2005 [Import]

Product Description
Celebrating the Group's 25th Career. "Baixa Do Sapateiro", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Bachianas Brasileiras N.5" De Villa Lobos "Jongo", "Pulo Do Gato".

2005,Pau Brasil,Pau Brasil,World Music

Average customer rating: Jersey Boys (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Jersey Boys Like being there A step back in musical time Great music, but missing too much

Jersey Boys (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Ronald Melrose , Ken Dow , Anik Oulianine , Stephanie Cummins , Deborah Hurwitz , Kevin Dow , Joe Payne , Larry Saltzman , Dave Spier , Bill Hayes , Randall Andos , Bob Milikan , Debra Shufelt , Maxine Roach , Belinda Whitney , Cenovia Cummins , Eric de Gioia , Louise Owen , Robin Zeh , Sarah Schwartz , Shinwon Kim , Christian Hoff , Daniel Reichard , Donnie Kehr , Erica Piccininni , J. Robert Spencer , Jennifer Naimo , John Lloyd Young , Sara Schmidt , Tituss Burgess , Steve Orich , and Bob Gaudio Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Rhino Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Very Best of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast) The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000BFH2QY Release Date: 2005-11-01

Tracks:

1. Ces Soirees la'
2. Early Years Medley
3. Cry For Me
4. Backups Medley
5. Sherry
6. Big Girls Don't Cry
7. Walk Like A Man
8. December, 1963
9. My Boyfriend's Back
10. My Eyes Adored You
11. Dawn (Go Away)
12. Big Man In Town
13. Dialog: A Little Trouble
14. Beggin'
15. Dialog: See How You Handle It
16. Medley Listen Listen
17. c'mon marianne
18. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
19. Working My Way Back To You
20. 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 (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.

Like being there.......2007-07-05

Have seen the play twice. This album lets me relive the experience anytime anyplace. A great piece of Rock n roll history.

A step back in musical time.......2007-07-05

My wife and daughter didn't know about the Four Seasons but I did. When I told them I wanted to see the musical on stage, there was no interest so I bought this product and they heard it in the car. We went to the stage musical soon after and we have listened to the entire disk so many times I've lost track. I created a Four Seasons monster in my daughter. She's fifteen and has memorized most of the songs and sings along while we are driving somewhere.

Great music, but missing too much.......2007-07-04

I saw this play at age 16 with no idea who the Four Seasons were, but instantly fell in love with it. The problem is, this soudntrack cuts a two hour play into less than an hour on CD. Most of the dialouge is missing, only including enough to let each member of the group at least say something. I know many play soundtracks cut out dialouge, but what confuses me is why this stretches to the music as well. What is there is amazing, but I don't understand why most of the songs are cut to half, and sometimes even a third or fourth of their original lengths. I love this CD, just be aware that you are hardly getting any story, just clips of lots of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons songs. So, great music and dialouge, just not enough for a musical soundtrack.

Average customer rating: Loved it Get ready to laugh until you cry! A Lot of Spam Love, love, love this soundtrack! Hamalot!

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 Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Avenue Q (2003 Original Broadway Cast) The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0007OY2TE Release Date: 2005-05-03

Tracks:

1. Tuning
2. Overture
3. Historian's Introduction to Act I
4. Finland/Fisch Schlapping Dance
5. Monks Chant / He Is Not Dead Yet
6. Come With Me
7. Laker Girls Cheer
8. The Song That Goes Like This
9. He Is Not Dead Yet - Play Off
10. All For One
11. Knights of the Round Table/The Song That Goes Like This (Reprise)
12. Find Your Grail
13. Run Away!
14. The Intermission
15. Historian's Introduction to Act II
16. Always Look On The Bright Side of Life
17. Brave Sir Robin
18. You Won't Succeed On Broadway
19. Diva's Lament (What Ever Happened To My Part?)
20. Where Are You?
21. His Name Is Lancelot
22. I'm All Alone
23. Twice In Every Show
24. Act II Finale
25. 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:

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.

