2005

2005

Track Listings

1. We Rocked

2. Ready to Roar

3. Love Will Make You Bleed

4. Hold on the Night

5. Burying Heather

6. Hell Hounds on My Trail

7. Aurelia's Night

8. Alone, Unknown & On My Own

9. Zenith

10. Ready to Roar [Instrumental]

Tracks:

Ces Soirees la'
Early Years Medley
Cry For Me
Backups Medley
Sherry
Big Girls Don't Cry
Walk Like A Man
December, 1963
My Boyfriend's Back
My Eyes Adored You
Dawn (Go Away)
Big Man In Town
Dialog: A Little Trouble
Beggin'
Dialog: See How You Handle It
Medley Listen Listen
c'mon marianne
Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
Working My Way Back To You
Fallen Angel

Amazon.com

Although it squarely falls in the "jukebox musical" category, Jersey Boys doesn¹t try to integrate its songs in an artificial plotline. The show tells the story of the early-1960s group the Four Seasons, and the musical numbers tend to be introduced in context, as when songwriter Bob Gaudio comes up with a tune, or the quartet performs a show. This allows Jersey Boys to flow better than some of ill-fated peers, and the actors can shine without having to bend backward to accommodate an inane book. The show's most (only) daring move is to start with a hip-hop-tinged French-language version of "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," an actual hit in France in 2000. After that it's all VH1-biopic territory, but it's done with so much flair, taste and energy that the ride's a fun one. The Four Seasons had enough hits ("Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Rag Doll," etc.) to easily fill an evening at the theater, so it's left to the cast to do right by them. And it does, particularly John Lloyd Young as the band¹s star lead, Frankie Valli. Young hits all the falsetto notes and brings real freshness to the part. His "Can¹t Take My Eyes Off You," a second-act peak, is signed, sealed and delivered with a star's acumen. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Recounting the rich history and reliving the timeless sounds of the phenomenal Frankie Vallie & The 4 Seasons, the new Broadway musical Jersey Boys answers the musical-and philosophical question, "How did four would-be wise guys from Newark, NJ, become one of the greatest chart-topping successes in pop music history?" Jersey Boys celebrates legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi who, as the 4 seasons, wrote their own songs, invented their own identity, and sold 175 million records worldwide-all before they were 30.

Customer Reviews:

Jersey Boys.......2007-07-30

This is one of the best CDs I have ever purchased. The cast of Jersey Boys gave an outstanding performance. They were just as good as the original Four Seasons. I relive many happy memories when I listen to this CD.

Jersey Boys relived.......2007-07-28

This is a great way to re-live the musical. And even if you haven't seen it, it's a great way to be introduced to the songs of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons. Wow! It's amazing all of the songs you recognize that have been re-done over the years. But the originals are always the best. Check it out!

Jersey Boys-original broadway cast recording.......2007-07-26

Fabulous! I loved that they included much of the dialog from the show and the music was impeccable.

Jersey Boys (2005 Original Broadway Cast).......2007-07-19

Singers doesn't try to make the same sound the same original. The music sounds like the voices don't care about what they are doing. I was kinda disappointed.

Jersey Boys.......2007-07-08

Purchased CD prior to seeing the show when visiting USA in '06. A fun lively show - the CD now captivates those fond memories of not only the foot tapping music & show but also our special time in New York.

Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

A laugh riot
Eric Idle does it again!!
Loved it
Get ready to laugh until you cry!
A Lot of Spam

Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
Eric Idle , John Du Prez , Tim Curry , David Hyde Pierce , and Hank Azaria
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B0007OY2TE
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Tuning
Overture
Historian's Introduction to Act I
Finland/Fisch Schlapping Dance
Monks Chant / He Is Not Dead Yet
Come With Me
Laker Girls Cheer
The Song That Goes Like This
He Is Not Dead Yet - Play Off
All For One
Knights of the Round Table/The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)
Find Your Grail
Run Away!
The Intermission
Historian's Introduction to Act II
Always Look On The Bright Side of Life
Brave Sir Robin
You Won't Succeed On Broadway
Diva's Lament (What Ever Happened To My Part?)
Where Are You?
His Name Is Lancelot
I'm All Alone
Twice In Every Show
Act II Finale
Always Look On The Bright Side of Life - Company Bow

Amazon.com

As gleefully silly yet wickedly smart as the beloved British comedy troupe and their 1975 cinematic savaging of the Arthurian legend that inspired it, this adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by MP's Eric Idle and longtime musical co-conspirator John Du Prez has much more on its feverish agenda than merely trashing King Arthur and firmly upending his Round Table. The film's plot remains largely intact, but its core songs ("Knights of the Round Table," "Brave Sir Robin") and comic thrust have been both expanded and satirically redirected, a musical comedy shotgun that takes dizzy aim at pop culture in general, and Broadway in particular. After typically Pythonesque distractions that somehow find us in "Finland..," stars David Hyde-Pierce, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and company get busy conjuring the Lady of the Lake with the unlikely help of "Laker Girls..," while cast members Sara Ramirez and Christopher Sieber deliciously skewer contemporary Broadway cliches via the loopy showstopper "The Song That Goes Like This," a tune whose reprise also deliciously sends up every overwrought stage diva from Merman to Minelli. Idle has shrewdly ripped off--well, interpolated--Life of Brian's "Always Look On the Bright Side" for the new show, and even a snatch of "The Lumberjack Song" in "He Is Not Dead Yet." "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" reveals the frankly Semitic secret to stage success, and the French get can-canned on "Run Away!" Meanwhile, our bravest knight is de-closeted on the Manilow-mauling "His Name is Lancelot" before the familiar sound of clomping coconut shells brings down the curtain on the season's goofiest if satirically dead-on comic delight. --Jerry McCulley

Have Fun with More Irreverent Musicals

Urinetown
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Frogs

Zanna Don't
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Avenue Q

Customer Reviews:

A laugh riot.......2007-07-23

This one will keep you rolling in the isles. Sarah Ramirez's vocal acrobatics are mindnumbingly fantastic and she hits the perfect note every time lampooning all the Broadway sacred cows. The rest of the cast is very good as well.

