ENCORE!

The Very Best From The Musicals

Louise Gold starred on Volume Two Track 1 as Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes and was featured on Volume Three Track 9 as Maria a Kit Kat Club Girl in Cabaret, Showtime recording

Catalogue number: SHOW BX 002

Cast

Thomas Allen (as Frank Butler from Annie Get Your Gun)

PP Arnold

Graham Bickley (as Gaston from Gigi, The Phantom from The Phantom Of The Opera and others)

Jessica Boevers

Wayne Bryan

Clare Burt

The A Chorus Line company

Brian Cox

Kim Criswell (as Gladys from The Pajama Game, Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard and others)

Tim Flavin (as Brad Majors from The Rocky Horror Show)

Hal Fowler (as Adam Pontipee from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers)

Ethan Freeman (as Don Quixote from Man Of La Mancha and others)

Sarah French (as Annie in Annie)

Louise Gold (as Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes and Maria A Kit Kat Klub Girl from Cabaret)

James Graeme

David Green (as Benny Southstreet from Guys And Dolls)

Michael Gruber (as Don Lockwood from Singing In The Rain)

Lindsay Hamilton (as Gigi from Gigi)

Richard Harris

Helen Hobson

Kim Huber

Valerie Masterson (as Anna from The King And I and Annie Oakley from Annie Get Your Gun)

Christina Matthews (as Jane in Salad Days)

Donald Maxwell

Liza Minnelli (as Angela “Angel” Antonelli from The Rink)

Claire Moore (as Rosie A Kit Kat Club Girl from Cabaret and others)

Ann Morrison

Katrina Murphy

Tinuke Olafimihan (as Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady)

Sian Phillips (as Madame Alvarez from Gigi and Desire from A Little Night Music)

Shwezwae Powell (as Hattie from Kiss Me Kate)

Jonathan Pryce (as M.C from Cabaret)

David Rendall

Chita Rivera (as Anna Antonelli from The Rink)

Howard Samuels (as Frank ‘n’ Furter from The Rocky Horror Show)

Don Stephenson (as Nicely-Nicely Johnson from Guys And Dolls)

Leslie Uggams

Richard Van Allan (as Joe from Showboat)

Issy Van Randwyck (as Nancy from Oliver, Mary Magdelane from Jesus Christ Superstar, and others)

Production Team

Conductors - Gerry Allison, Craig Barna, Paul Gemignani, Janet Glazener John Owen Edwards, Neil Rhoden, and, Martin Yates

Produced by - John Yap

Sleeve notes - Rexton S Bunnet

Track Listing

Volume One Show BX 002a

1. Another Opening Another Show (from Kiss Me Kate) - Shezwae Powell and Chorus with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

2. Why, God, Why? (from Miss Saigon) - Graham Bickley with the NSO Conducted by Martin Yates

3. Getting To Know You (from The King And I) - Valerie Masterson, Children and Chorus, with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

4. How To Handle A Woman (from Camelot) - Richard Harris, with orchestra conducted by Gerry Allison

5. Aquarius (from Hair) - PP Arnold and Chorus, with the NSO Ensemble conducted by Martin Yates

6. Singin’ In The Rain (from Singin’ In The Rain) - Michael Gruber and the NSO conducted by Craig Barna

7. Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? (from My Fair Lady) - Tinuke Olafimihan and Chorus, with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

8. Guys And Dolls (from Guys And Dolls) - Don Stephenson and David Green with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

9. On My Own (from Les Miserables) - Kim Criswell with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

10. Hernando’s Hideaway (from The Pajama Game) - Kim Criswell and Company, with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

11. The Night They Invented Champagne (from Gigi) - Lindsay Hamilton, Sian Phillips and Graham Bickley with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

12. Anthem (from Chess) - Ethan Freeman with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

Volume Two Show BX 002b

1. Blow Gabriel Blow (from Anything Goes) - Louise Gold and Company with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

2. As If We Never Said Goodbye (from Sunset Boulevard) - Kim Criswell with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

3. Bui-Doi (from Miss Saigon) - Ethan Freeman with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

4. They Say It’s Wonderful (from Annie Get Your Gun) - Valerie Masterson and Thomas Allen with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

