Customer Reviews

I Do! I Do! (1966 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1967,''I Do! I Do!'' was more of a musical EVENT than a musical. Schmidt and Jones wrote this musical adaption of the play ''The Fourposter'' with one goal in mind - to unite two of Broadway's then-greatest stars, Mary Martin and Robert Preston. Martin signed on from the start but Preston took some convincing. Unique in the annals of musical theatre, ''I Do! I Do!'' is the antithesis of the standard lavish Broadway musical. With only two stars, no chorus, and one set, it marked the beginning of a minimalist period which continued well into the 1980's. This show is all about two things - the stars and the music. What a delightful pairing Martin and Preston make! This cast album was recorded only two days before the show opened and despite Martin not being in her very best voice, it all works. The score is diverse in style to showcase its two performers and there are many terrific songs. From the wedding night innocence of ''Goodnight'', to the hat-and-cane sophistication of ''It's A Well-Known Fact'', to the fun vamping of ''Flaming Agnes'', to the bouncey ''When The Kids Get Married'', to the 11:00 ballad ''What Is A Woman?'', there is something for all musical tastes. A side note: ''I Do! I Do!'' gets slammed often (and arguably justified) for a weak book and thin characterizations. For that reason, this little gem of a show and staple of many a dinner-theatre is seldom produced anymore. Too bad. I recently had the pleasure of directing and starring in a community theatre production of this show and the audience LOVED it. Everyone has been involved in relationships or gotten married - many have suffered through affairs, the angst of raising children, and some are lucky enough to grow old together. The show is somewhat dated but many of the themes are timeless. It's ALL here in this wonderful score and worthy of your attention! ENJOY!

This CD is wonderful! I'm a huge fan of Mary Martin, which is why I bought it in the first place, and I'm becoming a fan of Robert Preston as well. Both of them shine on this recording. Mary Martin isn't in best voice, but her vitality and acting ability make her's a 5-star performance anyway. The songs themselves are great, ranging from beautiful to hilarious, bitter to sweet, often all in the same song. My personal favorite is "Nobody's Perfect." Mary Martin's "SOMEONE has STOLEN my socks!" is not to be missed, and the same goes for almost every other line on this fantastic CD!

I first sow the show locally and fell in love with the catchy lyrics and up beat music. Mary Martin sings wonderfully and her personallity shines right through. Though Robert Preson lacks the flair of Harold Hill (the music man) his performance is wonderful too. If you like original works that people haven't even heard of this would be one you need in your colection. What else could you ask for? It is Two of Broadways best stars on the same CD.

One of the biggest Broadway hits of the late-60's, I DO! I DO! featured tour-de-force turns from stage veterans Mary Martin and Robert Preston. Based on Jan de Hartog's THE FOURPOSTER (which originally starred husband-and-wife team Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy), the score was written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. The story follows a married couple from the wedding to retirement, and is a total delight. From the frenzied opening of "Together Forever/I Do! I Do!", to the jittery honeymoon ("Goodnight"), to parenthood ("When the Kids Get Married") and the sobering realisation of the passing of time ("This House").

Mary Martin (in her first big Broadway show following the flop of JENNIE) and Robert Preston (following the lukewarm success of BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS) imbue their characters with life and vitality to spare. This is a fabulous show and excellent cast album. I DO! I DO! ran for 561 performances.

When you have Mary Martin and Robert Preston and very clever and charming score, well success was a no-brainer. Actually back in 1967 my then girlfriend bought us tickets for my 18th birthday. Robert Preston was my hero and he didn't disappoint. He and Ms. Martin were a delight and quite memorable. The recording of this show is a must for any collection. By the way, my girlfriend became my wife and 35 years later we still are singing "I Do! I Do!

I saw this show on Broadway forty years ago this spring and I thought that I had died and gone to heaven.

I grew up in the fifties listening to my folks Hi-Fi recordings of musicals and started playing the trumpet in grade school because of Prof. Harold Hill/Robert Preston in the Music Man. I jumped off beds, trees and the garage trying to fly like Peter Pan/Mary Martin did on the once a year telecast of Peter Pan.

But when I had the opportunity to see I Do! I Do! in New York City on my high school senior trip, I grabbed it. It was a wonderful introduction to New York theater and started me on a road of enjoyment of theater in general that has lasted these four decades.

Upon returning home, I found the LP recording and have played it periodically ever since. Having run across the CD recently, I am now finally listening in stereo without the skips and hisses that have accumulated over the years.

While I still remember the visual action, I have played this recording for many people who have enjoyed the show from just the music.

It is definitely a prize to behold!

This is the perfect show. It becomes more meaningful as you get older. Mary Martin is a treasure. Robert Preston was perfect. The tunes and lyrics are from a time when Broadway was great.

Robert Preston and Mary Martin were Broadway stars like we just don't have anymore. One of them in a musical was an event, the two of them together was theatrical heaven. I Do! I DO! is exactly that, with a charming score by Jones and Schmidt, after their success with The Fantastiks and 110 In The Shade (an under-rated gem in itself). Full of lovely ballads, snappy up-tempo numbers, and wonderful comedy pieces, it is an improvement over it's material source, The Fourposter. I've seen the play a couple times, and yawn! The musical version is a huge improvement over it. With Martin and Preston, it was an outstanding hit on Broadway. A delightful CD, very enjoyable!!

wonderful show and cast and memories for those who were lucky enought to see the broadway show. the sound track will harken one back to those glory days of Broadway.

"My Cup Runneth Over" was the reason I bought this cd. I have almost worn that track out in just over a month. Mr. Preston & Ms. Martin are at their best!