Eric Idle does it again!!.......2007-07-21

After watching the road performance of "Monty Python's Spamalot" I decided to purchase the C.D. with the tunes from this show. You know what,it's outrageous! Personal favorites: "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life","Find Your Grail",and "You Won't Succeed on Broadway". I wonder if Idle will bring "Life of Brian" to Broadaway and set THAT to music! We can all find out. "Spamalot" is a great show for the fans of Monty Python and those new to this type of comedy. Just enjoy!!

Loved it.......2007-06-26

The play was great, and so is the CD. Even my partner, who's generally not a Monty Python fan, says it's "hysterical."

Get ready to laugh until you cry!.......2007-06-25

Being in the unfortunate position of living in a country where Music Theatre is virtually dead, I thought `what the heck' I'll purchase this just to see what it's like. I've never been a huge Holy Grail fan, and have only seen the movie one or two times. This musical is the first musical cast recording that has an independent storyline that you can actually gauge from the recording. It's so refreshing to actually WANT to listen to the entire recording from start to finish more than a handful of times. Most musicals have a few awesome songs that have you keep coming back for more but this musical has so much continuity that I can't help but listen from start to finish.

Don't read what some of the other commenter's have written. This is brilliant and hilarious. And if you have a slightly warped sense of humour you'll love (and appreciate) this musical so much more.

P.S. I love the songs that reference "The song that goes like this." This is supposed to be repetitive to mock its self and Broadway. It is also more comprehensive than some may lead you to believe... however just remember its called `Spamalot' not `Holy Grail' so don't expect too many Holy Grail references.

A Lot of Spam.......2007-05-22

Great CD if you like someone who can laugh at themselves. The play mocks the whole broadway musical experience. Listening to it can almost make sitting in traffic bearable...no I wouldn't go that far, but the songs are funny and will put you in a good mood.

Mary Poppins (2005 Original London Cast)

Average customer rating:

Mary Poppins Soundtrack (London Cast Version)
Wish I could give more than 5!!!!
Fun to listen.
Great Memories
Horrible show!

Mary Poppins (2005 Original London Cast)

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AOF9NY
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Prologue/Chim Chim Cher-Ee
Cherry Tree Lane (Part 1)
The Perfect Nanny
Cherry Tree Lane (Part 2)
Practicially Perfect
Jolly Holiday
Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)/Being Mrs. Banks/Jolly Holiday (Reprise)
A Spoonful Of Sugar
Feed The Birds
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Temper, Temper
Chim Chim Cher-Ee (Rooftop Duet)
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Let's Go Fly A Kite
Good For Nothing/Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise)
Brimstone And Treacle (Part 2)
Step In Time
A Man Has Dreams/A Spoonful Of Sugar (Reprise)
Anything Can Happen
A Spoonful Of Sugar (Reprise)/A Shooting Star

Amazon.com

Mary Poppins may be one of the most beloved film musicals of all time, but it took 30 long years for it to transfer to the stage. This recording of the original London cast shows the wait was worthwhile though. The new version mixes in elements from both the original books by P.L. Travers (which she started publishing in 1934) and the Disney movie starring Julie Andrews, from 1964. (Mary seems to take 30 years to do anything.) Most of the original songs by brothers Richard and Robert Sherman (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) are present--Mary Poppins is so associated with "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "A Spoonful of Sugar," and "Chim Chim Cher-ee," her Oscar-winning duet with Bert, that starting from scratch would have been unthinkable. But then George Stiles and Anthony Drewe came in and dusted off some of these songs, and wrote entirely new numbers as well. Miraculous, these are wonderful and blend in seamlessly with the 1960s tunes, thanks in no small to William David Brohn's lovely orchestrations. As the titular super-nanny, Laura Michelle Kelly is so warm and scrumptious that she might as well be referring to herself when she sings "I'm practically perfect in every way." The rest of the cast is equally adept, making this Mary Poppins sweet but not treacly, and the rare show to upstage its source. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Mary Poppins Soundtrack (London Cast Version).......2007-08-03

Soundtrack was awesome. I took my 9-year daughter to see the broadway play Mary Poppins in NY and we enjoyed the play so much we had to purchase the cd.

Wish I could give more than 5!!!!.......2007-07-24

I have been waiting a while for a Mary Poppins musical and it is definately here! I definately wish I could go to London to see the real thing, but the soundtrack is the next best thing! It puts a little spin on the old story! I would recommend this to anyone who loves Mary Poppins!

Fun to listen........2007-07-20

Saw the show in New York and loved being able to listen to all the great music again! Much better price also than buying the CD at the show.

Great Memories.......2007-07-13

Good music ... great memories of when I was younger. Julie Andrew is missed.

Horrible show!.......2007-06-17

I saw it in London, and there are literally only 2 good things about it: Burt walking upside down, and a few new (darker) additions from the original book.

Nearly all the original charm and SONGS from the Walt Disney film are missing. The new additional songs are DREADFUL and were not written by the Sherman Brothers (They weren't allowed to write new songs for this due to the miserable old broad author hating the film and having on her deathbed the proviso that Shermans were not to have anything to do with a stage version)

What a waste.

