Readers Digest Presents: The Great Musicals – Glamour & Majesty

Louise Gold starred on Disc 2, Track 4, as Reno Sweeney from Anything Goes, The Readers Digest, 2005

Catalogue number: CD RDCD4821-2

 

Cast

Thomas Allen - as Fred Graham (from Kiss Me Kate)

Sven Bertil-Taube – As Prince Albert (from I And Albert)

Graham Bickley – as Gaston (from Gigi)

Matt Bogart - as Bill Starbuck (from 110 In The Shade)

William Chapman

Kim Criswell – as Mrs Sally Adams (from Call Me Madam)

Chuck Curtis

Lorna Dallas – as Linda Low (from Flower Drum Song), and, Marsinah (from Kismet)

Susanna Fellows - as a Palace Maid (from Nightingale)

Louise Gold - as Reno Sweeney (from Anything Goes)

The Gordon Lorenz Singers

Stanley Grover

Michael Gruber – As Dick Powell’s character (from 42nd Street)

Linzi Hamilton -  as Gigi (from Gigi)

Richard Harris - as King Arthur (from Camelot)

Mary Hegarty - as Cristiane (from King’s Rhapsody)

Marilyn Hill

Marilyn Hill-Smith

Graham Hoadly

Doreen Hume as Ann Leia Owens (from The King And I)

Polly James – as Queen Victoria (from I And Albert)

Neil Jenkins

Gareth Jones

Vanessa A. Jones

Helen Kucharek – as Valencienne (from The Merry Widow)

Michael Law

Denis Lawson

William Lewis

Valerie Masterson - as Cristiane (from Kings Rhapsody) and others

Alex McCowen - as Henry Higgins (from My Fair Lady)

Sean McDermott

Anna Moffo

Diana Montague - as Lilli Vanessi (from Kiss Me Kate)

Katrina Murphy - as Cunegonde (from Candide)

Steven Pacey

Sian Phillips – as Madame Alvarez (from Gigi)

Ramon Remedios

James Smillie – as Henry II (from Thomas And The King), and, The Caliph (from Kismet)

Martin Smith

Caroline Villiers – as Jeanie (from Thomas And The King)

Carl Wayne - as Judas Iscariot (from Jesus Christ Superstar)

Dave Willets

Glenn Winslade – as Camille de Rossellon (from The Merry Widow)

 

 

Production Team

 Produced by  - The Readers Digest, 2005

Credited Conductors – Gerry Allison, Richard Balcombe, Craig Barna, Hill Bowen, Lehman Engel, David Firman, Grant Hossack, Nick Ingman, Michael Law, Ian Macpherson, Robert Mandell, John Owen Edwards, John Pryce Jones, Michael Reed, Barry Wordsworth, Martin Yates

Uncredited Conductor – Patrick Vaccariello

Orchestras – Broadway Show Orchestra, D’Oyly Carte Opera Orchestra, The Hill Bowen Orchestra, The Lehman Engel Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra (aka the NSO Ensemble), New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra, The Nick Ingman Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, The Robert Mandall Orchestra

Compilation Created By – Andrew Humphries

Repertoire Administration – Daniel Sankey

Technical Manager – Jon Archer

Print And Production by – Claudette Bramble, and, Richard Pankhurst

Booklet Notes by – Stephen Barnard – The Write Line

Copy Edited by – Richard Lutterloch, and, Andrew Humphries

Designed by – Andrew Briffett

Studio Designer – Pauline Austin

Picture Credits – Arena Pictures

 

Track Listing

Programme 1

1. Dames (from 42nd Street) – Michael Gruber and Company with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Craig Barna

2. Melisande (from 110 In The Shade) – Matt Bogart with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

3. This Gentle Land – This Nobel Land (from I And Albert) – Polly James, Sven Bertil-Taube and Company, with Orchestra conducted by Grant Hossack

4. The Hostess With The Mostess On The Ball (from Call Me Madam) – Kim Criswell with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Balcombe

5. The Night They Invented Champagne (from Gigi) – Linzi Hamilton, Sian Phillips, and, Graham Bickley with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates

5. I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight (from Camelot) – Richard Harris with Orchestra conducted by Gerry Allison

6. Wunderbar (from Kiss Me Kate) – Thomas Allen, and, Diana Montague with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

7. The Emperor Is A Man (from Nightingale) – Susanna Fellows with Orchestra conducted by David Firman

8. Be Mine My Love, Be Mine (from Countess Maritza) – Marilyn Hill, and, Ramon Remedios with the New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra conducted by Barry Wordsworth

9. The Violin Began To Play (from King’s Rhapsody) – Mary Hegarty with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

10. Waltz For A Ball (from Cinderella) – Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

11. Prima Donna (from The Phantom Of The Opera) – National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates

12. Glamorous Nights (from Glamorous Nights) – Valerie Masterson, with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

13. Our Great Mikado (from The Mikado) – Gareth Jones and Chorus with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Orchestra conducted by John Pryce Jones

14. The Perfume Of Blossoms In May (from The Count Of Luxemburg) – Marilyn Hill-Smith, and, Neil Jenkins, with the New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth

15. Just As The Sun Awakens (from The Merry Widow) – Helen Kucharek, and, Glenn Winslade with the New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra, conducted by Barry Wordsworth

16. Someday My Heart Will Awake (from King’s Rhapsody) – Valerie Masterson with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

17. Glitter And Be Gay (from Candide) – Katrina Murphy, with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Martin Yates

 

Programme 2

1. Superstar (from Jesus Christ Superstar) – Carl Wayne and the Gordon Lorenz Singers

2. Journey Of A Lifetime (from Aspects Of Love) – Dave Willets

3. Elaborate Lives (from Aida) – Dean McDermott, and, Vanessa A. Jones with the NSO Ensemble conducted by “Martin Yates” (well the sleeve notes has it down as Martin Yates, but its probably Patrick Vaccariello)

4. I Get A Kick Out Of You (from Anything Goes) – Louise Gold with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

5. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody (from The Ziegfeld Follies) – Michael Law, with the Piccadilly Dance Orchestra conducted by Michael Law

6. Come To The Ball (from My Fair Lady) – Alec McCowen with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards

7. I’ll See You Again (from Bitter Sweet) – Valerie Masterson, and Martin Smith, with the New Sadlers Wells Orchestra conducted by Michael Reed

8. At The Ball (from Mr Cinders) – Denis Lawson, Steven Pacey, and, Graham Hoadley with Orchestra conducted by Michael Reed

9. I Enjoy Being A Girl (from Flower Drum Song) – Lorna Dallas

10. ‘Tis Love (from Thomas And The King) – James Smillie, and, Caroline Villiers, with Orchestra conducted by Ian Macpherson

11. Baubles, Bangles And Beads (from Kismet) – Lorna Dallas, and, James Smillie, with Nick Ingman and his Orchestra (well James Smillie is credited but it is doubtful he actually sang on this track).

12. The Best Things In Life Are Free (from Good News) – Stanley Grover, with Robert Mandell and his Orchestra

13. The Love Of Long Ago (The Merry Widow Waltz) (from The Merry Widow) – Anna Moffo, and, William Lewis, with Lehman Engel and his Orchestra

14. The Embassy Waltz (from My Fair Lady) – The National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates

15. Golden Days (from The Student Prince) – William Lewis, and, William Chapman, with Lehman Engel and his Orchestra

16. Shall We Dance (from The King And I) – Doreen Hume with Hill Bowen and his Orchestra

17. It’s A Grand Night For Singing (from State Fair) – Chuck Curtis with the Broadway Show Orchestra

 

 

The sleeve notes give the number Elaborate Lives as being conducted by Martin Yates, however it seems as though this is likely to be a mistake and it is in fact the recording conducted by Patrick Vaccariello. (Seeing as Mr Yates has no recollection of having conducted that number, and Mr Vaccariello was credited on the Simply Musicals album which certainly sounds like it is the same track). The Sleeve notes also give James Smillie as singing on Baubles Bangles And Beads, however I could not hear him on it, and it is the same track as that on The Greatest Musicals Of The 20th Century, and he was not credited on the track there, so it seems likely he was not singing on that track (though he was on that recording of Kismet)

One wonders whether the singer named as “Susanna Fellows” might really be the actress Susannah Fellows.

