Customer Reviews

Annie (1977 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

My high school recently performed Annie, and I was cast in the role of Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks. When I found out what part I got, I went out and purchased all three of the available Annie soundtracks and cast albums. I bought the soundtrack from the 1982 movie, the 1999 movie, and the 1977 original Broadway cast CDs. I have closely listened to all of them and here is what I think.

If you can't decide which one to pick from chose, the original Broadway cast. On this CD you get all of the songs from the musical plus many you get cut songs. The only thing about the cut songs is Martin Charnin, who is the lyricist, does not have a very good voice. Now, if you absolutely love either movie version, I suggest you go with them even though they don't have all of the songs from the musical. The 1982 soundtrack is horrible. That one leaves many songs out.

Andrea McArdle is a wonderful Annie. Her "Tomorrow" is very moving. Reid Shelton, I think, is the best "Daddy" Warbucks. Albert Finney, who was in the 1982 movie, is second, and Victor Garber, who was in the 1999 movie, is last. Reid Shelton has the perfect voice, commanding when it needs to be and soft when it needs to be soft. If you like Carol Burnett in the 1982 movie then you will love Dorothy Loundon on this CD! Please buy this CD! You won't regret it!

From the time I first saw this show in community theater when I was seven, I have been in love with it. It may seem silly to say, but it spawned my interest in theater, musicals, and history! This is a musical that can bring a smile to the faces of the most bitter people. Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin outdid themselves with the charasmatic music and lyrics. "Tommorrow" is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and was actually the last song from a Broadway show to become a standard. The cast is lead with great passion by Andrea McArdle as the title character, Dorothy Loudon as a delightfully wicked Miss Hannigan, Reid Shelton as Warbucks, orphans that aren't sappy (a great achievment), and a quality ensemble (listen for Laurie Beechmen as "The Star to Be" during the "NYC" number). Annie was the first CD I ever owned, and i've listened to it hundreds of times. Take it from me: It's a keeper!

"Annie" has a nice score, with several memorable numbers. Unfortunately, this recording is only so-so and needs improvement.

The cast (esp. Andrea McArdle & Dorothy Loudon) is excellent!

Best tracks of this 1977 musical include:

Maybe
It's A Hard-Knock Life
Tomorrow
Little Girls
I Don't Need Anything But You

I cannot imagine what Sony or their sad, sad technicians were thinking - or NOT thinking when they "remastered" this great musical. I HOPE - and one can only hope - whomever it was that "remastered" this music (and I can't imagine why they would call it re-MASTERED) that they got FIRED afterwards or went back to basic recording school. MASTERING a musical CD means that you check your levels and balance - something they either forgot to do or were too busy talking while they should have been listening to what they were doing. Did Sony imagine they'd be able to sell this on it's own merits...that being an attractive, well known, sell-able music CD of a charming musical - while duping the buying public (sadly ME included) that it would be something worth having for any Broadway music collection?? Well I was most assuredly fooled. Even with my cheap (Sony by the way) 2 track tape deck could have come up with better than this rendition. I just cannot abide that some highly technical "master" of recording equipment couldn't fix this before the thing was committed to a glass cd master to be cut in quantity, offered and distributed as a "remastered" version that SHOULD have been BETTER than the original but sadly isn't even close. I thankfully, still have a cassette tape version of this musical from when it was first released many years ago and prefer that to this impossible display of cd "mastering" I have EVER heard - and I've heard a lot of quality remastered CD's - but this isn't one of them. THE ONLY saving grace of this CD is some of the extras that have been included. But not at full price..if you ask me. Think twice or at least understand at the outset what you're getting....a very poorly "rekindled - NOT remastered" CD that has some singers sounding as if the "technicians" forgot to bring up the volume on those tracks. Pretty sad, pretty sad. Disappointing. Love the musical - HATE the lousy CD.

I had the original performance on tape so I was really excited to see this "digitally remastered" on CD (with bonus tracks to boot). I know the songs very well--which characters sang and at what time. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!
On "It's the Hard-Knock Life" you can't even hear some of the orphans in the background. The same is true for "NYC", "We'd Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover" and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" just to name a few (you can't even hear the men singing, just mumbling).
Not the best rendition out there.

I couldn't wait to get this CD. I was even more thrilled to find it had been "Digitally Remastered". It was "Digitally Destroyed". When it comes time to hear key lyric phrases of most of the songs, it sounds like the singer is in the next run trying to be heard. I don't know what Sony did to this recording, but had I known I would have never purchased this CD. The sound will come out . . . Tomorrow????

Many dismiss "Annie" as a perky kiddie show. Though they are not entirely wrong, this CD shows that the musical really has an excellent score. Besides "Tomorrow" and "Hard Knock Life," there are great songs like "Something was Missing," "Easy Street" and "NYC," that are largely forgotten for one reason or another. This is an excellent addition of the CD that includes a full synopsis and story of how the show came to be. The CD also comes with some interesting bonus tracks and explanations of why the songs were cut. This CD is a must-have for anyone who is even remotly interested in musical theater.

The most famous song from Annie is perhaps "Tomorrow," and perhaps for good reason, and if you haven't heard Andrea McCardle sing it, you haven't really heard the song. But there are plenty of other good reasons to own this disc: All of the songs are great (including, or perhaps especially, the ones that were not in the film version), the performers are top-notch, and the disc sounds every bit as much fun as the show itself was. While the bonus material on the remastered version is fine, it's mostly unnecessary, as the rest of the show is that good. A wonderful disc, don't miss out on this, whether you're a fan of musicals or not.

The musical is charming, but this recording of the musical is awful. In fact, it is the worst recording of anything I have ever heard. It sounds like one microphone was used to record the CD live on stage, so that the singers sound louder or softer depending on where they were standing on stage. Not only does this lead to awful sounding duets, but even soloists sound at times like they are 100 feet from the microphone. Avoid this recording like the plague.

If you havent heard "Annie" but the CD. Its worth it. I can't say its the best show out there, but its a classic and rightfully so. This soundtrack also comes with bonous tracks which are such a treat, so this is the version of annie to get. Also all the voices on this CD are great, not so in all versions. My Favorite song is "Something Was Missing."