BABY, The New Musical

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Maltby and Shire's ode to impending parenthood Baby follows three expectant couples: unmarried college students (Liz Callaway, Todd Graff), empty nesters (Beth Fowler, James Congdon), and thirtysomethings who have been trying desperately to conceive (Catherine Cox, Martin Vidnovic). As the couples explore their different reactions to their situation, the songs alternate between humor and heart-tugging drama. In "I Want It All," the women weigh what they want out of their pregnancies and subsequent lives, while the men express their pleasure in the funky "Fatherhood Blues." In the emotional centerpiece of the show, "The Story Goes On," Callaway reacts after feeling her baby kick for the first time, while "The Ladies Singing Their Song" takes a gentle poke at well-meaning advice givers (Sondheim's ladies who lunch at a different phase of life). This long-awaited reissue of the 1983 original Broadway cast recording captures Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations of shimmering strings and sassy brass and also includes Fowler's solo "Patterns," a gem cut from the original production. Leading the strong cast is Callaway, who was nominated for a Tony (as was Graff and the show, score, book, director, and choreographer) and who later went on to star on Broadway as Grizabella in Cats, perform voiceovers for animation (Anastasia, the Aladdin sequels), and rerecord "The Story Goes On" as the title track of her 1995 solo album. This Baby is a most welcome arrival. --David Horiuchi --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

You Are The New Day
Nouveau Poor
Three Times A Lady
What's In A Tune?
You'd Have To Be A Rosie
Can't Buy Me Love
Singapore Girl
'Sweet Charity': The Rhythm Of Life
The Gambler
It Was Almost Like A Song
Here Comes The Sun
Hush Little Baby, Don't Say A Word
'Grease': Money, Money, Money-Summer Nights
The Summer Knows
Could It Be Magic

Customer Reviews:

Great sound and great song!.......2007-05-19

I loved the song "A New Day" after hearing it on the radio. I tracked it down and ordered the CD. All the songs are terrific.

Along with the Good Vibrations are my favorites.......2007-05-15

Own it! It's all worth it!
"You are the new day" is my personal favorite song.

My dad loves it.......2007-02-13

If he likes it then I am happy. Not my cup of tea. I like the idea that there where some Beatles tunes. Dad is 57 I am 36 might be the difference in age. NOt sure. Just not my cup of tea

Great Album!.......2006-04-22

I was very amazed when I first heard this album. Their sound is like no other. They are so unique that you can't compare them to other acapella groups.

I can say that their sound is better than a mixed choir because even though the King's Singers is only composed of 6 members. Their sound volume can beat a 30 member choir due to the quality of their voice.

My favorite is "It Was Almost Like A Song" because of the countertenor's very light voice. The baritone part was also awesome as he dominated the scene when he took the melody.

Overall, great album. This has to be one of the King's Singers best albums released. All songs are great that you can't resist missing a moment on listening it.

Beautiful singing; clever arrangements.......2002-06-14

I have been a fan of The King's Singers since their debut recording thirty years ago. New Day is one of my favourite albums. It has the terrific optimistic song "New Day," but many other wonderful tracks.

"Can't Buy Me Love" is sung as if it had been written by one of the Renaissance madrigal writers when he was in a very good mood. There are other up tempo tracks like this one, including Abba's "Money, Money, Money" and "The Rhythm of Life," but the CD also includes some romantic, lush singing in songs such as "Three Times A Lady," "The Summer Knows" and "It Was Almost Like A Song."

The clever arrangement of Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic?" begins with an extract from a sombre Chopin Prelude in C minor.

Tracks:

Overture : The World According To Snoopy
Edgar Allan Poe
Woodstock's Theme
I Know Now
The Vigil
Clouds
Where Did That Little Dog Go?
Daisy Hill
Friend
The Great Writer (It Was A Dark And Stormy Night)
Poor Sweet Baby
Don't Be Anything Less
The Big Bow-Wow
Just One Person

Customer Reviews:

This Shouldn't Be Getting Good Revues.......2007-01-03

All my revues are strictly from a listeners point of view, and this CD is not good from a listeners point of view. I haven't seen the show, and I feel other revues of this CD are based on having seen the show, which isn't fair. This CD isn't complete for one thing. The London cast, although I don't own it, nor have I ever listened to it, at least has the full score. But the main horror are the singers on this CD. They are just bad. People are turned off musical theater from CDs like this. I urge you not to buy this CD unless you are a collector, or have seen this show and want to hear a bad version. This is not for new listeners or even mature listeners looking for new musicals... this is not good. I don't know why people keep giving this CD more than three stars. The lyrics are decent, cute and funny, but the singing is unforgivable. Favorite song (only because I put one in every review): "Poor Sweet Baby"

