Customer Reviews

The Rink (1984 Original Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE RINK is a fantastic musical from the pen of John Kander and Fred Ebb, starring two of the best triple-threats in the business, Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli, as feuding mother and daughter Anna and Angel. Rivera and Minnelli are always at their best with Kander-Ebb material (Rivera in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN and CHICAGO; Minnelli in FLORA THE RED MENACE, CABARET and THE ACT). THE RINK was a splendid showcase for these 2 formidable divas. Chita and Liza had (briefly) co-starred when Minnelli filled in for a sick Gwen Verdon during the run of the original CHICAGO.

The story concerns freewheeling hippy Angel (Minnelli) who returns to the family nest after leaving as a teenager. Her weary-yet vital mother Anna (Rivera) has been running her husband's rollerskate rink by herself ever since he walked out on her when Angel was a little girl. Now the time has come that Anna can sell up and start living her own life...imagine her shock when her daughter shows up broke and looking for a reunion!

Touching and bittersweet, THE RINK also features a pre 'Seinfeld' Jason Alexander in a great role as Anna's wannabe-suitor Lenny, singing the heartfelt "Marry Me". Other standout numbers include "Colored Lights", Anna's riotous "Chief Cook and Bottle-Washer", "The Apple Doesn't Fall" and the cataclysmic "Mrs A." where Angel confronts her mother's indiscretions.

THE RINK was a mild success when it opened on Broadway, buoyed by the star-power of Rivera and Minnelli. The show folded a few weeks after Minnelli's departure (being replaced by Stockard Channing of GREASE fame). The London production featured A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC's Diane Langton but it quickly shuttered. A sadly underrated musical featuring a strong and memorable score. Highly-recommended.

The 1993/94 Broadway season was one of the best of the past 25 years. Among the shows: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Tony Award Winner); SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Critics Circle & Pulitzer Prize winner); BABY; THE TAP DANCE KID; DOONSBURY and THE RINK.

THE RINK was a top notch effort from Kander & Ebb and bookwriter Terrence McNally. The book deserves special priase for being several notches above standard musical theatre fare. The characters are clearly defined. They are not, however, terribly likable and this put audiences off. As the warring mother and daughter Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli both offered no-holds-barred performances. The cast album preserves a bit of the dialogue but the performances come through so strongly in the songs that the dialogue and synopsis are not really essential.

This is a great theatre score...songs loaded with character and plot detailas but also entertaining songs. It's no wonder Kander and Ebb remain so proud of this show, even though it ran 6 months. Perhaps someday THE RINK wll be revived and audiences will discover it.

A London production was mounted in 1988 and yielded a cast album too. It doesn't have the star power of the original but does offer a little more of the score.

...this apple's a gem! Stunningly remastered and produced for this CD reissue by John Yap. Too bad most of us missed its brief run on Broadway - killed by the NY Times review - in early '84 - and there I lived at the time! Anyway, it's never too late - I'm hooked now, unable to cope without Colored Lights, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, Don't Ah Ma Me, What Happened to the Old Days?, The Apple Doesn't Fall ... Viva Chita! Viva Liza!

While Chita Rivera & Liza Minnelli are clearly Broadway superstars, the 1984 musical which teamed them together, "The Rink", has been largely forgotten. Why? Who knows. Maybe it just got overshadowed by that season's other hits, "La Cage aux Folles" and "Sunday In The Park With George". The production, however, was nominated for several Tony Awards, including a Best Actress win for Ms. Rivera.

Kander/Ebb's score may not rise to the level of their other classics ("Chicago", "Cabaret", "Kiss Of The Spider Woman"), but the score is still quite good and contains several marvelous songs.

Best Tracks:

Colored Lights [probably the score's most well-known song]
Chief Cook And Bottle Washer
We Can Make It
The Apple Doesn't Fall [great Rivera/Minnelli duet!]
Marry Me [sung by pre-"Seinfeld" Jason Alexander]

The recording has been recently remastered, sounds terrific and gets better with each listening.

For Musical Theater fans, especially those of Kander and Ebb, you will want this CD. It is very reminiscent of Chicago, and Cabaret, and has bestiful performances from Chita, Liza, and everyone else!

This is a wonderful musical--I, too, paid a fortune for it before it came back into print on CD. Chita won a Tony award for her portrayal of Anna in this musical. However, the plot is hard to figure out from this CD alone. If you want to hear more, I recommend buying the London cast as well. The female leads don't nearly match the level of Chita and Liza, but there are some additional tracks that help to explain The Rink's plot. Don't buy the London one alone, though---the singing (and acting) can't compare!

I'm so glad to see that "The Rink" has been re-released on compact disc...I paid $75.00 for a copy of it when it was out of print. The fact that this Kander and Ebb show stars Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera is enough to make it worth buying. The music is haunting and truly beautiful. It took me awhile to get to know the music, so you have to give it a couple good listens. It'll definitely grow on you. The reason I only gave it four stars is because outside of Liza and Chita, the performances are really weak and can almost be painful to listen to. An absolute must though for any fan of Liza, Chita, or Kander and Ebb!

I was fortunate enough to see this play several times in 1984. Even then, at the age of 12, chills ran down my spine as I listened to this story tell itself with music.

Kander & Ebb are as creative as ever and Chita & Liza are so talented and powerful. You couldn't ask for a better combination. For those who don't know it already, Jason Alexander has a fabulous voice also.

I wore out my record and my tape, but I was able to get the CD about a year ago.

Every time I listen to The Rink, I can see the play in mind from beginning to end, just like it was yesterday, and I still get chills.

This show is AMAZING! Kander & Ebb music (their best) with a book by Terrence McNally! What more could you want... oh, how about Liza & Chita, Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame singing the beautiful "Marry Me" and so on. This show is AMAZING... I can not stress this enough!!! 2 Female leads, 5 men who play everyone in their lives, including old women! BUY IT, PRODUCE IT, MAKE A MOVIE OUT OF IT... DO SOMETHING!!!

This disjointed work is clearly not up to the best of Kander & Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago), but is saved by the powerhouse performances of Chita Rivera and Liza Minnelli. Chita's solos and the duets between the two are strong, but the rest doesn't follow through. Still, the first three songs are gems--although I'm partial to Karen Ziemba's recording of "Colored Lights" on the masterful "And the World Goes Round...", which is a cabaret-style, Off-BWAY performance of Kander & Ebb's work. Minnelli tends to sound a bit ponderous with repeated listening, but there's no denying that manic Minnelli edge. Rivera, of course, is a master of the stage.