Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition) [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
It's hard to believe that the Great White Way has now suffered through 20 years of abuse from the legendary off-Broadway revue Forbidden Broadway. Since June 1981, the formula has been the same: take the most familiar and popular numbers from Broadway shows, add wickedly hilarious lyrics by creator Gerard Alessandrini and spot-on impressions by talented performers, and put the audience in stitches. Obviously, parodies of specific people (Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Julie Andrews) and specific shows (The Lion King, Les Miz, Ragtime) can get dated quickly, but because so many of the original performances are preserved on recordings, Broadway fans should recognize most, if not all, the references. This 20th-anniversary edition includes highlights from the first five volumes (though the medleys have been slightly truncated for this 74-minute recording), making it an excellent introduction for novices, plus seven previously unreleased tracks that longtime fans won't want to miss, including some old targets (Sarah Brightman) and some new ones, such as Martin Guerre ("Look, I'm Martin Guerre / And I confess, this show's a mess, just like my hair") and Liza Minnelli's 1999-2000 comeback show. Those who think of Broadway and its stars as sacred institutions might be offended by Forbidden Broadway, but fans who recognize the all-too-human foibles of their favorite music and stars will find that laughing at them doesn't mean they love them any less. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

Eden Prelude
Here In Eden
Feelings
Eve
Friends
The Apple Tree (Forbidden Fruit)
Beautiful, Beautiful World
It's A Fish
Go To Sleep, Whatever You Are
What Makes Me Love Him?/Eden Postlude
The Lady Or The Tiger? Prelude/I'll Tell You a Truth/Make Way
Forbidden Love (In Gaul)
The Apple Tree (Reprise)
I've Got What You Want
Tiger, Tiger
Make Way (Reprise)/Which Door/I'll Tell You a Truth (Reprise)
Passionella Prelude
Oh, To Be A Movie Star
Gorgeous
(Who, Who, Who, Who) Who Is She?
I Know
Wealth
You Are Not Real
Passionella Postlude/Finale

Customer Reviews:

Very good show which I hadn't heard of..........2007-05-13

I was very into theatre in high school and college and thought I was up on most musicals, but had never heard of this show until recently. It's comprised of three short stories which were adapted into the musical format. The first two stories are tied together very well, although the last seems tacked on. But the songs are catchy and it's fairly easy to figure out what's happening simply by listening to the songs. There are two songs which are tied for my favoritism: "It's a Fish" from Adam and Eve and "You Are Not Real" from Passionella. Check it out.

THE APPLE TREE (1966 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST).......2007-04-10

IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I WENT TO THE REVIVAL OF THE APPLE TREE ON BROADWAY IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOVED THE SCORE BUT THERE WASN'T A SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE SO I PURCHASED THE ORIGINAL VERSION AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I still remember these songs after 40 years.......2006-11-05

I saw this show on the stage when it first ran, and have never forgotten it. The key to a good Broadway show is this question: Are you humming the songs when you leave the theatre? In the case of The Apple Tree, the answer is a resounding "Yes." I have been waiting 40 years for this show to be revived, and I have tickets for the revival opening in December at the Roundabout. I hope not to be disappointed, for the trio of Barbara Harris, a very young Alan Alda, and the late Larry Blyden were terrific. The three-part concept can be jarring because just when you're getting into the story, it ends -- but just enjoy the kind of songs they just don't write anymore.

Really 2.5.......2006-07-25

SO this is another show thats actually three one acts. The first "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is the best by far. It has really cute songs and nice plot. Thats the only reason I rounded this up from 2.5 to 3 stars. The rest of the show is nothing great. "Lady and Tiger" is short and boring. And "Passionella" is exactly what it sounds like, a knock off of Cinderella. But hey, its a good show for collectors and "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is nice. Favorite Song: "Its A Fish"

Boring material that you forget very easily.......2006-06-29

According to some reviews, this musical was supposed to be very good and I bought it. Unfortunately, I was quite dissapointed. It's composed of three different tales, the first one referring to the Adam & Eve biblical story. The lyrics here are very silly and tedious. The second tale, "The Lady or the Tiger?" contains songs that are simply awful, probably the worst ever written for a Broadway show. The third story, "Passionella", contains music that does nothing to make things better. The album contains a good informative booklet in English, German, French & Italian (as Sony uses to do)which says that Time magazine defined this show as "three moldy figs". I entirely agree. I would recommend this musical to those suffering from insomnia: it will put them to sleep right away.

Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)

Average customer rating:

Doesn't Compare to the Show
I Love This
25 parodies, half brilliant, half clever but overlong...
A MUST HAVE for any B-Way fan!
One score and seven shows ago....

Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)
Original Off-Broadway Cast , and Terri White
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit
Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey
Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway: Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 2 (1991 Revue Compilation)

ASIN: B00004TJ9X
Release Date: 2000-06-27

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway (from Vol. 1)
The Music Man - Trouble in New York City (Vol. 3)
My Fair Lady - Import-Gavotte (previously unreleased)
Annie - Tomorrow (Vol. 2)
Cameron Mackintosh - My Souvenir Things (Vol. 4)
Elaine Stritch - Stritch (Vol. 4)
The Lion King - Circle of Mice / Can You Feel the Pain Tonight? (Vol.5)
Patti LuPone - Patti LuPone / I Get a Kick Out of Me (Vol. 2)
Martin Guerre - It's Martin Guerre (previously unreleased)
Julie Andrews - I Couldn't Hit the Note (Vol. 3)
Into the Woods - Into the Words (Vol. 2)
Chita-Rita - America (Vol. 2)
Mandy Patinkin - Somewhat Overindulgent (Vol. 2)
Les Miserables - Les Misera-blah / End of the Play / I Dreamed a Show / Bring It Down (Vol. 2)
Carol Channing - Imitation Is the Highest Form of Flattery (Vol. 3)
Old Revivals - Old Revivals! (previously unreleased)
Merman & Martin - It's De-Merman (Vol. 1) / Old Fashioned Ballad (Vol. 3)
Ragtime - Gagtime / A Really Long Note (Vol. 5)
Sarah Brightman - Time I Said, "Goodbye" (previously unreleased)
Aspects of Love - I Sleep with Everyone (previously unreleased)
Screamgirls - And I Am Telling You I'm Not Screaming (previously unreleased)
Liza Minnelli - Liza One-Note (previously unreleased)
Back to Barbra - On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (Vol. 3)
Cats - I Enjoy Being a Cat / Memory (previously unreleased)
Fiddler on the Roof - Ambition (Vol. 1)

Amazon.com

It's hard to believe that the Great White Way has now suffered through 20 years of abuse from the legendary off-Broadway revue Forbidden Broadway. Since June 1981, the formula has been the same: take the most familiar and popular numbers from Broadway shows, add wickedly hilarious lyrics by creator Gerard Alessandrini and spot-on impressions by talented performers, and put the audience in stitches. Obviously, parodies of specific people (Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Julie Andrews) and specific shows (The Lion King, Les Miz, Ragtime) can get dated quickly, but because so many of the original performances are preserved on recordings, Broadway fans should recognize most, if not all, the references. This 20th-anniversary edition includes highlights from the first five volumes (though the medleys have been slightly truncated for this 74-minute recording), making it an excellent introduction for novices, plus seven previously unreleased tracks that longtime fans won't want to miss, including some old targets (Sarah Brightman) and some new ones, such as Martin Guerre ("Look, I'm Martin Guerre / And I confess, this show's a mess, just like my hair") and Liza Minnelli's 1999-2000 comeback show. Those who think of Broadway and its stars as sacred institutions might be offended by Forbidden Broadway, but fans who recognize the all-too-human foibles of their favorite music and stars will find that laughing at them doesn't mean they love them any less. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Doesn't Compare to the Show.......2007-03-09

I've seen two of the Forbidden Broadway shows and enjoyed them both very much. This album is a poor substitute for seeing the shows. The songs don't hold up very well without the ingratiating stage performances and costumes of the typically excellent cast. It is very hard to understand the lyrics on most of the songs on the CD.

I Love This.......2006-03-12

I love this!!! The best numbers are Circle of Mice and Chita Rita. A CD for all to enjoy. Also listen to I Enjoy Being A Cat. This is the coolest CD!!!