5. Sweet Transvestite (from The Rocky Horror Show) - Howard Samuels, Tim Flavin, and Chorus with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

6. I Sit In The Sun (from Salad Days) - Christina Matthews with orchestra conducted by Neil Rhoden

7. There Are Worse Things I Could Do (from Grease) - Clare Burt with the NSO Ensemble conducted by Martin Yates

8. I Don’t Know How To Love Him (from Jesus Christ Superstar) - Issy Van Randwyck with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

9. Ol’ Man River (from Showboat) - Richard Van Allan

10. The Apple Doesn’t Fall (from The Rink)- Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, with orchestra conducted by Paul Gemignani

11. As Long As He Needs Me (from Oliver) - Issy Van Randwyck

12. One Day More (from Les Miserables) - James Graeme, Graham Bickley, Katrina Murphy, Kim Criswell, Helen Hobson and Chorus, with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

Volume Three Show BX 002c

1. Seventy-Six Trombones (from The Music Man) - Brian Cox and Chorus, with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

2. I Dreamed A Dream (from Les Miserables) - Issy Van Randwyck with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

3. Bless Your Beautiful Hide (from Seven Brides For Seven Brothers) - Hal Fowler with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

4. Tomorrow (from Annie) - Sarah French, with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

5. Lucky In Love (from Good News) - Kim Huber, Michael Gruber, Ann Morrison, Wayne Bryan, Jessica Boevers and Company, with the NSO conducted by Craig Barna

6. Send In The Clowns (from A Little Night Music) - Sian Phillips, with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

7. I Am What I Am (from La Cage Aux Folles) - Leslie Uggams with orchestra conducted by Janet Glazener

8. The Phantom Of The Opera (from The Phantom Of The Opera) - Graham Bickley and Claire Moore, with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

9. Two Ladies (from Cabaret) - Jonathan Pryce, Claire Moore, and, Louise Gold, with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards

10. The Impossible Dream (from Man Of La Mancha) - Ethan Freeman with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

11. And This Is My Beloved (from Kismet) - Donald Maxwell, Valerie Masterson, David Rendall, and, Richard Van Allan, with The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

12. One (from A Chorus Line) - The A Chorus Line Company with the NSO conducted by Martin Yates

Louise Gold’s recordings come from her recordings, of Blow Gabriel Blow and Two Ladies with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards of: Anything Goes - Website Recommended Album , and Cabaret, the latter singing with Jonathan Pryce and Claire Moore. In addition she has also recorded a very different version of Blow Gabriel Blow on the Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It cast album.

James Graeme (as Jim Graeme), Louise Gold and Claire Moore had previously sung together in A Time To Start Living and Kids At Heart

Clare Burt, Howard Samuels also feature on the JAY/TER recording of Cabaret, for which Rexton S Bunnet also did the sleeve notes.

Katrina Murphy also features on JAY/TER recoding of Anything Goes - Website Recommended Album.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Ethan Freeman, Michael Gruber, Kim Huber, Valerie Masterson, Don Stephenson are also featured on The Best Of Broadway Musicals which the NSO conducted by Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, and Martin Yates also feature on, and for which Rexton S Bunnet also did the sleeve notes. Ethan Freeman’s recording of The Impossible Dream can also be found on this recording.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Ethan Freeman, Valerie Masterson, Katrina Murphy, Tinuke Olafimihan, Sian Phillips and David Rendall also feature on Great Duets From The Musicals Which also features the NSO conducted by John Owen-Edwards and Martin Yates and for which Rexton S Bunnet also did the sleeve notes. Indeed Valerie Masterson and Thomas Allen’s recording of They Say It’s Wonderful can also be found on this album.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Clare Burt, Louise Gold, Katrina Murphy, Shezwae Powell, and, Issy Van Randwyck, along with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards and Martin Yates also feature on Cole Porter - Night And Day on which this album’s recordings of Blow Gabriel Blow from Anything Goes and Another Op’n Another Show from Kiss Me Kate can also be found.

Graham Bickley, Clare Burt, Kim Criswell, James Graeme, Michael Gruber, Claire Moore, Katrina Murphy, and, Tinuke Olafimihan can also be heard on Simply Musicals, which also features the NSO conducted by Craig Barna, John Owen-Edwards, and, Martin Yates. It is possible that album may contain the same recording of Seventy Six Trombones.