One also wonders whether “Sean McDermott” could also be the singer listed on another compilation as Shaun McDermott

One also wonders whether “Anna Moffo” could also be the singer listed on a couple of other albums as Anne Moffo

The track I Get A Kick Out Of You on this album is from the JAY/TER recording of  Anything Goes – Website Recommended album, on which Katrina Murphy also sang. This of course featured John Owen-Edwards conducting the NSO.

Louise Gold has also sung a parody of I Get A Kick Out Of You as I Get A Kick Out Of U on Sesame Street.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Louise Gold, Michael Gruber, Valerie Masterson, and, Alec McCowen’s recording credits include The Best Of Broadway Musicals. This also involved the NSO; with maestros Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This includes the same recording of I Get A Kick Out Of You.

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

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Valerie Masterson, Katrina Murphy, Sian Phillips, and, Martin Smith’s recording credits include Great Duets From The Musicals. This also involved the National Symphony Orchestra, the New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra, and, the Philharmonia Orchestra; with maestros John Owen-Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This includes the same recording of I’ll See You Again.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Louise Gold, Michael Law, Diana Montague, and, Katrina Murphy’s recording credits include Cole Porter – Night And Day. This also involved The National Symphony Orchestra, and, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra; with maestros Michael Law, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This album was also produced by The Readers Digest; and includes the same recordings of Wunderbar, and, I Get A Kick Out Of You.

Thomas Allen, Kim Criswell, Louise Gold, Michael Gruber, Valerie Masterson, and, Sian Phillips’s recording credits include The History Of The Musical. This also involved The National Symphony Orchestra, and, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra; with maestros Craig Barna, Lehman Engel, John Owen-Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This album also included part of the same recording of I Get A Kick Out Of You.

Thomas Allen’s television credits include an appearance on The Ghost Of Faffner Hall.

Graham Bickley has appeared on stage in The Pirates Of Penzance (Stage Production), with that company in The Pirates Of Penzance (Gala Preview) and as part of that company in The Royal Variety Performance (1982).

Lorna Dallas, and, Richard Harris also appeared in The Royal Variety Performance (1982).

Graham Bickley, Kim Criswell, Michael Gruber, Vanessa A. Jones, and, Katrina Murphy’s recording credits include Simply Musicals, which Sean McDermott may have sung on. This also involved the NSO with maestros Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, Patrick Vaccariello, and, Martin Yates. It also includes a version of Elaborate Lives with the same singers and orchestra, which probably has the same conductor.

Graham Bickley, Kim Criwell, The Gordon Lorenz Singers, Richard Harris, William Lewis, Valerie Masterson, and, Martin Smith’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Wonderful Tales, which Anna Moffo may also have sung on. This also involves The Lehman Engel Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, The New Sadlers Wells Opera Orchestra, and, The Philharmonia Orchestra; with maestros Gerry Allison, Richard Balcombe, Lehman Engel, John Owen-Edwards, Michael Reed, and, Martin Yates. This was also produced by The Readers Digest, so production team members Andrew Humphries, Daniel Sankey, Claudette Bramble, Jon Archer, Stephen Barnard of The Write Line, Andrew Briffet, Pauline Austin, and, Arena Pictures were also involved.

Kim Criswell’s Radio credits include Let ‘Em Eat Cake, which was conducted by Barry Wordsworth

Kim Criswell, Valerie Masterson, and, Katrina Murphy’s recording credits include On The Town, which was also featured the NSO conducted by John Owen Edwards.

Kim Criswell has appeared on stage (along with Louise Gold) in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Kim Criwell, Lorna Dallas, Louise Gold, The Gordon Lorenz Singers, Stanley Grover, Richard Harris, Marylin Hill-Smith, Doreen Hume, Alec McCowan, Carl Wayne, and, Dave Willets’s recording credits include The Greatest Musicals Of The 20th Century, which Anna Moffo may have sung on. This also involves the Hill Bowen Orchestra, The Lehman Engel Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, The Nick Ingman Orchestra, and, The Robert Mandell Orchestra; with maestros of Gerry Allison, Hill Bowen, Lehman Engel, Nick Ingman, Robert Mandell, John-Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This was also produced by The Readers Digest, and, includes the same recordings of I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight, Superstar, I Get A Kick Out Of You, and, Shall We Dance. It also includes the same version of Baubles Bangles And Beads.

