City of Angels (1990 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING]

Cy Coleman (Artist), David Zippel (Artist), James Naughton (Artist), Randy Graff (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 9, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000272K
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,606 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Musicals > Contemporary Musicals

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Cy Coleman and David Zippel's City of Angels is a seductive depiction of 1940s Los Angeles, capturing swinging jazz, torchy ballads, witty lyrics, and even a Manhattan Transfer-like Greek chorus (arranged by ManTran guru Yaron Gershovsky). James Naughton and Gregg Edelman star as Stone and Stine, respectively a tough Raymond Chandleresque PI and the writer who dreams up his adventures. Randy Graff plays Stone's long-suffering secretary and Dee Hoty the requisite femme fatale. Loads of atmosphere and tasty songs such as "What You Don't Know About Women," "With Every Breath I Take," "You're Nothing Without Me," and "You Can Always Count on Me" make City of Angels a modern classic. It won 1990 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Leading Actor (Naughton), Featured Actress (Graff), Best Book (Larry Gelbart), and Best Original Score. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Jazz and Swing You'll eat this up, April 11, 2000

By	Katherine LeDuc (Eacanaba, MI) - See all my reviews

Love this CD. It has the most exciting Jazz-Swing score done for Broadway in many years. It also has the wittiest lyrics. I had the pleasure of seeing the show on Broadway - with this cast. It was nothing short of amazing how well the songs fit the characters (those who haven't seen the show - read the plot outline - it helps). Some may think the vocal quality is lacking but the songs are so character driven that this is a less important consideration. Would highly recommed this for anyone who loves witty lyrics and a big band sound.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you like old style 30's music you'll love it!, May 19, 1998

By A Customer

Now big band era music isn't exactly my favorite, but I can still appreciate the score to this well writen, well plotted Tony Award winning (1991, I think) Best Musical. Cy Coleman makes yet another genre inspiring musical.

This story within a parellel story of a dectective novelist and his own created characters is a well orchestrated and well played libretto. The orchestra is great. Some really great songs are: the femme fatale's "LOST & FOUND", the witty reparte in "YOU'RE NOTHING WITHOUT ME" that is a banter between the writer and the character he created, the unapprecitaed secretary's "YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON ME", the very funny female duet "WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT WOMEN" and the dramatic song "FUNNY". These are all great songs. The rest are a little to old style I think for me to really appreciate.

In all, a strong cast, orchestra and stylized score make for a Tony Award winning musical. If you like Coleman's other works like "BARNUM" & "WILL ROGER'S FOLLIES" you'll probably love this. Both of those were 6-7's in my book as well.

To give you an example of my favorites: Sweeney Todd & Les Miserables.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Jazz-Oriented Score, June 24, 2005

By	AJK (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

1990 Tony winner for Best Musical, "City Of Angels" contains a great score, filled with jazz-oriented melodies & torch songs. Not all the songs are terrific, but most of the score lends itself to repeat listenings. Best tracks include:

Double Talk
What You Don't Know About Women
With Every Breath I Take [beautiful song!]
Lost And Found
You're Nothing Without Me [the show's hit]
You Can Always Count On Me
Funny

Great cast ... great buy!