Customer Reviews

Lucky in the Rain (2000 Studio Cast Recording)

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

 

 

To hear a musical on Broadway with something approaching memorable music, one has to go to a revival (usually inferior to the original) or to a show that recycles some of the great classics of the past as in "Crazy For You" or in the new delight <Lucky in the Rain>. The latter is now available on a DRG recording (12625) and its only fault is its 45-minute running time.

This musical draws upon the tunes of Jimmy McHugh--yes I know, not a name with high recognition rating, but his songs are--and sets them into a plot that concerns Americans in the Paris of 1927. But since the CD has only the songs--and it must stand or fall on those alone--just take a gander at the line up of songs toward the top of this webpage!

Hey, you say, "Wing and a prayer" was written in 1943. So okay, here it isused to welcome Lindbergh and we can easily excuse Sherman Yellen and Wally Harper who wrote and conceived the show. The game cast with voices ranging from good to really good includes Barbara Cook, Malcolm Gets, Debbie Gravitte, and Lillias White. And how good it is to hear those old favorites again! Perhaps some one will consider adding the dialogue and giving us the whole monty!

I bought this CD impulsively, and to my everlasting delight I find it one of the best show albums I have ever listened to. The songs are wonderful, and when you read the fascinating liner notes, you see how Sherman Yellen, the ingenious creator, cleverly set these songs in a charming story about American journalists in Paris in 1927. I only regret that I missed the original performance at the Goodspeed Opera a few seasons back. The studio cast performances are as good as it gets, the amazing Barbara Cook sings these standards with her accumstomed genius, Malcolm Gets has one extraordinary voice, Patrick Wilson is terrific, as is Marcus Neville of the original cast, Lillias White and Rachel Cohen are delights, and the ensemble with Lise Brown and Kathy Lessner is amazing. This is a real gem in a jewel box. Buy it and treasure it.

Take a 30's musical "Lucky in the Rain", the songs of Jimmy McHugh, Harold Adamson and Dorothy Fields and you have one great show. Add to this some of the musical theatres greatest artists and you are in heaven. The wonderful golden oldies "On the Summy Side of the Street", "Exactly Like You", "Coming in on a Wing and Prayer", "Lovely Way to Spend an Evening', "I Can't Give you Anything But Love", etc comprise some of this wonderful score. The golden voices of Malcolm Gets, Debbie Gravitte, Patrick Wilson (The Full Monty), Marcus Neville and the glorious Lilias White are a joy to listen to. If that was not enough the glorious voice of Barbara Cook completes the ensemble.
Excuse while I go listen to it again

The music on this album is a collection of catchy tunes that deserve recognition. The orchestrations of the songs fit quite well with the story, which is set in the early 1900s, creating a feel of going back in time. It invokes a sense of nostalgia for a more idealistic time period and the performers convey this quite wonderfully. My one gripe would be that the use of different artists singing for the same characters make following the storyline a bit confusing. Other than that, the album is a light and uplifting soundtrack that works wonders in getting your spirits up.

Lucky In The Rain is a wonderful trip down memory lane as far as the songs that I all seemed to know. Lillias White and the rest of the cast is magical. This musical could have been written yesterday. I just finished listening to it again while skipping along walking my dog. After listening to it last night in my recliner I forgot how creamy silk it is. I bought it a few years ago and loved it and played it daily for about a month. Now it's back in my mind and fresh as ever. What a lovely way to spend some time.

Love this CD. Came upon it by chance. All the songs are good ones and performed well by real talents (Barbara Cook and Patrick Wilson, to name two). It is a good companion to Life Begins at 8:40.