I was very pleased when Theater Mania published its Guide to Musical Theater Recordings. Because I own an obscene number of Broadway CDs, I was eager to see how my favorites would stack up.
Well, for the most part, the book is quite accurate -- and by "accurate," of course I mean "They agree with me." But there are a number of egregious listings that I feel it is my duty to rectify, which I'll be doing in this forum over the next few weeks (whenever I can't think of anything else to write). TM rates each recording a certain number of stars out of five, although they do also have a basement rating below one star of "not recommended," reserved for the especially grisly.
BARNUM
(Original Broadway Cast)
TM rating: One star
My rating: Four stars
I must confess that I have a soft spot for this show. TM reviewer David Barbour describes the score to Barnum as "manically cheerful," which is bit unfair, especially given the concept of the show. I mean, it's a circus, right? And when did you ever hear a dirge under the big top? He also describes the show as "a series of production numbers looking for a show to do." No, that's Tommy. But, to be fair, Barbour does have a point. Barnum is long on style and short on substance, but the score is tons of fun, expecially "One Brick at a Time" and "Thank God I'm Old." A masterpiece? No. But a thoroughly enjoyable score, and one that no collection is complete without.
BAT BOY
(Original Cast)
TM rating: Two stars
My rating: Five stars
Bat Boy is a gem, pure and simple. It's one of the best scores of the last 15 years. Not only is the show tuneful, it's extremely witty. Such numbers as "Show You a Thing or Two" and "Three-bedroom House" have made their permanent way into my iPod playlists. Not every number translates well to disc, particularly "Children, Children," a hilarious spoof of The Lion King. But the mainly visual jokes of that song are absent from the recording. Composer Lawrence O'Keefe is someone to watch, particularly on his first mainstream outing, the upcoming Legally Blonde.
COCO
(Original Broadway Cast)
TM rating: One star
My rating: Three stars
OK, so this one is an acquired taste. And it's not for the casual Broadway fan. But, c'mon, Katherine Hepburn in a musical? How can any self-respecting queen resist? And the score is actually quite good. Although Hepburn isn't really singing, Andre Previn's melodies are quite pleasant. And lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, if not at the top of his form, does a respectable job. He's a little too clever at times, but you certainly have to admire the skill of a line like "I want Paree to wake and see, without me there's a vacancy." Some of it is lame, but overall this is a recording I go back to time and again. According to David Barbour in the TM Guide: "It's terrible, fascinating, and possibly the most unreviewable disc in this book." I'll give him "fascinating," but that's it.
I just noticed that all three of the reviews I'm objecting to are by David Barbour. I also noticed that I agreed with many of the points Barbour makes in his reviews, but I disagree with his overall star ratings. Ah, well. Everyone's entitled to my opinion.
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