Raisin (1973 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

Robert Brittan (Lyrics) (Artist), Robert Jackson (Artist), Deborah Allen (Artist), Helen Martin (Artist), Judd Woldin (Composer), Virginia Caper (Performer), Joe Morton (Performer), Ernestine Jackson (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Virginia Caper, Joe Morton, Ernestine Jackson
• Composer: Judd Woldin
• Audio CD (November 24, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: Sony Broadway
• ASIN: B00000252B
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,639 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Underrated throbbing score!, November 21, 2000

By 

Mike Perry (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raisin (1973 Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

I own the original LP of this show and played it until it is now close to wearing out. An absolutely incredible cast brings the Raisin in the Sun story to vivid musical life. Harold Wheeler did the orchestrations and the score moves and pulses with feeling and life.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good performances but an unnecessary musical, April 25, 2004

By 

Mark Andrew Lawrence "Theatre Reviewer" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raisin (1973 Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

Winner of the 1974 Tony Award for Best Musical (an admittedly slow season for new musicals) this show is fine example of the trend of taking successful plays and turning them into musicals. The result in this case is acceptable but nothing special has been added by musicalizing the play. That said, at least this show doesn't cheapen the source material. The performances are all fine especially Virginia Capers as Mama and Joe Morton as Walter Lee. As always, Sony has done a splendid remastering job, restoring a song that had been left off the original Lp due to timing restraints ("Booze"... although the synopsis, reprinted from the LP jacket, makes no mention of the tune.) The booklet has some interesting notes about the creation of the show. It also reprints the show's logo which makes it look like one of those inane 1960s musical comedies instead of a serious musical play. I prefer the original play (and the movie) which remain powerful enough wthout songs.

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional musical version of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, August 11, 2010

By 

heyteegs (San Jose, CA, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raisin (1973 Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

I saw this production on Broadway and was blown away. I hadn't read (or seen) the source play at the time but the emotional depth and poignancy of this musical has stayed with me for years. I've since read the play and seen the film and both, play and musical, are incredible works. (Interestingly, the musical writers have kept very closely to the words Lorraine Hansberry wrote in their lyrics.) All that said, this is an incredible recording with expressive vocals and powerful orchestrations. Isn't the time right for a revival of Raisin?