Customer Reviews

Show Boat (1993 Toronto Revival Cast)

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4 star:		(4)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like the "Music Fan" who previously commented on this recording, I am also a theatre student specializing in dramaturgy, with an interest in musical theatre. And I happen to like this CD.

Yes, any production of SHOW BOAT should take into account historical accuracy. And yes, there are anachronisms in this recording (there are also anachronisms in the original score). But I think it's important to recall that while SHOW BOAT's plot begins in 1887, it was of course written in 1927 -- and revived by Harold Prince in 1993. This is the story of America's transition from the 19th century to the 20th, as seen through the eyes of several generations of 20th century American artists. Kern and Hammerstein did not intend their work to be a museum piece about the 1880's, nor did Prince intend his revival to be a museum piece about the 1920's. SHOW BOAT, as critic Ethan Mordden points out, is a musical that must constantly be reinterpreted and rediscovered for each successive audience, and this 1993 recording reflects that thinking. For example, the character of Julie may have been written for soprano Helen Morgan to play, but subsequent revivals have cast a belter in the role, to endow Julie with an earthiness and a contemporaneity and to contrast her with Ravenal and Magnolia's operatic grandeur.

The glory of Prince's revival, which won universal critical acclaim and a trunkful of Tonys, is that it gives SHOW BOAT its proper due as a great, groundbreaking work of American art, but it also acknowledges the problems inherent in the original book and production and tries to solve them. The character of Parthy, for example, was supposed to be a shrewish old spoilsport: that's tradition. But this production is about rediscovery, not tradition. Thus, Prince takes the song "Why Do I Love You?", originally a love duet between Magnolia and Ravenal, and reassigns it to Parthy to croon to the infant Kim. Elaine Stritch pulls it off superbly; with this brief number, she rescues the character from the trap of stereotype and turns Parthy into a complete person, full of wonder at her new role as a grandmother. Listen to Stritch's voice break with emotion as she sings "Maybe that's because you love me" -- it's a brilliantly human moment.

The major flaw of this recording is that it includes almost no spoken dialogue, except for brief passages in "I Have the Room Above Her" and the Act Two Finale. Much of the orchestral underscoring is included, though, and this seems to make the gap in between the verses of the songs all the more obvious. This elimination, in my opinion, damages the overall quality, since we lose the transitional dialogue that helps us understand some of the more complex songs like "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "After the Ball." The former foreshadows how Julie will be exposed as a mulatto, and eventually be abandoned by her husband; the latter shows Magnolia discovering her own strength and identity, on the eve of the 20th century, by reconnecting with her family (Hammerstein's favorite theme). But without the dialogue, "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" and "After the Ball" devolve from complex musical scenes into rather simple showtunes.

What's unfortunate is that the voices in this recording -- Mark Jacoby, Rebecca Luker, Robert Morse, Gretha Boston, Lonette McKee, and of course, Stritch -- are all well-rounded musical theatre performers with solid acting backgrounds. In particular, I wish I could have heard McKee use that rich voice to tackle the Miscegenation Scene. Certainly, these singer-actors could have handled the spoken sections better than do the glamorous opera stars of John McGlinn's comprehensive, if rather pompous, three-disc set.

One thing about this recording that takes a bit of time getting used to is the tempo at which the music is conducted. Some of the numbers sound, I swear, like they're on fast-forward. The overture, for example, clocks in at a brisk 2:47. McGlinn uses the same arrangement, with only a few additional bars of music -- but his version lasts a whole two minutes longer. The up-tempo conducting endows the score with an unusual vitality, but sometimes obscures the moments of romance and serenity.

But on the whole, the merits of this album far outweigh the flaws. I enjoy the 1993 SHOW BOAT recording very much, and recommend it to anyone who's seriously interested in the American musical theatre. Hope they bring it back into print soon; till then, have fun finding yourself a used copy.

Hal Prince's epic revival of SHOW BOAT was a huge success in Toronto, and it quickly transferred to Broadway, spawning a national tour as well as productions in London and Australia. This cast album features the original Toronto company, headed by Rebecca Luker as Magnolia, with Robert Morse as Capt'n Andy, Elaine Stritch as Parthy, Lonette McKee as Julie and Michel Bell as Joe. This cast is simply sensational. This recording of SHOW BOAT is one of the more satisfying out of the myriad of cast albums that exist for this score. The Jerome Kern-Oscar Hammerstein score perfectly bridges the styles of opera, operetta and musical comedy to tell the sprawling tale of a troupe of river-players over a span of nearly 30 years. Orchestrations by William David Brohn (combined with the originals by Robert Russell Bennett) perfectly define the changing era's in the story. The cast also features Gretha Boston as Queenie, Joel Blum as Frank, Dorothy Stanley as Ellie and Tammy Amerson as Kim with Mark Jacoby as Ravenal. This recording is currently out-of-print because the company which bankrolled the revival (Livent) is no longer in operation.