Lorna Dallas, and, Martin Smith appeared in Kids At Heart.

Lorna Dallas, and, Martin Smith appeared in Broadway To Brighton, which Susanna Fellows may have appeared in.

Lorna Dallas appeared in Happily Ever After; her radio credits include guesting on Let’s Do The Show Right Here.

Lorna Dallas appeared in the Side By Side By Sondheim 25th Anniversary Gala, as did Ian Macpherson.

Dave Willets appeared in Chicago & Company, which Susanna Fellows may have appeared in.

Linzi Hamilton, and, Katrina Murphy’s recording credits include Stop The World I Want To Get Off, which also featured the NSO conducted by Martin Yates.

Graham Hoadly has appeared in Squeak, and, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Graham Hoadly, and, Denis Lawson has appeared in A Love Letter To Dan, for which Michael Reed played the piano.

Polly James has appeared in Will-Aid.

Alec McCowen appeared in The Cherry Orchard.

Steven Pacey appeared in the Side By Side By Sondheim 30th Anniversary Gala.

James Smilie appeared in Sondheim At The Barbican, which was conducted by Michael Reed.

Martin Smith appeared in The Metropolitan Mikado, and a concert of highlights from the Ratepayers Iolanthe & Metropolitan Mikado, both of which were conducted by John Owen Edwards.

Martin Smith appeared in A Time To Start Living, and, Comedy Tonight.

Carl Wayne worked on Spitting Image.

Richard Balcombe conducted The Gondoliers.

David Firman had previously played the synthesiser for sound effects on the film The Dark Crystal.

John Owen-Edwards also conducted the NSO on the studio cast album of Cabaret.

Michael Reed had previously conducted the musical Ziegfeld, on their record Ziegfeld (recording).

Martin Yates wrote his own musical The Soap Opera

Richard Harris, and, Valerie Masterson’s recording credits include Centre Stage Showtime!; Which also features The National Symphony Orchestra; along with maestros Gerry Allison, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates.

Thomas Allen, Graham Bickley, Lorna Dallas, Stanley Grover, Lindsay Hamilton, Marilyn Hill-Smith, Michael Law, Anna Moffo, Katrina Murphy, Carl Wayne, and, Dave Willets’s recording credits include  The Great Musicals – Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens; This also involved The Lehman Engel Orchestra, The National Symphony Orchestra, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, and, The Robert Mandell Orchestra; with maestros Gerry Allison, Richard Balcombe, Lehman Engel, Michael Law, Robert Mandell, John Owen Edwards, and, Martin Yates. This was also produced by The Readers Digest, so production team members; Andrew Humphries, Daniel Sankey, Jon Archer, Claudette Bramble, Stephen Barnard of The Write Line, Richard Lutterloch, Andrew Briffett, Pauline Austin, and Arena Pictures were also involved with it.

Kim Criswell, Lorna Dallas, The Gordon Lorenz Singers, Stanley Grover, Valerie Masterson, and, Martin Smith’s recording credits include The Great Musicals – Laughter And Tears; This also involved The National Symphony Orchestra, and, The New Sadler’s Wells Orchestra; with maestros Craig Barna, John Owen Edwards, Michael Reed, and, Martin Yates. This was also produced by The Readers Digest, and production team members: Andrew Humphries, Daniel Sankey, Jon Archer, Claudette Bramble, Richard Pankhurst, Stephen Barnard of The Write Line, Richard Lutterloch, Andrew Briffett, Pauline Austin, and, Arena Pictures were also involved with it. This included the same recording of I’ll See You Again.

