Customer Reviews

My Favorite Broadway: Leading Ladies

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was looking forward to buying the My Favorite Broadway CD after seeing the PBS broadcast. I was so disappointed when I received the CD. Could they possibly leave off any more? The cut out so many of the great songs and left all of the old dead ones like "And I'm Telling You" and "Adelaide's Lament". How often do we have to hear those songs? The worst part is how many great songs were left off like Marin Mazzie's "Bewitched" and Karen Ziemba in "I Wanna Be a Rockette". Above all the most missed is Audra McDonald singing the incredible "Down With Love". Of course there were some great songs like Webber Love Trio and "Nothing" sung by Priscilla Lopez, but there were just to many things taken out. My advice is skip the CD and go for the video. You wont miss anything that way.

It's rare that I feel so cheated by an album, but I feel that the producers of Broadway Ladies hardly did anything right. First they cut Debra Monk and Dorothy Loudon from the video (I was at Carnegie that night--they were great). Then, they screw up the album by cutting some of the best performances that night, namely Audra McDonald's unbelievable "Down with Love" and Marin Mazzie's seamless "Bewitched." If they had included the over-long "I Wanna Be a Rockette" with Karen Ziemba they could have at least left a record of a Broadway oddity. Instead you'll get to listen to Julie Andrews talk (for goddsakes) and a sappy Andrew Lloyd Webber medly that sadly underuses Audra, Mazzie, and Judy Kuhn. But why would I want another (boring) rendition of the "mature" Priscilla Lopez singing "Nothing" when I have the orignal cast version? Or put myself through listening to the VERY mature Elaine Stritch braying "The Ladies Who Lunch" when she is so much better on the original? Ditto for Jennifer Holiday (what was that last note?) and Nell Carter. I learned one important lesson with this lousy recording--read the list of selections carefully before buying.

This Cd has the most amazing array of talent I have ever heard on one CD. Ingenious idea to put these leading ladies and songs together. Best songs from the greatest Broadway shows and the divas to sing them. For the Broadway novice or officianado- this is sure to be a broadwy music classic.

I bought this CD soon after watching the "Great Performances" broadcast. I was surprised that some of the material was cut, especially extra songs by Audra McDonald and Marin Mazzie. However, what is here is very good for the most part, ranging from highs (Andrea McArdle, Webber Love Trio, Linda Eder) to the lows (Liza on "Some People"-yikes!-or Elaine Stritch trying to hit the final notes of "Ladies who Lunch"). Probably a better buy for Broadway collectors rather than the novice...

These wonderful talented ladies all performing in one great hall together. The stage had so many wonderful voices and the egos were left at the door. This made for one great beautiful show. Those women were wonderful along with the fablous musicians. This is one album which is at the top of the list. It is rare to get all these leading ladies on the stage at the same time. It was a great night for Broadway. I have to say that Julie Andrews was in perfect form and beautiful as ever.

Oh, to have been in the audience at Carnegie Hall when this amazing collection of women took the stage.

Jennifer Holliday has more talent in her fingertip than I can ever hope to aspire to, and she sings her signature song from "Dreamgirls" with power, zest and spirit. Track #10 is one of the most well-arranged medleys I've ever heard--usually the word "medley" makes me ambivalent, but this one does a wonderful job of arranging the three songs and the incredible voices of Audra McDonald, Marin Mazzie and Judy Kuhn. For me, many of the little imperfections in the performances (i.e. the high notes in "The Ladies Who Lunch") can be forgiven because of the sheer thrill of hearing and seeing (via the PBS broadcast) these women come together to perform.

Having grown up listening to original cast albums from the "old days", what I like best about this CD is that it introduces me to the talent of some performers whose names are familiar, but I have never actually heard sing--including Faith Prince, Karen Ziemba, Marin Mazzie and Linda Eder.

The American Theater Orchestra is another highlight, getting a chance to shine especially bright on "Man of La Mancha" and "Nowadays".

Of course some people are lamenting the absence of some of Broadway's famed leading ladies, including Bernadette Peters, Betty Buckley, Angela Lansbury, Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige, Sarah Brightman, etc.--but don't sell these ladies short; this is a wonderful collection.

I would just like to tell the person that wrote Over All A Great Compilation the reason why this CD Is bad is because many of the songs you mentioned are not on the CD. Rebecca Lucker is no where to be found on it and Marin Mazzie's Bewitched was one of the best songs of the concert and it is not on there. Karen Ziemba's I Wanna Be A Rockette was probably the greatest number in the whole show but funny, it's not there eather. So Yes like that reviewer said these people gave great preformances but unfortunitly that person forgot to mention that all of the numbers were left off the CD.

As of 2/14/11, if you click on the MP3 Download option for "My Favorite Broadway - the Leading Ladies", what you get is a completely different album titled "Leading Ladies". Entirely different music, entirely different singers. BEWARE!

When I saw this performance on KCET, I was blown away! Such amazing talent all brought into one performance is amazing. So the next time it was on TV, I taped it and I've watched it several times. Still realizing that wasn't enough, I bought the CD, and it keeps amazing me every time I listen to it. Although I wish that all of the songs from the show were on it, they have most of my famorites. Linda Eder obviously stole the show, but Jennifer Holliday, among others, came close. What a tremendous addition to my musical theatre collection! I would recomend it for anyone who likes modern female musical theatre vocalists. Noah (17)

I have to say the mounting of this show alone was fantastic. Broadway divas from past to present sing their famous/ favorite tunes. All the ladies turn in a brilliant performance.

There is only one complaint about the CD version of this event. The exclusion of Audra McDonald's rendition of "Down with Love" from the 1937 musical "Hooray for What!". It is included on the DVD and is the best version of this song...even.."gulp" better than Streisand's

I highly recommend this cd, even with the glaring omission.