Average customer rating:

SO GOOD :D
Awesome buy
Love this Musical!!
great soundtrack
First Time a Film has been as Good as the Original Musical

Rent (2005 Movie Soundtrack)
Rosario Dawson , Wilson Jermaine Heredia , Taye Diggs , Idina Menzel , Adam Pascal , Jesse L. Martin , Anthony Rapp , and Tracie Thoms
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AYEI4U
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Seasons of Love
Rent
You'll See
One Song Glory
Light My Candle
Today 4 U
Tango: Maureen
Life Support
Out Tonight
Another Day
Will I
Santa Fe
I'll Cover You
Over The Moon

Tracks:

La Vie Boheme
I Should Tell You
La Vie Boheme B
Seasons of Love B
Take Me or Leave Me
Without You
I'll Cover You Reprise
Halloween
Goodbye Love
What You Own
Finale A
Your Eyes
Finale B
Love Heals

Amazon.com

It's not that surprising that Rent, a successful musical with a strong youth following, would have transferred from the New York stage to film. What is remarkable is that the material has aged very well and that most of the original cast have made the trip to the silver screen. This is no small feat since nearly ten years have elapsed since the show's Off-Broadway debut and the film's release. When it opened in 1996, Jonathan Larson's rock musical based on neobohemian life in the gritty East Village felt a bit hackneyed at times; now, Rent feels more like a Broadway fantasy about life on the edge, and that new element actually works in the show's favor. The two cast additions--Rosario Dawson (replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega as Mimi) and Tracie Thomas (replacing Fredi Walker as Joanne)--act well and with emotion, but aren't quite powerful enough. They are eclipsed by vets such as Anthony Rapp, Idina Menzel, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and Taye Diggs, who of course had the chance to perfect their roles on stage and can also be heard on the original cast recording. It's a pleasure to hear these stalwarts New York performers strut their stuff again. This soundtrack will please the show's fans, and probably attract new ones. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

One of the longest-running shows (since 1996) in the history of Broadway, and one of its most beloved, RENT was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Based on Puccini's classic opera "La Boheme," Jonathan Larson's revolutionary rock opera tells the story of a group of bohemians struggling for success and acceptance while enduring the obstacles of poverty, illness and the AIDS epidemic in New York's gritty East Village. Now the powerful musical marks its 10th year on stage by coming to the big screen, accompanied by RENT The Motion Picture Soundtrack, produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Alanis Morissette).

Customer Reviews:

SO GOOD :D.......2007-08-02

Love the original stage show. Love the movie.

Soundtracks?
Love the movie soundtrack more.

Awesome buy.......2007-07-13

You can practically feel the scenes come to life through the sound track! Its that good. Any true rent head worth a salt to his or her name would have this in their collection. It is too good to pass up!

Love this Musical!!.......2007-06-20

I absolutely loved this in the movie form and would love to see the live show. But since that will be a while in coming; getting the soundtrack is the next best thing. These people can SING! This way I can hear the songs anywhere at anytime; not just watching the movie.

great soundtrack.......2007-04-26

I have own this soundtrack pretty much since it came out...

I have never been that big on musicals, but when the movie first came out my friend dragged me to the movies with him to see the movie, and right away I fell in love with it...and for the next week I had the songs stuck in my head, they just wouldn't go away...they haunted me in my sleep, but in a good way...I fall in love with all the music, so i had to get this soundtrack so I would be able to listen to these wonderful songs all the time, especially till the movie came out onto dvd, which i also own and love to death. The songs are so addictive...I am actually listening to the soundtrack as I'm writing this review, I can't pick out one song that is my favorite, I love all of them. If i had to choice "Will I" or "Without You". "Will I" is such a touching song on its own, but when its patterned with the movie it hit me hard, great song, it brings tears to my eyes when i listen it. And the same goes with "Without You" its just a very touching song and it connects with my life. Overall one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard.

First Time a Film has been as Good as the Original Musical.......2007-02-23

I will keep this short, because " M J Heilbron Jr. 'Dr. Mo' " said it perfectly.

I have never seen a movie that has been able to capture everything a musical did.

The actors were perfectly selected for the cast. The voices amazing and the acting flawless. Who knew Taye Diggs could act and sing.

Buy this CD. You will love it every bit as much as you loved the original Broadway CD... if not more.

The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Where's Fantasia when you need her
Purple Passion
Just Like Being There!
Still gives me shivers...
Excellent music from an excellent play

The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
Brenda Russell , Allee Willis , Stephen Bray , Linda Twine , Joseph Joubert , LaChanze , Elisabeth Withers-Mendes , and Renee Elise Goldsberry
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000C1ZFA2
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Tracks:

Overture
Huckleberry Pie/Mysterious Ways
Somebody Gonna Love You
Our Prayer
That Fine Mister
Big Dog
Lily Of The Field
Dear God
A Tree Named Sofia
Hell No!
Brown Betty
Shug Avery Comin' To Town
All We've Got To Say
Dear God
Too Beautiful For Words
Push Da Button
Uh Oh!
What About Love?
Act I Finale
African Homeland
The Color Purple
Church Ladies' Easter
I Curse You Mister
Celie's Curse
Miss Celie's Pants
Any Little Thing
What About Love (Reprise)
I'm Here
The Color Purple (Reprise)

Amazon.com

On paper, this adaptation of Alice Walker's best-selling novel has all the markings of a hit. It makes Oprah Winfrey's debut as a theater producer, the libretto is by Marsha Norman (Night Mother), and the lyrics and music are by a trio of seasoned pop pros: Allee Willis (the eccentric woman behind "Neutron Dance" and the theme from Friends), Stephen Bray (who worked on such Madonna hits as "True Blue" and "Express Yourself"), and Brenda Russell (the smooth soul-jazz songstress behind "Piano in the Dark"). That team has put together a series of fairly catchy songs that may lack depth but adeptly handle various idioms like gospel ("Mysterious Ways"), R&B ("Push Da Button"), and African rhythms ("African Homeland"). Though the inspirational vibe can get a bit much, softening the edges and preventing genuine artistic complexity, The Color Purple is a great showcase for its cast. As Celie, LaChanze delivers one of her usual sensitive performances, but watch also for Elisabeth Withers-Mendes's Shug--who sings a passionate paean to Celie ("Too Beautiful for Words")--and Renée Elise Goldsberry's Nettie (duetting with LaChange on "African Homeland"). The chance to hear these women strut their stuff almost makes up for the show's weaknesses. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Where's Fantasia when you need her.......2007-07-23

Surprisingly void of any real emotion it is very easy to hear that there are 3 different composer/lyrisists at work here. The music is still very listenable but it's too bad Fantasia wan't in the original cast. If you heard her performance on the Tonys you will know what real emotion is about and what is lacking on this CD

Purple Passion.......2007-07-07

The next best thing to being there. Saw the show twice.... Fantasia is FANTASTIC!!!!!