In my opinion this is the BEST recording of "Show Boat" that is out there. The music isn't played too slow that it is on other recordings. The new second act montages are a wonderful addition to this show. Lonnette McKee as "Julie" is awesome. Her rendition of "Bill" is the best that you will ever hear. Hal Prince is a genius with directing the show but also giving "Parthy" the song "Why Do I love You?" to sing to her new grand-daughter. Elaine Stritch is good as "Parthy" but Karen Morrow was better. (Sorry.) This recording is a must! The only reason that it is out-of-print is because Livent, Inc. went bankrupt. We can only hope that another label with pick it up.

This 1993 "World Premiere Cast Recording" is (aside from the incredible 1988 studio cast) probably the most satisfying recording of the score available. Rebecca Luker is probably the best Magnolia to date. (With kudos to the legendary Barbara Cook and Jan Clayton as well!) Her lyric soprano is incredibly clear and strong - and a rare find on Broadway or even the opera stages. (For more of her singing, check out ANY recording she's ever made: "The Secret Garden", "The Music Man", "Wonderful Town", "The Boys From Syracuse", "The Sound of Music", "Brigadoon", "Strike Up the Band" and her solo Cole Porter CD "Anything Goes"). Mark Jacoby is quite acceptable for the role of Ravenal - his voice doesn't quite equal his predecessors (like Howard Keel, Allan Jones, John Raitt, etc.) but he is still very good - for more of him, listen to the "Ragtime" cast recordings. The idea of casting the ultimate "Broadway Baby", Elaine Stritch, as Parthy is pure genius, especially giving her the Act Two number "Why Do I Love You?" as a lullaby sung to the baby. She may not be a good singer, but she sure as hell can give the the feeling and interpretation the song calls for. She adds more dimension to her character. Lonette McKee will break your heart with her rendition of "Bill". "Mis'ry's Comin' Around" is considered to be rather down and depressing, but it is a very important number to the show, led by the incomparable Gretha Boston (who would win a Tony when the show transferred to Broadway in 1994.) Michel Bell as Joe was ideal - his singing of "Ol' Man River" is (dare I say it) in my opinion, better than that of Paul Robeson, though not as good as William Warfield. (Joe of the '51 movie, '62 studio cast and '66 Lincoln Center revival)

The new transitions in Act Two conceived by the 20 time Tony winning producer-director Hal Prince make the show run smoother and stronger than it has since its opening night in 1927. Oh - and the addition of "Kim's Charleston" is quite enjoyable - who wouldn't enjoy a Charleston with legendary choreographer Susan Stroman's stamp on it? Everything about this recording is quite excellent. I only wish I had seen it onstage or that it had been videotaped for PBS or something because it would have been quite an experience. Unfortunately, as of this time, the CD is out of print and can only be found under used music. It's still worth it, though. If you have to pick one recording of the show to get and you can't afford the 3 disc studio recording - this should be it.

This classic American musical seems to have suffered from some curse, which has successfully prevented it from recieving proper recognition and also seems to have produced very few official "original cast" recordings for us to enjoy.

Obviously, I'm not serious about such curse, but in my opinion, this 1993 Canadian production highlights recording, is the latest "teaser" which only makes us Show Boat fans all the more curious.

This recording is an excellent edition of the Jerome Kern legendary score. Though somewhat adapted to reflect changing ideals and delivery style, the score remains as faithful as possible to the original. The cast is absolutely perfect in all areas of performance art. I wish there was more of Robert Morse's Captain Andy, because the little snippets he recieves are only enough to want to hear more. Captain Andy has the fewest singing parts in the musical than any other character, which brings me to my next point.

It's more than obvious, that Livent rushed the tempo here, in order to fit as much material possible into one single compact disc recording. Whatever the reasoning behind this, it's rather irritating upon making it's first impression. I purchased this recording many years ago at a local Tower records store and shut it off by the end of the first track, because I couldn't keep up with the incredibly fast tempo. I recall my sister and I looking at each other with our mouths wide open. Yes, it's that fast!