25 parodies, half brilliant, half clever but overlong..........2004-03-13

I grew up just a one-hour train ride from Broadway, and from the age of 14 to 27, I saw a handful of musicals and a double handful of dramas. My big-time theatrical history begins with seeing "My Fair Lady" from the cheapest balcony seat, and ends with Danny Kaye in "Two-by-Two" in 1971. I fell in love with it all, and dreamed of getting a public-relations job in that neighborhood. Alas, not meant to be. I moved 2,000 miles away in '71, and never went back. But I would have loved to attend the nearly annual "Forbidden Broadway" revue that began in 1981. I knew nothing about it until a couple of weeks ago, when I heard four selections from this CD on National Public Radio. I bought my own copy the next day. It is a hoot, but as with most comedic offerings, not one you need to keep in your collection for years, or play often. Once you have heard it twice, and played your favorite tracks for friends, it makes a nice gift to someone who can't afford to buy it. That's what I plan to do with mine soon. Meanwhile, I will hear the funny take-offs on "Music Man" and "My Fair Lady" and "Annie" and "Into the Woods" and "Les Miserables" and "Aspects of Love" and "Cats" and "Fiddler on the Roof" a few more times. There is also a wonderful and long-needed parody of "America" from "West Side Story" which explains the differences between Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno. Those of us who came of "theatre age" in the late '50's will recall that for a decade or more, every new musical had either Chita or Rita on stage. At least, it seemed so. Humor is a matter of taste, and not every track here is powerful or kind, but the main reason I gave this four stars instead of five is the absence of a lyric sheet. Some of the clever words are simply too difficult to discern, especially in the choral pieces. If you like Broadway shows, have some familiarity with the ones spoofed in this compilation, and possess a sense of humor (Les Miz is a favorite show of mine, but the criticisms in the spoof are also deadly accurate), you will enjoy this disc.

A MUST HAVE for any B-Way fan!.......2002-12-06

After having seen Chrstine Pedi, star of Forbidden Broadway, on the London stage, my mission was to own every CD produced since Forbidden Broadway emerged in 1992. A master of voices, Christine appears in most of the releases, however, the cast is so extraordinary, you will be amazed at their portrayals and Gerard Alessandrini's writing and the talent that pulls off the most scathing and insider lampooning of Broadway you will ever hear! As the "Capitol Steps" is to Washington, Forbidden Broadway will make you smile and blush as they prove no B-Way classic or Diva is immune to their taunting. Creative parody and insightful criticism provides entertainment with every track. If you want a sample, buy the 20th anniversary edition which provides a "best of" array of songs. You will eventually own all of them! Every time I listen I hear a new masterful vocal portrayal or insider joke that not only causes me to smile but also reinforces my belief that Gerard and Christine and Co. are some of the most amazing unsung talents off-off-off-off-Broadway! If you know the shows, you WILL indeed enjoy!

One score and seven shows ago...........2002-08-18

It's hard to believe Forbidden Broadway has now been leaving no show unturned for over 20 years. Not only does this make for a great Best-Of album, marking the show's 20th birthday, but it brings out some previously un-released gems to the die-hard fans. How were we able to survive before the release of Liza One-Note!? Also previously un-released are "Import-Gavotte," a terrific parody of the British invasion of theatre set to My Fair Lady's "Ascot-Gavotte"; "I'm Martin Guerre," set to "It's Martin Guerre,"; "Old Revivals," a nod to war-horses such as Oklahoma, whose title song is warped for this parody; "Time I Said 'Goodbye'," which finally attacks Sarah Brightman; "I Sleep With Everyone," one of my favourites set to "Love Changes Everything,"; A divine Screamgirls number, and another jab at Cats, "I Enjoy Being a Cat" (another favourite of mine).

Aside from releases from the vaults, a lot of the numbers here are taken from Volume 2, with an even distribution of knocking Andrew Lloyd Weber, Stephen Sondheim, Chita Rivera, Les Miserables, and Ethel Merman. If you're just discovering Forbidden Broadway, this is a pretty good introduction to the earlier stuff (there isn't too much from Volumes 4 and 5, and was released before Volume 7). Otherwise, it's still worth the money for the stuff you otherwise couldn't get.

The ultimate bad-mood buster, Forbidden Broadway has always been guaranteed to please, and this recording is the icing on the cake.

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit
Average customer rating:

Forbidden Broadway 8: Special Victims Unit

A few good laughs

I laughed out loud -- a lot

Need to go to Broadway

Much good, wish there was more

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit
Gerard Alessandrini , Ron Bohmer , and Jason Mills
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

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Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B0007W7HTS
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

The Crime Scene (Tomorrow/On Broadway) * Ron, Megan & Jennifer
Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit * Ron, Megan, Jason & Jennifer
Bombay Wet Dreams (Lullaby of Broadway/Hooray For Hollywood) * Ron, Megan, Jason & Jennifer
You Gotta Get A Puppet (You Gotta Get A Gimmick) * Ron, Jennifer & Jason
It Sucks To Be Us (It Sucks to Be Me) * Ron, Megan, Jason & Jennifer
Thoroughly Perky Millie (Thoroughly Modern Millie) * Megan with Ron & Jason
Movin Out (My Life) * Ron
night Mother (Thats Amore/Ma, Hes Making Eyes at Me) * Christine & Jennifer
Welcome To The Tonys (Welcome To The Sixties) * Ron, Megan, Jason & Jennifer
The Boy Whos Odd (I Go To Rio/Everything Old Is New Again) * Jason, Christine & Jennifer
I Love Patti (I Love Paris) * Megan with Ron, Jason & Jennifer
Das Mel Brooks Song (Haben Sie Gehort Das Deytsche Band?) * Ron
Wickeder (Popular/Defying Gravity) * Jennifer & Megan with Ron & Jason
No Leading Lady Tonight (Luck Be A Lady Tonight) * Ron & Jennifer
Forbidden Assassin (I Am Not Worthy Of Your Love) * Ron & Jennifer
Julie Andrews hosts PBS The American Musical : The Next Hundred Years (Do-Re-Mi/Fun, Fun, Fun) * Jennifer with Ron & Jason
I Am My Own Cast (Willkommen) * Jason
Mamma Mi-diocre (Mamma Mia/Dancing Queen) * Megan & Jennifer
Fiddler With No Jew (Tradition/Matchmaker/Sabbath Prayer) * Megan, Jennifer & Christine
Harvey Fierstein as Tevye (If I Were A Rich Man) * Ron, Megan, Jason, Jennifer & Christine
Bernadette Peters in Gypsy (Roses Turn) * Jennifer
Ethel Merman & Friends (Theres No Business Like Show Business) * Megan with Ron, Jason & Jennifer
Encore: La Cage Aw ful (La Cage Aux Folles/The Best Of Times) * Ron, Megan, Jason & Jennifer

Amazon.com

The eighth volume of Forbidden Broadway, Special Victims Unit, riffs off of the recently passed Jerry Orbach's dual career as Broadway leading man and television detective, as the long-running spoof show sets itself to "investigating homicides of a theatrical nature." Fans of the series know that means ruthless skewering of everything connected to the Great White Way through skillful mimicry and hilarious words set to familiar tunes. The victims include shows such as Bombay Dreams, Avenue Q, and Thoroughly Modern Millie ("the worst Best Musical ever!"); personalities such as Brooke Shields, Stephen Schwartz, the two stars of Wicked, and Harvey Fierstein; and trends such as pop-music-based shows, stars who miss performances, and revivals. One particularly amusing trick is turning Assassins' lyrical tribute to Jodie Foster and Charles Manson into a theater geek's tribute to Stephen Sondheim, "Unworthy of Your Words" ("I am unworthy of your words / I cannot sing your minor thirds..."). Broadway has been supplying creator-writer Gerard Allessandrini's franchise with fresh material for over 20 years, and it remains vicious and funny. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Forbidden Broadway 8: Special Victims Unit.......2007-05-09

Very funny spoofs on Broadway tunes and shows - some classic, some new. These guys know Broadway, and they know where - and how - to poke fun at it.

A few good laughs.......2005-12-28

As with all the previous editions of "Forbidden Broadway," there are some hearty guffaws to be had. Unfortunately, whereas the first several albums were virtually wall-to-wall laughs, this edition's really meaty material is doled out in small portions -- and one has to suffer through some bland fare in between.