If you get to NYC... this is a must see.

Just Like Being There!.......2007-06-26

Wonderful! Fabulous! Just like being there! This CD is true to the original production and every time I listen to it, I am back in the theater on Broadway where I heard it for the first time! Sensational score, vocals, and delivery. Can't miss w/ this one!

Still gives me shivers..........2007-06-11

Hearing this soundtrack takes me back to being in the audience every time I hear it. Beautiful, beautiful words and music.

Excellent music from an excellent play.......2007-05-27

We really enjoyed listening to the music after we saw the play.
It was even better then I remembered!

The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Will endure long after we are gone...
Snoozeville
Worst musical I've seen in 5 years
It's closed in NY, but it opened in Chicago this week!
Simply unique

The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
Adam Guettel , Craig Lucas , Kelli O'Hara , Victoria Clark , and Matthew Morrison
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0009A1AQE
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

Overture
Statues and Stories
The Beauty Is
Il Mondo Era Vuoto
American Dancing
Passeggiata
The Joy You Feel
Dividing Day
Hysteria
Say It Somehow
Aiutami
The Light in the Piazza
Octet
The Beauty Is (Reprise)
Let's Walk
Clara's Interlude
Love to Me
Fable

Amazon.com

Like a shimmering pearl, The Light in the Piazza emerged from a sea of revivals, rehashings, and movie adaptations to secure 11 2005 Tony nominations, including Best Musical. Based on an Elizabeth Spencer novella (which was also made into a 1962 film), it follows a mother, Margaret (Victoria Clark), and her daughter, Clara (Kelli O'Hara), as they take a vacation to Italy. There, Clara and a young Italian (Matthew Morrison) fall in love, but Margaret is determined to keep them apart.

The Light in the Piazza doesn't fit the model of most Broadway scores, with a splashy opener here, a swing number there, then the big ballad. The score is more of a unified whole, sometimes jarring, sometimes following the patterns of speech, and sometimes unfolding in glorious sheens of sound. (Heck, some of it's even in Italian!) In that sense, it's similar to another unconventional American musical set in Italy, Stephen Sondheim's Passion, which is more chamber opera than musical, and composer-lyricist Adam Guettel (song of Mary Rodgers, grandson of Richard Rodgers) seems the most likely heir apparent to Sondheim in the current generation of musical theater creators. O'Hara's voice soars in the score's most beautiful moments ("Say It Somehow," the title song), but Clark enjoys two exquisitely lyrical moments with "Dividing Day" and "Let's Walk." She was one of the show's six Tony winners (for Leading Actress), along with Guettel's score and the orchestrations, scenice design, lighting, and costumes, while O'Hara (for Featured Actress), Morrison, Craig Lucas's book, and Bartlett Sher's direction were also nominated. --David Horiuchi

Album Description

The Light in the Piazza is arguably one of the most highly anticipated theatrical events of the decade for serious Broadway theatergoers. The Los Angeles Times has already declared its creator, Nonesuch artist Adam Guettel, "a composer for the new century," on the strength of his two Off-Broadway productions, the 1996 Obie-Award winning "folk musical" Floyd Collins and the 1998 song cycle, Myths and Hymns, TIME has described him as "a startlingly original songwriter." Few theatrical composers have been watched as closely as Guettel, and few musicals in the course of their development have generated so much substantial press or been praised so highly on the road as The Light in the Piazza. Both the New Yorker and The New York Times magazine devoted in-depth coverage to the evolution of Guettel's sophisticated, deeply moving score. New Yorker critic John Lahr decided,"Guettel's kind of talent cannot be denied. He shouldn't change for Broadway; Broadway, if it is to survive as a creative theatrical force, should change for him."

Customer Reviews:

Will endure long after we are gone..........2007-07-31

My wife, daughters, and I had the good fortune to see this musical shortly before it left Chicago. We love musicals and all agreed that this is one of the best we've seen in many years. Why?
First of all, the story is simple, yet basic to everyone. It's about finding love and embracing it to the greatest extent possible. It's about losing a passion for someone that once existed. Most of all, it's about the simplicity of pure love in a complicated world and how it can break down all barriers to conquer all.
The composers matched characters and emotions perfectly, from Clara's cries from her heart in "The Light in the Piazza" to Fabrizio's love at first site in "Love to Me". How can you not love the beginning lyrics in "Love to Me"? ("The day we meet. The way you lean against the wind, and do not know that you are beautiful.)
Or Margaret's lament in the reprise to "The Beauty Is". The lyric ("If I could, then I would paint it over. I would be there and I wouldn't turn away. If I only had a chance to not turn away... and the beauty is, and the beauty is, the beauty is.")is a statement about everyone's life and the decisions they make and regret.
"Say it Somehow" is one of the most beautiful songs about the fact that love transcends language and cultural barriers.
One reviewer missed the entire point of Clara's tirade scene. Her passion to protect her love is just that, pure passion, not checked by proprieties. It is a reaction that is understood in all languages, a reaction from the heart to someone who is posing as a threat to take her love away from her. We should all be so passionate when our love is threatened.
Thank you Adam Guettel for a show and album that we will enjoy for the rest of our lives. We need more musicals like this one. I am sure that it will endure the test of time. It is a universal story of love coupled with music for the soul.

Snoozeville.......2007-07-23

The only thing more sleep inducing than this cast album is sitting through the actual show. The music is very pretty but too similar and will lull you into a deep coma!

Worst musical I've seen in 5 years.......2007-07-20

As part of the Broadway in Chicago Series, I have seen all of the plays coming through Chicago in recent years. Light in the Piazza was terrible. Who wrote this, and why? The music is forgettable and creates cognitive dissonance. The lyrics are boring.

The scene where the handicapped gal implodes at a dinner party was excruciating to watch. And not in a good way. The play is fractured and confusing.

