Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition) [Cast Recording]

Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway (Related Recordings) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Original Release Date: June 27, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Drg
• ASIN: B00004TJ9X
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,270 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Forbidden Broadway (from Vol. 1)

2. The Music Man - Trouble in New York City (Vol. 3)

3. My Fair Lady - Import-Gavotte (previously unreleased)

4. Annie - Tomorrow (Vol. 2)

5. Cameron Mackintosh - My Souvenir Things (Vol. 4)

6. Elaine Stritch - Stritch (Vol. 4)

7. The Lion King - Circle of Mice / Can You Feel the Pain Tonight? (Vol.5)

8. Patti LuPone - Patti LuPone / I Get a Kick Out of Me (Vol. 2)

9. Martin Guerre - It's Martin Guerre (previously unreleased)

10. Julie Andrews - I Couldn't Hit the Note (Vol. 3)

11. Into the Woods - Into the Words (Vol. 2)

12. Chita-Rita - America (Vol. 2)

13. Mandy Patinkin - Somewhat Overindulgent (Vol. 2)

14. Les Miserables - Les Misera-blah / End of the Play / I Dreamed a Show / Bring It Down (Vol. 2)

15. Carol Channing - Imitation Is the Highest Form of Flattery (Vol. 3)

16. Old Revivals - Old Revivals! (previously unreleased)

17. Merman & Martin - It's De-Merman (Vol. 1) / Old Fashioned Ballad (Vol. 3)

18. Ragtime - Gagtime / A Really Long Note (Vol. 5)

19. Sarah Brightman - Time I Said, "Goodbye" (previously unreleased)

20. Aspects of Love - I Sleep with Everyone (previously unreleased)

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It's hard to believe that the Great White Way has now suffered through 20 years of abuse from the legendary off-Broadway revue Forbidden Broadway. Since June 1981, the formula has been the same: take the most familiar and popular numbers from Broadway shows, add wickedly hilarious lyrics by creator Gerard Alessandrini and spot-on impressions by talented performers, and put the audience in stitches. Obviously, parodies of specific people (Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Julie Andrews) and specific shows (The Lion King, Les Miz, Ragtime) can get dated quickly, but because so many of the original performances are preserved on recordings, Broadway fans should recognize most, if not all, the references. This 20th-anniversary edition includes highlights from the first five volumes (though the medleys have been slightly truncated for this 74-minute recording), making it an excellent introduction for novices, plus seven previously unreleased tracks that longtime fans won't want to miss, including some old targets (Sarah Brightman) and some new ones, such as Martin Guerre ("Look, I'm Martin Guerre / And I confess, this show's a mess, just like my hair") and Liza Minnelli's 1999-2000 comeback show. Those who think of Broadway and its stars as sacred institutions might be offended by Forbidden Broadway, but fans who recognize the all-too-human foibles of their favorite music and stars will find that laughing at them doesn't mean they love them any less. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Use only with great caution, June 27, 2000

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition) (Audio CD)

Do you recall the Monty Python sketch about "the Killer Joke"? Well, I think I found the Killer Comedy CD. Having merely smiled at the introductory track of DRG's <Forbidden Broadway: 20th Anniversary Edition> (12626), I laughed steadily at the remaining 24 tracks of right-on satire and parody.

First of all, do not think that if you already own the previous Volumes 1-4, there is no need for purchasing this "Ultimate Unreleased Un-Original Cast Recording," because DRG has cleverly anticipated that sales resistance by including 8 previously unreleased tracks.

So what we have falls into several categories. We have attacks on the Broadway scene in general: ridiculously high prices, lack of melodies, inhuman miking, and so on. Then we have satires on specific plays: the total dominance of words over musical interest in "Into the Woods," the back-to-operetta in "Martin Guerre," the lack of human interest in "Cats." Next comes somewhat thinner ice, lampoons of specific performers: "Liza One-Note," "Stich," the "Somewhat Overindulgent" Mandy Patinkin," the "I Get A Kick Out of Me" Patti Lupone, and of course Streisand. The only one that made me feel a little uneasy was the undeniably funny but still of doubtful taste "I Couldn't Hit That Note" based on Julie Andrews' current vocal problems.

"I'm Chita, Not Rita" is truly an hysterical complaint of the Broadway actress (Rivera) whose parts invariably go to a Hollywood actress (Moreno), as is the lament of the original Annie who can get no other part after all these years. The delightful Carol Channing shows up herself to stop a spoof of her style and claims that "Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery" just to show that the Truly Great do not mind recordings such as this.

And at the last, actors themselves get their come-uppance to even things out a little when they sing about their "Ambition" to the tune of "Tradition" on the final track.

Do not play this CD while driving or performing brain surgery. The resulting laughter can be injurious to someone's health.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One score and seven shows ago...., August 17, 2002

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition) (Audio CD)

It's hard to believe Forbidden Broadway has now been leaving no show unturned for over 20 years. Not only does this make for a great Best-Of album, marking the show's 20th birthday, but it brings out some previously un-released gems to the die-hard fans. How were we able to survive before the release of Liza One-Note!? Also previously un-released are "Import-Gavotte," a terrific parody of the British invasion of theatre set to My Fair Lady's "Ascot-Gavotte"; "I'm Martin Guerre," set to "It's Martin Guerre,"; "Old Revivals," a nod to war-horses such as Oklahoma, whose title song is warped for this parody; "Time I Said 'Goodbye'," which finally attacks Sarah Brightman; "I Sleep With Everyone," one of my favourites set to "Love Changes Everything,"; A divine Screamgirls number, and another jab at Cats, "I Enjoy Being a Cat" (another favourite of mine).

Aside from releases from the vaults, a lot of the numbers here are taken from Volume 2, with an even distribution of knocking Andrew Lloyd Weber, Stephen Sondheim, Chita Rivera, Les Miserables, and Ethel Merman. If you're just discovering Forbidden Broadway, this is a pretty good introduction to the earlier stuff (there isn't too much from Volumes 4 and 5, and was released before Volume 7). Otherwise, it's still worth the money for the stuff you otherwise couldn't get.

The ultimate bad-mood buster, Forbidden Broadway has always been guaranteed to please, and this recording is the icing on the cake.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forbidden things are always the most appealing . . ., June 27, 2000

By 

Michael Hobley (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forbidden Broadway (20th Anniversary Edition) (Audio CD)

Forbidden Broadway has really had a great life so far poking fun at the popular shows playing on Broadway, the composers, producers, and performers. Its sort'a like Weird Al goes Broadway. The lyrics are witty and endlessly clever. And the impersonations are incredible!

I think this actual cd is good for a "beginner" because it gives you a good "a la carte" to choose from. And after a while of listening to it, you'll find that you know those lyrics better than the acutall show lyrics.

This is a great purchase, true, but also check out the other Forbidden Broadway shows, and Forbidden Hollywood (a spoof on movies).