Have you been trying to find the CD of the Zorba original cast album for years, but always get outbid when a copy comes up on eBay? Do you scour used-record stores in the faint hope of landing a copy of the Pearl Bailey Hello, Dolly!
Well, you're in luck, my friend, because record label ArkivMusic.com has secured the rights to release a number of currently out-of-print cast recordings. According to CastAlbums.org, these won't be bootlegs but rather fully licensed CD-Rs with reproductions of the original artwork and liner notes. And the prices are pretty good: $11.99 or $13.99 for most of the ones I browsed through.
The CDs are available "on demand," meaning that once you order one they'll burn you a copy and mail it out to you. That's the reason they're able to offer these rare titles at all: they don't have to invest capital into producing thousands of CDs and then wait for people to order them. The Arkiv.com site is hard to navigate, so the easiest way to order these items is to click through the following link on CastAlbums.org, select the title you're looking for, and then click the "Buy Now at Arkiv" link. Or you can click though the links in the shows listed below.
I haven't ordered any of these myself, mostly because I already own most of them, but I'll be interested to see whether Arkiv strikes any deals with other record labels. But, as a service to my readers, I offer the following buyer's guide to some of Arkiv's current offerings.
MUST-HAVES 
WILDCAT - Worth it just to hear Lucille Ball singing "Hey, Look Me Over," but "You're a Liar" is fun, too.
LITTLE ME - Not a great score overall, but some truly great songs such as "I've Got Your Number" and "Real Live Girl," and a terrific performance from Sid Caesar.
HOW NOW DOW JONES - Terrible show, but some rousing numbers, including "Step to the Rear" and "He's Here."
CELEBRATION - I love Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, and although this show doesn't work at all, there are some amazing songs, such as the title cut and "Orphan in the Storm."
ZORBA - Includes such John Kander and Fred Ebb classics as "Life Is," "The First Time," and "I Am Free."
TENDERLOIN - A great score to a forgettable show, with such unmissable numbers as "The Picture of Happiness," "How the Money Changes Hands, " "Artificial Flowers," and "Little Old New York."
STARTING HERE STARTING NOW - Worth it just for "I Don't Remember Christmas" and "Crossword Puzzle." Plus, Richard Maltby and David Shire just plain rock.
KWAMINA - A
fascinating failure from Richard Adler (The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees).
Best numbers are "The Cocoa Bean Song" and "Nothing More to Look
Forward To," the latter featuring a young Robert Guillaume.
FOR COLLECTORS ONLY 
CANTERBURY TALES - A failed attempt at updating Chaucer's classic with electric guitars and awkward hipness. Just awful.
WALKING HAPPY - Totally forgettable. Nary a decent number in the whole batch.
GOODTIME CHARLEY - Other than the mildly passable title number, there's not really much here worth seeking out. Stick with Hal Hackady's and Larry Grossman's far superior scores to Minnie's Boys and Snoopy.
CHU CHIN CHOW - Of interest solely because it's the show in which Vera Charles and Mame Dennis had previously performed together in Auntie Mame. Fictionally, of course, but I remember being tickled when I discovered that the show itself is real.
JOHNNY JOHNSON - I'm a huge Kurt Weill fan, but this show is an acquired taste at best. Start with Lady in the Dark, Lost in the Stars, and Threepenny Opera before tackling Johnny Johnson.
LEGS DIAMOND - Notorious Peter Allen flop from the 80s, of interest solely for the presence of cabaret chanteuse Julie Wilson.
DARLING OF THE DAY - Vincent Price in a musical? 'Nuff said.
HELLO, DOLLY! - I'm not a big Pearl Bailey fan. Too self-referential and often disrespectful of the material she performed. But I know that there are many people who've been looking for this one for years. Well, here's your chance folks, and enjoy. I'll stick with Carol Channing, thank you.
"DARLING OF THE DAY - Vincent Price in a musical? 'Nuff said."
Have to respectfully disagree with you on that one, Chris.
Patricia Routledge's sublime Tony-winning performance and the Styne-Harburg score make it a must-listen.
Her opening night "Not on Your Nellie" got such an ovation, she was taken aback by it and even pleaded with the audience to let her continue. It was glorious to hear. The interesting thing about the live recording is the show plays like the next big smash hit, with an enthusiastic audience.
That being said, I never miss a Vincent Price musical... ;)
Posted by: Kevin | August 08, 2008 at 04:20 PM