It's closed in NY, but it opened in Chicago this week!.......2007-07-19

Bravo, "Piazza"! May we all hope that Guettel-Lucas are the Rogers & Hammerstein of a new generation of American music. "Piazza" is not a musical, it is more of a miniature contemporary Mozartian "Magic Flute." The music is brilliant in it's sheer lyricism. Though the plot is thin to the point of absurdity it doesn't matter because the characters grow with each note until "Piazza" blazes forth as a shining star in the current constellation of new and revived Broadway musicals.

For "Piazza" afficiandos there is always hope for musicals as long as "Piazza" continues. This album is a jewel. So many of the songs are incredibly touching. I've sat through New York and Chicago performances and weeped to "Dividing Day" and watched the quiet tears of men and women in the audience. With "Piazza" love in Florence is eternal.

Victoria Clark, (God bless that North Carolina accent) O'Hare and Morrison are the definitive cast. What a collection of voices and actors.

I only hope that everyone who hears "Piazza" has the opportunity to see the performance live somewhere. It's so much more with the lighting and Italian joie de vivre including instructions to turn down your cell phones and pages in Italian.

Simply unique.......2007-07-19

A refreshing change from the usual showtunes that regurgitate the same "sound", i.e melody lines, this is classy and on its own! The performances are nothing short of top notch, Matthew Morrison is fantastic.

Average customer rating:

A go-to-favorite...
So you're thinking..."But I already have all the albums...
Great Collection
Astonishing
A new direction for Bruce Hornsby

Intersections 1985-2005
Bruce Hornsby
Manufacturer: Legacy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby
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ASIN: B000G7PN9U
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

The Way It Is
Mandolin Rain
The Valley Road
Jacob's Ladder
Nobody There But Me
The End Of The Innocence
Look Out Any Window
Across The Window
Lost Soul
Fields Of Gray-That's Where It's At
Walk In The Sun
Gonna Be Some Changes Made
Dreamland

Tracks:

Song A
Song B
Song C
Song D
Variations On Swan Song & Song D
Song F
Song H
Barcelona Mona
Backhand
Jack Straw
Madman Across The Water
Darlin' Cory
The Valley Road
Crown Of Jewels
Big Stick
The Valley Road
Hop, Skip And Jump
Love Me Still
Shadowland

Tracks:

The Show Goes On
Barren Ground
A Night On The Town
Talk Of The Town
Rainbow's Cadillac
Pastures Of Plenty
Spider Fingers-Tempus Fugit
White Wheeled Limosine-Long Black Veil
King Of The Hill-Twelve Tone Tune-Mystery Train

Tracks:

Resting Place
Preacher In The Ring, Part I
Preacher In The The Ring, Part II
Fortunate Son-Comfortably Numb
Sneaking Up On Boo Radley
Shadowhand
Sticks & Stones
The Chill
The Good Life
What The Hell Happened
Hooray For Tom
Candy Mountain Run

Customer Reviews:

A go-to-favorite..........2007-07-14

I admit I purchased this package of work when it went on sale due to the value but it surprized me with its unique collection of warmth and song selection. There's a great deal of surprise and comfort in the retrospective that makes this one of my most played selections. Mr. Hornsby's talent and honesty comes through in a superior collection. The artist that he plays with are top notch, and the quality of the recordings are first rate. You can't niss with this purchase.

So you're thinking..."But I already have all the albums..........2007-07-01

...so do I really need to buy the box set?"

Let's assume you're like me: you own all the Bruce Hornsby albums (except Greatest Radio Hits), but

(a) you haven't obsessively bought every album of any artist where he's played in at least one track (you didn't buy Two Rooms, for instance, just to hear Hornsby play "Madman on the Water");
(b) you don't own any singles;
(c) you're not the concert-trading type.

Eliminating album versions of songs from this 53-track (not counting DVD) collection, I found 38 tracks had music I didn't yet own. 71% new!

What's in those 38 tracks?

* The various instrumental lettered songs, from Song A through Song H.
* Great versions of non-Hornsby-authored songs like "Darlin' Cory", "Jack Straw", and "Madman Across the Water."
* A good number of unique new live versions of older songs, such as a haunting version of "A Night on the Town" and a great piano-only rendition of "Sticks and Stones"--as well as the traditional "The Way It Is", "Mandolin Rain", and the rest.

Like another reviewer, I've found Disc 2 my favorite; it contains a number of instrumental pieces and collaborations on songs by other musicians. Of the four CDs, it contains the largest amount of material I didn't own or hadn't heard before.

But don't discount the other CDs. There are some great live versions on each. To get the best listening experience, if you already own all the studio albums, you may want to burn your own custom CDs from this set to pare this down to three CDs or so.

So for the price of about two CDs, you're getting three new CDs' worth of material, plus a DVD that contains music videos and concert footage, including a couple of songs, like "Go Back to Your Woods", that aren't on the CDs.

I'd call that a good deal.

Great Collection.......2007-05-12

Great collection for those who don't get to see Bruce very often. Disc 2 is my favorite.

Astonishing.......2007-04-07

This boxed set of Bruce Hornsby's music is simply astonishing.

For a few years, in the late-1980s, Bruce was hot commercially, producing a string of hits. (Re-visiting his music by listening to this boxed set, it's surprising how many hits he had!) Then the public's musical taste moved on. For a while, that bothered him, because he wasn't selling as many records as he had. But, he told me a few years ago, he finally stopped worrying about trying to please a fickle record-buying public. Instead, he decided to simply work on his craft.

That's why the music on Intersections is astonishing. Many of the 53 songs in the set are live. (For those who want to hear the hits exactly as they sounded, there's a DVD included of the 1980s videos made of those hits.) But his playing from more recent years shows that his musicianship is far better now than it was when the public was in love with him! And, since he's not worried about selling records, his music has become beyond classification. He was a classically-trained piano perfomance major in college. Some of the selections on Intersections are classical -- almost. His various arrangements turn many of his hits into jazz -- almost.

