Anne of Green Gables [Cast Recording]

Original Cast Recording (Artist), Gretchen Ford (Composer), Nancy Cryer (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 9, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: JAY Records
• ASIN: B001MS4RP8
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,784 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Around The Bend

2. Pretty Kettle Of Fish

3. I Can Stay

4. It's The Strangest Thing

5. Kindred Spirits

6. Making Up For Lost Time

7. Use Of The Colon/Two Weeks

8. It Was Not Because Of Gilbert Blythe

9. Drunk!

10. Clock Keeps Ticking

11. It's The Strangest Thing (Reprise)

12. First Day At The Academy/It's Nice To Know

13. Graduation

14. Matthew's Death

15. Around The Bend (Reprise)

16. Making Up For Lost Time (Reprise)/Finale

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully performed and cleverly musicalized, July 22, 2010

By 

JSC - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anne of Green Gables (Audio CD)

I was lucky enough to see this production when it debuted in New York City at the lovely and intimate off-Broadway Lucille Lortel Theatre. Something that all the reviews on here fail to realize is that the show was cast for older performers due to the years that the characters have to span and the fact that the show was to be toured across the United States. The show begins with Anne as a 12-year-old and ends with her as a university-graduate soon-to-be teacher. (In fact, the actors playing Marilla, Matthew and Rachel were far younger than their characters.) It's the suspension of disbelief that we all are faced with in the theatre. (Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth weren't REALLY high schoolers when they starred in WICKED, either.)

Much of the music remains on the CD and while it might seem to be "frenetic" the show was written to be suitable for young audiences and had to be under 90 minutes to be produced by TheatreWorks. That's a lot of story to tell in such a short time. The show was originally 2 hours, from what I've been told, which would allow much more "breathing space" musically. As far as the score is concerned, Gretchen Cryer and Nancy Ford are a rare pair of sparkling theatre gems. Ms. Ford's sound is sophisticated without being snobby or unapproachable. Her score is palatable and tuneful with melodies that are easy on the ear but fit the characters individually and help to move the story along in time and emotion. (For instance, notice how Anne's first song at the academy makes use of an almost "ragtime" chromaticism which illustrates her struggling with a new place and new emotions. Stunning!) Ms. Cryer very artfully weaves much of the original text in her lyrics, allowing for their language to be a primary means of characterization over book scenes, due to time constraints. The marriage of music and lyric is seamless and far from clunky. Here we have a prime, first-rate example of craftily written theatre music that shines with honesty, drama, wit, and poignancy. There are a great many contemporary musical theatre writers that could learn from this pair. They employ what is still applicable and necessary of the old style of writing, while still creating work that pushes the contemporary listener. It's a beautiful balance.

The performances on this album are gorgeous. Every actor has a wonderful clarity of sound and easy control over their instruments. It's also evident that they're excellent actors not simply through the music, but in the little snippets of scenes that are included. Piper Goodeve was sensational on the stage and it's a joy to hear her on this record. She rarely had a moment to leave the stage and commanded the show with ease and grace. Even to listen to the album you hear her fantastic journey from creative, precocious youth to mature, caring adult. And she has a powerhouse voice!

I think that with a world filled with pop musical theatre crap, musicals such as ANNE OF GREEN GABLES deserve more time and attention. A show constructed out of true talent and craft, AoGG is a delightful piece of work that should live on for a long time. Collaborations such as Ford and Cryer can transcend time with works that resonate deep within the soul.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Give it another listen, July 2, 2010

By 

Angie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Anne of Green Gables (Audio CD)

I read the other reviews about this CD before I bought it, and believe me, I am glad I was counting on my intuition only because otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it and I would have missed some music that I really like.
True, the singers on this record sound way too old for their parts, but I listened to it open mindedly and figured it really made sense that Marilla and Matthew would take a much older girl under their care. After all, they were old enough to have grandchildren, and if I were their age (I have enough time until then), I really wouldn't want to bother to start educating a little girl. Plus, the songs are quite complex (in their lyrics, I mean) and not easy enough for children to perform them.
About the orchestration: in my opinion, the frame-story is relatively a simple one, really warm and personal, and the bombastic sort of sound really couldn't fit in. The piano arrangement brought simplictity and feeling of domestity that fits the story of Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Don't blame the singers about anything - I really think they did a fantastic job (I'm a singer myself, I can tell) and my only regret about purchasing this CD is that I won't ever get to see the actual show - since it won't ever come to the country I live in. Oh well, at least I have space for imagination about what happens on stage when I listen to it...
So give it a chance, don't judge things before you try them on yourselves, and have a nice trip to PEI!

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A frenetic score, populated with miscast voices., January 17, 2009

By 

The Music Man "If I Cannot Fly, Let Me Sing" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anne of Green Gables (Audio CD)

This new recording of a new musical version of Anne of Green Gables suffers from a couple of major flaws: the score is frenetic without respite, substituting speed and fast-paced lyrical patter in substitute of humor or charm. The lyrics, by Gretchen Cryer, are often forced, and put words into the characters mouths that sound older than they're written. The music, by Nancy Ford, struggles to place notes for all the over-written lyrics, and although written with intelligence, none of the melodies are striking, or memorable after hearing them. (And shouldn't a musical about Anne Of Green Gables be filled with lovely melodies?). The final nail in the coffin for me is the singers - the singers all sound TOO OLD for their parts, with the children parts all sounding as if they're in their late twenties. The fault again lies with the score, which is written for performers who are more accomplished - it's as if the authors were trying to fit a Stephen Sondheim musical framework onto a book that cries out for a Richard Rodgers - it just doesn't work. The orchestration is mostly just piano, with the occasional wind or string instrument adding a little color. If you're looking for a good "Anne Of Green Gables" musical, check out the Norman Campbell version, which, to my tastes, is far closer to the spirit of the source material than this.