and I think the orchestrations are lovely.
I haven't seen it live yet, so this is my only exposure to it thus far. That and the preview video on BWW.
I have to say that, thus far, I'm not dying to slap down my $26 to see it.
Updated On: 4/6/10 at 11:46 AM
I agree with Taylor. I love it. Sounds great. Love the dialogue. The orchestrations sound fantastic and surprisingly full.
"ColorTheHours, have you seen the show live? Ramona basically screeches for 3 hours straight!"
True story hahaha
And yes, I agree with Taylor (shocking!!!) as well. I love the orchestrations and the dialogue. I love when the dialogue is recorded along with the score. That's also why the 2008 Gypsy cast recording is superior to all others. If only they had included her "I was born too soon and started too late" monologue on the CD like they did for Bernadette. Oh well, you can't have everything.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
I wouldn't mind the dialogue if, ya know, they would split it onto it's own track. I do not like the fact that before I can put it onto my iPod, I have to edit the dialogue into it's own track with Audacity.
Otherwise, I still like the OBCR better, but this isn't awful.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I just ordered mine.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
Ok, just listened to Miller's Son...is Larkin that nasal and sharp on stage, or just here?
Oh man, don't say that! I thought her "Millers Son" was one of the highlights of the show!
I think Larkin sounds just fine on the recording.
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
^I totally disagree with you here. I liked her on the recording I heard...but on the CD...it sounds like she went to the Fran Drescher School of Singing. "Meahwhyyyyyyyul" *Shudder*
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Listening to Larkin do "The Miller's Son" is preferable to having to watch her thrusting her hips all over the place as she sings it.
Some thoughts:
The Orchestra (with the added instruments) sounds wonderful. I really love these orchestrations.
Angela Lansbury fares best on the disc and it's great so much of her dialogue is present. In fact, I'm glad the book in features heavily throughout.
Catherine Zeta Jones' star quality felt in the theatre is not present here. Here line readings come off as hammy on disc. She is best on the solo "Send in the CLowns" at the end of the disc.
Leigh Ann Larkin gave my favorite performance. Her "Miller's Son" is not a great on disc, unfortunatly, but still fine.
Overall the disc is well worth having but the OBCR still will have heavier rotation for me than this.
I'm listening now (and I haven't seen the show).
CZJ comes off very breathy during the first part of "The Glamorous Life"...I'm sure that is just a microphone issue. I am loving her "Send in the Clowns" though.
I kinda wish that Ramona Mallory didn't belt as much as she does...or at least it seems like belting to me. I am refering mainly to "A Weekend in the Country".
I also don't care for Leigh Ann Larkin's comedy in "The Miller's Son". It may work on stage, but I've never felt that the song is a comedy song at all.
Ok, I'm listening to Larken singing now on the CD and understand what everyone means. It's definitely a performance that works brilliantly onstage doesn't exactly translate that well to disc. Personally, I love it because I've seen it so many times but I do understand what everyone means now.
Leading Actor Joined: 7/12/07
I like it a lot. The orchestrations will always irk me, but adding those few musicians for the recording makes it up a little I suppose. It's just frustrating when the original orchestrations were so lush.
Angela's bits sound great. I think Ramona squeals out way too many of both her singing and spoken lines, but it's nowhere near as bad as in the theatre.
Hunter Ryan Herdlicka gives me eargasms. And other gasms.
Listening to it now. I miss Glynis Johns, Victoria Mallory, Len Cariou and all the rest, but I'll gladly take this interpretation. I'm sure when I get to "It Would Have Been Wonderful", I'll miss the French horn, but, oh well. Zeta-Jones' stage presence cannot be captured on record, but she sings well. Can't wait to hear her "Clowns." I'll report my complete thoughts later.
Oh, and then there's Angela. Still stunning.
Am I right in assuming that the solo version of "Send In The Clowns" is an iTunes exclusive bonus track.
That kinda sucks, as there is plenty of leftover space at the end of the second (physical) disk to stick it on. Now I'm gonna need to spend an extra $.99 to get that one track.
I really enjoy the recording, but during "A Weekend In The Country" it begins to skip a bit.
Is anyone else having that issue? I got mine from the theater on signing day.
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