 

Review

by Emma Shane, July 2007

This is another of those bizarre compilation disks with a whole bunch of stuff all mixed up together, such that if you don’t like one track you might like the next. The big different between this particular album, and many other compilations is that it covers a very very wide range of styles, all the way from Franz Lehar to Andrew Lloyd-Webber. Interestingly those two have been responsible for writing some of the most mass merchandised shows in musical theatre history. Along the way we also encounter: Gilbert & Sullivan, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Lowe, and, Warren & Dubin; as well as such unlikely juxtapositions as Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Cole Porter, Ivor Novello, and Alexander Borodin.

With some of the items, such as: Dames, I Get A Kick Out Of You, A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, I Enjoy Being A Girl, and, It’s A Grand Night For Singing it’s hard to see how they fit into the overall theme of the album. Nevertheless these are usually among the better, and livelier pieces on the album, so one doesn’t really mind. Other items, such as Baubles Bangles And Beads (a fine performance from Lorna Dallas), and The Hostess With The Mostess On The Ball are rather more obvious choices. Naturally a theme such as this one includes a lot of operetta. Some of it is very enjoyable, but it can get a bit tedious after a while. I thought the Gilbert And Sullivan extract a particularly dull version of something which could have been done in a much luscher manner. There were also numbers which while perfectly satisfactory in themselves, I couldn’t help thinking have been done just the bit better, and livelier these being: Matt Bogart’s Melissande (well can anything compare to John Capes in performance!); and Thomas Allen & Diana Montague’s Wunderbar (it’s very nice, but Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel got just that bit more out of it, as for that matter did Louise Gold & Andrew C Wadsworth). Then there’s such classics as A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, I’ll See You Again (of which no version can ever sound quite as interesting as Jason Carr’s arrangement of it), and, The Best Things In Life Are Free (which has never been quite the same since the Muppet Prairie Dogs got hold of it).

Besides the classics, this album also contains some forgotten gems; the best, and most unusual of these being the very funny At The Ball from Mr Cinders – Denis Lawson, Steven Pacey and Graham Hoadly sound like they are enjoying singing it; and the long long forgotten Come To The Ball which was dropped from My Fair Lady. The latter actually sounds musically similar to a few other bits in My Fair Lady (in particularly I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face).

The majority of the classic numbers on this album are performed passably well, but there are some which really stand out as something special. Among these one of the greats is Kim Criswell’s splendid performance of The Hostess With The Mostess On The Ball. Ethel Merman is indeed a hard act to follow (and this is one of those triumphs that she did on both stage and film). Yet Kim Criswell does a first class job, and in a way goes even better than Merman with this number, not least because of the accent. Sometimes when performing in musicals, accents are Kim Criswell’s weakness. She seldom succeeds in quite getting away from her Tennessee twang. So the best thing to do is not only to put her in situations where it doesn’t matter; But best of all in roles where this supposed weakness can actually add something to the character. The role of Mrs Sally Adams is an almost perfect fit in this respect. Madam Ambassador comes from the backwoods of Oklahoma! Which, like Tennessee is a Southern State, of course she’ll try to loose her accent moving in society, yet it is in keeping with the character that there will always be a touch of it there. I have only one criticism to make of this number, and that concerns Stephen Barnard’s sleeve notes He describes Kim Criswell as being “very much” Ethel Merman’s “contemporary counterpart”. Which is of course a pretty accurate comment. However it would have been fairer to say that Ms Criswell is one of Ms Merman’s contemporary counterparts. Since there are a couple of other performers who fit that title, and this album actually includes another of them, also singing a song written for Merman. Namely the majestic, glamorous and cuddly, doyenne of both Spitting Image and Ian Marshall-Fisher’s Discovering Lost Musicals, Louise Gold, who also does a grand Merman-style job with Cole Porter’s classic I Get A Kick Out Of You. Yet the sleeve notes (while acknowledging that that number too was written for Merman) say nothing whatsoever about Louise Gold’s performance of it. Well I think that both ladies are excellent contemporary counterparts to the mighty Merman. In fact they both make the songs their own into the bargain.

 

Critics Comments

 .

 

Links about The Great Musicals: Glamour & Majesty

 

 

| Return To Site Guide | Return To Recordings |