Love, love, love this soundtrack!.......2007-05-18

The show was so much fun, and now getting to hear the soundtrack brings all the funny bits right back. These tunes are infectious! Even my 3-year-old hums them to himself. Any Monty Python fan should own this.

Hamalot!.......2007-05-15

Overall, pretty good. I liked the inclusion of various other Python bits (Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Finland, etc.), but there was an appalling lack of Tim Curry on this album (Um, hello? Rocky Horror, anyone?). Also an over-reliance on songs with lyrics like, "This is how this song goes," or "Every show has a song like this." Some more inventive lyrics would have been welcome. (Mr. Idle, meet Mr. Brooks!)

Still, pretty good. Buy it for $11 or less & you won't feel taken.

Average customer rating: Great Memories Horrible show! The return of Mary Poppins Loved it, loved it. Great Music!

Mary Poppins (2005 Original London Cast) Manufacturer: Disney ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Disney | Children's Music | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast) Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Tarzan - The Broadway Musical (Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000AOF9NY Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

1. Prologue/Chim Chim Cher-Ee
2. Cherry Tree Lane (Part 1)
3. The Perfect Nanny
4. Cherry Tree Lane (Part 2)
5. Practicially Perfect
6. Jolly Holiday
7. Cherry Tree Lane (Reprise)/Being Mrs. Banks/Jolly Holiday (Reprise)
8. A Spoonful Of Sugar
9. Feed The Birds
10. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
11. Temper, Temper
12. Chim Chim Cher-Ee (Rooftop Duet)
13. Entr'acte: Run Away
14. Brimstone And Treacle (Part 1)
15. Let's Go Fly A Kite
16. Good For Nothing/Being Mrs. Banks (Reprise)
17. Brimstone And Treacle (Part 2)
18. Step In Time
19. A Man Has Dreams/A Spoonful Of Sugar (Reprise)
20. Anything Can Happen
21. 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:

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.

The return of Mary Poppins.......2007-04-12

Different from the movie, this version develops the characters somewhat more deeply. I especially like the depth of personality shown in Mrs. Banks.

Loved it, loved it........2007-03-09

Like just about every other little girl who was alive in the sixties, Mary Poppins was a favorite. I had heard about the new play from a friend in New York who had just seen it and loved it, and so I got this sound track. I have it on my Ipod and listen to it all the time. My grown daughters love it also. It is a great addition to my CD collection.

Great Music!.......2007-02-14

The Broadway version is even better than the movie version! Definitely buy this CD.

Average customer rating: Awesome buy Love this Musical!! great soundtrack First Time a Film has been as Good as the Original Musical The music will captivate you

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 Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rent (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition) Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) WICKED: THE GRIMMERIE, A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT THE HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast) Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000AYEI4U Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

1. Seasons of Love
2. Rent
3. You'll See
4. One Song Glory
5. Light My Candle
6. Today 4 U
7. Tango: Maureen
8. Life Support
9. Out Tonight
10. Another Day
11. Will I
12. Santa Fe
13. I'll Cover You
14. Over The Moon

Tracks:

1. La Vie Boheme
2. I Should Tell You
3. La Vie Boheme B
4. Seasons of Love B
5. Take Me or Leave Me
6. Without You
7. I'll Cover You Reprise
8. Halloween
9. Goodbye Love
10. What You Own
11. Finale A
12. Your Eyes
13. Finale B
14. 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:

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 music will captivate you.......2007-02-21

Even though I have the CD, whenever I'm flipping channels and I come across the movie "Rent", no matter how many times I've seen it and regardless of what point the movie is at, it is like I am mesmerized, and I know from experience that I am going nowhere until the movie is over. My husband feels the same way and we've both discussed why this is. The answer is the music. It actually pulls us both along through the movie. Just as one great song ends, another begins, and we can't pull ourselves away until the movie - and thus the music - ends. There actually isn't a tedious, boring, or even mediocre piece in the whole musical. Every song has a style different from all of the others and each is quite powerful. The music is not the meat on the bones in this movie version of the Broadway musical, it is actually the very bones under the meat. My favorite is "I'll Cover You". Remarkably, this song works both as an upbeat love song for Angel and Collins and also as a funeral dirge. It is very amazing that Jonathan Larson, on his first outing, could come up with even one of these amazing songs, much less all of them. It makes me sad not only for the loss of Jonathan Larson the human being, but the loss of such an amazing artist. I highly recommend this CD. I think you'll find yourself hooked on these unique and powerful tunes.