Maybe I can describe it in this way: Bruce plays rock and roll from the foundation of classical training, and, in the performance, the songs stretch out with jazz-like improvising. His band is full of incredibly accomplished musicians who are able to play off each other like members of a jazz group do. But there are also many solo pieces in the set. And there are songs Bruce plays with the Grateful Dead, with the Nitty Gritty Dirt band and Ricky Skaggs (bluegrass), with Branford Marsalis (one of the best working saxophonists today); there's even one track of Bruce playing free jazz with the legendary Ornette Coleman!

It is comon in jazz for musicians to play "the standards." Each time, the song is recognizable, but the arrangements and interpretations are so varied that it is as if listening to a new song. The same thing impresses me about the music in this boxed set. Consider each Bruce Hornsby song to be a "standard." The presentations are so diverse in this set that, each time, it is as if listening to a new song.

Intersections is a collection of tracks from a unique, highly accomplished and simply astonishing musician.

A new direction for Bruce Hornsby.......2007-02-09

Having only heard a couple of songs of Hornsby's from the 80s eg The Way it is etc, i saw this box set and thought it would be like so many other collections. the classic collections are all of the songs of the times with unrecorded versions and with a few live versions as well.

i was surprised by the fact that this was not what i expected and there are not many of the original recordings and many of them have been totally reworked and taken in a new direction which has been sensational. I actually prefer a lot of the rearrangements to the original recordings.

For those who like to hear a song as it was originally recorded track down the original albums and relisten to them. That is one of the benefits of having recordings of the songs, in that you can listen to them when you want.

There is a dvd of many of his clips which gives some of the original recordings for those who do want them.

If you like the concept of a musical journey with the composer then get your hands on this set as you get a better idea of how music is so important to him. It goes beyond any expectations i had and it is much better than i could have hoped for.

This is essential buying for any person who loves piano based music.

Average customer rating:

I expected SO much more.
Front and Center
Great reproduction of Ray's 2005 Bonnaroo show!
sexy comfy
All This Blood on the Floor

Live from Bonnaroo 2005
Ray Lamontagne
Manufacturer: Junket Boy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000C4B544
Release Date: 2005-12-06

Customer Reviews:

I expected SO much more........2007-07-22

After discovering Ray quite late, just a couple months ago, I was blown away by his songwriting and, probably moreso, how absolutely genuine the guy is. After seeing a couple live performances via YouTube, I was expecting a lot more from this Bonnaroo performance. I played the CD a single time and can't bring myself to listen again- it was that bad, IMO. Maybe he was ill or the room just wasn't any good, but it sounds like the guy couldn't even hear himself sing.

Front and Center.......2007-06-04

I was there ... and realized during the imrov jam of "Forever My Friend" that I had tears rolling down my face. The music, the vibe, the interaction between Ray, CT and Larry was THAT good.

The sound on this disc is great - really captures the moment and includes a bit of Ray's chat with the audience. A video of this show would be to die for!

I was a bit bummed that "How Come" wasn't included, though, because this slower, more raw version (also with a kickbutt improv ending) was much more powerful than the commerical-ish version available on the "Trouble" cd.

He really left it all on the stage that evening.

Great reproduction of Ray's 2005 Bonnaroo show!.......2007-04-11

I was there, and this is a decent soundboard recording of the live show, though not the whole set. At least as I remember it. Good sonics, good selection of six tunes, one unreleased, and an appealing amount of crowd noise. If you enjoy Ray's studio albums, you should pick up this cheaply priced but rich concert experience that showcases his talent as a live performer.

sexy comfy.......2007-01-12

Ray Lamontagne is the sultry-smokey-troubadour of the 21st century. His painted words mixed with his warm sugar voice have you feeling sexy and comfy simultaneously.

This live collection of songs are testimony of his ability to hold the room in his hands with his voice.

All This Blood on the Floor.......2006-09-10

I have given Ray Lamontagne's latest effort (Till the Sun Turns Black) a 5 star review on Amazon, but the truth of the matter is, as good as the studio produced albums have been, Ray's amazing voice and vibrant emotional delivery can only be truly appreciated live. On a studio track, some of the things that make his music and his performance so powerful have been glossed over or edited out. Live, you are bowled over with the sheer ferocity of his delivery and his willingness to unguardedly bleed all over the place. The four minutes of the first track on this disc, "Burn," are worth the price of this whole CD. I'm not sure if he is screaming at you or with you, accusing or sharing, but it will knock you flat either way. Get all of this guy's stuff, but beware lest you dislike like "live" recordings and pass up on what is essentially pure, unadulterated Ray. You will surely be missing something.

Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)

Average customer rating:

Clarity reigns above all here!!SONDHEIM shines afresh!
Bloody Buckets of Fun!
bold new "Sweeney"
LIKE YOU WERE THERE.......I WAS!
Addictive

Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Michael Cerveris , and Patti LuPone
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000CRR3P6
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Tracks:

The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
No Place Like London
The Worst Pies in London
Poor Thing
My Friends
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
Green Finch and Linnet Bird
Ah, Miss
Johanna
Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
The Contest
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
Johanna
Wait
Kiss Me
Ladies in Their Sensitivities
Kiss Me

Tracks:

Pretty Women
Epiphany
A Little Priest
God, That's Good!
Johanna
By the Sea
Not While I'm Around
The Judge's Return
The Ballad of Sweeney Todd

Amazon.com

The 2005 revival of Stephen Sondheim's 1979 Grand Guignol masterpiece Sweeney Todd illustrates what happens when you have a director with genuine vision. The show has been completely reivented, yet at the same time its dark core has been masterfully unveiled, not betrayed. In John Doyle's radically pared-down version (which originated in England), there's no orchestra in the pit: Each member of the small cast is on stage the entire time and plays one or more instrument in addition to singing. Thus Michael Cerveris (Sweeney) also plays guitar, Patti LuPone (Mrs. Lovett) plays percussion and tuba, Donna Lynne Champlin (Pirelli) plays accordion, piano, and flute, etc. Of course this means that those used to hearing Sondheim's operatic score delivered by a full orchestra (LuPone herself starred in a 2000 version recorded with the New York Philharmonic) will have to get used to Sarah Travis's minimalist arrangements. But the setting works wonders and the cast rises to the challenge. Cerveris is intensely charismatic as the murderous barber and LuPone finds great dark humor in Mrs. Lovett, while the younger Lauren Molina (Johanna) and Manoel Felciano (Tobias) aptly go from innocence to despair. While completely different in style, this recording stands proudly next to the original one. No small feat, that. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Tony Award winners Michael Ceveris (Assassins) and Patti Lupone (Evita) lead a ten-person ensemble as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett in the cast album from the celebrated new Broadway production of Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Originally produced in 1979, and considered a core work of Sondheim canon, Sweeney Todd has not been seen on Broadway in more than sixteen years. The revival opened to unanimous raves at the Eugene O'Neill Theater.