Mr. Alessandrini's brilliance in the past was two-fold: 1) The lyric spoofing was so vivid that the listener could conjure visuals even if they hadn't seen the revue live, and 2) the humor was just the right length -- it got the job done, and often left one wanting more. Much of the current material is not up to Mr. Alessandrini's usual standards, for it's difficult to figure out what's going on, and some of the segments are much too long [especially the opening crime scene sketch and the "'night Mother" parody -- the latter of which I gave up on after a couple of minutes]. Some of the contexts are much too obtuse to have any general comic appeal [the "Wicked" leads being friends; "Fiddler" ostensibly having no Jews in the cast]. Some of the titles promised more comic riches than were actually mined -- Julie Andrews presenting the next hundred years of the American musical could have been a cavalcade of wacky ideas of further trash that might be foisted on the public, but instead it's just some blathering about how more mediocrity is on the way.

The performers have a lot of energy, but they largely lack the vividness of Mr. Alessandrini's previous longtime rep artists. Part of this may be due to the fact that although the current artists have the requisite vocal chops to handle the material, their diction is less-than-ideal at times. [People have groused about previous recordings not having lyrics, but they weren't needed in the past.] On the plus side, these newest artists are very good at mimicking stars; indeed, the Bernadette Peters impression makes this CD actually worth the purchase price -- it is perfect and hilarious, from the Peters-specific line reading styles [the curious ascending pitch at the ends of some lines] to swallowing the same vowel sounds that Miss Peters does. [This performance really is quite brilliant!] Other highlights of this recording are the commentary on the trend toward puppets and unwieldy production designs in "Avenue Q" and "Lion King," the manic perkiness of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the love song to Sondheim that pokes fun at the difficulty in singing some of his music, and the on-target skewering of how gay the Tony Awards have become. And the wacky quasi-Eastern chorus vocals in the "Bombay Dreams" send-up are Mr. Alessandrini at his finest -- like all great comedy, they are completely unexpected and thereby chortle-inducing.

This recording is only for completists like me [after only two listenings, I now have a short list of tracks I'll play]; anyone unfamiliar with "Forbidden Broadway" should check out the first three editions as a better introduction to this often brilliant series [the original "Les Miserables" sequence is still one of my all-time favorite comedic sketches].

P.S. Please, Mr. Alessandrini -- no more perfunctory Patti Lupone riffs and PLEASE no more rehashes of 'I'm 30 years old tomorrow' from "Annie" -- oy!

P.P.S. And even the Ethel Merman shtick is starting to grow stale. After the hilariously sublime "Swell! Now, how'd ya like to hear ME sing a duet?" years ago, everything subsequent has paled in comparison.

I laughed out loud -- a lot.......2005-12-18

After reading several of the disparaging customer reviews, my expectations were low for this edition of Forbidden Broadway (I have all the previous editions, and have attended two live performances). I was delighted to discover that, with few exceptions (especially 'Night Mother), I was thourghly entertained by the latest edition of the long-running series. If course, the more familiar you are with the business of Broadway as well as Bway shows and performers, the more times you'll laugh. And I don't mind that this edition offers an approach that isn't "fresh," but is similar to the approach FB has taken through the years. The Bernadette Peters/Gypsy piece is worth the price alone.

Need to go to Broadway.......2005-10-10

This CD is very funny and does poke fun at many things about the theatre industry. However much of the material depends on the person having been physically to Broadway, and not must be a fan of musicals, or theatre.

I have never been to Broadway in person, and was lost on some of the humor. I got many of the references, but have to wounder if this is because I am a Theatre Educaiton major, and do have some of the knowlege from my courses. I would recommend this CD though and will look in to buying the previous 7 volumes at some time.

Much good, wish there was more.......2005-06-17

As noted below, there is much to laud in this CD; the performers in the parody on "Wicked" are as good as the originals (and I prefer the parody more!), and the "Assassins" parody is sublime (as is the original). I would buy the CD for these alone, as well as the take-off on the Tony Awards show. And many other nice parodies and spoofs. But I just wish there had been more here that was new (some melodies from earlier versions are recycled), and that there were longer parodies on the shows (like the "Wicked" parody, or earlier "Les Miserables" parodies). While I enjoy the Liza/Ethel Merman/Patti Lupone parodies, we've heard the like of them before. 25 more minutes of fresh, new material would have brought the star-level up.

But, of course, for "Forbidden Broadway" fans, this is a must.

Forbidden Broadway: Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 2 (1991 Revue Compilation)

Average customer rating:

still laughing in 2007
Forbidden Pleasure!
THE VERY BEST OF THE FIRST 4 FORBIDDEN B-WAY CDS !!!
Surgeon General's Warning: Not for the serious of heart!
Hilarious Spoof On the State of Broadway

Forbidden Broadway: Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 2 (1991 Revue Compilation)
Gerard Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)

ASIN: B000000PH8
Release Date: 1992-04-10

Tracks:

Opening & Who Do They Know? - Michael McGrath/Toni DiBuono/Gerard Alessandrini
Forbidden Broadway Volume 2 - Gerard Alessandrini/Toni DiBuono/Michael McGrath/Roxie Lucas/Phillip George...
Fugue For Tinhorns (Fugue For Scalpers) - Phillip George/Michael McGrath/John Freedson
Anything Goes & I Get A Kick Out Of You (Patti LuPone & I Get A Kick Out Of Me) - Patti LuPone & I Get A Kick Out Of Me/Toni DiBuono/Gerard Alessandrini/Micheal McGrath...
Into The Woods & Weekend In The Country (Into The Words) - Karen Murphy/Michael McGrath/Roxie Lucas/Phillip George
Tomorrow (Annie II) - Toni DiBuono
Poor Butterfly (M. Butterfly) - Michael McGrath
The Rain In Spain (Madonna's Brain) - Michael McGrath/Toni DiBuono/Phillip George/Roxie Lucas
Never Never Land (Never, Never Panned) - Roxie Lucas
Over The Rainbow (Somewhat Overindulgent) - Kevin Ligon
America (Chita - Rita) - Dorothy Kiara/Toni DiBuono
I Am What I Am (I Ham What I Ham) - Gerard Alessandrini/Karen Murphy
Hey, Big Spender (Hey, Bob Fosse) - Roxie Lucas/Michael McGrath/John Freedson
Almost Like Being In Love (Almost Like Vegas In New York) - Gerard Alessandrini/Michael McGrath
Ballad Of Sweeney Todd (Teeny Todd) - Gerard Alessandrini/John Freedson/William Selby/Linda Strasser/Karen Murphy
Liza - Linda Strasser
The Ladies Who Lunch (The Ladies Who Screech) - Roxie Lucas
Phantom Of The Musical (Gold Finger) - Kevin Ligon//Toni DiBuono/John Freedson/Phillip George/Linda Strasser
Give My Regards To Broadway & Yankee Doodle Dandy (George M) - Michael McGrath/John Freedson/Phillip George/Toni DiBuono/Karen Murphy/Linda Strasser...
More Miserable Sequence: C'est Magnifigue (Les Miserables)/End Of the Day (End Of The Play)... - Toni DiBuono/Phillip George/John Freedson/Karen Murphy/Roxie Lucas/Linda Strasser...
Finale - Company

Customer Reviews:

still laughing in 2007.......2007-06-30

16 years after it was made, and after I dunno how many listenings, this CD still makes me laugh OUT LOUD at least 5 or 6 times every time I put it on. A deep and longstanding knowledge of musical theatre helps a lot, but some of it would be funny regardless. The piano playing is strong and versatile, the vocal performances are uniformly inspired, and Gerard Alessandrini -- well, let's just say the guy's way with a twisty lyric (complete with internal rhymes) would put him in the Sondheim category if he were working in a more 'serious' genre.

Highlights -- the Elaine Stritch impression and lyrics of "Ladies Who Screech"; the spot-on harmonies and style (and hilarious faux british accents) of "Teeny Todd (the smaller version of Sweeny)", and ... oh yeah, that Les Miserables sequence. (For my money, the "Bring It Down" parody of "Bring Him Home" -- with its despairing, impossibly lovely tenor voice agonizing, "God, it's high ... pity me, change the key" -- is one of the single funniest pieces of music ever recorded.)

Enough said. If you love Broadway, and you need more laughter in your life, get this CD now -- and keep it handy.

Forbidden Pleasure!.......2006-07-08

My overall impression: if you want to start with an excellent "FB" CD, I'd say this is the perfect place to begin. Laughs galore to be had (so don't listen to it late at night if you're trying to keep quiet).