I love the music.......2005-02-21

I got to see a one day benefit with Sutton Foster, Hunter Foster, ANn Harada, Christian Borle, Jennifer Cody and Deven May. That cast far outclasses this one AND the London one. Both casts are awful. The music is adorable, but that cast is so bad that it majorly brought down this rating. Buy the London one because it has more songs but if you buy either version, be wary of the awful casts.

Not to sing an old tune but..........2004-07-26

I have to be boring and agree with nearly everyone else. These are not the best versions of the songs. I recently saw the Snoopy Musical in the New Players Theatre, Charing Cross, London and it blew me away. Yes, it's light humour and couldn't possibly be described as deep, but it is still thoroughly enjoyable. I would give the show 5/5 stars and the London singing 6/5 stars. This recording is amusing and has most of the best songs, but the singing isn't quite up to scratch (and isn't even "singing" in parts). Good, but sadly not great.

Snoopy is good, but London's is better........2003-06-22

As a theatre teacher, I have both versions of Snoopy! I recommend the London Version because there are more songs on the recording that are now in the show. Its a good cd if you are looking to hear the original but this cd has piano accompanment only! London's has a band.

From a SNOOPY Expert.......2003-06-20

I'm one of the few lucky (?) souls that have had the opportunity (?) to be a part of SNOOPY: THE MUSICAL. I was Linus, complete with blankie and wisdom beyond my years (?). Yes, praise me, praise me, I endured SNOOPY...but I also bought the CD. Perhaps only a nerd would have the constitution to participate in and then buy an everlasting reminder of this schizophrenic little show.

Still, it's a sweet, subtle production with no social relevance and little ability to inspire anyone. It's nothing more than a vaudeville of Charles Schultz characters that is supremely difficult to be successful with. I mean, please, how plausible is a quintet of 5-year-olds singing about "Edgar Allen Poe" anyway? Still, once you've hurtled the point of annoyance, it's suddenly easy to appreciate the delicious rhymes employed and the hidden maturity of the themes and, sometimes, of the characters (cough cough, Linus).

Why only three stars? Because this recording is inferior to the London recording. I've only heard the other once, but it's an instanteous reaction: realizing that only a rethinking of the original can improve the whole. First, this CD only has piano accompaniment vs. the other's small band. It's surprising how different (and more entertaining) a small ensemble can make of this show. Also, this CD omits "The World According to Snoopy--Reprise" and "Snoopy's Song" for no good reason. The performances aren't particularly appealing either. I found Snoopy's unrefined, wobbly voice unsuited for the dry character and almost cowardly (believe it or not). Linus isn't all too great (I should know, remember?) and suffers from the same lack of confidence that Snoopy does. Not even the famous Pamela Myers could redeem this recording for me: she's too much of a screamer even for the caustic Peppermint Patty. I did like Sally, but she has little material to sing, unfortunately.

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.

Average customer rating:

vintage Hugh Martin score a complete delight

Love from Judy
Original London Cast
Manufacturer: Sepia Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Wish You Were Here/Paint Your Wagon (Original London Cast) and Bonus Tracks
Inside U.S.A./The Band Wagon
Life Upon the Wicked Stage
The Likes of US
Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B0001BRQ96
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Tracks:

Introduction/Mardi Gras/I Never Dream When I'm Asleep/A Touch Of Voodoo - Adelaide Hall
Love From Judy/Daddy Longlegs/What Do I See In You/Here We Are - Johnny Brandon
Go And Get Your Old Banjo/Kind To Animals/I Ain't Gonna Marry - Adelaide Hall
My True Love/Dum-Dum-Dum/Love From Judy - Jean Carson
Bonus Track: A Kiss To Build A Dream On - Bill Lowe
Bonus Track: Hug Me A Hug - Bill Lowe
Bonus Track: Barrels And Barrels Of Roses - Jean Carson
Bonus Track: Slow Coach - Johnny Brandon & Orchestra
Bonus Track: Oodles Of Noodles - Johnny Brandon & Orchestra
Bonus Track: Painting The Clouds With Sunshine - Johnny Brandon & Orchestra
Bonus Track: One For The Wonder - Johnny Brandon & Orchestra
Bonus Track: The Glow Worm - Johnny Brandon & Orchestra
Bonus Track: I'll Be Hangin' Around - Johnny Brandon
Bonus Track: Vanity - Adelaide Hall
Bonus Track: How Many Times - Adelaide Hall
Bonus Track: 'Hans Christian Andersen' - Part 1 - David Hughes
Bonus Track: 'Hans Christian Andersen' - Part 2 - Gary Miller
Bonus Track: 'Peter Pan' - Part 1 - Gilbert Harding
Bonus Track: 'Peter Pan' - Part 2 - Hermione Gingold
Bonus Track: Dancing With Someone - June Whitfield
Bonus Track: Seven Lonely Days - June Whitfield
Bonus Track: Bye Bye Baby - June Whitfield
Bonus Track: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - June Whitfield
Bonus Track: I Ain't Gonna Marry - Eve Boswell & Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

