Parade / V.L.C. (W/Dvd) [Cast Recording]

Original London Cast Recording | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 18, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: First Night Records
• ASIN: B0010RD3EC
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,993 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Prologue (The Old Red Hills of Home)

2. Leo and Lucille's Bedroom

3. How Can I Call This Home?

4. The Picture Show

5. National Pencil Factory (What Am I Waiting For?)

6. Interrogation (I Amtrying to Remember)

7. Leo Frank's Cell

8. Cemetery at Marietta (There Is a Fountain/It Don't Make Sense)

9. Lullaby

10. The Governor's Mansion

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Governor's Mansion (A Rumblin' and a Rollin')

2. The Fulton Tower (Do It Alone)

3. The Ballroom in the Governor's Mansion (Pretty Music)

4. Fishing on the Judge's Estate (The Glory)

5. The Fulton Tower, The National Pencil Factory, And the Franks' Home (TH

6. Minnie McKnight's Reprise

7. Hot Georgia Roadside (Feel the Rain Fall)

8. The Governor's Mansion (Where Will You Stand When the Flood Comes?)

9. Leo's Call (All the Wasted Time)

10. Later That Night (Abduction and Hanging)

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent complement to the original, June 20, 2008

By 

Steven Valenti "svclue" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parade / V.L.C. (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

This new recording of the 2007 London production of Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry's "Parade" is excellent. It's not a replacement for the fantastic 1999 recording, but it's a necessary complement-- a must-have for any musical fan, especially if, like me, you consider "Parade" among the finest modern musicals.

Based on the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man falsely accused of murdering a young girl in the racist South of 1913, this is a grim but important story, deftly told with a smart script and some of the best theater music of the last decade. In all honesty, the original recording, with its lush orchestra and larger cast, shows off the music better. That's the disc I'll continue to throw on for casual listening. But for overall dramatic power, this one actually bests the original.

Containing all the music and dialogue, including some new music and smart revisions, this deluxe set offers the opportunity to really revel in what a well constructed piece of musical theater "Parade" is. The swiftly paced, suspenseful first act, in which Leo is charged and convicted (climaxing with the show's audacious courtroom scene), and the subtly moving love story of the second act, as Lucille attempts to free her husband, are all here to enjoy-- word for word and note for note. There is an intimate intensity brought by the smaller orchestra, and the strong cast, headed by Bertie Carvel and Lara Pulver as Leo and Lucille, serves the material with skill (Carvel and Pulver do a fine job differentiating themselves from the excellent portrayals by Brent Carver and Carolee Carmello on the original).

Admirably packaged on two discs (plus a dvd with a making-of featurette), this is an essential recording of an important work.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Added dialogue is nice but can't beat the original, January 20, 2008

By 

M.D.S (Fayetteville, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parade / V.L.C. (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

Now Jason Robert Brown is amazing. He could write a musical listing names in a phone book and I'd be all for it, but I feel that this Parade recording does not do justice to his Tony winning score.

I will say that I am used to the lush and beautiful original cast recording but the orchestrations on this CD are disappointing. I understand that its been revamped into a chamber piece but I don't know (just judging by the recording, I have seen neither performed live) if it can be done with this piece, specifically "Old Red Hills of Home" and "Where will you stand when the Flood Comes" sound weak and lose the power that they are supposed to hold over the listener.

The biggest problem with the recording are the accents and Leo Frank. English people + southern accents = unsuccessful mush, I would have preferred them to just stick with the English accent and not attempt Southern accents. Leo Frank, at least for the first half of the production is hard to listen to. His voice is so annoying at times that I really can't stand it. The best songs are when he is not singing. Although he sounds fine in the second half (the second half is by far much stronger than the first half). I don't know if the director wanted you to HATE Leo Frank with all his whining and complaining and voice but you do, and then have him change through the story...I don't know.

The rest of the cast is pretty good, especially Jim Connelly, he has a great voice.

I was completely let down with this recording because I love the show and score. It is still one of my favorite scores, and if not the best score of the last 10 years but this CD I feel is not a good interpretation. By the Lincoln Center Recording, memorize it, cherish it, love it, then by "Songs for a New World" and the "Last five Years" and "Wearing Someone Else's Clothes" because I believe that this Parade isn't even in the same league as his other recordings.

