Customer Reviews

Meredith Willson's The Music Man (2000 Broadway Revival Cast)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having seen this show during the first week of previews on a trip from London I had to go back and see it again. It is, without doubt, one of the finest productions on Broadway at the moment and exactly what the London stage needs. Shame they took nearly 2 months to release the CD!

This recording of Susan Stroman's (the woman's a genius) revival of Meredith Willson's classic captures perfectly the essence of the piece. On stage, The Music Man is larger than life and on CD it's bold, it's brassy and it's fantastic. The orchestrations delight, the performances - especially the fantastic Craig Bierko (this show could almost have been written for him) - sparkle. Rebecca Luker is in dazzling form too and a perfect Marian. Sadly you only get a glimpse of the brilliantly camp Ruth Williamson, who is a potential show stealer if ever there was one...!

Unlike the OBC recording, this version has the complete score and what a score it is. It's delivered by the Company exquisitely and Bierko's Harold Hill is a revelation. It's almost unbelievable that this show is Bierko's Broadway debut - he has a presence so rare to find and an ever present twinkle suggesting some sort of mischief is just around the corner!

If you've not bought a show cd before (hmmm, why would you be reading this then?) - make this your first - and get yourself along to NYC and see it on stage too.

76 stars for all involved!

The new 2000 Cast Recording of the Music Man has some great material, even including some songs never released before such as "Ice Cream", "Gary Indiana" (by Harold Hill), "Pick-a-little (reprise), and a whole lot a dialogue added, deaming it the "Premiere Cast Recording of the Complete Meredith Wilson Score. I would Highly recommend this CD for anyone who's auditioning for a part in the show, or who's working on it. Although I would highly recommend the Original Cast recording with Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. New comer Craig Bierko (Harold Hill) does not upset at all, as a matter of fact I found him quite charming, but he does have some pretty big shoes to fill. As does Rebecca Luker (Marion Paroo), but I had a bad experience with her watching the TONY AWARDS a few years ago when SOUND OF MUSIC was up. She played Maria and I felt her voice was weak, and not controlled. She sings quite nicely on this CD, my faith is somewhat restored. Familiar face Max Casella (aka Vinnie Delfino of "Doogie Howser" fame) plays Harold's sidekick Marcellus. (He was also Timon in the Broadway production of "Lion King".) An adorable Michael Phelan as the lisping child Winthrop. All in all the CD is great especially with all the bonuses not on the Preston & Cook CD, including a much longer version of "76 Trombomes" and "Shipoopi." Although some diehard MUSIC MAN fans might be disappointed, even a little shocked at the slower pace of some of the tongue twisting songs such as "Trouble" and the beginning of "76 Trombones." But the orchestration and the singing is so lively you soon forget!

What can you say about "Meredith Wilson's The Music Man?" For starters, it is beautiful, funny, touching, way ahead of its original (1957) time, and absolutely amazing! And that was just for starts!

Craig Bierko is wonderful as Professor Harold Hill! With songs such as "You Got Trouble," to the breathtaking "76 Trombones," there is no doubt that he will become a HUGE star of Broadway!

Rebecca Luker's voice (though sometimes a bit fluttery) is in it's peak condition! Her performance in this show overshadows her stint in "The Secret Garden" (yet another great show). Her renditions of "My White Knight" and the hilarious "Piano Lesson" are absolutely grand!

The ensemble though on this CD is the real high point of the show! Songs such as "Iowa Stubborn," "Shipoopie," and "Pick-a-little, Talk-a-little" will remain in your head for days! The best song on the album in my opinion though is the opening number "Rock Island!" How those men remember the lyrics is beyond me, but breathtaking at the least!

This is easily the most thrilling, fun-filled Broadway cast recording in years. I love THE MUSIC MAN, so I came to this recording with very high expectations. Well, I was floored! Craig Bierko is a real find, giving the title role a fresh interpetation while paying audible tribute to the great Robert Preston. Rebecca Luker was born to play Marion, and sings these classic songs with a warm soprano that will literally lift your spirits. The whole cast sounds sensational -- including the barbershop quartet, who (for once!) actually act their roles instead of just being musical cyphers. I was so delighted by this recording that I broke down and saw the revival -- and plan on returning as often as possible. (Heaven help my budget!) This recording is simply sensational -- my fellow musical theatre buffs will LOVE it!

I first heard of this revival on Terry Gross's NPR show, Fresh Air, when she interviewed Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker and played parts of some of the songs. I then bought the cd and listened to it and then to the original Broadway score, and then to this again.

I think this revival ranks up there with the Nathan Lane/Faith Prince revival of Guys and Dolls and Showboat, and ahead of the more recent Cabaret and Kiss Me Kate revivals. I heartily recommend that you buy it. I frankly was not prepared to like it or think it as good as I did.

