Show Boat (1962 Studio Cast Recording) [CAST RECORDING] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Jerome Kern, William Warfield, Anita Darian, Louise Parker, Oscar Hammerstein II, Fay DeWitt, Show Boat (Related Recordings), Barbara Cook, John Raitt

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 30, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 16, 1962
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004THLR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #125,643 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Classic Musicals

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
While there's not much dispute that Show Boat marked the dawn of the modern musical theater, its 1927 vintage means it's never had an original cast recording to consider definitive, although there have been various revival, studio, and film casts, as well as John McGlinn's outstanding three-disc reconstruction and compilations of early recordings. This 1962 studio cast stars John Raitt as Ravenal, Barbara Cook as Magnolia, William Warfield as Joe, and Anita Darian as Julie. It's a good cast--Cook and Warfield subsequently appeared in the 1966 revival--but it just seems a bit polite and safe compared to the darker, totally immersing experience of McGlinn's set. Still, if you're simply looking for a single well-sung, reasonably priced disc of the many Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein II favorites, this may well fill the bill.

The 2000 reissue includes original and new liner notes and four interesting bonus tracks: the original Queenie, Tess Gardella, singing "Can't Help Loving Dat Man"; the original Julie, Helen Morgan, singing "Bill"; Paul Robeson singing "I Still Suits Me," written for the 1936 film; and Jan Clayton's "Nobody Else but Me," from the 1946 revival. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great recording of a classic, June 24, 2000

By	Michael Del Rossi (Monroeville, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Some might say that Show Boat, with music by Jerome Kern and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein & P.G. Wodehouse, started the birth of musical theatre. I wholeheartedly agree with the above statement. Showboat is a classic in its own right.

Stellar performances are given on this CD by William Warfield, John Raitt, and Barbara Cook, who play Joe, Gaylord Ravenal, and Magnolia respectively. Classic songs such as Ol' Man River, Bill, and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man are sung beautifully. You can hear William Warfield's pain as he sings Ol' Man River.

On some studio cast recordings you may find that since the cast does not perform on stage together, they do not have a sense of closeness and in turn do not give heartfelt performances. This is the case with this CD. While all of the songs are great you are just missing something. I can't put my finger on it but it just lacks gusto in some parts. That is why it only gets 4 stars.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a lovely recording, June 4, 2003

By	Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This lovely studio cast of SHOW BOAT, originally minted in 1962, is one of the best recordings of the immortal score by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein.

The cast is headed by Broadway stars John Raitt and Barbara Cook, as Gaylord and Magnolia, along with a superb supporting cast including Anita Darian and Fay DeWitt.

John Raitt's full-throated voice is perfectly suited to the score, particularly "Where's the Mate For Me?" and his duets with Barbara Cook in "Make Believe", "You Are Love" and "Why Do I Love You?".

Barbara Cook, as always, is a delight. Her sprightly reading of "After the Ball" is almost worth the price of admission alone, but she is winning in all her numbers. Her clarion-like soprano never fails to amaze me.

Anita Darian is a suitably-tragic Julie LaVerne, and sings the plaintive eleven o'clocker "Bill" with emotion dripping in every note. Fay DeWitt's performance as Ellie is pure perfection, and her "Life Upon the Wicked Stage" is the comical highlight of the score.

This recording makes great use of the stereo speaker-seperation system, where the voices shift from speaker to speaker as though they are actually performing on the theatre stage.

This CD includes some bonus tracks that are very fascinating, including the original Julie, Helen Morgan, singing her own emotional "Bill"; the original Queenie, Tess Gardella, singing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"; and Jan Clayton, performing "Nobody Else But Me" from the 1946 Broadway revival of SHOW BOAT. Clayton played both Magnolia as well as Magnolia's daughter Kim in the revival.

This was (and still remains) a very popular recording, and 2 years later Barbara Cook and Anita Darian were recruited again by Columbia to appear on their celebrated studio album of THE KING AND I (which I also recommend that you purchase).

A must-own recording.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Generally a good highlights disc... but some reservations..., September 5, 2004

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

Columbia's stereo album of SHOW BOAT recorded in December 1961 has been a steady best-seller ever since it was first released.

It's a fine recording of the key highlights of the score. Barabra Cook, John Raitt and William Warfield are well cast and the stereo spread is effectively used in the staging. This is a santaized version of the original text: the openng chorus here is sung "HERE we all word on the Mississippi..." and other Hammerstein lyrics have been censored. Also the recording eliminates key numbers: "Till Good Luck Come's My Way", "I Might Fall Back on you", "Queenie's Ballyhoo" among others. Why was Joe (William Warfield) left out of the quartet segment of "Can't help Lovin' Dat man?" And, Why does Anita Darian pull the tempos around so much in Julie's songs?

EMI's 3 CD set using the original 1927 text and orchestrations is as definitive as we'll likely ever get, and the (now out-of-print) Toronto cast offers a good highlights version documenting the Tony winning 1994 Broadway revival. Still, this 1961 version is preferable to the 1966 Lincoln center version also starring Barbara Cook.

BONUS MATERIAL: In addition to the 4 listed Bonus tracks, those familiar with the original LP release will be pleased to discover a longer take of the Overture included here.