Customer Reviews

Ernest in Love (1960 Original Broadway Cast)

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

 

 

ERNEST IN LOVE is a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy-of-manners THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. The score, written by Lee Pockriss and Anne Croswell (who also wrote the score to Vivien Leigh's Broadway show TOVARICH) is bright bouncy and very enjoyable.

The show opened off-Broadway at the Gramercy Arts Theatre, before moving to the Cherry Lane Theatre. It shuttered after a dismal 111 performances. The cast is superb: it includes Leila Martin as Gwendolen, John Irving as Jack Worthing, Gerrianne Raphael as Cecily Cardew, Louis Edmonds as Algernon Moncrieff and Sara Seegar as the fearsome Lady Bracknell.

There are several gems in the score, including "The Hat", "A Handbag is Not a Proper Mother" where Lady Bracknell denounces Jack's proposal to Gwendolen, and "Wicked Man", where Cecily imagines the man of her dreams.

This splendid cast album has been crisply remastered by DRG, and I highly recommend it to all show music collectors.

Saw a small production of this in NY and got the Cast CD right away. Great score with fun lyrics. A great find! You won't be sorry you bought it. This show should be brought back for a larger audience.

It catches your attention because it's based in the classic Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST. It's not a great musical, has no catchy melodies but still it's nice to hear. It's a product specially appealing to musical collectors and teachers of English Literature who can get a look at the possibilities of Literature classics adapted into musicals.