The Apple Tree (1966 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Barbara Harris (Artist), Jerry Bock (Composer), Larry Blyden (Performer), Alan Alda (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Larry Blyden, Alan Alda
• Composer: Jerry Bock
• Audio CD (November 24, 1992)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000027WD
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,028 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bock & Harnick's Soulful, Tuneful Trio Is Wonderful, February 5, 2001

By	A. R. Karpe "ARKendall" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bock & Harnick will certainly be remembered for their landmark musical, "Fiddler on the Roof," but this lesser known three-act musical (actually three individual musicals with connecting themes)deserves to be in the library of any true Broadway maven. In its original Broadway production, "The Apple Tree" became more a showcase for the phenomonally talented Barbara Harris than a memorable musical. Harris won the Tony for this performance, and it's evident on the recording why. Harris, Alan Alda and Larry Blyden play the leads in each of the three musicals, "The Diary of Adam and Eve," "The Lady or the Tiger" and "Passionella," but Harris is the one who gets to shine brightest. The three stories share common bonds, but they work individually as separate musicals. Highlights to the recording include Harris' heartfelt "What Makes Me Love Him?" where an adult Eve reflects on her life with Adam; "I've Got What You Want" where her sultry Princess attains the knowledge she's not supposed to have; and the gutsy, hilarious "Gorgeous" where the dirty chimneysweep, Ella, is magically transformed into the glamorous movie star, Passionella. This is pure entertainment, and doesn't pretend to be anything else, though it's done with such heart and soul. Alda and Blyden deliver fine performances as well, but it's Barbara Harris that will leave you wondering, "When will this amazing talent return to Broadway?"

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable Barbara Harris, March 17, 2006

By	Jay Dickson (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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One of the greatest of all musical comedy singers, Barbara Harris never appeared in a show that was an unqualified hit, but her great turns in two flawed but much-loved mid-60s shows, ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and THE APPLE TREE, have made her a great cult figure for Broadway fans. THE APPLE TREE, for which she won the Tony, is really rememberted best today as a vehicle for her amazing voice, charm, and versatility, and the cast recording of the original Broadway cast her beautiful open voice shines through to its best advantage. The show features three short stories all centering upon the Eve and temptation theme, and all set to music by Bock and Harnick, the team behind SHE LOVES ME and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. The last of the stories, "Passionella" by Jules Feiffer, was said to have been the funniest (and Harris's strange adenoidal intonations in the title role are pretty funny) but certainly did not have the most memorable songs, nor did the middle story, an adaptation of Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?" The best songs by far are from the first of the trio, a version of Mark Twain's "The Diary of Adam and Eve," and the beautiful combination of the shimmering orchestrations and Barbara Harris's soaring voice on "Here in Eden" is a revelation. The act's other highlight, "What Makes Me Love Him?" should have survived as a standard: again, it brings out the best in Harris's lovely mellow voice.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Show & Great Music, October 12, 2000

By	Eric Ullman (Port Washington, NY United States) - See all my reviews

I was lucky enough to have seen this show on Broadway and thought the show & music was hilarious and touching. The album is worth owning because these are great show tunes that you will listen to over and over. The music seems as fresh as ever. Why haven't they done a revival? Buy this album!