Average customer rating: Purple Passion Just Like Being There! Still gives me shivers... Excellent music from an excellent play GOOD IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE PLAY ON BROADWAY

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 General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Revival Cast) Jersey Boys (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Wedding Singer (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000C1ZFA2 Release Date: 2006-01-24

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Huckleberry Pie/Mysterious Ways
3. Somebody Gonna Love You
4. Our Prayer
5. That Fine Mister
6. Big Dog
7. Lily Of The Field
8. Dear God
9. A Tree Named Sofia
10. Hell No!
11. Brown Betty
12. Shug Avery Comin' To Town
13. All We've Got To Say
14. Dear God
15. Too Beautiful For Words
16. Push Da Button
17. Uh Oh!
18. What About Love?
19. Act I Finale
20. African Homeland
21. The Color Purple
22. Church Ladies' Easter
23. I Curse You Mister
24. Celie's Curse
25. Miss Celie's Pants
26. Any Little Thing
27. What About Love (Reprise)
28. I'm Here
29. 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:

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!

GOOD IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE PLAY ON BROADWAY.......2007-04-02

I saw the play in New York, and then purchased the soundtrack approximately 10 months after seeing it. There are some tracks that stand out for me more than others like "Push Da Button", "Hell No" and "is there anything else I can do for you", but overall this is a good CD.

Average customer rating: Front and Center Great reproduction of Ray's 2005 Bonnaroo show! sexy comfy All This Blood on the Floor rayok

Live from Bonnaroo 2005 Ray Lamontagne Manufacturer: Junket Boy ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Till the Sun Turns Black Trouble Lost & Found Supply And Demand Amos Lee ASIN: B000C4B544 Release Date: 2005-12-06

Customer Reviews:

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.

rayok.......2006-08-04

The very first time I heard Ray, I was channel surfing and came across a concert of his being broadcast on PBS. His voice blew me away.
I don't think this is Ray putting out a live release. More like the folks at Bonnaroo capitalizing on the success of Trouble (since it is not under RCA - Rays label).
He's not the Allman Bros., but it is still worthwhile to hear him live.

Average customer rating: Great fun, but not for the little ones! Love it!!!! Good but not great Charming musical TERRIBLE.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast) William Finn , Rachel Sheinkin , Derrick Baskin , Dan Fogler , Jesse Tyler Ferguson , Deborah Craig , Lisa Howard , Celia Keenan-Bolger , Jose Llana , Jay Reiss , and Sarah Saltzberg Manufacturer: Ghostlight Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0009A1AMS Release Date: 2005-05-31

Tracks:

1. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
2. The Spelling Rules/My Favorite Moment Of The Bee 1
3. My Friend, The Dictionary
4. The First Goodbye
5. Pandemonium
6. I'm Not That Smart
7. The Second Goodbye
8. Magic Foot
9. Pandemonium Reprise/My Favorite Moment Of The Bee 2
10. Why We Like Spelling
11. Prayer Of The Comfort Counselor
12. My Unfortunate Erection (Chip's Lament)
13. Woe Is Me
14. I'm Not That Smart (Reprise 2)
15. I Speak Six Languages
16. The I Love You Song
17. Woe Is Me (Reprise)
18. My Favorite Moment Of The Bee 3/Second
19. Finale
20. The Last Goodbye

Amazon.com

When was the last time you heard a musical with a truly hilarious book? Rachel Sheinkin has concocted such a thing for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, one of the most unexpected hits of 2005. Unfortunately, Sheinkin's wit is mostly lost on a cast album; fortunately, the show's songs are by the great William Finn. Set at the titular event, the musical never looks down on the competiting kids (played by adult actors), instead portraying them as endearingly nerdy but also smart, and endowing them with real personalities rather than predictably spelling-bee tics. The cast is uniformly superb, although personal faves include Sarah Saltzberg, playing Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre with a delicious lisp ("Woe Is Me"); Jesse Tyler Ferguson, bringing sweet innocence to Leaf Coneybear ("I'm Not That Smart"); and Dan Fogler, in a breakout comic performance as William Barfee ("Magic Foot," sounding like a sly tribute to Kander & Ebb). This show may be small in scale, but it's a huge winner. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Other Great Musicals of the Season