vintage Hugh Martin score a complete delight.......2004-12-23

LOVE FROM JUDY, based on Jean Webster's novel 'Daddy Long Legs', is pure vintage Hugh Martin. The show never made it to Broadway, instead enjoying a sold-out London season and an extensive provincial tour.

Jean Carson played Jerusha Abbott, an orphan at the John Grier Home who is mysteriously supported by a never-named benefactor. June Whitfield, Johnny Brandon, Adelaide Hall and Bill O'Connor round out the strong leading cast. Barbara Windsor played one of the orphans (for some interesting backstage reminisces about LOVE FROM JUDY check out Barbara Windsor's autobiography 'All of Me').

The Hugh Martin-Jack Gray score is quite lovely from what is featured on this disc (the recordings were originally designed to fit 4 sides of a set of 78's). LOVE FROM JUDY runs a scant 20 minutes, so the disc has been filled out with extensive bonus material.

We get Jean Carson singing "A Kiss to Build a Dream On", "Hug Me a Hug" and "Barrels and Barrels of Roses" (on the 2 former tracks she's joined by her then-husband Bill Lowe); Johnny Brandon singing 5 numbers including his mega-hit "Glow Worm"; and Adelaide Hall singing 2 great numbers. June Whitfield sings 5 numbers including two songs from GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES!

There are also selections from the Frank Loesser score of HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN; and a full-cast presentation of numbers from Disney's PETER PAN (both feature Jean Carson and Johnny Brandon).

Average customer rating:

We Love New York

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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New York Songs
New York New York

ASIN: B00006FI86
Release Date: 2002-08-20

Tracks:

And The World Goes 'Round: Theme From New York, New York - Karen Mason
Jerome Robbins' Broadway: Times Square - New York, New York - Paul Gemignani
Follies In Concert: Broadway Baby - New York Philharmonic
Guys And Dolls: The Oldest, Established, Permanent Floating Crap Game In New York - Edward Strauss
42nd Street: Lullaby Of Broadway - Company
42nd Street: 42nd Street - Lee Roy Reams
The Garrick Gaieties: Manhattan - William Bolcom
Ain't Misbehavin': Lounging At The Waldorf - Luther Henderson
Thoroughly Modern Millie: Only In New York - Sheryl Lee Ralph
Strayhorn: Take The 'A' Train - Morgana King
Porgy And Bess: There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York - Skitch Henderson
Stompin' At The Savoy - The New Glenn Miller Orchestra
Spanish Harlem - Tommy Leonetti
Autumn In New York - Bobby Short
Native New Yorker - Odyssey
I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City - Harry Nilsson

Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)

Average customer rating:

A National Treasure
Stritch is superb
Entertaining but grating on the ears
Great Broadway Review
Elaine Stritch at Liberty

Elaine Stritch - At Liberty (2002 Original Broadway Production)
Elaine Stritch , Irving Berlin , John/ Stritch, Elaine Lohr , Porter P. Grainger , Albert Hague , Stephen Sondheim , Carl Sigman , Richard Rodgers , Sir Noel Coward , George Gershwin , Jule Styne , John Campo , and Billy Miller
Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Elaine Stritch at Liberty
Bea Arthur on Broadway - Just Between Friends
Stritch
Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

ASIN: B000060P33
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Tracks:

There's No Business Like Show Business (Berlin)
Caca
I Want a Long Time Daddy (Grainger)
A Piece of Mahler
This Is All Very New to Me (Hague/Horwitt)
Going to New York
Marlon Brando
Broadway Baby (Sondheim)
My First Broadway Show
Civilization (Hilliard/Sigman)
Ethel Merman
Can You Use Any Money Today? (Berlin)
Pal Joey
Zip (Hart/Rodgers)
Ben Gazzara
Nokl Coward
Why Do the Wrong People Travel (Coward)
Richard Burton
But Not for Me/If Love Were All (Gershwin/Gershwin)
I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
Booze
Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
John Bay
There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
God So Quickly
The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
Absent Almost Always
Something Good (Rodgers)

Tracks:

I'm Still Here (Sondheim)
Booze
Little Things You Do Together (Sondheim)
The Ladies Who Lunch (Sondheim)
John Bay
There Was Never a Baby Like My Baby (Comden/Green/Styne)
I've Been to a Marvelous Party (Coward)
God So Quickly
The Party's Over (Comden/Green/Styne)
Absent Almost Always
Something Good (Rodgers)

Amazon.com

Elaine Stritch is a legend and she knows it. And so she came up with a whole one-woman show about the best topic she could think of: her life in the theater. And what a trip it's been. From Ethel Merman to Noel Coward, Stritch has worked with some of the greatest names to grace the American stage, and she has anecdotes about all of them (most are included on this recording). In this show, she hits all the marks with the acuity of a seasoned pro who's seen it all and whose love for the theater remains undiluted. Stritch is not a traditionally pretty singer (those gravelly pipes!), but she absolutely knows how to give life to a song, extracting the last drop of meaning, dropping pauses for effect with deadly accuracy. Sondheim's "Ladies Who Lunch" and "Broadway Baby" will be hers forever, and a case could be made for the hilarious "Zip" (from Pal Joey) and the obscure, spectacularly politically incorrect "Civilization" (from the revue Angel in the Wings) as well. Fittingly, this two-CD set includes "I'm Still Here," which may well be Stritch's motto. If you're looking for a concise yet bewitching history of the musical, this is it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

A National Treasure.......2007-07-05

This double CD is stuffed full of great songs and amazing stories. My favorite stories are of Elaine's date with Marlon Brando, what she thought some lyric are/meant, and her time in Compant. The total honesty that she brings it all together is touching and inspiring.

Very few people have the length or variety of a career that Elaine Stritch has had. I am sure that she has enough stories to do ten more shows.

If you love Broadway then you must buy this CD.

Stritch is superb.......2007-06-27

The only disappointment is that I missed the show live. This is a terrific honest performance by an actor who has a deep well of experience from which to draw. From her early childhood memories, through acting school, her loves, her struggles and more, Ms Stritch weaves a fascinating and completely enthralling story. Ultimately, she lives the songs, rather than just performs and this is what really marks her out.
I am so glad, she's still here!

Entertaining but grating on the ears.......2007-05-11

I've never been able to understand what is so great about Elaine Stritch's singing. It's simple: she can't sing. I've tried and tried to like her, and I do, as an actress, but NOT as a singer. Listening to these CDs, all I hear is a grouchy old lady voice with no vibrato, no range, and no ability to hold notes. If she were to try out for American Idol she would get cringes! I love her humor and honesty, and that's why I bought this, but the voice...ugh.

Great Broadway Review.......2007-04-11

I thoroughly enjoy this collection of stories from her experiences from a teenage girl in Michigan through her career, very funny, some sad and great entertainment.

Elaine Stritch at Liberty.......2007-01-19

Completely entertaining---a bit maudilin in places, but a must have for any Elaine Stritch fan.

Certainly worth the money!

Average customer rating:

Sweet Show
Loved it
Baby Baby Baby... I Chose Right!
Closer than never.
Good, but not stellar

BABY, The New Musical
Original Broadway Cast
Manufacturer: That's Entertainment
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baby: Vocal Selections
Closer Than Ever: Original Cast Recording
The Baker's Wife (Members of the 1976 Original Cast)
Working (Original 1978 Broadway Cast)
Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B000003QT8
Release Date: 1995-07-14

Tracks:

Opening - Kim Criswell
We Start Today - Liz Callaway, Todd Graff
What Could Be Better? - Liz Callaway, Todd Graff
Plaza Song - James Congdon, Beth Fowler
Baby, Baby, Baby - Liz Callaway, James Congdon, , Beth Fowler, Todd Graff, Martin Vidnovic
I Want It All - Liz Callaway, , Beth Fowler
At Night She Comes Home to Me - Todd Graff, Martin Vidnovic
Fatherhood Blues - James Congdon, Todd Graff, Philip Hoffman, Martin Vidnovic,
Romance - Martin Vidnovic
I Chose Right - Todd Graff
Story Goes On - Liz Callaway
Ladies Singing Their Song - Liz Callaway
Patterns - Beth Fowler
Romance II - Martin Vidnovic
Easy to Love - James Congdon
Romance III - Martin Vidnovic
Two People in Love - Liz Callaway, Todd Graff
With You - Martin Vidnovic
And What If We Had Loved Like That? - James Congdon, Beth Fowler
Birth/Finale

Amazon.com

Maltby and Shire's ode to impending parenthood Baby follows three expectant couples: unmarried college students (Liz Callaway, Todd Graff), empty nesters (Beth Fowler, James Congdon), and thirtysomethings who have been trying desperately to conceive (Catherine Cox, Martin Vidnovic). As the couples explore their different reactions to their situation, the songs alternate between humor and heart-tugging drama. In "I Want It All," the women weigh what they want out of their pregnancies and subsequent lives, while the men express their pleasure in the funky "Fatherhood Blues." In the emotional centerpiece of the show, "The Story Goes On," Callaway reacts after feeling her baby kick for the first time, while "The Ladies Singing Their Song" takes a gentle poke at well-meaning advice givers (Sondheim's ladies who lunch at a different phase of life). This long-awaited reissue of the 1983 original Broadway cast recording captures Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations of shimmering strings and sassy brass and also includes Fowler's solo "Patterns," a gem cut from the original production. Leading the strong cast is Callaway, who was nominated for a Tony (as was Graff and the show, score, book, director, and choreographer) and who later went on to star on Broadway as Grizabella in Cats, perform voiceovers for animation (Anastasia, the Aladdin sequels), and rerecord "The Story Goes On" as the title track of her 1995 solo album. This Baby is a most welcome arrival. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Sweet Show.......2006-07-29

Saw the broadway cast a couple days before opening and thought it was a sweet, warm hearted musical that would have played better off-broadway in a smaller venue. Have seen it several times since on smaller stages and was right. Much better as an intimate show than on a large broadway stage. Still, has a delightfully charming score, hits the nail on the head about fears of childbirth. Liz Callaway is wonderful. She should have become bigger on the NY stage. Very enjoyable CD.

Loved it.......2006-03-16

This is one of the best musicals, in my opinion. The only thing better is to see a live performance of the show. Incredible voices sing fabulous music. It is so exciting to listen to!

Baby Baby Baby... I Chose Right!.......2004-10-26

I wasn't familiar with this musical, until I saw a local production of the show few years ago. It quickly became one of my favorite musicals. The songs were very catchy and most of the songs have perceptive and touching lyrics that deal primarily with relationships.

The story is about three couples who have to deal with the prospect of having a baby. One is a college couple (Lizzie and Danny) who just move in together. The other one is a middle-aged couple (Alan and Arlene) who were looking forward to a life without the kids after sending their youngest kid to college. And the last one is a couple (Nick and Pam) having a hard time conceiving. The opening song "We Start Today" brilliantly set upped the premise of the show. All the situations of the three couples were introduced in that song.

"What Could Be Better" is cute and fun song that has an upbeat melody and playful lyrics. Liz and Danny enthusiastically imagine how that "tiny mix up" would be their baby or as they call it a "genetic duet" and a "two part invention". I was surprised that the three "Romance" numbers by Pam and Nick weren't quite as enjoyable in the recording compared to hearing the songs sung in the show.

Another witty song is "I Want It All" where all the three women sang their hearts out about how they want everything. Pam was hysterical with her obsession with motherhood as well as Arlene, the veteran among the three, anticipating the hard work of taking care of a baby. "I Chose Right" is one of the most romantic heartfelt love songs I've heard. Danny sang this to Lizzie before leaving for his band tour. It was a simple song yet it speaks volume about how Danny feels for Lizzie.

Act 1 ended by the powerful "The Story Goes On". This song happened after Lizzie felt her child's first kick. The maternal feelings that eluded her in the first few weeks of her pregnancy finally sink into her consciousness.

"The Ladies Singing Their Song" opened the second act. This is about Liz's observation of how people even those she doesn't know seem to be obsessed with her belly. Other highlights include "Two People in Love" which was sung by Danny and Lizzie in their first meeting after Danny left for the band tour. This is probably the fluffiest song in the album. The lyrics didn't do justice to the very upbeat and catchy music. But this is such a fun song you won't mind the trite lyrics.