This is the CD/musical that put Toni DiBuono's career on the map. Having earned (and deservedly so) the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for her work in the show, you can see why I think Broadway has ignored her talents far too long. It doesn't hurt that she vocally blends perfectly with her now-husband Michael McGrath (most recently known as Patsy in Broadway's "Monty Python's Spamalot"), who also puts in a stellar performance here.

I can't even point out which songs are the best, because they are all perfect in their own right! Although I have to say "Annie II", "Patti LuPone/I Get a Kick Out of Me", "Madonna's Brain" the hilarious "Les Miserable Sequence", and "Chita/Rita" are the most memorable songs for me.

I cannot descredit any of the other performers, of course; everyone is simply brilliant, and Gerard Alessandrini is a comic genius! It's no wonder the "FB" legacy has lasted so many years (20+) now. Here's to more "Forbidden" fruits in the future!

THE VERY BEST OF THE FIRST 4 FORBIDDEN B-WAY CDS !!!.......1999-05-30

(sorry, I haven't heard Vol. 5 yet) This one has some HILARIOUS classics that are great tunes on their own right (never mind that they parody others): "Fugue for Scalpers," "Patti Lupone", the "les Mis" sequence. Funny, funny, funny stuff. A great addition to your music library. GO GET IT

Surgeon General's Warning: Not for the serious of heart!.......1998-07-27

This is one of my favorite CDs. Alessandrini and company's parodies are very funny, though possibly offensive to serious Sarah Brightman fans who may not like the wonderfully squeaky voice they give her. Lampooned are: Les Miserables, Madame Butterfly, Annie, Patti LuPone, Madonna, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman, Stephen Sondheim and his musicals, and the state of Broadway in general, among others.

Although I bought the CD for the Les Mis sequence, the other songs are equally good. Be forewarned that if you know nothing about Broadway, the "below-the-belt repartees" will be lost on you, but you still get to listen to good singers and an excellent piano player.

Next on the shopping list: Volume 4!

Hilarious Spoof On the State of Broadway.......1998-06-25

With his rapier-sharp wit and amazing parody skills, Alasandrini has done it again. Volume 2 of his Forbidden Broadway series is imaginative, cunning, and completely hilarious. In the second CD of the series, the tremendously talented cast takes to spoofing some of the following: Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, M Butterfly, Mandy Patinkin, La Cage Aux Folles, Mary Martin (again), Sweet Charity, Chita Rivera/Rita Moreno, and many, many others.

Joining the cast on the piano is Phillip Fortenberry, by far the most talented pianst to appear on any of the Forbidden Broadway albums.

The vocal talents, not to mention the comedic timing, of the cast, along with the amazing parody lyrics, make this album a must have for anyone who loves the theatre. However, a word of caution: Many of the jokes and barbs of Forbidden Broadway are lost on those who aren't very familiar with the state of life on "The Great White Way."

Tracks:

A Day In Hollywood A Night In Ukraine: Just Go To The Movies - Priscilla Lopez/David Garrison/Frank Lazarus/Stephen James/Peggy Hewett/Kate Draper
Babes In Arms: I Wish I Were In Love Again - Christopher Fitzgerald Jessica Stone
Pal Joey: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Patti LuPone
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - KT Sullivan
Nunsense: I Just Want To Be A Star - Christine Anderson
Louisiana Purchase: Wild About You - Debbie Gravitte & New York Voices
Oil City Symphony: Beaver Ball At The Bug Club - Mike Craver/Mark Hardwick/Debra Monk/Mary Murfitt
Falsettoland: The Baseball Game - Michael Rupert/Chip Zien/Faith Prince/Janet Metz/Heather MacRae/Stephen Bogardus
Very Good Eddie: Isn't It Great To Be Married? - Virginia Seidel/Spring Fairbank/Charles Repole/Nicholas Wyman
The Fantasticks: A Perfect Time To Be In Love - Harvey Schmidt
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Tyne Daly/Lewis Cleale
Taking My Turn: Fine For The Shape I'm In - Margaret Whiting/Marnie Nixon/Cissy Houston
A Party With Betty Comden & Adolph Green: The French Lesson - Betty Comdon/Adolph Green
The Madwoman Of Central Park: Better - Phyllis Newman
Greenwillow: Never Will I Marry - Anthony Perkins
Song Of Singapore: I Can't Remember - Loretta Swit & Company
Tintypes: Elite Syncopation/I'm Goin' To Live Anyhow, 'Til I Die - Lynne Thigpen
I Love My Wife: Someone Wonderful I Missed - Joanna Gleason/Ilene Graff
The Good Companions: The Pleasure Of Your Company - Malcolm Rennie/Christopher Gable
Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary: Liza One-Note - Christine Pedi
Meet Me In St. Louis: The Trolley Song - Donna Kane & Ensemble

Tracks:

4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!: Feel It - Philip Anthony/Henry Gainza/Allen Hidalgo/Ricardo Puente
Fame - The Musical: There She Goes!/Fame - Natasha Rennalls & Ensemble
Do Re Mi: What's New At The Zoo? - Heather Headley/The Animal Girls
High Society: Once Upon A Time/True Love - Melissa Errico/Daniel McDonald
Tenderloin: Artificial Flowers - Patrick Wilson
State Fair: Driving At Night/Our State Fair - Company
Kiss Me, Kate: Were Thine That Special Face - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Black And Blue: Black And Blue - Linda Hopkins/Ruth Brown/Carrie Smith
The Green Bird: O Foolish Heart - Company
Out Of This World: From This Moment On - Marin Mazzie/Gregg Edelman
The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love - Davis Gaines/Sarah Berry
Snoopy!!!: Poor Sweet Baby - Pamela Myers
SeesawNobody Does It Like Me - Michele Lee
March Of The Falsettos: I Never Wanted To Love You - Michael Rupert/Stephen Bogardus/Alison Fraser/Chip Zien/James Kushner
Lunch: Perfectly Alone - Carol Burnett
3hree: Foolish Dreamin'/Something Beautiful/Real Enough To Change My Mind - Jessica Molaskey/Will Gartshore/Rachel Ulanet
Lucky In The Rain: Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow - Barbara Cook
Godspell: All Good Gifts - Sal Sabella & Company
The Act: Walking Papers - Liza Minnelli & Company

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation.......2002-05-10

I don't actually own this particular compilation, however, since I own nearly every recording represented on these discs...I think I'm qualified to comment. This is a wonderful representation of the high quality of work that DRG Records does.
The previous review is way off the mark. This is definitely not a waste of time or money. This is 25 years of preserving Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, studio recordings (mostly from the city center concerts), etc. So what if they "aren't as good as the original", DRG is preserving many recordings and artists that other mainstream labels don't or won't. You have wonderful recordings from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, Debbie Gravitte, Tyne Daly, Anthony Perkins, Joanna Gleason, Marin Mazzie, Carol Burnett, Heather Headley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, etc., and many of these are from Original Cast Recordings just as they appeared on Broadway. This is an excellent sampler of the work going on at DRG. No...I'm not an employee...just an avid listener and collector of theatre recordings.

A disappointment.......2001-12-15

There's a reason you've probably never heard of most of the songs and shows on this album, not to mention most of the artists. This is a second-rate collection of second-rate numbers performed by mostly second-rate artists. In the case of the shows that were revivals, the performances on the original cast recordings were better. Don't waste your money.

Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation)

Average customer rating:

hilarious!
Some Great Spoofs

Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation)
Gerard Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 3: The Unoriginal Cast Recording (1993 Revue Compilation)
Forbidden Broadway: Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 2 (1991 Revue Compilation)
Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

ASIN: B000000PGY
Release Date: 1992-04-10

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway - Original Casts
Non Plu Andrel - Bill Carmichael
Don't Cry For Me, Argentina - Nora Mae Lyng
Tomorrow - Chloe Webb
Pirates Of Penzance Sequence - Alessandrini/Carmichael/Lyng
Be Itallian - Webb/Carmichael/Alessandrini
Triplets - Carmichael/Alessandrini/Lyng
Beautiful Girls/That's Entertainment - Bill Carmichael/Nora Mae Lyng
Angela Lansbury Sequence/If He Walked Into My Life - Chloe Webb
Audition Sequence: Soliloquy From 'Carousel' (Excerpt)/They're Playing Our Song - Gerard Alessandrini/Fred Barton
Merman & Martin Sequence/It's De-Lovely/My Heart Belongs To Daddy/Mutual Admiration Society - Nora Mae Lyng/Chloe Webb
Carol Channing Sequence/Call On Dolly/Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend/Hello, Dolly! - Chloe Webb
Tradition: Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Excerpt) - Gerard Alessandrini & Original Casts
Forbidden Broadway (Reprise) - Original Casts

Customer Reviews:

hilarious!.......1998-05-22

When I was in college and hopelessly bored with class, I would "lampoon" songs for the heck of it. I should have submitted my songs to the Forbidden Broadway series (FB, FB Vol. 2, FB Vol. 3 and FB Strikes Back!). This first one is not as funny as the next three, but as professionals who get better with their next works, the series gets progressively funnier. This first CD opened the door to musical irreverence. What makes it great to listen to is that the quality of the singing voices of the artists are comparable to any Broadway artist. I suspect that they came from there and ventured out to this unusual type of entertainment.

You should enjoy the "Don't Cry For Me Argentina (lampooning Patty Lupone vs. Barbra Streisand vs. Madonna) and the Audition Sequence (lampooning They're Playing Our Song). You don't have to have extensive familiarity with the musical itself, but it would help to know the history of Broadway artists.

If you've got a penchant for irreverence and are able to laugh at yourself, this CD is for you.

Some Great Spoofs.......1998-05-17

If you've ever seen the movie Pirates of Penzance, auditioned for a show or wondered what an Ethyl Merman/Mary Martin duet would sound like, you'll like this CD. Nothing is sacred to Alessandrini & company--they spoof Webber, Sondheim, Fosse, Carol Channing, Catholic musicals, you name it. The singers imitate voices so well it's frightening (though the Linda Rondstadt impersonation is a little on the mean side). Be sure to bring your sense of humor when you listen to this CD.

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 3: The Unoriginal Cast Recording (1993 Revue Compilation)

Average customer rating:

Love Musicals? Love to Laugh? This is definitely for you!
uneven but hysterical
Could Have Been Funnier

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 3: The Unoriginal Cast Recording (1993 Revue Compilation)
Gerard Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Forbidden Broadway: Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 2 (1991 Revue Compilation)
Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation)
Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit

ASIN: B000000PHG
Release Date: 1994-01-31

Tracks:

Carol Channing Sequence: (Imitation Is The Sicerest Form Of Flattery) - Channing/Blakeslee/Oscar/Wells/Pedi/Freedson...
Forbidden Broadway Volume 3 - Oscar/Pedi/Wells/Blakeslee/Alessandrini
Ya Got Trouble: Trouble In New York City (We Got Trouble) - Lackey/Oscar/Wells/Pedi/Freedson/Ellis
Guys & Dolls Sequence: Guys And Dolls/I've Never Been In Love Before/A Bushel & A Peck/Sue Me - Alessandrini/Oscar/Wells/Pedi/Blakeslee/...
Topal: If I Were A Rich Man (If I Sing It Slower) - Gerard Alessandrini
Anna Karenina: The Musical (Topeka & The Santefe, On The Atcheson) - Kiara/Wells/Oscar/Freedson/Alessandrini/Ellis
Julie Andrews: I Couldn't Hit The Note (I Could Have Danced All Night) - Susanne Blakeslee
Grim Hotel (Grand Hotel) - Lackey/Pasekoff/Kiara/Freedson/Pasekoff/Pasekoff
Barbra: The Broadway Album, Somewhere (Someday) - Barbara Walsh
Dustin Hoffman:The Merchant Of Hoffman (Mrs. Robinson/The Sounds Of Silence) - John Freedson
Return To Merman & Martin: Everthing's Coming Up Roses/Old Fashioned Wedding/There's No Busness... - Nora Mae LyngRoxie Lucas
Miss Saigon Sequence: Tonight I will Be Miss Saigon/You Are Sun, I Are Moon - Wells/Blakeslee/Pedi/Oscar/Oscar/Blakeslee
Michael Crawford Sequence: Michael Crawford/Put On You Clothes/All I Ask Of You - Craig Wells
Robert Goulet Sequence: Camelounge (Camelot) - Oscar/Pedi/Blakeslee
Mess Of The Spiderwoman Sequence: Prologue/Kiss Of The Spiderwoman/Dear One/Where Are You - Blakeslee/Oscar/Wells/Pedi//Blakeslee/Oscar...
Back To Barbra (On A Clear Day) - Susanne Blakeslee
Mug Brothers: Tell Me It's Not True/Marilyn Monroe/I Think I Love You/Downtown - Blakeslee/Pedi/Oscar/Wells/Blakeslee ...
The Who's Tommy: Scenery, Fly Me, Amplify Me (See Me, Heal Me, Touch Me, Feel Me/Listening To You) - Oscar/Pedi/Oscar/Wells/Blakeslee
Finale: You Gotta Have Heart (What Happened To Heart?) - Wells/Blakeslee/Pedi/Oscar

Customer Reviews:

Love Musicals? Love to Laugh? This is definitely for you!.......2002-06-11

Even if you live thousands of miles away from Broadway, this CD will tickle your funny bone, hey, it might even break your funny bone! I love Broadway musicals, but rarely get a chance to see the big ones, living on the other side of the country. No matter, this CD still makes me laugh out loud. Even if you don't understand each and every reference, not to worry, there's enough here for anyone.

The Dustin Hoffman sequence is a treat, the first few seconds will elicit peals of laughter. The Ethel Merman and Mary Martin pairing is at it's very best on this CD. The Topol and Julie Andrews spoofs are not only completely hilarious but done in a loving manner that doesn't leave a disrespectful taste in your mouth.

Carol Channing is wonderful in her appearance on this CD. But my favorite of all is probably Mug Brothers. Any child of the 60s-70s will die over the David and Shaun Cassidy spoof, with "I Think I'm Acting" from "I Think I Love You," it's funny enough to even make an old fan laugh.

All in all, this is a beauty - and my favorite of the Forbidden Broadway series! It's clean, hilarious, and worth twice the price.

uneven but hysterical.......2000-02-18

It's worth getting for two sequences alone: "Ashkebad, Tblisi, and Kiev Express" (a new ending for "Anna Karenina"), and a vicious riff on Grand Hotel "Grim Hotel". Loved it!

Could Have Been Funnier.......1998-05-17

This CD just didn't have the spark that the 1st, 2nd and 4th Forbbiden Broadway recordings did. Part of my reaction may be due to the fact that I'm less familiar with the shows spoofed on this album, but even the ones I knew didn't seem that amusing. I was particularly disappointed with the Miss Saigon sequence--"You are Hallmark and I Postcard" didn't strike me as funny in the least.

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

Average customer rating:

As Always, Hilarious
Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!
better to be "Lost in Space"
Stretched Thin
Do the Math

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit
Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)
Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4
Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation)

ASIN: B0000584UL
Release Date: 2001-02-13

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway 2001: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Futuristic Stewardess/Usherette: Come Fly With Me
Judi Dench: Why Can't The English?
Trouble In New Tork City: Trouble
The Music Man Revival 2001: Till There Was You
Cole Porter: You're The Top/From The Moment On
Kiss Me, Kate Revival 2001: Wunderbar
I Hate Ben - Marin Mazzie: I Hate Men
Cheryl Ladd In Annie Get Your Gun: There's No Business Like Show Business
Miss Saigon Farewell: Why God Why?
Saturday Night Fiasco: Stayin' Alive
Gwen Verdon & The Fosse Dancers: I'm A Brass Band/Steam Heat
Liza Minnelli 2001/Alan Cumming in Cabaret: Wilkommen
Let's Run Times Square Again: Let's Do the Time Warp Again
Ethel Merman & Elton John: I've Got Rhythm/Old Fashioned Wedding
Beauty's Been Decreased: Beauty And The Beast
Being Lupone: Being Alive
Sondheim's Blues: Buddy's Blues
Streisand's Farewell Tour: Happy Days Are Here Again/Mame
Les Miz 2001 - Edith Piaf/Milord
Aida - Amneris Intro: Every Story Is A Love Story/Heather Headley/It's Cheesy: Easy As Life
Elaborate Sets (Aida Cont.): Elaborate Lives
Angela Lansbury: I Don't Want To Know
The Full Monty: Let It Go
76 Hit Shows: 76 Trombones
Bows-Ta-Ta Folks: Another Op'nin, 'Another Show
Joseph And The Amazing High 'C': Any Dream Will Do

Customer Reviews:

As Always, Hilarious.......2007-05-03

This is so funny! Like all the Forbidden Broadway cds, its another knock-out. I feel like such a crazy person when I am in the car driving and I just burst out laughing. Its great and a must have for any Forbidden Broadway fan.