Spamalot	Dirty Rotten Scoundrels	The Light in the Piazza
Little Women	All Shook Up	Altar Boyz

Customer Reviews:

Great fun, but not for the little ones!.......2007-03-15

We thought this was great fun, very engaging in the tradition of the modern musical. Just be careful, there are a couple of cuts that are not for "the wee ones". But, my 2nd and 4th grader love all the other songs. They love "Magic Foot" in particular. We just skip past the "mature" material. I suggest you listen to it first so you know what to skip.

Love it!!!!.......2007-03-08

This is a great cd. I loved it when I listened to it, but loved it more after I saw the show.

Good but not great.......2007-02-06

I'd heard the opening number as well as "The I Love You Song" upon which I decided I'd like to listen to the entire soundtrack. I liked the concept behind the musical and thought it would be fun.

Upon first listening I have to say I was slightly disappointed. The style of singing is all the same: strong and loud and the melodic movement of the songs is generally all the same with lots of long notes that generally get prety annoying after awhile.

Some positives though...The songs move through the progression of the bee quite nicely with the "Goodbye" Songs and "My Favourite Moment From the Bee" songs adding a nice theme to the whole score.

"The I Love You Song" is still a personal favourite but "Woe is Me" is also a strong song and parts of "Pandemonium" with it's upbeat rhythm are toe tapping and enjoyable.

The characters are varied but their songs don't really do them justice.

Good but not great.

Charming musical.......2007-01-10

Spelling Bee has a cute score with a number of memorable tunes. While the overall theme is quite comical, there are a few more serious moments when one of the characters talks about her absentee mother. "Magic Foot" is a total scream. This should be on the shelves of all lovers of musical comedy.

TERRIBLE........2007-01-04

I am a huge fan of musicals and I was really excited to go see this one. I'd heard good things about it and I enjoy nothing more than sitting down in a theater and watching a good musical.

Sorry guys, it was AWFUL. The music was semi-decent, there weren't really any standouts although the I love you song tugs at your heartstrings a bit. But the heart of the matter is, there was NO STORY and NO PLOT whatsoever! I was so disappointed! It stayed in act 1 the entire show and never climaxed. The plot was "once there was a spelling bee. A bunch of kids competed until one of them won" (and really, nothing more happens than that.)

In comedy, things are more flexible and you don't necessarily have to have any structure to your story (although it generally makes for a better and more memorable show) but in this case, it wasn't even funny! I think I laughed twice throughout the whole show, and they were sort of halfhearted chuckles, like, wow, I can't believe they just told that overused joke... again.

I think that's the only reason they bring people in from the audience to improv a little bit (but don't leave much room for improv, anyway) - because if they didn't it would be so boring and pointless that people would be leaving the theater. I only stayed around because I kept thinking, "there has to be some point to this. There has to be some interesting twist at the end that makes it all worthwhile. Maybe nobody wins, and somebody learns something." And then it ended, and I was sorely disappointed.

Again, the music wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't anything special. Most of the songs just blend together and sound the same. William Finn doesn't understand the concept of musical variance. The majority of the songs describe the characters' history but NOTHING EVER HAPPENS to any of them. That's not a story.

Anyway, enjoy the music if you're into it, but don't go see the show. It's a waste of time and money.

Average customer rating: It's closed in NY, but it opened in Chicago this week! Simply unique thanks Beautiful musical! Save Your Money

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 General | Country | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Country | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Monty Python's Spamalot (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B0009A1AQE Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Statues and Stories
3. The Beauty Is
4. Il Mondo Era Vuoto
5. American Dancing
6. Passeggiata
7. The Joy You Feel
8. Dividing Day
9. Hysteria
10. Say It Somehow
11. Aiutami
12. The Light in the Piazza
13. Octet
14. The Beauty Is (Reprise)
15. Let's Walk
16. Clara's Interlude
17. Love to Me
18. 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:

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.

thanks .......2007-05-15

On time, in good condition, thanks to you and PM's suggestion on his website.

