Customer Reviews

Babes In Arms (1989 Broadway Revival Cast)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The prototype of all those lets-put-on-a-show musicals, BABES IN ARMS contains some of Rodgers and Hart's greatest songs. Originally written in 1937, the score boasted not only the Rodgers and Hart score but choreography by George Balanchine and orchestrations by the venerable Hans Spialek. (How's that for pedigree?)

What's really nice about this recording is the ability it affords us to hear the songs in their original orchestrations. The famous songs of the show, WHERE OR WHEN, MY FUNNY VALENTINE, JOHNNY ONE NOTE and THE LADY IS A TRAMP have received so many individual interpretations over the past 61 years that it is a real treat to hear the songs as they first sounded when introduced by the youthful cast in April 1937. And we get almost the entire score with the one exception of a song that is considered politically incorrect these days. (It's too bad because that song is also a winner.)

The singing on the album is full of character, even if it lacks some punch. Perhaps that is a bit too much to ask. However, for all those who wish to get an idea of what musicals sounded like back then, this album is highly recommended. And for dance aficionados it should be a lot of fun to hear the JOHNNY ONE NOTE dance number and imagine what Balanchine did with it.

BABES IN ARMS suffers from a hopelessly outdated book but it contains a cornucopia of hit songs. Until now the only recording was the 1951 Columbia studio cast recording with Mary Martin (not on CD until the year 2000). This is a light, sweet and haunting recording with the original orchestrations. Performances are fine as is the sound and conducting. The hit songs (MY FUNNY VALENTINE, THE LADY IS A TRAMP, WHERE OR WHEN, I WISH I WERE IN LOVE AGAIN, JOHNNY ONE-NOTE) are wonderfully done - a sweet package.

People who listen to this wonderful recording jump to the conclusion that the show is an overlooked classic. It isn't. The score is jam packed with standards, but the book... the book is a mess! Filled with unfunny jokes, sub-plots that go nowhere and bits of business that I doubt were even entertaining in 1937. Despite a slew of good reviews BABES had trouble attracting audiences until suddenly in teh summer it was the ONLY musical running on Broadway, and that helped it achieve a healthy run of 289 performances. But the show will never be revived except in concert.

Evans Haile is the real star hear, conducting the original orchestrations which swing in the best late 1930s tradition. The extended Ballet "Peter's Dream" is a bit repetitive but the rest of teh CD is pure gold. Really, this is the best way to enjoy BABES IN ARMS.

CORRECTION: The listing says "1989 Broadway Revival Cast" - it wasn't a revival: just a concert version.

It was refreshing to hear these songs in their original form. I actually could make out the lyrics to songs like Where or When and The Lady Is a Tramp.I also love Johnny One Note and Way Out West (On Western Avenue). I listen to the CD over and over and over. I would recommend it to anyone.

The score for Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's 1937 musical BABES IN ARMS is practically a catalog of hit songs: "Where or When," "I Wish I Were in Love Again," "My Funny Valentine," "Johnny One-Note," "The Lady Is a Tramp." Even the less popular numbers "Imagine," "All at Once," "You Are So Fair," and the title song are of fine quality (only "Way Out West" is slightly silly). The singers on this 1989 studio recording are all excellent vocalists (Judy Blazer and Judy Kaye particularly so), yet their voices are fresh and youthful-sounding enough for the juveniles -- "babes in arms" -- they are meant to be playing. But the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Evans Haile, is the real star of the recording. As the booklet notes explain, the show's original orchestrations have here been recreated, and the result is a charming sound that is authentically 1930's. As far as the orchestra is concerned, this is BABES IN ARMS as Rodgers and Hart themselves originally heard it.

This record takes me back to a time that was generally terrible, but the quality of the music in this show was very good indeed. This specific cast record is very good, and the voices in this 1989 revival cast are much better than current popular music. I world recommend this record to anyone who wants to hear Broadway at its best.

Marvelous studio recording. Wish there were more of these of long lost shows.

My brothers school put this play on recently and I just had to see it twice. I love it so much and hopefully will get the Cd soon.

My school put this play on (except it had the 1959 book) and I loved the way they acted. The songs, "Way out West" and "The Lady is a Tramp" are clever, witty, and truly define Lorenz Hart's style. I loved Kara Eickolt's version of "My Funny Valentine" (she sang it at my school) in which she sang a more demure, more "feminine" song. It was much more beautiful than the woman on the CD's tomboyish version. All in all, get this CD!