Customer Reviews:

Clarity reigns above all here!!SONDHEIM shines afresh!.......2007-03-06

PURISTS BEWARE! if life simply stopped with the 1979 Lansbury-Cariou recording then don't read on! If you enjoy reconfiguration and fresh ideas THEN THIS RECORDING IS FOR YOU.This is now the fifth Internationally recorded version of SWEENEY TODD and it is a gem.If you didnot see this Patrick Doyle directed version on Broadway, it may seem a little odd at first.The orchestra is gone and all of the parts are skillfully played by the actors themselves.The sound is small and intimate,just as the production was.What this particular recording has going for it is it's incredible CLARITY.The score and the words all come through brilliantly.Because of the rescoring of the music,all of the nuances of the Sondheim piece are heard far more clearly ,yet differently.This will undoubtedly upset some but will most likely charm and intrigue most others.Michael Cerveris IS NOT Hearn or Cariou( frankly in his OWN way he is better!);Patti LuPone IS NOT Lansbury nor is Patti the same Mrs.Lovett as on the live 2000 recording;Lauren Molina is a light-airy Johanna whose EVERY WORD is crystal clear,quite unlike just about every other Johanna on record;Mark Jacoby as Judge Turpin is more second tenor than the usual bass ,and Pirelli is, yes (horror of horrors) A WOMAN!!!-so what!!!This is all deftly and professionally performed and recorded,and pushes it's outlandish way right into the fray with all of the other SWEENEY TODD'S.TRY IT,YOU JUST MIGHT LIKE IT!!!As a lover of all that is Sondheim,I say,be bold and brave and add this SWEENEY to your collection so you,too,can compare and share.Opera lovers might always stick to the original,but theatre lovers will venture to this SWEENEY and embrace it.

Bloody Buckets of Fun!.......2006-12-14

Amazing, eerie reworking of the classic score! It adds such a great scare factor.
The cast is also breathtaking. Michael Cerveris is phenonemal as the demon barber himself (his 'Epiphany' is chillingly good) and Patti LuPone delights once more as the wicked Mrs. Lovett. Newcomer Mano Felciano is perfect as Tobias Ragg, with his smooth, beautiful voice he is wonderful in 'Not While I'm Around'. Lauren Molina (Johanna) and Ben Magnuson (Anthony) are both very cute and very good in their roles. The original is terrible compared to this one! The cast is fantastic, and the new arrangements are creepy and deliciously terrifying!
"Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd..."

bold new "Sweeney".......2006-11-27

Once you get accustomed to the pared-down orchestrations on this cast album for the 2005 Broadway revival of SWEENEY TODD, what emerges is how versatile this material can become. Sondheim's sweeping "grand guignol opera" (based on Christopher Bond's treatment of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") has rarely sounded better than right here, re-conceived as a smaller chamber piece.

The director, John Doyle, hired actors who could also skillfully play musical instruments (the same idea is adopted for Doyle's revival of "Company" which opens on Broadway at the end of the year). Having Sweeney, Mrs Lovett, Tobias and Co. playing away while Anthony and Johanna serenade each other is a genius idea (though I wonder how long this gimmick will last in Doyle's future directing jobs).

Playing Mrs Lovett, the somewhat-guileless accomplice to Sweeney's bloodbath, is Patti LuPone. She is no stranger to the role, having previously done a concert version opposite George Hearn's still-definitive Sweeney in 2001 (that performance is captured on DVD, and on compact disc with another supporting cast). Her performance here is quite different, she is jaded and almost lathargic in the opening scenes; only towards the end does she fully come alive with the vibrant, take-no-prisoners belty voice which LuPone is famous for. Michael Cerveris plays Sweeney with an almost relentless brooding edge, a man driven to the absolute brink in the name of revenge, a truly masterful performance in a demanding role.

Playing the attractive young lovers Johanna and Anthony (with equally attractive young voices) are Lauren Molina and Benjamin Magnuson; two fresh talents with big things ahead of them. In the plum role of Tobias is the appealing Manoel Felciano, and his plaintive cry of warning to Mrs Lovett in "Not While I'm Around" is gut-wrenching.

In the roles of Judge Turpin and his pimping Beadle Bamford; Mark Jacoby (the Hal Prince revival of "Show Boat") and Alexander Gemignani (currently appearing as Valjean in the Broadway revival of "Les Miserables") get to eat up the scenes with their slimy, loathsome characters. The most outlandish casting, of Donna Lynne Champlin (in the male role of Pirelli), isn't as peculiar as it seems, and Champlin negotiates the part well. Diana DiMarzio is a solid presence as the Beggar Woman who figures prominently in Sweeney's past.

The two-disc set allows for the bulk of the extensive score to be preserved (though the 1978 OBC double disc set, currently out-of-print, is fairly complete too). Still, fans of SWEENEY TODD can always do with another version, and it's a plus when that new version is fantastic like this one. Arguably Stephen Sondheim's masterwork.

[Nonesuch/Warner Music 79946-2]

LIKE YOU WERE THERE.......I WAS!.......2006-11-10

I saw the original Sweeney Todd in Chicago 20 some odd years ago in Chicago with Angela Landsbury and George Hearn. It was a great production, although I have to admit, I didn't fully appreciate the music and genius of Stephen Sondheim at the time.