Beautiful musical!.......2007-05-15

This musical is definitely not for everyone, but I disagree with it not being hummable. I found myself humming "Love to Me," "The Beauty Is," "Let's Walk," and others. I fell in love with it almost instantly. I saw it for the first time on a Wednesday and bought the CD (and the CD of the star of the show at the time) right away.

I even went back to see it a week and a half later and watched the Lincoln Center PBS special (which I'd recorded on Tivo before the tour was finalized when I'd already missed it in NYC, since my sister would have hated this one and was with me that year) not long after that.

My husband thought there was too much Italian, but I agree with those who said that they were trying to take you into the world of Clara and Margaret and showing you how they were seeing Italy at that time and how little they would have understood initially in Italy. Personally, the language didn't bother me. The music is so beautiful, that it wasn't an issue. The fact that I understand romance languages and sang a lot in other languages probably helped that, but with such beautiful music, I don't see what the big issue is even if you can't understand a word.

If that does bother you, translate it online when you get it home and then you're set. The music is gorgeous and the story is beautiful. It's also very heartbaeking at times. I highly recommend it - there's a reason it won the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Save Your Money.......2007-05-07

"The Light in the Piazza" is not a very good show and the music is appropriate to the general qualtiy of artistic expression.

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 General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast) The Color Purple (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Harry On Broadway Act 1 ASIN: B000CRR3P6 Release Date: 2006-01-31

Tracks:

1. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
2. No Place Like London
3. The Worst Pies in London
4. Poor Thing
5. My Friends
6. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
7. Green Finch and Linnet Bird
8. Ah, Miss
9. Johanna
10. Pirelli's Miracle Elixir
11. The Contest
12. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd
13. Johanna
14. Wait
15. Kiss Me
16. Ladies in Their Sensitivities
17. Kiss Me

Tracks:

1. Pretty Women
2. Epiphany
3. A Little Priest
4. God, That's Good!
5. Johanna
6. By the Sea
7. Not While I'm Around
8. The Judge's Return
9. 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!

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 General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Three Nights on the Town Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby Piano Jazz: McPartland/Hornsby There Is A Season Forecast: Tomorrow ASIN: B000G7PN9U Release Date: 2006-07-25

Tracks:

1. The Way It Is
2. Mandolin Rain
3. The Valley Road
4. Jacob's Ladder
5. Nobody There But Me
6. The End Of The Innocence
7. Look Out Any Window
8. Across The Window
9. Lost Soul
10. Fields Of Gray-That's Where It's At
11. Walk In The Sun
12. Gonna Be Some Changes Made
13. Dreamland

Tracks:

1. Song A
2. Song B
3. Song C
4. Song D
5. Variations On Swan Song & Song D
6. Song F
7. Song H
8. Barcelona Mona
9. Backhand
10. Jack Straw
11. Madman Across The Water
12. Darlin' Cory
13. The Valley Road
14. Crown Of Jewels
15. Big Stick
16. The Valley Road
17. Hop, Skip And Jump
18. Love Me Still
19. Shadowland

Tracks:

1. The Show Goes On
2. Barren Ground
3. A Night On The Town
4. Talk Of The Town
5. Rainbow's Cadillac
6. Pastures Of Plenty
7. Spider Fingers-Tempus Fugit
8. White Wheeled Limosine-Long Black Veil
9. King Of The Hill-Twelve Tone Tune-Mystery Train

Tracks:

1. Resting Place
2. Preacher In The Ring, Part I
3. Preacher In The The Ring, Part II
4. Fortunate Son-Comfortably Numb
5. Sneaking Up On Boo Radley
6. Shadowhand
7. Sticks & Stones
8. The Chill
9. The Good Life
10. What The Hell Happened
11. Hooray For Tom
12. 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.

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