Mayor: The Musical original cast album broadcast on Sirius Radio

So occasionally I have access to a car that has Sirius Radio service, and I've enjoyed listening to much of what is broadcast on "Broadway's Best Channel 77." Today I happened to be in my friend's car while they broadcast the complete cast album of Mayor: The Musical. So it's another vehicle (pun intended) for expanding my Year.

It's the high-flying 80s and Mayor Ed Koch is shaking up the establishment in New York City. According to the Broadway database, this show only ran for 70 performances, which surprises me, because the lyrics are hysterical and the premise funny. And I'm not even a New Yorker.

Maybe it cut a little too close to home, since Koch was still Mayor when this show opened in 1985. Some of the humor is lost on me because it involves local issues or New York personalities of the time. The best songs are those that poke fun at attributes of the City or it inhabitants. Maybe that's what cut a little too close?

Lenny Wolpe is a good singer but isn't given the best stuff to sing here. The funniest stuff is for the chorus: "You Can Be A New Yorker, Too!" and "March of the Yuppies", the latter which lampoons Koch's clean-up of the City.

Mayor: The Musical
Music lyrics by Charles Strouse (he redeems himself for imflicting Annie on us!)
Book by Warren Leight
Cast: Lenny Wolpe, Nancy Giles (who you may know as a commentator for CBS Sunday Morning), Ilene Kristen

Big River Original Broadway Cast Recording

I can't believe I've never seen this show, because I love a lot of the music in it. But Big River The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has somehow escaped my viewing. The cast album has a lot to offer the imaginative listener though, as well as any fans of gospel, blues, and country music. Roger Miller's music enhances the world of the story and gives it a true American feel. Hard to believe it was his first musical score. But the good liner notes by producer Rocco Landesman tell the story of the show's creation quite well.

Like Man of La Mancha, this score has a lot of wonderful music for small ensembles, the duets between Huck and Jim at the forefront. It's so nice to hear actual harmonies being sung! And the song "Muddy Water" is quite infectious. John Goodman (in his pre-"Roseanne" days) gives a wonderful turn in a blues-song as Huck's drunk father.

While there is a good synopsis of the story including how the songs fit in, there is not a definitive track listing with performers for that song listed. Therefore, I'm not certain who sings the wonderful solo arrangement of "How Blest We Are"--maybe Patti Cohenour who portrays Mary Jane Wilkes. Also the female solo singer on "The Crossing" isn't listed. Mr. Miller should apologize to these two women, because they do his music proud.

Big River The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Music and Lyrics by Roger Miller
Book by William Hauptman
Original Broadway Cast recording
Recording in 1985 and released on MCA Records
Cast: Daniel Jenkins, Ron Richardson, John Short, John Goodman, Bob Gunton, Rene Auberjonois, Patti Cohenour