Kim Criswell, Tim Flavin, Ethan Freeman, David Green, Valerie Masterson, Katrina Murphy, Tinuke Olafimihan with the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards are also featured on On The Town, for which Rexton S Bunnet also did the sleeve notes.

Katrina Murphy, Lindsay Hamilton and the NSO ensemble conducted by Martin Yates also feature on Stop The World I Want To Get Off, for which Rexton S Bunnet also did the sleeve notes

Martin Yates’s credits include writing the music for a musical called The Soap Opera

John Owen Edwards’s musical direction credits include Metropolitan Mikado and a concert of highlights from Ratepayers' Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado

Graham Bickley was also in The Pirates of Penzance Stage Production and with the cast of that show in The Pirates Of Penzance (Gala Preview).

Graham Bickley and Michael Harris were also in The Royal Variety Performance (1982) .

Kim Criswell appeared in Let ‘Em Eat Cake and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Ethan Freeman appeared in One Touch Of Venus (2000 production)

Christina Matthews was in the film Billy The Kid And The Green Baize Vampire

Schezwae Powell was also in Kids At Heart, she went on to appear in Follies

Issy Van Randwyck has appeared in: Love Life, By Jupiter, Kiss Me Kate, and, Hot ‘n’ Spicy 2. She went on to appear in Regents Park 70^th Anniversary Gala and Dress Circle Grand Reopening

Tim Flavin, and, James Graeme (as Jim Graeme) had appeared in Broadway To Brighton.

James Graeme (as Jim Graeme) has appeared in Chicago & Company.

Sleeve note writer Rexton S Bunnet was also the researcher for Ned Sherrin’s Review Of Revue

Claire Moore may have appeared in Comedy Tonight and Will-Aid

Thomas Allen, Kim Criswell, Tim Flavin, Ethan Freeman, Sarah French, Michael Gruber, Valerie Masterson, Christina Matthews, Donald Maxwell, Tinuke Olafimihan, Sian Phillips, Schezwae Powell, Jonathan Pryce, David Rendall, Howard Samuels, Don Stephenson, Richard Van Allen, Issy Van Randwyck and The National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates also feature on The History Of The Musical as do excerpts from: Michael Gruber’s recording of Singin’ In The Rain, Sian Phillips’s recording of Send In The Clowns, Howard Samuels & Tim Flavin’s recording of Sweet Transvestite, Issy Van Randwyck’s recording of I Don’t Know How To Love Him, Valerie Masterson, Donald Maxwell, David Rendall & Richard Van Allen’s recording of And This is My Beloved, and, Sarah French’s recording of Tomorrow.

Tim Flavin, and, Jonathan Pryce appeared on television on A Week In The West End.

Clare Burt, Kim Criswell, Ethan Freeman, Richard Harris, and, Tinuke Olafimihan along with The National Symphony Orchestra and the conducting talents of John Owen Edwards, Martin Yates, and, Gerry Allison can also be heard on The Greatest Musicals of the 20^th Century as can the versions of Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, and, How To Handle A Woman on this album.

Hal Fowler appeared in Calamity Jane.

Clare Burt has gone on to appear in A Love Letter To Dan.

Thomas Allen was a guest on the TV programme The Ghost Of Faffner Hall.

Howard Samuels may have appeared in Dear Ralph.

Leslie Uggams, and, Liza Minnelli were Guest Stars on The Muppet Show.

Graham Bickley, Kim Criswell, Ethan Freeman, Louise Gold, James Graeme, Richard Harris, Helen Hobson, Valerie Masterson, Donald Maxwell, Claire Moore, Tinuke Olafimihan, and, Jonathan Pryce along with the National Symphony Orchestra, and, The Philharmonia Orchestra, and the conducting talents of Gerry Allison, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates can also be heard on The Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales; as can the same version of Two Ladies as on this album.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Kim Criswell, Michael Gruber, Linzi Hamilton, Richard Harris, Valerie Masterson, Katrina Murphy, and, Sian Phillips’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty; which also involves the National Symphony Orchestra, and, The Philharmonia Orchestra; with the maestros Gerry Allison, Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. It includes the same recording of The Night They Invented Champagne.