"With You" is the duet of Nick and Pam reassuring themselves that a baby doesn't define their relationship. The important thing is that they love each other, with or without a baby in their future. "Easier to Love", Alan's solo, is about how a parent-child love is so much easier because your kid always sees you in your best light. But a love shared between two lovers is much tougher because you see each other eye to eye. You see the person, warts and all. "And What If We Had Loved Like That" is sung by Arlene and Alan reminiscing how their relationship worked out the way they planned yet something still went wrong with their relationship. Then all three couples were joined together for a triumphant finale with their newfound and much healthier perspective with their lives, their relationships, and of course about BABIES.

Grade: A

Closer than never........2003-05-12

This isn't BIG.
This isn't CLOSER THAN EVER.
This certainly isn't STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW.
Liz Callaway soars. Although the ballads are nice (especially 'The Story Goes On'), songs like 'Patterns' and the woman that performs them just break my ears. This certainly isn't the Maltby and Shire I was expecting.
But, hey, it's up to you.

Good, but not stellar.......2002-10-25

Okay, so I'll be honest: BABY, when staged, is a bizarre show. It waltzes breezily in and out of the lives of three multi-generational couples as they stumble down the road to parenthood. Oddly, the CD feels more lucid than actually watching the play, primarily because of the excision of various odd bits of dialogue and very odd scene changes.

The music here ranges from soaring torch-songs (Story Goes On) to rock ballads (I Chose Right) to touching duets (With You) to well-written comedy (Ladies Singing Their Song) to down-right badly written numbers such as Fatherhood Blues (which, despite the title, has not one ounce of bluesy feel, which may have well been the point, but was not carried across, and instead plays like one long song from a bad episode of Barney).

The cast is good, but not great; then again, this is a show from one of the transitional seasons on Broadway (when shows started moving away from crooners toward smaller voices) and it shows. Breakouts include Liz Callaway, who has gone on to garner a bit of fame on her own, and Todd Graff, both of whom were nominated for a Tony for this show (though listening to the CD, you won't understand why). Other members of the cast are okay, despite the total lack of vocal emotion of one cast member in particular.

This is a good CD to have simply because of the odd subject matter and presentation (the show starts out with a "Look Who's Talking"-esque sperm-meets-egg sequence). Those who are looking for under-appreciated music would also enjoy this CD as almost all of the above songs deserve a better (or SOME) reputation in musical theatre circles. But one might look for Maltby & Shire compilation discs instead as some of the performances here are mousy, despite the fun, if rather dated and schmaltzy, orchestrations by Broadway guru Jonathan Tunick.

Tracks:

Overture
Florida
Nice Baby
Looking For A Boy
Lady Luck
When Do We Dance?
These Charming People
That Certain Feeling
Sweet And Low-Down
Finale-Act I
Entr'acte
Our Little Captain
Looking For A Boy
It's A Great Little World!
Nightie-Night!
Tip-Toes
Finale-Act II
Overture
Tell Me More
Tell Me More
Shopgirls And Mannequins
Mr & Mrs. Sipkin
When The Debbies Go By
Three Times A Day
Why Do I Love You?
How Can I Win You Now?
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Finale-Act I
Love Is In The Air
My Fair Lady
In Sardina
Baby!
Finaletto-Act 2
Opening Ensemble
Ukelele Lorelei
Finale-Act II

Amazon.com

This two-CD set collects a couple of shows by George and Ira Gershwin. Both produced in 1925, the two musicals--Tip-Toes and Tell Me More--are fairly obscure and don't boast as many famous songs as contemporary Gershwin offerings such as Oh, Kay! and Lady Be Good. Still, they are bursting with wit, invention, and joie de vivre. Based on a 1998 concert production, Tip-Toes is delicious, and several songs deserve a place in the Gershwin pantheon: the ballad "Looking for a Boy," the love duet "That Certain Feeling," and the rousing dance number "Sweet and Low-Down." The score is also notable for its spectacular writing for duo pianos. Tell Me More is not as immediately accessible (indeed, it had the shortest run of any Gershwin musical, with 32 performances), but it's delivered with élan by its topnotch cast, which includes Sally Mayes, Christine Ebersole, Diane Fratantoni, and David Garrison. Under the expert musical direction of Rob Fisher (from New York's famed Encores! series), this double set is, of course, essential for Gershwin completists. In fact, just about any fan of zany Jazz Age artifacts should relish it. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Tip-Toes, which made its Broadway debut on December 28, 1925, was produced by Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley, who had been the producers of the Gershwins' smash hit Lady, Be Good! the year before. Attempting to repeat that success, they once again combined the same book writers, Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, with the Gershwin brothers. Tip-Toes was well received by audiences and the press, and ran for 194 performances. It was given a subsequent production at the Winter Garden Theatre in London, opening August 31, 1926, running for 181 performances.