Spoof Odessey worth the laughs!.......2002-04-14

I enjoyed "Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey." This recording has some truly genius material, and although these actors' impersonations of famous Broadway stars aren't as strong as they have been in the past, the CD has a lot to recommend it.

Particularly strong is Track 16, "Let's do an old fashioned show tune," featuring Elton John and Ethel Merman duking it out over AIDA, which Merman says is "putting everyone here through hell." Likewise, Track 15, "Let's Ruin Times Square Again," tickles my funny bone. Also wonderful are the satires of Beauty and the Beast, Angela Lansbury, and the Full Monty; Gerard Alessandrini's done a tremendous job with these! In addition, this CD's introductory song is much stronger than those on the previous volumes of Forbidden Broadway. It really sets the tone for the best parts of this recording.

Unfortunately, with a few notable exceptions, the first half of the CD is a bit thin, which is why I give this recording 3 out of 5 stars: Even though it entertains me, there's a lot I have to skip over. For example, the Liza Minelli spoof annoying (though, I admit, a little funny), and in the Music Man revival satire, their Robert Preston impersonator sounds *nothing* like the original. (In earlier recordings, the actors *did* sound like the people they claimed to be.)

The good news is that the CD has 30 tracks in all, so even though there are 13 that I dislike, I just love the rest... I do recommend it!

better to be "Lost in Space".......2001-12-31

First and foremost, this CD is really for diehard fans of Forbidden Broadway, those of us who want the good, the bad and the ugly on the cd rack. I was extremely unimpressed with the latest offering.

While I agree with some of the other reviewers that there is some nice work, I don't know that Saturday Night Fiasco and Sondheim's Blues are sufficient to carry the rest of the tracks. Not much seems new or worse yet, important. Disney isn't new, nor is Les Miz. And while pointing out what is stale and pedestrian on Broadway was amusing on the last couple of releases, this Forbidden Broadway spoof clearly has joined the list of stale and pedestrian.

While there is some nice material on this disc, I really didn't laugh out loud, and that is why I have always bought these in the past.

If Alessandrini reduces the show to the same complaints of the same shows and then replaying lightly tweaked versions of past numbers, Trouble and Alan Cumming in Cabaret specifically, then he has himself is on the becoming a revival - and we know what he thinks of revivals.

The repeats might even be acceptable if there was something fresh in the perfomance, but both were done much better on their respective discs. I think Danny Gurwin is a great comedian, but he doesn't shine in either of these numbers. We also need a recording with no Ethel Merman or Liza numbers - give them a rest already. And why bring back Streisand with such a poor imitation? The earlier Barbara's were dead on vocal impressions as well as speech patterns. If you aren't going to improve on it, then don't drag it back out.

Alessandrini suggests that this is one of the best casts he has ever worked with. I don't know what he bases that on, but I beg to differ, either cast with Bryan Batt was significantly better, although they worked with fresh, clever material. Still, those recordings had verocious talent that brought Gerard's stinging wit to life for those of us who can't see every new production of FB.

Maybe it is time to go to off Broadway productions, or to the radio or the movies for some new ideas. Or else promise no references to the Gap, Disney, or Chorus Boys, (way over used on this recording), along with a Merman and Liza free season. Start from scratch. That might give us hope that Forbidden Broadway too might not be dead.

Stretched Thin.......2001-03-26

I just saw the stage production of Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey. I agree with the other reviewers who feel that Alessandrini is no longer at the top of his game. Perhaps he should lay off for a year or three and let Broadway present new things for him to lampoon - as it always will.

The opening sequence is forced and unfunny, and clearly in place only to batter the listener with the "2001" theme. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found the Judi Dench parody hysterical, though I question its accuracy.

The "Trouble" parody is, as it always was, incomplete and thin. My dear friend John Kenrick (...) did a better job with it - included the segments of the original song that GA left out, and in a funnier fashion. The Cole Porter parody is marginally amusing, but the Brian Mitchell/Marin Mazzie parody is dead on the mark, and VERY funny.

The parody of Cheryl Ladd remains in the show, although she's no longer in "Annie Get Your Gun" - Reba McIntyre is now in the role. Similarly, he stabs at Alan Cumming, who is no longer playing the Emcee. These numbers, while funny, lack punch. On the other hand, he once again skewers long time target Patti LuPone with an hysterical new parody of Being Alive. I suppose she's innately funnier, after all these years, than Alan Cumming, who is, after all, a relative newcomer.

The Rocky Horror parody is amusing, and the observation that sex has moved off 42nd Street and onto the Broadway stage is not without merit. The Beauty parody is amusing, and apt, but as has already been noted, GA has been clobbering us with the Disnification of Broadway for years now. I suppose he finds some glee in the fading success of this particular show.

I must say that while Gurwin is not the greatest singer, "Sondheim's Blues" is the most brilliant piece I've heard from Alessandrini in years. It's absolutely dead on. The friends I was with had never seen nor heard "Follies" and completely missed the point, but I was in stitches.

The "10 Years More" (which does not appear on this album, but remains in the show) has really begun to wear thin, especially with the closing this year of Cats and Miss Saigon. The Cameron Macintosh British mega-musicals are finally releasing their grip on Broadway, and this isn't as funny any more.

Broadway, despite the naysayers, will never die... and apparently, neither will Forbidden Broadway. I don't think it should - but I do think it needs a rest.

Do the Math.......2001-03-15

Four CDs cover the first 20 Years of Forbidden Broadway, Gerard Alessandrini's viciously witty satire of New York Theatre. The last year has seen Three new CDs, FB "Cleans Up Its Act" "20th Anniversary Edition" and now "2001 a Spoof Odyssey". Do the math.

Alessandrini is running out of ideas, and is spreading the remaining ones too thin. . Sanitized Time Square - Been there. Disnified Broadway - Done that, and so many times. Asinine casting faux pas, plotless pointless set-monster musicals, and Ethel Merman and Liza. We've heard it all before - and last time, it was funnier.

Now normally when a writer (or director or actor) has truly entertained me on numerous occasions, I'll forgive the odd show that disappoints. This would be the case here except for two things: Alessandrini is in the vicious parody business - he's never spared anyone else Besides, if he's going to actually include couplets like: "If lyrics are no longer witty... Then I don't want to go " he's inviting the pans.

When you hear the AIDA lampoon, you'll be reminded of the dim bulb in Cyrano de Bergerac who taunts the hero with the brilliant witticism: Your nose is very large

Yes, there are a few true Forbidden Broadway tracks on Spoof Odyssey. Dame Judi Dench singing "Why can't Americans do theatre like the Brits?" (with apologies to My Fair Lady), I Hate Ben (with apologies to Kiss Me Kate) and about 1/3 of "Let's Ruin Time Square Again" (no apologies necessary to Rocky Horror which understands how easy it is for good parody to go bad). Oh yes, there is one absolutely true Forbidden Broadway track: TROUBLE - yes, the same Trouble from Volume 3 which was just re-released on the 20th Anniversary compilation - and it's back again with a more hackneyed Robert Preston impersonation and all of 4 words changed. Granted it's one of the better bits, more worthy of rerunning than say, referring to Miss Saigon as Viet-Numb, but oh, he reran that gag too

Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Average customer rating:

Forbidden Broadway at its best

Totally and Utterly Hillarious!

Great Recording

Absolutely Brilliant

Masterful

Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Gerard Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey

Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit

Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)

Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back!: Another Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 4 (1996 New York Cast)

Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4

ASIN: B00000I9DA
Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

A Jolly Holiday With Rudy - Edward Staudenmayer/Bryan Batt/Lori Hammel
Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act! - Entire Cast
Chicago-Glossy Fosse - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt
Footloose-Too Cute - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt
The Beauty Queen Of Leenane - Lori Hammel/Kristine Zbornik
The Line King Segment: The Circle Of Mice/Julie Taymor & Her Puppets/Can You Feel The Pain Tonight? - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Andrew Lloyd Superstar - Bryan Batt
Titanic-The Musical: In Every Season/Ship Of Air/I Must Get Off This Ship... - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
More Miserable-Ten Years More - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Bernadette Peters In Annie Get Your Gun - Lori Hammel
Swan Lake - Bryan Batt/Edward Stauenmayer
Ann Miller-I'm Still Weird - Kristine Zbornik
Jekyll & Hyde - Edward Staudenmayer/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Ragtime Segment - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Super-Frantic-Hyper-Active-Self-Indulgent-Mandy - Bryan Batt
Cabaret Segment - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Zbornik
The Sound Of Music In Cabaret - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Finale-Find Mary Martin - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik
Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up It's Act!-Encore - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik/Matthew Ward...
Bonus Track 1 -Epilogue - Edward Staudenmayer/Lori Hammel/Bryan Batt/Kristine Zbornik/Matthew Ward...

