Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (New York City Center Encores! Presents) [Cast Recording]

Rachel York, Jule Styne | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 4, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Sony Masterworks
• ASIN: B008BCHADE
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,939 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Masterworks Broadway is proud to release the Encores! Cast Recording of the classic musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Starring as Lorelei Lee is Sony recording artist and star of NBC's hit series Smash, Megan Hilty. The cast also includes Rachel York as Dorothy, Clark Thorell as Gus, Aaron Lazar as Henry along with Simon Jones, Stephen R. Buntrock, PhillipAttmore and Jared Grimes. Blondes features a bouncy score composed by the legendary Jule Styne (Gypsy, Funny Girl) and includes the hits 'A Little Girl from Little Rock,' 'Bye Bye Baby,' and of course, the classic made famous by Marilyn Monroe, 'Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend.' Based on Anita Loos' bestselling novel of the same name, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes made a Broadway star of Carol Channing and later cemented Monroe's status as an American film icon and sex symbol in the 1953 screen version.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent new recording September 19, 2012

By E. Fisch

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent new recording of a very much neglected musical. No, Meg Hilty is not Carol Channing--but she is very good and a good singer, so if you haven't heard Channing you'll be very impressed. Rachel York is also great and really is a co-star, although she doesn't get the big billing. The recorded sound is amazing and the recording is very complete. In my opinion, a little too complete--some of the Park Scene ballet music (which I never knew existed) might be great on stage but seems to meander on a recording. We also get the songs complete with all of Leo Robin's racy lyrics. And, as pointed out in the booklet, Hugh Martin's choral arrangements are beautifully performed. You really need the original and this new recording in your collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively Revival September 11, 2012

By ArtDC

Format:Audio CD

Im too young to have seen Carol Channing in the original Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, but I was dazzled by her in the revival (retitled as "Lorelei" in the '70s). Her star power, however, left little room to appreciate the show, itself, which is a truer reflection of Loos' source material than the film version. This is a good old fashioned musical with a lively and humorous book - its not Shakespeare, its just fun and light. The score is breezy, brassy, and contains more than a few standards. Megan Hilty wisely recreated the character in her own fashion and it worked VERY well. Rachel York held her own against both Hilty and the Lorelei character - creating a Dorothy who stands firmly on equal footing with Lorelei in character, song, and that belting voice. In fact, I prefer York to any of previous Dorothys. Standout songs include A Little Girl From Little Rock, Just A Kiss Apart, You Say You Care, Keep It Cool With Coolidge, and, of course, Diamonds.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Addition to the Encores! Brand September 10, 2012

By T. Olsen

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Encores! always does a great job in recording shows that have fallen out of fashion or are coming back into the spotlight. Their concerts and recordings have helped people regain interest in Broadway Classics. "Blondes" is no exception. Solid performances and orchestrations make this a great recording.