Three Wishes for Jamie (1952 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Ralph Blane (Composer), Anne Jeffreys (Artist), John Raitt (Artist), Bert Wheeler (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Bert Wheeler
• Composer: Ralph Blane
• Audio CD (August 22, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Drg
• ASIN: B000G8NW06
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,919 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Prologue

2. The Wake

3. The Girl That I Court In My Mind

4. My Home's A Highway

5. We're For Love

6. My Heart's Darlin'

7. Love Has Nothing To Do With Looks

8. Goin' On A Hayride

9. My Heart's Darlin' (Reprise)

10. I'll Sing You A Song

11. It Must Be Spring

12. Wedding March

13. The Army Mule Song

14. What Do I Know?

15. Love Has Nothing To Do With Looks (Reprise)

16. It's A Wishing World

17. Trottin' To The Fair

18. April Face

19. Kevin's Prayer

20. Finale

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Maybe "The Army Mule Song" isn't exactly Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Soliloquy," but Three Wishes for Jamie is still worth hearing for the voice of the great John Raitt (Carousel, The Pajama Game). It's a Brigadoon-ish fantasy about a Irishman granted three wishes by a fairy queen, and the songs by Ralph Blane (Meet Me in St. Louis) might remind you of other songs of the time: "My Heart's Darlin'" ("If I Loved You"), "Goin' on a Hayride" ("The Surrey with the Fringe on Top"), "It Must Be Spring" ("Spring Is Bustin' Out All Over"). The excellent liner notes explain the show's long trip to Broadway, where it ran for only 92 performances in 1952. Ann Jeffreys (Street Scene) co-stars as Jamie's American wife, Maeve Harrigan. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BROADWAY LEGEND JOHN RAITT AT HIS PEAK . . . . ., August 22, 2006

By 

J. T Waldmann "yaakov98" (Carmel, IN, home to the fabulous new Regional Performing Arts Center.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Three Wishes for Jamie (1952 Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

"A charming and whimsical musical fantasy -- a bit like BRIGADOON, a bit like FINIAN'S RAINBOW, a bit like PAINT YOUR WAGON . . ." These words appear on the jacket of 1993 Broadway Angel release of THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE -- perhaps in an effort to entice Broadway cast album collectors to buy a show they probably never heard of.

After a fairly disastrous run at the Los Angeles and San Francisco Light Opera companies during the summer of 1951, the producers cancelled the projected Broadway opening, and THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE underwent extensive revisions. Abe Burrows (GUYS & DOLLS) was brought in to rework Charles O'Neal's book, and several of the leads were recast. Former opera soprano Anne Jeffreys replaced Marion Bell (BRIGADOON), and Hugh Wheeler took over the part of the matchmaker, Owen Roe Tavish, from Cecil Kellaway (LUCK OF THE IRISH). Fortunately, John Raitt - who had "been swept to stardom" in CAROUSEL (1945) and appeared (briefly) in MAGDALENA (1948) - was available, having turned down a secondary part in SOUTH PACIFIC.

It is John Raitt's magnificent singing that, for me, is the major reason for listening to THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE. "John Raitt possessed possibly the finest male voice on Broadway at that or any other time, a perfect instrument with the deft grace of a lyric baritone but with a tenor's ringing high notes." (from David Foil's excellent notes for the Broadway Angel CD) Ralph Blaine must have had Raitt in mind when he thought of writing the score, for they fit Raitt like the proverbial glove: "The Girl That I Court in My Mind," "My Heart's Darlin'" (sung with Ms. Jeffreys), "The Army Mule Song," "It's a Wishing World." Wheeler, Jeffreys, Peter Conlow and the rest of the ensemble are also first rate, and there's the added bonus of the incredible Charlotte Rae, even though "Love Has Nothing To Do with Looks" is embarrassingly misogynistic by today's standards.

So, I urge you to ignore the opening quote and to enjoy THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE for what it is: a charming show with a pleasant, if not memorable, score. With Broadway Legend John Raitt at his peak, and a supporting cast who are apparently having a wonderful time, JAMIE is fine listening, indeed. It's a wonder that more community theatre groups haven't staged the show. Perhaps, with this fresh recording, THREE WISHES FOR JAMIE will see new life on the stage.

Recommended.

(These comments are about the 1993 Broadway Angel recording. I have great confidence in DRG's remastering capability, which will undoubtedly improve the somewhat flat sound of the recording.)

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting history, February 8, 2009

By 

William A. Brimmer Jr. (CT) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Three Wishes for Jamie (1952 Original Broadway Cast) (Audio CD)

I'm not sure I can add too much more to J.T's excellent review. This musical is all about John Rait and his amazing vocal talent. This musical had a series of starts and stops with compsers and book writers before finally getting to Broadway. But the show was always built around Mr. Raitt, who was simply peerless in his vocalization.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique Storyline, December 24, 2008

By 

E. McInnis - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Three Wishes For Jamie (MP3 Download)

I bought this for my sister-in-law for Christmas, couldn't find a DVD of the play itself, but it seems to be a cute story. Easy download process, sounds really good for a 1952 recording.