Customer Reviews:

Forbidden Broadway at its best.......2002-08-18

"Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome. Fremde, etranger. I will attack you and make you feel sick, wicked and raunchy when I grab my-"

"Stop right there! That lyric is polluted and that gesture is obscene. I order you to stop immediately!"

"Just a minute, please! Who are you!?"

"I am mayor Rudolph Giuliani! And you're in violation of New York City's new zoning laws for adult entertainment. No parody lyrics within fifty feet of any church or school....From now on I don't want to see anything on this stage dirtier than....than.... Mary Poppins!"

When the time for FB5 came around, Gerard Alessandrini had established himself as a terrific parody writer, and the show itself had become near and dear to theatre-lovers' hearts. Alessandrini's level of comfort with pushing Broadway's buttons shows, and contributes to perhaps the funniest volume in the seven-volume collection.

The show couldn't have come at a better time. As Alessandrini writes in the booklet, while Mayor Giuliani was cleaning up Broadway's seedier aspects outside, inside Broadway was becoming more and more raunchier with shows like Cabaret and Chicago. Not only that, but it also came in the wake of the 1998 Tonys with the fierce competition between Lion King and Ragtime. All four aformentioned shows, by the way, have hillarious parodies, knocking everything from Natasha Richardson, Ann Reinking, Julie Taymor, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

Special attention is payed to the sure-fire flops; has anyone heard of Swan Lake besides Bryan Batt and Edward Staudenmayer ripping apart the allegro moderato and waltz? Cult-classics like Jekyll and Hyde fall prey, as does The Beauty Queen of Leenane, which makes for an amazing parody of a play.

Ah yes, the actors. I don't think I've laughed harder than I did during Super-Frantic-Hyper-Active-Self-Indulgent-Mandy, and Ann Miller's "I'm Still Weird" couldn't have been more perfectly performed. Let's not forget the long-runners, either. Andrew Lloyd Superstar gets his due, and Les Miserables gets it once again (would it be a Forbidden Broadway without giving the now-longest-running show on Broadway a swift kick in the derriere?).

Another highlight has got to be the Sound of Music in Cabaret segment, and looking at the picture from it in the booklet makes me laugh even harder.

A great introduction to Forbidden Broadway, and a must for any theatre afficionado, Cleans Up its Act is guaranteed to please, even if it's not as clean as Mary Poppins.

Totally and Utterly Hillarious!.......2002-05-13

This CD is so funny! I love it and I know I'll never get sick of it! My favortie actor on this CD is Bryan Batt! He is so hillarious! Everyone else is wonderful too! Every single minute of this is so funny and will always keep you laughing

Great Recording.......1999-09-19

This CD is incredible. By far, it is one of my favorites. One thing I recomend before buying it is make sure you know at least half of the stuff they make fun of or the cd will be no fun. Especially the one for Mandy Patinkin and Titanic. Some of my favorite shows they make fun of are Cabaret, The lion king, Titanic (they also include stuff from the movie in this song), Mandy Patinkin (hilarious if you have heard him before) and Les Miserables. My favortie singer on the soundtrack is Lori Hammel. The only thing that wasn't very good was her impression of Bernadette Peters. No one can immitate her. Other than that this CD is wonderfull.

Absolutely Brilliant.......1999-06-30

This recording (and the show, for that matter) is absolutely brilliant. Alessandrini is a genius (well-deserved Drama Desk Award) and the performers are exceptional. One of the better FB recordings.

Masterful.......1999-05-18

As funny as Volume Five is, particularly the Ragtime routine, Alessandrini really outdid himself with his Beauty Queen of Leenane parody. ("How are things in Irish drama?") This was so dead-on, so on the money, and yet sounds so good, I can't stop playing it. The man is a gem.

Average customer rating:

Spoofs spice up everything ..
Hilarious!
A MUST HAVE!

Forbidden Broadway, Vols. 1-4
Gerard Alessandrini
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Forbidden Broadway Cleans Up Its Act!: The Unoriginal Cast Recording, Volume 5 (1998 New York Cast)
Forbidden Broadway, Vol. 8 - Special Victims Unit
Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey
Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition)
Forbidden Broadway: The Hit Musical Revue (1982 Revue Compilation)

ASIN: B000000PHN
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Tracks:

Forbidden Broadway - Original Casts
Amadeus (Non Piu Andrai) - Bill Carmichael
Evita (Don't Cry For Me, Argentina) - Nora Mae Lyng
Annie's Favorite Show Tune (Tomorrow) - Chloe Webb
Pirates Of Penzance Sequence - Gerard Alessandrini, Bill Carmichael, Nora Mae Lyng
Be A Catholic (Be Itallian) - Chloe Webb, Bill Carmichael, Gerard Alessandrini
Triplets (Triplets) - Bill Carmichael, Gerard Alessandrini, Chloe Webb
Bankable Stars (Beautiful Girls)/I'm Entertainment (That's Entertainment) - Bill Carmichael/Nora Mae Lyng
Angela Lansbury Sequence (Mame & If He Walked Into My Life) - Chloe Webb
I'm Sick Of Playing Their Songs (Audition Sequence: Soliloquy From 'Carousel' (Excerpts)/They're...) - Gerard Alessandrini, Fred Barton
Merman & Martin Sequence (It's De-Lovely, My Heart Belongs To Daddy, Mutual Admiration Society) - Nora Mae Lyng, Chloe Webb
Carol Channing Sequence (Call On Dolly, Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, Hello, Dolly!) - Chloe Webb
Ambition (Tradition: Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Excerpt)) - Gerard Alessandrini & Original Casts
Forbidden Broadway (Reprise) - Original Casts

Tracks:

Opening & Who Do They Know - Michael McGrath & Toni DiBuono, Gerard Alessandrini
Forbidden Broadway Volume 2: The Company - Gerard Alessandrini, Toni DiBuono, Michael McGrath, Roxie Lucas, Phillip George, Linda Strasser, ...
Fugue For Tinhorns (Fugue For Scalpers) - Phillip George, Michael McGrath, John Freedson
Anything Goes & I Get A Kick Out Of You (Patti LuPone & I Get A Kick Out Of Me) - Patti LuPone & I Get A Kick Out Of Me, Toni DiBuono, Gerard Alessandrini, Michael McGrath, John...
Into The Woods & Weekend In The Country - Karen Murphy, Michael McGrath, Roxie Lucas, Phillip George
Tomorrow - Toni DiBuono
Poor Butterfly: (M. Butterfly (Un Bel Di & Poor Butterfly)) - Michael McGrath
The Rain In Spain (Madonna's Brain) - Michael McGrath, Toni DiBuono, Phillip George, Roxie Lucas
Never Never Land (Never, Never Panned) - Roxie Lucas
Over The Rainbow (Somewhat Overindulgent) - Kevin Ligon
America (Chita & Rita) - Dorothy Kiara, Toni DiBuono
I Am What I Am (I Ham What I Ham) - Gerard Alessandrini, Karen Murphy
Hey, Big Spender (Hey, Bob Fosse) - Roxie Lucas, Michael McGrath, John Freedson
Almost Like Being In Love (Almost Like Vegas In New York) - Gerard Alessandrini, Michael McGrath
Ballad Of Sweeney Todd (Teeny Todd) - Gerard Alessandrini, John Freedson, William Selby, Linda Strasser, Karen Murphy
Liza --One-Note (Johnny One-Note) - Karen Murphy
The Ladies Who Lunch (The Ladies Who Screech) - Roxie Lucas
Phantom Of The Musical (Goldfinger) - Kevin Ligon, Toni DiBuono, John Freedson, Phillip George, Linda Strasser
Give My Regards To Broadway & Yankee Doodle Dandy (George M) - Michael McGrath, John Freedson, Phillip George, Toni DiBuono, Karen Murphy, Linda Strasser, Roxie...
More Miserable Sequence: (C'est Magnifique/ End Of The Day/I Dreamed A Dream/Bring Him Home/...) - Toni DiBuono/Phillip George, John Freedson, Karen Murphy, Roxie Lucas, Linda Strasser/Karen Murphy
Finale - Original Casts

