Harry On Broadway Act 1

Harry Connick Jr. (Artist), Kelli O'Hara (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B000F2CC5O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,211 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This set sheds the spotlight on Harry Connick Jr.'s first two major musical-theater experiences. On disc 1, the cast-album recording of The Pajama Game revival, his role is limited to that of singer. On disc 2, which includes songs from his own Thou Shalt Not, he is composer, pianist, and interpreter. The revival of The Pajama Game is all frothy fun and shows that Connick has what it takes to become a stage leading man. (He still sounds a little stiff at times, as in the spoken part of "Hey There" for instance.) Kelli O'Hara plays his love interest with spunky zest—-appropriate, considering her part has been played by both Janis Paige and Doris Day—-and it's hard to beat great tunes such as the aforementioned "Hey There," "Her Is," "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway," performed here in a jumping eight-minute version. Note that both the show and the recording include three Richard Adler songs not in the original production: "If You Win, You Lose," "The World Around Us" (co-written with Jerry Ross) and "The Three of Us." Thou Shalt Not was an interesting but flawed attempt, but this collection of songs—-some of which were in the show, some of which were cut from it-—works quite well on its own. Backed by his quartet (occasionally augmented by a discreet string section), Connick creates a jazzy, dimly-lit mood, especially on duets with Kelli O'Hara, such as "Can't We Tell" and the sumptuously melancholic "I Like Love More." Even when the pace slightly picks up on the Sinatra-esque "Oh! Ain't That Sweet," the general atmosphere remains classily subdued. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Product Description
This special Harry Connick Jr. release features two distinct albums, packaged in a unique slip case.

One album includes the original cast recording from the Broadway hit "The Pajama Game."

The second album includes a selection of new recordings from "Thou Shalt Not" featuring Kelli O’Hara. All of these songs were written, arranged and orchestrated by Harry Connick, Jr.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun cast album with a little bonus, August 10, 2006

By	Lostgirl - See all my reviews

I think Harry Connick Jr. attracted most people to this show and this CD. I was one of the few who bought it for Kelli O'Hara. I first became a fan of O'Hara's silverly soprano on the Light in the Piazza OBC, and the OOBC of My Life With Albertine. In The Pajama Game she takes on a new kind of role- a belty Babe Williams. I was never particularly attracted to the Pajama Game as a musical but I wanted to see what O'Hara did with it.

What she does is show off her versitility as a performer, departing from ingenue roles and playing the brassy Babe for all she's worth. O'Hara never breaks character and brings an energy to songs like "I'm not at all in love", "7 and 1/2 cents" and "There once was a man" that is rarely heard on a studio cast recrding. The same cannot be said for Harry Connick Jr. Not that he isn't good- he is. But there were times when I felt that I wasn't listening to Syd Sorkin so much as Harry Connick Jr- especially in "Hey there".

The supporting cast is paricularly strong and enjoyable. Even though songs like "Her Is" are rather dated, that's part of their charm.

As for the oh so controversial packaging. Basically there is a sleeve with a picture of Connick on it. Remove the sleve and you have a Pajama Game CD with the artwork. Connick writes and into in the booklet. I had absolutely no objection to that and when I got the CD I tossed the sleeve. As for the bonus disc, I enjoyed it. Harry Connick Jr. performs songs from his Broadway flop "Thou Shalt Not" with Kelli O'Hara. It's not a cast recording. It's a series on solos and duets- more background music than the Pajama Game, but it's more or less free. The Pajama Game would have the same price without this disc so I don't see why people object to this so vehemently. Yes, it's a marketing ploy, but so is just about anything you buy.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 7&1/2 CENTS...WORTH A MILLION, May 12, 2006

By	Robert F. Powers "show maniac" (Quincy, Ma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The new Broadway Cast album of "The Pajama Game" is a sunny and bouncy rendition of the old 1954 show. Kelli O'Hara sinks her teeth into the role of Babe Williams and she is delightfully infectious. Harry Connick Jr's vocals are fine but his styling is a tad too sophisticated for his role as a superintendant of a Mid-Western pajama factory. Having said that his rendition of the big song "Hey There" is sublime. And his duets with Miss O'Hara are so perfectly blended you would swear they have been singing together forever.

Some numbers notably "Steam Heat" have been arranged differently so not to invite comparisons with the original dance music used for the unsurpassable choreography devised by Bob Fosse in the original 1954 production.

This cast album has all the musical numbers from the show and a few that were cut from the original production. Enjoy!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, May 19, 2006

By	M. Donelson "bigsleep39" (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I saw this revival of The Pajama Game on Broadway and was hoping the CD would capture at least some of infectiousness of the live performance. Though no CD is as good as its live performance, this recording is outstanding! I completely disagree with those who have been critical of Harry Connick's vocal performance here -- he is fabulous on ballads and up-tempo songs, and emotes appropriately (i.e. noticeably) for each. I mean, he's not exactly an amateur at interpreting lyrics convincingly. I can't imagine anyone more well suited for this role. And Kelli O'Hara's voice is like "buttuh!" This version of The Pajama Game is a real treat - I recommended it over the film soundtrack, if you're looking just for the show. And if you're a Harry Connick Jr. fan, it's a must.