Of Thee I Sing/Let 'em Eat Cake (1987 Studio Recording) [Cast Recording]

Gershwin (Artist), Mcgovern (Artist), Giford (Artist), Kert (Artist), Thomas (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026H7
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,840 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #73 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Classic Musicals

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Ov - Michael Tilson Thomas/Orch Of St. Lukes

2. Act I: Wintergreen For President

3. Act I: Who Is The Lucky Girl To Be? - Paige O'Hara/New York Choral Artists/Joseph Flummerfelt

4. Act I: The Dimple On My Knee - Paige O'Hara/New York Choral Artists/Joseph Flummerfelt

5. Act I: Because, Because

6. Act I: Never Was There A Girl To Be So Fair - Merwin Goldsmith/Walter Hook/Frank Kopyc/Raymond Thorne/Mark Zimmerman/Paige O'Hara/Larry Kert...

7. Act I: Some Girls Can Bake A Pie - Larry Kert/Paige O'Hara/Merwin Goldsmith/Walter Hook/Frank Kopyc/Raymond Zimmerman...

8. Act I: Love Is Sweeping The Country - George Dvorsky/Louise Edeiken/New York Choral Artists/Joseph Flummerfelt

9. Act I: Of Thee I Sing - Larry Kert/Maureen McGovern/New York Choral Artists/Joseph Flummerfelt

10. Act I, Finale Act I: Supreme Court Judges - Casper Roos/Larry Kert/New York Choral Artists/Joseph Flummerfelt

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Overture - Orchestra Of St. Luke's/Michael Tilson Thomas

2. Tweedledee For President

3. Union Square

4. Shirts By The Millions

5. Comes The Revolution - Jack Gilford

6. Mine

7. Climb Up The Social Ladder

8. Union League

9. On And On And On

10. Introduction - George Dvorsky

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FEELING PATRIOTIC?, October 5, 2002

By 

MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Thee I Sing/Let 'em Eat Cake (1987 Studio Recording) (Audio CD)

OF THEE I SING was the first musical comedy to win the Pulitzer Prize. It is easy to see why it won when you listen to this incredibly fine concert version from 1987, fifty years after the show was originally produced on Broadway. It is also interesting that in the Gershwins' satire there are targets which still crop up today: the Supreme Court meddling where it does not belong; voters depending on a spinmeister to choose them a candidate; ("He's the one the people choose/loves the Irish and the Jews"); The President's sex life getting more publicity than what he actually does for his country, etc. In case this all sounds heavy going, there is song after song by the incomparable George and Ira Gershwin including "Love Is Sweeping The Country," "Who Cares?" and the jubilant title love song.

There is plenty of comedy too in Vice President Throttlebottom played by wonderful Jack Gilford and President Wintergreen's intended, Diana Devereaux, played and sung terrifically by Paige O'Hara. The President chooses to marry all-American Mary Turner instead of the sexy, French Devereaux because of the way Mary makes corn muffins which causes a rift in American/Franco relations. Wintergreen and his Mary are sung beautifully by Larry Kert and Maureen McGovern.

The second CD holds OF THEE I SING's sequel LET 'EM EAT CAKE which is more bitter, more cynical and contains fewer Gershwin hit songs; only "Mine" has become a standard. But every moment on both CD's is not only listenable, but a musical gem. In these performances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music the orchestra (led by Michael Tilson Thomas) and the chorus do great work.

Feeling patriotic lately? You could do alot worse than buying these delightful CD's. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great shows !, March 21, 2005

By 

Ericbutruille (LYON, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Of Thee I Sing/Let 'em Eat Cake (1987 Studio Recording) (Audio CD)

Honestly, I absolutely cannot understand why these 2 masterpieces by the Gershwins are not part of standars musical repertoire, given the great qualities of the music and the immortal lucidity of the satire of the american political intitutions.
Waiting for the next great revival of these shows, Sony should AT LEAST reissue these recordings, which, in spite of the absence of spoken dialogues, are markstones of American musical theater.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best political musicals, November 1, 2011

By 

oded - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Of Thee I Sing/Let 'em Eat Cake (1987 Studio Recording) (Audio CD)

i had this recording on cassette a decade ago and lost it. now finally i got it on CD, and realized over the time, how profound these 2 musicals are.this has both reflection in the plot and in music which bears its influence on later musical eras and of course as a ground preparation for Porgy and Bess. deeply , deeply recommended.