Well, don't let this deter you from looking for a good used copy. This fast-forward-like tempo is limited to only a few tracks, mainly ensemble numbers, while the solos and duets are left unaltered. Sadly, it took me several years to finally discover the splendor of this recording upon giving it another try back in 1998. Since then, I've nearly worn it out.

I had the pleasure of seeing this grand Harold Prince production back in 1996, when it's 1st national tour parked itself into the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. It remains my second favorite musical of all time and have since been waiting for an official full recording, with dialogue and original tempo intact. After Livent's misfortune, this is highly unlikely. Add this one to your collection at once! A must for any fan of great classic American musical theatre and a great teaser of a sampler for fans of this most neglected musical masterpiece.

"....Oh, Gay!" cooes sweet Magnolia; Paul Robeson wouldn't have raised an eyebrow, although, nowadays, (where Sondheim and the English "grand operatic musical" have reigned supreme for two decades) a romantic lead called `Gaylord Ravenal', nicknamed `Gay', might have been eschewed, let alone the "n" word (Hal Prince ruled to change it for "color'd people"), also the melodies might be considered rather "passé"....yet hardly any current tenor would be too happy (or able) to go through the notes in "You Are Love" every single night.... passé or not.... So, can anyone consider some tune from `Cats' or `Phantom' either better constructed or more "modern" than, say, Kern's "I Have the Room Above" or "Bill"? Oscar Hammerstein's composer decades later, the great Richard Rodgers, tried his hand at "sublime choral writing" for children and nuns in is arch-twee billion-dollar "Sound of Music" score, yet, in comparison, Kern tackled "Alma Redentoris Mater" with simplicity and charm, having the bass intoning Ol' Man River as a Passacaglia. OK, maybe Ellie's numbers are a bit insipid, yet they retain wit and fitness from its forerunner, the English Music-Hall. On the other extreme, a jewel like "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man of Mine", with its gorgeous blue-note-scale melody, has hardly been equaled. Gershwin's aria "What You Want wid Bess?", a comparable gem, was written nearly 10 years later.... (the scholarly L. Bernstein, in his "On The Town" -particularly in the initial baritone song- had Kern and Gershwin, inherently, in mind).

This recording is beautiful, faithful to its period and the sound is transparent and perfectly well balanced. The voices are nicely styled and unmannered, the orchestra sounds just like it should: a pit band (unlike in so many revival recordings of great musicals that over-inflate the orchestrations with Wagnerian forces). Mark Jacoby is a fine light tenor, although a triffle thin at times; regretably, his "You Are Love" interval jumps are strained on top. Rebeca Luker sounds pure and perfect throughout, even when refraining "fish gotta swim" after the gorgeous bluesy rendition of Lonette McKee, maybe my favourite Julie of all times (since we couldn't ever have Lady Day in the cast....) Michel Bell is a passionate, robust-voiced Joe and Gretha Boston's Queenie is marvellous; her "Mis'ry's Comin' Round" remins both the shrewish Maria and the religious Serena Robbins from "Porgy and Bess"....(again, I recall Kern's influence on Gershwin's own folk opera).

A must-have album, expertly abridged., worth every penny (and of its $10 million Livent Inc. stage production) if only for Elaine Stritch's moving, anthological performance in "Why do I Love You?".

In my opinion this is the best version of "Showboat." The songs are so lovely and the singers are brilliant , especially Rebecca Luker. She has such a pure and lovely voice. It's an album any musical fan wont want to be without!

This recording is the most beautiful version of the Kern and Hammerstein score I have heard. The best thing about the CD is that it is not too operatic, like so many other recordings. Of course this is the recording of the 1994 Broadway revival, that originated in Canada. All performances are fantastic, from Lonette McKee as Julie to Mark Jacoby as Ravenal. The changes which have been made have been done for a good reason, the story flows much better and with the new orchestrations the score sounds even better. Also contains some great dance and incidental music by David Krane. Make sure you get a copy because it is extremely hard to find, very, very hard to find!

This is a great recording of the 1994 revival of Showboat. I am choreographing this show for a community theatre and was happy to find a cd which seems quite complete to begin my work before I get the score and script. It seems to have quite a complete versionof all the songs

In doing research on Showboat (I was amazed that this was first produced in 1927!) I discovered that there is no complete recording, one that includes ALL the songs and music. But this is the best I've found thus far. So many great songs, and excellent renditions thereof.