Customer Reviews

Dames At Sea (1968 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When you hear "they don't write shows like that anymore", this genre of musical certainly falls into the category.

As a pastiche or send up or if taken with deep seriousness, Dames At Sea charms and delights with comedy songs, love songs, rollicking tap numbers and everything between, befitting the period of the 1930s.

The orchestration by a then fledgling Jonathan Tunick who went on to fame and fortune as Sondheims principal arranger, richly conjures up movie sound tracks of the period in the most tasteful and legitimate manner. Incidently the orchestrations were written just for the recording since the original Off-Broadway production used only two pianos and a drum/percussion set up. The overture alone is worth the price of the CD.

What can be said about Bernadette Peters debut performance that hasn't been said? Only that despite many revivals, TV adaptations and so on, she remains the quintessential Ruby at the start of a brilliant career.

...The London cast can't sing at alllllll!!!!!!!! They all go off key and have no vibrado (SP) and they are singing incorrectly. The only two people that are better on the London CD then on the off broadway cast CD are the people who play the parts of Mona and Lucky. If you are doing the show I suggest highly on getting borh CDs because the london cast CD is closer to the vocal/musical score but the off broadway CD sounds alot better and is a good refference tool in getting into character (There was a tv movie made of this show, but there is no way to buy it). I know this because I'm in the show right now. Trust me, if you just want to listen to it, buy this CD. If you are in the show, buy both london and off-broadway.

If you love Bernadette Peters, you cannot miss this recording of her delicious B'way debut. "Dames At Sea" is a loving tribute to all of the corny 1940's musicals starring the likes of Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. Peters stars as Ruby (not Keeler), the girl from "Centerville, USA" who literally gets off the bus in NYC with "a pair of tap shoes in her suitcase and a song in her heart." She starts off a chorus girl and guess what . . . she ends up a star. True to the genre, there's a fabulous diva villainess, a couple of cute sailors on leave and Joan, the high-kicking, wise-cracking hoofer with a heart o' gold. The songs are terrific even if the authentic period orchestrations seem a bit skimpy on this recording. It's a short, delightful show that you'll find a charming listen from start to finish.

"Dames at Sea" was surprisingly enjoyable listening. The plot is eerily similar to that of "42nd Street" (a girl in the ensemble steps in for the indisposed star of the show, and becomes a star herself), though "Dames at Sea" preceeded the other musical. Bernadette Peters' voice really stands out in this recording: it is as distinctive and bright as it is in the better-known "Into the Woods". The music is bouncy and quite entertaining; however, many of the songs sound like those from other musicals, whether preceding or following. "It's Raining in my Heart" has the same first 4 notes and intervals as "Lovely Ladies", from "Les Miserables", while "Choo-Choo Honeymoon" sounds vaguely like part of "Letter Song", from "The Secret Garden". "Dames at Sea" is very much like "There Ain't Nothing Like a Dame" from "South Pacific" (not in notes, but in the setting of the scene), and "Broadway Baby" has the same opening as "You are My Lucky Star" from "Singin' in the Rain", to the point that I think that it was a deliberate spoof. Still, the sound quality is good, the music is fun, and it's refreshing to leave the new millennium and step into a bit of 30's nostalgia.

what a wonderful recording. while some of the vocalists are a tad uneven, all of ms. peters' numbers glisten. she is amazing in her recording debut. a true gem.

People keep saying that this play is a spoof on the (boring) theme of a small town girl who goes to make it big in the big city. In what way is it a spoof? Does being an even more shallow version of an already shallow theme make something a spoof? Doesn't something also have to ridicule its subject in order to be a spoof?

Everything about this is a rip-off. This entire play is completely unoriginal--even the music is stolen. If it had been done today, the songwriter would have been sued for stealing parts of the composition.

Jim Wise who wrote the music is not well known for any original musical scores is he? That is a no talent copying people who did have talent, otherwise known as plagiarism or theft when it is passed off as your own instead of credited to the original author. And what else notable did George Haimsohn or Robin Miller write? The only reason their script isn't plagiarism is because you can't plagiarize a general theme. You may copy a theme you have seen elsewhere as much as you like. They are all three one hit wonders and their one hit was THIS.

Being a poorly done version of something else does not entitle it to be called a critique of the original. Some of the cast along the years have been amazing performers with remarkable stage presence. They still don't save this wreck of a play for me.

I'm not a huge fan of Broadway musicals, but Dames at Sea is one of my favorite things. If you already know the show, then you should love this CD. If you're not familiar with Dames, it opened WAY off Broadway in 1968 and was a spoof of those 1930's era movie musicals. The songs are melodic and catchy, and if you don't take them too seriously, endearing in a silly way. This show was early in Bernadette Peters career and helped shine a light on her considerable talent, but everyone in the huge cast of four were great. For someone like myself who's musical tastes lean more toward hard rock, this album is a serious departure and a bit of a guilty pleasure. If one of my friends pulls it from my collection with a look on their face that says, "what the hell's this?", I just say it was one of my mom's, but I may just play a cut or two for them before I put it back in it's place. There wasn't much of an orchestra originally -- more like a small four piece, but this recording was arranged by Jonathan Tunick (whom I guess is some big shot arranger). In any case the music's great. I've never heard the London revival album, but this was the original cast which had the NY theatre crowd talking about this little show, and it's the version I've always loved. It's silly, but wonderful.

I did this show for my middle school and it was impossible to find the soundtrack. But the show is a great one spoofing 42nd Street and Gold Diggers of 1933 at the same time. It's the typical storyline of a chorus girl from Anytown USA coming to help a failing show that ends up her being the star. A good show and a good soundtrack

In 1970, when other kids were buying Three Dog Night and Iron Butterfly albums, I had to order this album special from my neighborhood record shop and soon wore out the vinyl grooves and knew every lyric and every note by heart. I had seen the show and found the music to be dear and fun and engaging, and I found the the trumpet-like voice of Bernadette Peters to be a total revelation. I was 12 then, and learning this music turned me on to so much which still gives me joy: musicals, the 30s, old movies and Miss Peters. How nice to add this classic to my CD collection. Also love the performances on the album of Joseph R. Sicari and Tamara Long. Great stuff!

DAMES AT SEA is probably best-remembered as the musical which brought Bernadette Peters to the attention of the theatre-going public. It opened at the off-Broadway Bouwerie Lane Theatre before moving to the Theatre de Lys, where it notched up a not-too-shabby 575 performances.

The musical was written as an homage to the simpler, glitzier musicals of the 1930s. The George Haimsohn/Robin Miller/Jim Wise score captures the innocence of the period, with superb tunes like "It's You", "Singapore Sue", "Raining in My Heart" and "Choo-Choo Honeymoon".

Bernadette Peters gives a hint of the magic that was just around the corner with "The Sailor of My Dreams". Only 4 years later she was wowing Broadway with her acclaimed performance in MACK AND MABEL. In the 1980s, she was showcased as the leading lady in several new musicals by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Stephen Sondheim (winning a Tony for Sondheim's SONG AND DANCE). In 1998 she returned to Broadway in a lavish revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (winning a Tony) and returned to Broadway this year for a revival of GYPSY.

DAMES AT SEA also includes great performances from David Christmas, Tamara Long (LORELEI), Steve Elmore (COMPANY), Sally Stark and Joseph R. Sicari.

For Bernadette Peters fans and fans of Broadway musicals, this cast album is a must-own. Highly-recommended.