Customer Reviews

I Married An Angel (1950s Studio Casts)

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

 

 

Original cast recordings from this show languished in obscurity until the good folks at AEI made them available on LP and CD, together with other more recent recordings of one of Rodgers & Hart's most delightful scores. Because American cast recordings of Broadway productions did not start until "Oklahoma!", there was never a full scale recording of this memorable R&H show, and we are fortunate that this has been made available. For Music Theater buffs, this is a *must* for any collection, for not only does it show Larry Hart at his wittiest, Richard Rodgers is at his most melodic, before the somewhat sugary melodies he composed during his association with Oscar Hammerstein II. "I Married an Angel" may not be their best known title, bu it sure is worth a listen!

Someone loves this minor Rodgers and Hart show enough to attempt to assemble a studio cast recording by grouping popular recordings of most of the songs from the show (four are left out). Since this show has never received a cast album,it does fill a gap, but the score is not one of the team's best (only SPRING IS HERE and I'LL TELL THE MAN IN THE STREET were hits)and the effect is more of an oddity than a joy. For Rodgers and Hart fans only.

This is not the Orignal Broadway cast of the musical. Traks n° 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 9 were recorded in 1938 by Audey Christie (she was part of the original brodway cast) and Wynn Murray (she was in the original cast of Babes in Arms). The rest of the traks are from a radio show with Gordon MacRea.

I believe the music on this cd is a blending of the music sang by Gordon MacRae and Lucille Norman for a Railroad Hour radio show episode and the cast of a Liberty Music Shop production. Gordon and Lucille did an excellent job!! Their singing was marvelous - Gordon singing with his usual emotional renditions and Lucille with her beautiful clear soprano. Gordon and Lucille's renditions of "I Married An Angel" and "I'll Tell the Man in the Street" are absolutely gorgeous!! Unfortunately, the other singers on this cd have just average ability and there is a noticeable contrast between the sharp recordings featuring Gordon and Lucille and the scratchier recordings made by the rest of the "cast." Without Gordon and Lucille, it is just a fair musical and quite confusing to listen to. It would have been better just putting the complete Railroad Hour episode on the cd.