I take back everything I've written and thought about the value of studio cast recordings. This 1992 recording of Brigadoon--by the London Sinfonietta and an international cast of theater and opera singers conducted by John McGlinn-- is a treat. It's so nice to hear all the dance music included on the disc. While I love many of the songs from this show, the dance music is wonderful and really captures the character of the show for me (as you might be able to tell from this picture with me as Harry Beaton in 1984).
Broadway performers Brent Barrett and Rebecca Luker star as American Tommy Albright and Brigadoonian Fiona MacLaren. They would have qualified as young performers in 1992, and both continue to have good careers on stage; their singing here tells you why that is. Even if Mr. Barrett's baritone is not exactly as robust as some of my favorite singers, he handles Tommy's rangy songs with aplomb.
British tenor John Mark Ainsley takes the role of Charlie Dalrymple, who sings "I'll go Home with Bonnie Jean" and the beautiful "Come to Me, Bend to Me". His bright and easy tenor sound is exactly right for these songs, and he caresses the high note at the end of "Come to Me" beautifully. It is so nice to hear a true tenor in a musical theater work.
The extensive liner notes include the interesting story of how this show came about and some information on the backgrounds of Lerner and Loewe. I was particularly interested to read about Agnes de Mille's involvement in the creation of the original production. Thanks to her input (and the successes she had choreographing Oklahoma! and Carousel), Brigadoon tells a lot of it's story through dance. And that's where the real flavor of the show comes to me.
Brigadoon
Music by Frederick Loewe
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
1992 Studio Recording with the Ambrosia Chorus and the London Sinfonietta
Conducted by John McGlinn
Released by Broadway Angel Records
Cast: Brent Barrett, Rebecca Luker, Judy Kaye, John Mark Ainsley
Broadway performers Brent Barrett and Rebecca Luker star as American Tommy Albright and Brigadoonian Fiona MacLaren. They would have qualified as young performers in 1992, and both continue to have good careers on stage; their singing here tells you why that is. Even if Mr. Barrett's baritone is not exactly as robust as some of my favorite singers, he handles Tommy's rangy songs with aplomb.
British tenor John Mark Ainsley takes the role of Charlie Dalrymple, who sings "I'll go Home with Bonnie Jean" and the beautiful "Come to Me, Bend to Me". His bright and easy tenor sound is exactly right for these songs, and he caresses the high note at the end of "Come to Me" beautifully. It is so nice to hear a true tenor in a musical theater work.
The extensive liner notes include the interesting story of how this show came about and some information on the backgrounds of Lerner and Loewe. I was particularly interested to read about Agnes de Mille's involvement in the creation of the original production. Thanks to her input (and the successes she had choreographing Oklahoma! and Carousel), Brigadoon tells a lot of it's story through dance. And that's where the real flavor of the show comes to me.
Brigadoon
Music by Frederick Loewe
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
1992 Studio Recording with the Ambrosia Chorus and the London Sinfonietta
Conducted by John McGlinn
Released by Broadway Angel Records
Cast: Brent Barrett, Rebecca Luker, Judy Kaye, John Mark Ainsley
2 comments:
In the space of two days, you included both Brigadoon (once every hundred years...) and Damn Yankees ! Is this a veiled message to all of us Cub fans?
Careful readers may interprete my inclusion of these shows as support for a certain team. Readers who know me realize that I don't follow the cricket so much.
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