I didn't want to rip on this recording because I really wanted to love it but maybe I will grow to love it. Hopefully.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Underrated, Essential, January 11, 2011

By 

MSam (Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parade / V.L.C. (W/Dvd) (Audio CD)

Parade is one of the most underrated musicals, and it's criminal how this brilliant piece is overlooked. Jason Robert Brown's splendid melodies and libretto explore the trial and murder of Leo Frank, amongst examining the discourses of romance, justice, grief and Anti-Semitic tensions - to name a few.

This 3 disk set boasts a variety of impressive variations from the original cast recording. There are several new songs, different interpretations and expansions on character roles, and the entire show including the spoken dialogue has been recorded. There is also a bonus DVD full of some brief interviews with Brown, Alfred Uhry, and several collaborators of the show - saying how good the show was, and basically making you jealous if you didn't manage to catch it. While the artwork on the cover and the CDs are a bit ambiguous (Frankie?), the booklet is crammed full of gorgeous images of the cast and the production, and features the libretto of the songs. It's wonderful that so much consideration was put into this album.

The cast are mostly phenomenal. While Bertie Carvel may not be Brent Carver's strong willed Leo Frank, his rendition of the role is prudent, anxious, and timid - and it's fantastic. The gradual transformation of his role genuinely communicates the helplessness and anguish of Frank's position, delivering a profoundly passionate and sparking 'It's Hard to Speak My Heart'. Likewise, Lara Pulver presents a lively Lucielle Frank, and her frustration, intensity, but also her compassion, are flawlessly executed. When it all comes together, such as 'You Don't Know This Man', it's a moment that you can truly appreciate the depth and heartbreak of the production. Not everyone is excellent as these two. Helen Anker is the weakest link, her moment to shine in 'My Child Will Forgive Me' is marred by her awkward emulation of the Southern accent, which, when combined with her equally awkward timbre, presents a pretty soulless piece. It lacks the guilt, and later the venomous and resentful final lines, that were so powerful in the original. The rest of the cast are great - Jayne Wisener plays the bright Mary Phagan, multitalented Gary Milner plays Slaton, Craig, and Peavy, and both Norman Bowman and Mark Bonnar play their roles with poison to drive them as the antagonists. Overall, the cast are great representations of the roles.

The new material is intriguing, but not as strong as the previous work. The powerful and imperial justice theme has been replaced with the 'Hammer of Justice' - a motif that weaves in between the trial, and highlights the scathing Anti-Semitic prejudice by the people led by Tom Watson. 'Lullaby' does the same. 'Minola McKnight's Testimony' (and the reprise) has a non-existent melody, but it highlights the important role of Minnie's testimony within the manipulation of the trial. 'The Glory' is dreadful, and is painful to sit through - but again, it's important to emphasize the political ties and nepotism conjured in the community within the story. The new material, albeit relatively tuneless, helps the album run as a standalone experience.

The sweeping orchestration may be missing, but the new arrangements compliment the small ensemble size, and offer great variations of the original tunes. There are too many fantastic moments in this production, it seems redundant to list highlights when every song is outstanding. The most notable main theme 'The Old Red Hills of Home' is a revelation - it's a stirring, powerful and moving anthem, which re-emerges gloriously through the score and evokes the patriotism and reminiscence of the glory of the Confederate States. The essentials include 'The Picture Show', 'You Don't Know This Man', 'That's What He Said', 'It's Hard to Speak My Heart', 'Do It Alone', 'This Is Not Over Yet', 'All the Wasted Time' and the Finale.

This musical isn't merely entertaining - it's also touching and incredibly moving. The love story found in the dedication shared by Leo and Lucille is the soul of the show. At their last meeting, Lucille says "You are coming home, Leo!", and it's indescribably moving with the knowledge that Leo never will come home. Likewise, the finale is chillingly beautiful. When Phagan cheerfully says "Happy Memorial Day!"...it's one of the greatest moments in musical history.

'Parade' is heart-breaking and breath-taking, and it is essential to own either of these magnificent albums. Jason Robert Brown's magnus opus is a gorgeous, intimate and even evocative at times, with clever lyrics and outstanding melodies. Perfectly complimenting the original, this album has a wonderful cast and band, with addition material. There is no other musical I'd recommend more.