I was fortunate enough to catch the revival production the week before it closed in New York. I knew it would be something special with Patti LuPone and Michael Cerveris in the lead roles. It (and they) turned out to be VERY special, and the whole cast was absolutely outstanding.

This CD has the whole cast intact and is brilliant. I may live on the West Coast, but this recording takes me back to that very special night in the Eugene O'Neill Theater in New York City every time I listen!

Addictive.......2006-11-04

I'll be straight with you - I didn't know what the heck Sweeney Todd was about until I went to New York earlier this year. I saw the theatre that housed this show and the dash of blood strewn across the title caught my attention. I didn't go and see the show, I saw 'Wicked' instead, which is brilliant, but that's another story.

My partner read an extremely positive review of Sweeney Todd in the playbill from 'Wicked', I think (??) so he purchased the soundtrack a couple of months later and loved it straight away. I wasn't convinced immediately, as it seemed too old-fashioned and 'operatic' for me. But I gave it a chance, and now I listen to it every day!

Sweeney Todd has opened my eyes and ears to a new genre of music and story-telling! It's intriguing and sad and dark, even romantic. I love Patti Lupone's psychotic voice and evil laugh, the 'crazy old hag, pickin' bones out of alley ashcans' is a lot of fun... and I like to scare my friends and associates by emulating Tobias with 'Razorr, razorr, cutta cutta cut'.

Pure Brilliance! Saving up to go and see the show at the Sydney Opera House. A beautiful example of sublime music and singing. Lovably twisted!

Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

Love It!!!
Beautiful and better than expected
Good Idea Gone Bad
What a BORE!
Foster Showcase

Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
Danny Gurwin , Janet Carroll , Jenny Powers , Jim Weitzer , John Hickok , Maureen McGovern , Meg McGinnis , Robert Stattel , Sutton Foster , and Mindi Dickstein
Manufacturer: Ghostlight Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000929ABY
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

Overture
An Operatic Tragedy
Better
Our Finest Dreams
Here Alone
Could You?
I'd Be Delighted
Take A Chance On Me
Off To Massachusetts
Five Forever
More Than I Am
Astonishing
The Weekly Volcano Press
How I Am
Some Things Are Meant TO Be
The Most Amazing Thing
Days Of Plenty
The Fire Within Me
Small Umbrella In The Rain
Sometimes When You Dream (Reprise)

Amazon.com

Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women concerns four sisters in post-Civil War Massachusetts, but at times it feels as if its musical adaptation should have been called "Little Woman," so focused on a single sibling it is. Both Allan Knee's book and Sutton Foster's natural charisma and energy help constantly train the spotlight onto tomboy Jo. Yet it's not that much of a problem because Foster is strong enough to carry the show. She gets excellent support from the rest of the cast and especially cabaret artist Maureen McGovern, who as Marmee gets two beautiful ballads ("Here Alone" and "Days of Plenty") that are tailor-made for her imperial, burnished tone, and could well acquire a life outside the show. Composer Jason Howland worked as either musical director or musical supervisor on three period-set Frank Wildhorn musicals (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War), which gives him a distinct experience in dealing with the historical setting here. Although the score oftentimes veers to the bland side, Howland also shows encouraging signs of spryness ("Five Forever") and melodic confidence that at one point slyly honors Sondheim ("Astonishing"). Old-fashioned in the best possible way, Little Women makes a good complement to Wicked for those trying to entice a younger audience to the delights of the musical theater. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews:

Love It!!!.......2007-06-27

My school is going to be doing this musical next spring so I bought this CD in order to prepare for it. I fell in love with the music. Much like the book, it is personal, tender, and real. Some songs are just so heartwrenching I want to cry (but maybe I am a little bit of a drama queen). Simply gripping, I would highly recommend this CD to anyone who loves musical theater.

Beautiful and better than expected.......2007-05-15

I had heard so many mixed things about this show, and so I missed the chance to see it on Broadway. Well, now I am sure wishing I had seen it, because the story that unfolds on this CD is so beautiful and so reminiscent of the book I adored when I was a "little woman." I cannot imagine anyone not enjoying the joyous romp and sense of adventure that imbues this musical journey. Nearly every song captivated me, though I must admit it took a few passes before I finally embraced the entire score. Now I giggle with delight at the "Operatic Tragedy," "Our Finest Dreams" and "The Weekly Volcano Press." I also love "I'd Be Delighted," as Meg and Jo prep for the ball, and I adore Laurie's "Take a Chance on Me." Such passion! And the composers completely capture Jo's yearning to be something more in "Astonishing." Fantastic!

The ballads are simply gorgeous! I cannot get through Maureen McGovern's song, "Days of Plenty" without sheeding tears. And "The Fire Within Me" is likewise a heartfelt testamanet of love for one's family. So beautiful!

Open your heart, ears, and imagination to Little Women and enjoy the journey.

Good Idea Gone Bad.......2007-03-16

I loved the book Little Women, and I love musicals, but this CD did not blend the two well at all! I could barely get through the CD, there may be one or two songs I would listen to again, but not very often. It was difficult to see how these songs could do justice to the mood of the book. I feel that they hurt the story. I don't recommend buying this album.

What a BORE!.......2006-07-22

Saw the show in Washington and nearly fell asleep. Should never have been made. The score is dismall with a couple of all too brief moments of musicality, wisely given to Maureen McGovern. However, it's not enough to save this misguided mess. Skip the CD, pick up Jane Eyre, a musical version of a classic that works beautifully and deserved more success than it acheived.

Foster Showcase.......2006-05-06

Little Women is all about Sutton Foster. She does a great job, but as shown by the earily closing of the show it, one actress can't fix a flop. The songs in Little Women which tell a story or forward the plot of the show like "Weekly Volcano Press," "Astonishing," and "An Operatic Tradegy" are good and very entertaining, however a lot of the other songs in the show are stagnant. Basically any number without Foster or McGovern in it is not worth listening to. The show comes across as having good intentions. Though it has some good songs (I know people who have used some as audition pieces well), it does not seem to jump out at the audience at all.

Music Track: