Hansel and Gretel / The Yeomen of the Guard (Original TV Cast) [Cast Recording, Original recording remastered]

Barbara Cook (Artist), Red Buttons (Artist), Rudy Vallee (Artist), Stubby Kaye (Artist), Alfred Drake (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 10, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sepia Recordings
• ASIN: B001QEIHX6
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,391 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Hansel and Gretel Song (Much Too Happy Dancing) - Red Buttons

2. Market Today - Red Buttons

3. Men Run The World - Red Buttons

4. Evening Song (Soft Through The Woodland) - Red Buttons

5. Morning Song - Red Buttons

6. Eenie, Meenie, Mynie, Moe (The Counting Song) - Red Buttons

7. What Are Little Girls Made Of? - Red Buttons

8. Finale - Red Buttons

9. When A Wooer Goes A-Wooing - Red Buttons

10. I Hava A Song To Sing, O - Red Buttons

11. Oh! A Private Buffoon - Red Buttons

12. Were I Thy Bride - Red Buttons

13. Is Life A Boon? - Red Buttons

14. Strange Things Are Happening (Ho Ho, Hee Hee, Ha Ha), song - Red Buttons

15. The Ho Ho Song

16. The Buttons' Bounce, song

17. Oh! My Mother-in-Law, song

18. That Girl, song

19. Sorta on the Border, song

20. O (Oh!), song

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

This album features the first time on CD of two TV musicals--Hansel and Gretel (1958) and The Yeomen of the Guard (1957)--starring the legendary Barbara Cook and a host of other talent.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Barbara Cook Extremely Rare Children's Musical, March 21, 2009

By 

Bruce K. Hanson "Bruce K. Hanson" (Petersburg, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel / The Yeomen of the Guard (Original TV Cast) (Audio CD)

Rare records are coveted by collectors for many reasons: wonderful material, the album covers themselves, a chance to hear vintage recordings for the first time, and the opportunity to hear more of Barbara Cook. OK, yes, I am a fan of Barbara's; in all of the stages of her impressive career. Therefore, that is reason enough to rejoice with this CD release of "Hansel and Gretel". But then, this album includes Stubby Kaye, Rudy Vallee, Paula Lawrence, plus Barbara, Celeste Holme, Bill Hayes and Alfred Drake in selections from the Hallmark Hall of Fame telecast, "The Yeomen of the Guard". (In fact, the only personality on the CD whom I dislike is sadly, the star, Red Buttons, who narrates the story of "Hansel and Gretel". Luckily, I can programme my CD player to playback only the wonderful vocals.)

This original children's musical was telecast on NBC-TV on April 27, 1958. Unfortunately, I never saw it (fortunately, I am too young) but I first became aware of it as a teenager in the seventies. As a collector of MGM soundtracks I learned about their other records from their colorful inner record sleeves during the late fifties. After seeing Barbara Cook in concert I knew I wanted to have all of her albums but the fifty dollar price tag of "Hansel and Gretel" at such NYC record shops as Footlight Records, proved to be too elusive for this then college student. In fact, it wasn't until the ermergence of Ebay that I was able to finally obtain a copy which wasn't in the best condition. Well folks, I am happy to report that the sound of this CD of "Hansel and Gretel" is amazing! There is a disclaimer on the back of the record which states that "every effort has been taken to eliminate the surface noise from the original recordings" but I must tell you that they sound as if Sepia Records had licenced the original masters.

It's such a treat to be able to listen to Miss Cook sing "Evening Song", "Morning Song" as well as her shared songs with Mr.Drake, Miss Holm, and Mr. Hayes from "Yeomen". Bonus tracks include Red Buttons' "The High Ho Song" and three other solos, "That Girl" sung by Eddie Bracken and Miss Cook, four numbers by Stubby Kaye, and seven Rudy Valle songs. The liner notes are quite extensive and plenty of color and black and white photos. Even the cover of this CD release improves upon the original MGM release. This reissue of a long deleted LP is an excellent opportunty to hear several Broadway stars at the top of their form. And of course, to hear a young Barbara Cook.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Fault The CD?, August 20, 2010

By 

Michael Tomas "Media Professor" (Bucks County, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel / The Yeomen of the Guard (Original TV Cast) (Audio CD)

Not a lengthy review here other than to say that this is a superb CD, and we're lucky to have it. I cannot believe the bad rating because the CD contains so little music. In the world of LPs, we got very little music. You cannot put "more" music on a CD if it doesn't exist, and there is no more music for these two performances. To give low marks to a company like Sepia that seems to truly be trying to save these lost treasures is terrible. I believe the selections from YEOMAN OF THE GUARD were on 45s, so this is probably all that was recorded or has survived. It is phenominal to hear Cook on these recordings, and any time one can hear Alfred Drake is special. I truly love this CD as I do all of the CDs I own from Sepia. It's a part of my youth and our musical heritage that I would not have otherwise.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars really only for those who must have everything, September 5, 2009

By 

backstage reader "jnb33" (Monrovia, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hansel and Gretel / The Yeomen of the Guard (Original TV Cast) (Audio CD)

I got this only to hear Alfred Drake and Barbara Cook sing Yeoman of the Guard. I was disappointed with how little of that show is represented on the CD--tho' I mostly like the little that's there.
Hansel and Gretel is made almost unlistenable by Red Buttons (a performer I usually like, but one I could cheerfully throttle in this piece). The 'extra' stuff is mostly forgetable--unlike one of the other reviewers I find the Rudy Vallee stuff incredibly self-indulgent and actually lowered my opinion of him as a performer.
For me, Alfred Drake was the reason to get this CD. One of the finest singing actors of the 'Golden Age,' his Jack Point is really nicely done. Cook is fine as always and Bill Hayes is better than I would have expected in a vocally legit role. Celeste Holm is mis-cast, but tries really hard--and in fairness, may have come across better in the viewing.