The 16 selections on the issue surveying the years 1945, 1955, 1960, and 1963 offer much variety in style and tone, from razzle-dazzle to sentimental to sly humor. The concert and resulting released album of The Broadway Musicals of 1945 understandably heavily featured the formidable Rodgers & Hammerstein Carousel, so much so that there were still enough numbers remaining from the live show to feature here, too. For some reason, "The Highest Judge of All" was judged to be worth reappearing. (I guess god is in the detail or maybe as poetic justice to be twice released as the song itself is cut from some mountings.) Marc Kudisch was certainly up to the challenge of this assertive piece as the character of Billy Bigelow, and further puts his stamp on the role when he and Christiane Noll do a rewardingly nuanced performance of "If I Loved You"the whole "bench scene" with its dialogue and many sections. She is also heard to good advantage as the character Carrie for the score's "When the Children Are Asleep" with Eddie Korbich charming mightily as her Mr. Snow; both have played those roles in productions.
Song and dance man Noah Racey brings his appealing energy and personality to a few showy show tunes. He gets the exultant title number of She Loves Me and the slinky "I've Got a One-Track Mind" from the zippy 1945 Billion Dollar Baby (the show, with a score by Morton Gould, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green is one of many that didn't originally get a cast album in its day, but got its due with a studio recording on the same label that is releasing these live excerpts, Original Cast Records). And he and Sarah Brians exhibit cute chemistry on a list song about behaviors resulting from romantic attraction: "When I'm in Love," from Steve Allen's bio-musical about Sophie Tucker.
Also heard in the hearty musical banquet are two songs each from Oliver! and 110 in the Shade (note that the sound quality differs because one was performed "unplugged," a tradition at the programs). Then there's that boisterous Cole Porter concoction "The Ritz Roll and Rock" (the unsilky Silk Stockings blast from the coupling of Justin Bohon and Rachelle Rak) and a real-life married couple Sal Viviano and Liz Larsen reveling in each other's company as "Two Lost Souls" (Damn Yankees). And for a sparkling touch of Christmas, there's Here's Love's double dose of yuletide cheer with, for a change of style, the a capella jazz vocal group Toxic Audio giving the Broadway veterans a break.
Those looking for the more obscure show tunes may be pleased and/or frustrated that three things in that category are rescued, but without their lyrics, in peppy, polished versions by pianist Ross Patterson and his Little Big Band (in truth, the glibly misogynist words for "Treat a Woman Like a Drum," from the operetta Marinka, are disturbing if taken seriously and deserve a beating themselves). However, Ankles Aweigh's "Ready Cash" and Christine's "Happy Is the Word" are, in a word, happy, and I think you'll be happy to hear them, too.
The excitement of live performances is well captured as we hear the audience's delight in laughter and grateful bursts of applause at big endings and climaxes in danced sections. One of those unique "live" unplanned moments is caught as laughter erupts when a singer adlibs a line as a winking reference to a partner's earlier obvious solo line flub
Tracklist
1.Its a Fine Life JULIA MURNEY & COMPANY with EUAN MORTON;
Id Do Anything STEVEN BOGARDUS & LIZ CALLAWAY (both from Oliver!, Lionel Bart)
2.-She Loves MeNOAH RACEY (She Loves Me, Jerry Bock/ Sheldon Harnick)
3.-Gonna Be Another Hot DayGEORGE DVORSKY (110 in the Shade, Harvey Schmidt/ Tom Jones)
4.-The Rain SongMARC KUDISCH (110 in the Shade, Harvey Schmidt/ Tom Jones)
5.-Pine Cones and Holly Berries/ Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like ChristmasTOXIC AUDIO (Heres Love, Meredith Willson)
6.-When Im in LoveNOAH RACEY & SARA BRIANS (Sophie, Steve Allen)
7.Two Lost SoulsLIZ LARSEN & SAL VIVIANO (Damn Yankees, Richard Adler/ Jerry Ross)
8.Ready Cash ROSS PATTERSON LITTLE BIG BAND (Ankles Aweigh, Sammy Fain, Dan Shapiro)
9-The Ritz Roll & Rock (Silk Stockings, 57 film, Cole Porter) JUSTIN BOHON & RACHELLE RAK
10.If I Loved YouMARC KUDISCH & CHRISTIANE NOLL (Carousel, Richard Rodgers/ Oscar Hammerstein)
11.Treat a Woman Like a DrumROSS PETERSON LITTLE BIG BAND (Marinka, Emmerich Kalman/ George Marion, Jr.)
12.The Highest Judge of AllMARC KUDISCH (Carousel, Richard Rodgers/ Oscar Hammerstein)
13.When the Children Are AsleepEDDIE KORBICH & CHRISTIANE NOLL (Carousel, Richard Rodgers/ Oscar Hammerstein)
14.Ive Got a One-Track MindNOAH RACEY (Billion Dollar Baby, Morton Gould/ Betty Comden & Adolph Green)
15.Happy Is the WordROSS PATTERSON LITTLE BIG BAND (Christine, Sammy Fain/ Paul Francis Webster)