Clare Burt, Louise Gold, Richard Harris, Valerie Masterson, Claire Moore, Tinuke Olafimihan, and, Jonathan Pryce’s recording credits include Centre Stage Showtime!; This also features The National Symphony Orchestra; along with the maestros Gerry Allison, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This includes the same recordings of Getting To Know You, Wouldn’t It Be Loverly, and, How To Handle A Woman.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Ethan Freeman, Lindsay Hamilton, Katrina Murphy, and, Don Stephenson’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens; This also features The National Symphony Orchestra; with maestros Gerry Allison, Paul Gemignani, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates.

Clare Burt, Kim Criswell, James Graeme, Valerie Masterson, and, Issy Van Randwyck’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Laughter And Tears; This also features The National Symphony Orchestra; with maestros Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This includes the same recording of There Are Worse Things I Could Do.

Review

by Emma Shane, 22 February 2002

This is quite a compilation 3 CD set. It is a lovely mixture of recordings, mostly from JAY/TER studio cast albums, although there are a few from original cast recordings.

Volume One is quite pleasant to here, the highlight of it being Kim Criswell’s wonderfully sexy rendition of a song closely identified with Carol Haney and Shirley McClaine, Hernando’s Hideway from The Pajamia Game.

Volume Two is by far the best album in the set. It gets off to a rousing start with what I consider to be one of the very best show recordings ever made. It consists of the magnificent Louise Gold, and company, singing a truly stunning rendition of Blow Gabriel Blow, very well accompanied by the NSO conducted by John Owen-Edwards, from The Musicals Collection studio cast recording of Anything Goes. The performers and orchestra sound like they are thoroughly enjoying themselves. John Owen-Edwards brings a wonderfully jazzy feel to the piece, while Louise Gold brings to it both all that vocal power she so wonderfully commands, and yet makes it very much her own. It is sheer joy from start to finish. But then, there is just nothing quite like the glorious Gold singing a Cole Porter song, especially a song written for the mighty Merman.

That recording of Blow Gabriel Blow is so good, it must have been difficult to find any track that could possibly follow the opening track, however, John Yap has indeed managed to follow it, with another wonderfully powerful lady of song, namely Kim Criswell singing a very good rendition of As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard. Criswell is surely one of the few belters in the business who can possibly follow Gold!

Volume Two also includes Valerie Masterson and Thomas Allen singing an enjoyable They Say It’s Wonderful from Annie Get Your Gun, a score which is nearly always a pleasure to listen to (although my personal favourite version of it is the EMI Classics one). The CD also includes a poignant rendition of Kander And Ebb’s The Apple Doesn’t All Very Far From The Tree, sung by Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera, from the original cast recording of The Rink. The song made all the more poignant by the circumstances surrounding the -actress-who-sang-the-part-of-Angel’s performance of it.

One of the high spots of Volume Three is I Am What I Am from La Cage Aux Follies excellently sung by Leslie Uggams, which rather goes to show that when this song is taken outside of its original context (sung by a cross-dressing male character), it sounds best sung by good strong, individual, female singer (performers such as: Jessica Martin, Louise Gold, and, Louise Plowright immediately spring to mind, as the sort of people who could really do something worthwhile with it).

Another track worth mentioning in Volume Three, is Two Ladies from Cabaret, sung by Jonathan Pryce as the MC with some excellent accent work from Claire Moore and Louise Gold as the ‘two ladies’, if I did not know it was her, I don’t think I would even have recognised Louise Gold, the accent was so rather unlike any of her usual repertoire of voices. It took me quite a while to work out which one of them she is, but listening very carefully, I think she is the one who sings the first lines, such as: “I do the cooking” and “I’m left”, while Claire sings the second lines, such as: “And I make the beds”, and, “I’m right”.

All in all this is a great CD set to have, as it gives a real taster of both some good old show tunes given a new lease of life by some great current performers. I’d that in general this is worth having for its variety and the quality of the performances; and it is particularly worth having for Louise Gold’s stunning recording of Blow Gabriel Blow.

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