Craig Bierko grows on you; the longer you listen to him, the more he sounds like Robert Preston, and his vocal range and full voice are better than Preston's on the songs that are actually sung. Rebecca Luker sounds almost as good as Barbara Cook, but Cook sounds almost as good as Maria Callas or Leontyne Price, so that makes Luker pretty good.

The actors who play Mayor Shinn and his wife are good, but not Paul Ford and Hermoine Gingold, but perhaps it is not fair to fault them for not mimicking those idiosyncratic character actors. They sing better than they talk.

I usually am leery of revivals because I tend to think the original, if it is immortal, as this show is, cannot be equaled, so why bother; I am glad these people bothered. Susan Stroman is gifted; her arrangements took from the original and added something new, and I can only imagine the choreography. One area where this revival has the original score beat is in its inclusion of more of Whaddaya Talk, scene change music and longer versions of Shipoopi and dance music for 76 Trombones, plus some more of the barbershop music. This foursome is not the Buffalo Bills, but who is; they are on key and brassy, and loud. And putting My White Knight back into this show was a good move; it beats Being in Love.

If you had to buy only one version of the Music Man, I suppose I would recommend the original, more for historical purposes and to have Preston's version of Trouble. As good as Bierko is, that is perhaps his weakest song, and he is by no means bad; he just is not pure Preston. That is getting picky though; Bierko is very good and has the deep booming quality to his voice that Preston had, and apparently is a charmer on stage, with good chemistry with Rebecca Luker. All things considered, you would not go wrong buying this version. It is a great revival.

I have not mentioned the movie version, with Shirley Jones doing Being in Love, but otherwise close to the original score. The movie comes in third, behind this one and the original. One last thing: the sound quality of this recording is magnificent. The strings and horns come through vibrantly and clear as a bell, as do the voices, with no rumble or shrillness.

A footnote; when the original Music Man won the best musical Tony, beating out West Side Story, Bernstein and Sondheim and other snobs who thought this was inferior corn and not worthy of WSS, pouted and sulked and held it against Meredith Wilson, who was no rube, but had a long and distinguished career before he wrote the Music Man, but only one really big shew afterward: Molly Brown. Bizet basically only wrote Carmen, so Wilson can be remembered for basically only writing The Music Man, so that is not so bad.

Hopefully, selling you on the idea of buying this cd will be easier than selling skeptical turn-of-the-century Iowans on the idea that their kids could play band instruments...

If you like musicals, buy this CD. It is THE best Music Man cast recording of all time for one main reason; Susan Stroman (many Tony awards) directed it. Since Susan is a choreographer as well as a director she included dance music on this recording. It is great to finally hear complete songs. Although it is not the exact music you will hear if you go to see a "non-Susan Stroman" production of the music man; at least there is dance music. 76 Trombones is the most well known song from the show. On most other cast recordings it has been reduced to about 3 minutes, on this CD however, it is well over 7 minutes long. Also the Shipoopi is horrible on ALL the other recordings, on this one however the music is fabulous and the cast is great! All the songs on this CD are perfect. Craig Bierko is amazing (as good as Robert Preston, maybe better). Rebecca Luker is a great singer and does not at all bring down this cast recording, but she is not quite as good as Kristin Chenoweth from the new movie (but who is?). A lot of the songs have been slightly updated; the best are 'The Wells Fargo Wagon' and 'Finale Ultimo'. This new cast recoding is wonderful and greatly appreciated my music man fans and dancers all over. BUY IT!!!

The revival cast of The Music Man brings to life an old classic. I was origninally hesitant to purchase The Music Man because I felt it would be out dated, but this cd is awesome. Craig Bierko and Rebecca Luker recreate their roles with new creativitiy. The addition of the ssong My White Knight is a great asset.

This is the best recording of this I have heard. It is better than the original. I was in the Music Man and few years back as Winthrop and I have loved the show ever sense. It has some of the greatest music in musical theatre. I hope everyone enjoys this splindid recording of the Music Man.

Don't worry that it isn't Robert Preston and Barbara Cook. It isn't supposed to be and this cast does just fine, thank you. If you can sit still while you listen to this excellent presentation, you'd better check your pulse. Having listened to the music from this wonderful score for 40 years, I was plesently surprised to hear that this recording is the best one yet! It doesn't get any better! A most enjoyable musical with a completely competent cast.

I bought this cast album only days before viewing the production in New York, and the music has not left my CD player, nor my head, since then. It is a brilliant revival in all respects, and I for one enjoyed it far more than the film. Craig Bierko is outstanding. If you think he's good on the disc, then see the performance as quickly as you can, and he'll surely take your breath away with his sparkling presence and the twinkle in his eye. This was my fourth time seeing Rebecca Luker on stage, and let me assure you she has never been better: these songs seem to have been written for her silvery voice. The supporting cast is flawless, and the fantastic show was very well preserved on this totally terrific new recording.