One of the most overlooked Gershwin shows, Tell Me More was also the most unlikely of Jazz Age musicals. In an era marked by lavish extravaganzas and brash star vehicles, Tell Me More, which opened on April 13, 1925, relied on charm, modesty, and an impish sense of humor. Because it failed to recoup its investment on Broadway, it was relegated to the list of Gershwin flops; because its score was largely forgotten, it has been widely regarded as a minor effort. In truth, it's a key show. As the only full-length collaboration between George and Ira Gershwin and B.G. DeSylva, it combines the delicacy and grace of the scores George had written earlier in the decade with DeSylva and the bold wit he had pioneered in partnership with his brother Ira four months earlier in Lady, Be Good! The best of both worlds, Tell Me More was a one-of-a-kind achievement.

Customer Reviews:

Gifts from musical theater heaven!.......2005-07-24

The restoration of several complete Gershwin scores in recent years has been a gift from the theater gods. These two shows lack the bite of "Strike Up the Band," "Of Thee I Sing" and other earlier releases, but they have no lack of the Ira's wit and George's effortless melodies. Upbeat tuners "Kickin' the Clouds Away" and "Sweet and Low-Down" are especially engaging, and the authentic-sounding orchestrations lend a nostalgic aura. The first-rate casts seem to be having the time of their lives.

Tell Me More and more and more.......2001-12-07

I bought this CD because I had seen the concert of Tip-Toes, which I found enjoyable if uneven: great songs in Act I and not much in Act II. But for me, the real revelation here is Tell Me More, a totally forgotten Gershwin musical from the Twenties. I only knew one of the songs, "Kickin' the Clouds Away," but this score hits all the right notes, from gently melodic to flat-out funny. And the cast couldn't be better. David Garrison and Christine Ebersole are hugely funny in the comic roles, tossing out their one-liners like the Broadway pros that they are. And what a delight to hear the romantic couple on one of these vintage recordings -- in this case, Diane Fratantoni and Philip Chaffin -- sing just like a real period couple: him with the creamy tenor voice and her with the boop-a-doop flapper sound. Their rendition of "Three Times a Day," a lovely ballad with a Kern-like flavor, is, for me, the highlight of this 2-CD set.

Two restored little Gershwin gems.......2001-11-10

Although the Princess shows of Kern, Bolton and Wodehouse back in 1917 tried to introduce a solid plot into the American musical comedy, the story lines still did not amount to much until "Show Boat " set the standard. So when George and Ira Gershwin opened with two musicals in 1925, the first was based on a mistaken-identity situation already a cliché in the genre (Bolton did the book); and the second (again with Bolton, plus B.D. de Sylva) was about the Florida land boom that also formed the basis of Berlin's "The Coconuts" the very same year.

Both "Tell Me More" and "Tip-Toes" were part of the discovery of many Gershwin manuscripts buried in a New Jersey warehouse; and we can be most thankful to New World Records for restoring the scores and bits of the dialogue in a two-CD boxed set (80598-2). The music is what you would expect from Gershwin: 1920s jazzy with that special core of Gershwin genius. Yes, a good deal of it sounds like Berlin and Kern--as did just about every other contemporary composer except Romberg (who sounded like Herbert). On the other hand, "Kickin' the Clouds Away" from the earlier show seems to be the inspiration for Berlin's "Shakin' the Blues Away" written two years later! "Tell Me More" also does not shy away from ethnic jokes (i.e., mistaking a request to disguise oneself as British for doing so as Yiddish) that do not offend at all. And if we moderns grow impatient with the rich bubbleheads of the F. Scott Fitzgerald crowd, they are still a breath of fresh air after the population of "Miss Saigon" and plays of that sort.

The game casts have voices just right for this sort of characterization and delivery. The "Tip-Toes" production is taken from the Carnegie Hall Concert version and is outstanding.