Tracks:

Carol Channing Sequence: (Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery) - Carol Channing, Susanne Blakeslee, Brad Oscar, Craig Wells, Christine Pedi, John Freedson, Gina...
Forbidden Broadway Volume 3 - Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi, Craig Wells, Susanne Blakeslee, Gerard Alessandrini
Ya Got Trouble: Trouble In New York City (We Got Trouble) - Herndon Lackey, Brad Oscar, Craig Wells, Christine Pedi, John Freedson, Brad Ellis
Guys & Dolls Sequence: (Guys And Dolls/I've Never Been In Love Before/A Bushel And A Peck/Sue Me) - Gerard Alessandrini, Brad Oscar/Craig Wells, Christine Pedi/Susanne Blakeslee/Susanne Blakeslee, ...
Topal: If I Were A Rich Man (If I Sing It Slower) - Gerard Alessandrini
Anna Karenina: The Musical, (Topeka And The Sante Fe, On The Atcheson) - Dorothy Kiara, Craig Wells, Brad Oscar, John Freedson, Gerard Alessandrini, Brad Ellis
Julie Andrews: I Couldn't Hit The Note (I Could Have Danced All Night) - Susanne Blakeslee
Grim Hotel (Grand Hotel) - Herndon Lackey, Marilyn Pasekoff, Dorothy Kiara, John Freedson/Marilyn Pasekoff/Marilyn Pasekoff
Barbra:The Broadway Album, Somewhere (Someday) - Barbara Walsh
Dustin Hoffman: The Merchant Of Hoffman (Mrs. Robinson/The Sounds Of Silence) - John Freedson
Return To Merman & Martin: (Everything's Coming up Roses/Old Fashioned Wedding/There's No...) - Nora Mae Lyng/Nora Mae Lyng, Roxie Lucas/Nora Mae Lyng, Roxie Lucas
Miss Saigon Sequence: (Tonight I Will Be Miss Saigon/You Are Sun, I Are Moon) - Craig Wells, Susanne Blakeslee, Christine Pedi, Brad Oscar/Brad Oscar, Susanne Blakeslee
Michael Crawford Sequence: (Michael Crawford/Put On Your Sunday Clothes/All I Ask Of You) - Craig Wells
Robert Goulet Sequence: Camelounge (Camelot) - Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi, Susanne Blakeslee
Mess Of The Spider Woman Sequence: (Prologue/Mess Of The Spider Woman/Dear One/Where You Are) - Susanne Blakeslee, Brad Oscar, Craig Wells, Christine Pedi/Susanne Blakeslee/Brad Oscar, Craig...
Back To Barbra (On A Clear Day) - Susanne Blakeslee
Mug Brothers: (Tell Me It's Not True/Marilyn Monroe/I Think I Love You/Downtown) - Susanne Blakeslee/Susanne Blakeslee, Christine Pedi/Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi, Susanne Blakeslee...
The Who's Tommy: Scenery, Fly Me, Amplifly Me (See Me, Heal Me, Touch Me, Feel Me/Listening To You) - Brad Oscar, Christine Pedi/Brad Oscar, Craig Wells, Susanne Blakeslee, Christine Pedi
Finale: You Gotta Have Heart (What Happened To Heart?) - Craig Wells, Susanne Blakeslee, Christine Pedi, Brad Oscar

Tracks:

Parody Tonight (Comedy Tonight) - Tom Plotkin & Company
Show Boat Medley - Tom Plotkin, Donna English/Bryan Batt
Cameron Mackintosh - My Souvenir Things (My Favorite Things) - Tom Plotkin
Elaine Stritch - Christine Pedi
Big (Fun) - Bryan Batt, Tom Plotkin
Kiss Me Kate - Bryan Batt, Christine Pedi
The King Is Her (The King And I) - Donna English, Tom Plotkin/Donna English Bryan Batt
Disney On Broadway - Be Depressed (Be Our Guest) - Company
Patti-Class (Patti Lu Pone In Master Class) - Christine Pedi, Donna English, Bryan Batt
Grease - Infomercial With Fran & Barry Weissler & Sally Struthers - Donna English, Bryan Batt, Christine Pedi
Stop Cats! - A Chorus Cat - Company
Ethel Merman And Sunset Boulevard - Bryan Batt, Christine Pedi
Ann Reinking In Chicago (Roxie Hart) - Donna English
Kiss Me Kate - Corrective Casting - Jerry & Liza (So Miscast) - Christine Ped i, Bryan Batt
Le Julie Hot (Le Jazz Hot) - Donna English & Company
A Spoonful Of Julie (A Spoonful Of Sugar) - Donna English & Company
The Tony Nominating Committee: Victor/Ignor-ee-ya (Victor/Victoria) - Donna English & Company
Crazy Girl (Crazy World) - Donna English & Company
Rant (Rent) - Tom Plotkin, Bryan Batt
Ouch! They're Too Tight (Out Tonight) - Donna English
Too Gay For You - Too Het'ro For Me (Today For You - Tomorrow For Me) - Bryan Batt
Pretty Voices Singing (Christmas Bells Are Ringing) - Christine Pedi & Company
Season Of Hype (Season Of Love) - Company
This Ain't Boheme (La Vie Boheme) - Donna English & Boys
Finale - Something Wonderful (Something Wonderful) - Christine Pedi & Company
Encore - Ta-Ta Folks (Forbidden Broadway) - Company
Bonus Track - Exit Music - Julie The Star! (Star!) - Donna English

Amazon.com

The legendary off-Broadway revue Forbidden Broadway collects 15 years of its hilarious parodies (called "unoriginal cast recordings") into this four-CD box. No institution is safe from this astonishingly talented (and believable!) troupe of mimics led by Gerard Alessandrini, as they poke fun at the biggest shows and the biggest stars. Some examples: Patti LuPone's "I Get a Kick Out of You" becomes the self-adulating "I Get a Kick Out of Me" ("Some snort cocaine when they're low / I need no sniff 'cause I think, 'What's the diff? / I'm already terrific to see' / And I get a kick out of me."), and "I've Never Been in Love Before" from the often-revived Guys and Dolls becomes "I Know I've Seen This Show Before" ("Why take a chance on something new and bold / The better shows are old / And Sondheim is a chore."). Since it tends to skewer specific performers or productions, Forbidden Broadway can become dated quickly, but thanks to the miracle of cast recordings, not to mention interminable runs and tours--no names, please--the targets are still familiar, and the more you know, the more you'll laugh. It's like taking a very warped tour of the history of Broadway in the 1980s and '90s, and the Great White Way may never recover. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Spoofs spice up everything .........2006-04-17

I have this afternoon heard 'I Sleep with Everyone' on BBC Radio 2 in the UK, in the show presented by Elaine Paige.I was in my car at the time, and nearly caused a traffic incident.
I have ordered the CD on the back of one track - have to confess I had never heard of 'Forbidden Broadway', but I have now! Friends and I used to write spoofs of musicals we were either directing or writing as schoolteachers, for performance by our students.
I also do Community and Hospital broadcasting - I am sure that those customers will love a bit of spice in their lives!(Better listen first, though!)Expect another review when I have heard more ..
..Spoofs Spice up Everything!

Hilarious!.......2000-10-25

How come it took me so long to find out about Forbidden Broadway? A friend loaned me one CD, and I'm hooked. Got online and bought the boxed set. There's not a bad one in the bunch. I particularly love the impersonations of Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin. Even parodies of shows I haven't seen had me guffawing. Listen to Jonathan -- buy it!

A MUST HAVE!.......2000-01-14

You may have seen the show, in one of its many incarnations, or may have bought one of the five unoriginal cast recordings, but there is no way any Forbidden Broadway fan or musicals fan can go without buying this four volume boxed set. This is not only because there are so many songs to collect, but also, it is the only way you are likely to get to hear the majority of the songs you saw on stage (if you did so). Forbidden Broadway lampoons the musicals of Broadway from 1990-1996, and is absolutely hilarious. There REALLY is no point in buying just one CD, as you are likely to find that something you want on one is not on another an so on. It also come with a complete libretto to boost. There are some very fine performances and mimics, especially from the likes of Christine Pedi. I've said it once, I'll say it again... buy buy buy!

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