Customer Reviews

Oh, Kay! (1994 Studio Recording)

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

 

 

Having had the good fortune to see this with dazzling pianist Kevin Cole (featured here) at the keyboard, this recording is extra-special. Buy this if for nothing else than Upshaw's exquisite "Someone To Watch Over Me" that showcases the song, not the singer, but you'll listen to every song with pleasure. This is Ira at his best: "It's never too late to Mendelssohn, Two hearts are at journey's endelssohn..." George, of course, is in prime form. The rest of the cast sings,, and acts, as well as Upshaw, for there's a goodly amount of dialogue here. This is, hands down, my favorite of the Roxbury recordings.

The only reviewer of this piece prior to me dislikes this recording. I happen to feel it is the just about the most charming of this (now sadly interrupted) series of recordings. Is "Do, do, do" triply dumb? Not as sung here, at least. It's a 1920's pop song which should be accepted for what it is. The whole recording gives a really good idea of what a successful musical of that period was all about. The finish given the choral numbers is sparkling. Anyone who sometimes wonders if the American musical comedy began to die with "Oklahoma" will enjoy this evocation of a time when the form was truly alive.

I recently finished reading (and panning) Denny Martin Flinn's history of popular musical theater. In it he comments repeatedly that studio recordings of Broadway musicals come up short. And that is certainly true in some instances (Bernstein's studio recording of 'West Side Story' leaps to mind) but of course there were no original cast recordings for musicals from the 20s. There is a 1950s studio recording of this George and Ira Gershwin musical but I've not heard it. But I've owned the present recording for years and it never fails to please me. In reaction to Flinn's sour attitude about studio recordings I pulled it out again today and must say I've been charmed all over again. Not only is the orchestra (the Orchestra of St. Luke's under the direction of Eric Stern [Isaac Stern's son, by the way]) terrific, as one would expect. The singers are simply marvelous. Leading the cast is that magnificent soprano, Dawn Upshaw, who seems to be able to sing just about anything, popular or classical. Her light, lyric voice and her pert vocal acting is just right for the part of Kay. And she is wonderfully partnered by Kurt Ollmann, no stranger to Broadway and the possessor of a beautiful light baritone voice which he knows how to use in the Broadway style. Surprise participants are the 'Queen of the Soaps', Susan Lucci, as Constance, and veteran Fritz Weaver as her father. And another is Alan Arkin as Shorty.

But of course the main reason to hear this CD is those songs -- my goodness, they don't write 'em like this any more -- like 'Do, Do, Do', 'Clap Yo' Hands', 'Dear Little Girl' 'Maybe', the jazzy 'Fidgety Feet', and 'Someone to Watch Over Me.' All the lyrics are printed in the CD booklet.

I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this recording.

Scott Morrison

I purchased this because I was looking for some non-classical Dawn Upshaw, who always seems to have a lot of fun with the "lighter" stuff. After the first spin, I recognized "Someone to Watch Over Me,' of course, along with "Maybe" and"Clap Yo Hands." The rest did not make much of an impression.

At first. After three listens, my head was full of catchy and well-delivered Gerschwin songs. Recommended to Upshaw fans, Gerschwin fans (both brothers), Broadway buffs, and anyone interested in the crazy 1920s.

GREAT MUSIC FROM A ONE OF THE BEST COMPOSERS OF THE XX CENTURY ALONG WITH BURT BACHARCH, BRIAN WILSON AND PAUL MCcARTNEY.

Dawn Upshaw's electrifying performance of "Somewhere" in the Leonard Bernstein's New York album made my purchase of any and all of her other recordings of Broadway music inevitable. "Oh, Kay!" is not the greatest of the Gershwin musicals in its totality, but "Someone To Watch Over Me" will always be for me - and for countless listeners and performers for more than three-quarters of a century -- one of the greatest American songs. That track alone, with its reprise, was worth far more to me than the cost of the entire CD. In fact, since I have been collecting popular and classical music since 1960, and have seen many treasures go out of print, I bought a second factory copy of the CD, in case the first was ever damaged. Tonight (in July 2011) I see that my fears are realized. A shame. But the beauty of digital recording is that there is no celluloid to fade, no fragile shellac or vinyl to warp or crack, and record producers looking through archives a hundred years from now will rediscover this recording and others like it.

Very enjoyable CD. Wonderful music, good sound quality. Particularly liked "Maybe." But of course, when it comes to George and Ira's music, there are very few mediocre songs; especially so for "Oh, Kay!"; it's o.k. with me, in fact it's S'wonderful!

I've had this recording for quite a while. I borrowed it, and just couldn't seem to give it back, so I bought one of my own.
The music is wonderful, and the performers really give it just the right touch throughout. What a great orchestra!
This comes with a 52-page booklet with lyrics, synopsis, historical information, and a few stills from the original production.

The best studio recording of a Gershwin show that I know of. Couldn't be better. Highly recommended.

This reconstruction of Oh, Kay! is a neat and workmanlike job. Miss Upshaw is in fine form, and the supporting cast is good, but the show perhaps looses some of its considerable period charm through the distinctly modern vocal and orchestral performances. One only needs to compare the performances on this disc to those waxed eighty years ago by Miss Lawrence, and a number of other period recordings, notably the Victor "Gems from OH, KAY!" to see the effects of overly slow tempi (for example, Do, Do, Do) and an utter lack of understanding of the type of syncopated music written by the Gershwins (Clap Yo' Hands was intended to be an uptempo production number, not a Minsterel Shout). Perhaps performance practice has changed so very much that an accurate reconstruction can no longer be attempted.