Customer Reviews

Lost in Boston III

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After a bit of a slip with the second, this series was back on track with this third CD of songs cut from well-known musicals. As I mentioned in a previous review, just about any successful musical has had songs cut from it, not always because the song wasn't good, but because it no longer fit the show as updated, or a character or scene was cut (the booklet explains why each song was removed from its show). Once again, the songs are all good and the performances are wonderful. My favorites are "Mama's Talking Soft" (cut from Gypsy), "Big Fat Heart" (Seesaw), "Your Own College Band" (Where's Charley?), "When I Go Out Walkin' with my Baby" (Oklahoma!), and "Pick Up the Pieces" (also Seesaw). Bruce Kimmel was smart in using show singers instead of pop singers. I recommend the entire series. This CD features some fine songs that deserve renewed appreciation.

The third volume of the LOST IN BOSTON series delves even deeper to bring back the otherwise-forgotten songs written for some of the great Broadway shows. Dropped during out-of-town previews, these songs have been newly-recorded using original orchestrations wherever possible; and feature some of the most talented musical theatre performers.

Highlights from this 3rd volume include "Mama's Talking Soft", a number from GYPSY, which would have been performed by Baby June and Louise. Staging the song involved having the girls dancing on a flat, suspended above the stage, and was only dropped because both Sandra Church and Lane Bradbury refused to be physically endangered. The clever lyric provided a counterpoint to Rose's "Small World" seduction of Herbie; and would later be eerily echoed again in the climactic "Rose's Turn". Here, the number is performed winningly by Lindsay Ridgeway and Sarah Chapman.

"A Bell Will Ring" was written as one of the new songs for the 1988 stage version of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. It's a tender ballad sung by Esther's mother; and would later be restored to the score (re-titled "You'll Hear a Bell") when the performance rights were released to amateur companies. It's performed by Patricia Ben Peterson.

"Pink Taffeta Sample Size 10" was an early song written for SWEET CHARITY. Presumably it would be been put in the place of "Charity's Soliloquy"; both songs explore the impossible innocence of Charity's character in similar ways. The song itself has been recorded and performed many times over the years, most notably by Mimi Hines on her debut album. It's sung here by Lynne Wintersteller.

"Big Fat Heart" was written for SEESAW whilst Lainie Kazan was starring as Gittel Mosca (shortly before Michele Lee, in the midst of a total creative team take-over, came on board to replace her in the floundering show). It's an almost identical song to the one which eventually replaced it - "Nobody Does It Like Me"; they both explore Gittel's unhappy single status. Debbie Gravitte records the vocal with an obvious nod to the indelible, Tony-nominated Michele Lee.

"Older and Wiser" comes from the BYE BYE BIRDIE score. This duet for Rose and Kim following their respective disastrous nights on the town was considered "too sophisticated", especially for teenager Kim. It was later replaced by the stronger "What Did I Ever See in Him?". Michele Pawk and Tammy Minoff perform the song here.

There are also fascinating pieces from "110 in the Shade", "Guys and Dolls", "The Music Man", "She Loves Me", "Where's Charley?", "Flower Drum Song", "Merrily We Roll Along", "Oklahoma!", and "Once on This Island".

Fans of musicals (and followers of the LOST IN BOSTON series) will relish this disc.