Tracks:

Stomp The Blues Away - Melba Joyce, Armsted Christian, Victor Pond, Dori Rosenthal, Kimberlee L. Wertz
Roadside - Lynnette Perry, Guy Haines
Lawyers - Gregory Jbarra, Lee Wilkof
One Promise Come True - Glory Crampton
That Man Is Doing His Worst To Make Good - Debbie Shapiro Gravitte
Sleep, Baby, Don't Cry - Sally Mayes
Everything In The World - Jolie Jenkins, Harry Groener
For A Moment Of Your Love - Rebeca Luker
Smashing New York Times - Jason Graae
When It Happens To You - Lynne Wintersteller
The Memory Of Tonight - Carolee Carmello, Gregg Edelman
I Took My Time - Liz Larsen
Run, Run, Run Cinderella - Liz Callaway
Beyond My Wildest Dreams - Michelle Nicastro
The Phantom Of The Opera - Davis Gaines

Customer Reviews:

Smashing Album.......2005-11-11

Any album that gives us Jason Graae singing "Smashing, New York Times" is worth having.

Great singers, not so great music.......2001-12-26

I love hearing songs from forgotten and lost musicals, and I enjoyed Unsung Musicals I, but I was disappointed with this one. "Lawyers" is easily the best song on the CD. Most of the other songs are ballads, and dull ones at that. (Admittedly, I am not a big ballad fan.) Looks like Bruce Kimmel's song selection process kind of flattened out here. Why, for example, did they choose a ballad from Foxy, when by all accounts the songs originally sung by Bert Lahr in that show were a lot of fun? On the other hand, the singers are very respectable and always worth listening to. Glory Crampton definitely needs more leading roles! My advice is to listen to the song snippets first, to determine if these songs are your thing.

Once again, unsung perhaps, but often wonderful.......2001-02-15

This is the second fine CD in the series of three. These selections may be songs that are not well known from shows in the same category, but some of these are real gems, sung by fine show singers. My favorites are "Lawyers" (from A Broadway Musical), "Everything in the World" (The Yearling), "Smashing New York Times" (also A Broadway Musical), "Run Cinderella" (Foxy), and "Phantom of the Opera" (title song from the Rupert Holmes show). There was a third CD in this series. If its not longer available, they should reissue it. Its on a par with the other two in the series.

A Must-Have for Musical Fans.......2000-03-25

The Unsung Musicals albums are a treasure for those who are "mega-fans" of musical theatre. All the songs share the tragic fate of being in a musical that just never made it on the Great White Way.

Some of the songs are somewhat cloying, such as "One Promise Come True." However, there are also some real gems, such as "Lawyers," which has some clever rhymes and a catchy tune. You also get the added bonus of hearing some great singers perform such as Sally Mayes, Rebecca Luker and Davis Gaines.

Tracks:

Sinbad: Swanee - Al Jolson
George White's Scandals Of 1920: The Songs Of Long Ago - Lester O'Keefe
Mayfair And Montmartre: Please Do It Again - Alice Delysia
George White's Scandals Of 1922: I Found A Four-Leaf Clover - Paul Whitman Orchestra
George White's Scandals Of 1922: I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise - Paul Whitman Orchestra
George White's Scandals Of 1922: I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise - The Original Piano Trio
George White's Scandals Of 1923: The Life Of A Rose - Charles Dornberger Orchestra
Little Miss Bluebeard: I Won't Say I Will - Irene Bordoni
George White's Scandals Of 1924: Somebody Loves Me - Tom Patricola
Primrose: Overture - Winter Garden Theatre Orchestra/John Ansell
Primrose: The Countryside - Percy Hemming
Primrose: When Toby Is Out Of Town - Leslie Henson
Primrose: Some Far-Away Someone - Percy Heming/Margery Hicklin
Primrose: The Mophams - Leslie Henson/Heather Tatcher/Thomas Weguelen
Primrose: I'll Have A House Iin Berkeley Square - Margery Hicklin/Claude Hulbert
Primrose: Boy Wanted - Heather Thatcher
Primrose: Mary, Queen Of Scots - Leslie Henson
Primrose: Wait A Bit, Susie - Percy Heming
Primrose: Naughty Baby - Margery Hicklin
Primrose: Ballet Music - Winter Garden Theatre Orchestra
Primrose: That New-Fangled Mother Of Mine - Leslie Henson
Primrose: I Make Hay When The Moon Shines - Heather Thatcher

Music:

Music

Music