Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart - On Your Toes 1954 Revival Cast (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Superb 1954 Revival Cast recording - a sonic gem

A. Andersen | Bellows Falls, VT USA | 09/11/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Even the 1983 Tony Award -winning revival of this Rodgers and Hart show couldn't match the sound and presence on its cast recording (now sadly out of print) with that of Decca's in this 1954 revival. Performances by Bobby Van and Elaine Stritch are wonderful, orchestrations are lively and bouncy, but it's the sound (uncharacteristically full, rich and sonorous for Decca's usually tinny results) that steals the show. Since the 1956 Columbia studio cast recording is not yet available on CD (the year 2000) and the 1983 cast recording is out of print, this is the ONLY one available - don't hesitate. It's a great recording."

ON YOUR TOES 1954

Mark Andrew Lawrence | Toronto | 09/06/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Inspired the the successful 1952 revival of PAL JOEY, it was decided to bring back another Rodgers & Hart musical hoping lightning would strike twice. It didn't. ON YOUR TOES lasted just 8 unprofitable weeks. The critics felt that whereas PAL JOEY may have been a bit ahead of its time at its 1940 premiere, ON YOUR TOES now seemed dated and uninspired.

Decca took advantage of the revival to make a cast album and the recording stayed in print until it was retired in the late 1960s. Now it's back on CD. The biggest plus is Elaine Stritch who gets an extra song interpolated just for her...and she makes the most of "You Took Advantage of Me." (Side note: When this production of ON YOUR TOES opened, the Judy Garland film of A STAR IS BORN was olaying in movie theatres and she included a somewhat comic version of the song as part of her "Born in a Trunk" medley!) The rest of the cast is fine, although top billed Vera Zorina does not even appear on the recording since she was a dancing star and had no songs.

The sound is a bit thin and somewhat flat, as with most Decca recordings. The Lp omitted the Princess Zenobia ballet and cut the dance sequence that followed the title song. Even so it was a long LP for its day: 54:20! The new orchestrations by Don Walker date this recording and are more in keeping with tradtional 1950s broadway.

It's still an enjoyable recording but has now been replaced by the 1983 Broadway revival cast which is more complete and restores the original Hans Spialek orchestrations from 1936.

A 3rd ON YOUR TOES Lp was made by Columbia records in the early 1950s starring Portia Nelson and Jack Cassidy. It is a surprisingly dull recording and it has not been transferred to Cd."

For Elaine Stritch fans ONLY.

Alfonzo Tyson | Buffalo, NY United States | 08/02/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This truncated, reorchestrated recording of the unsucessful 1954 revival of "On Your Toes" did absolutely nothing for me. The orchestrations are all wrong and the lyrics to some songs (noteably "Too Good for the Average Man") were unnecessarily changed to much weaker ones. Only Elaine Stritch singing "You Took Advantage of Me" (NOT from the original score) shines through. Contrary to what a previous poster said, this CD's recording of "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" is NOT the longest possible version: The remastered 1983 revival recording's "Slaughter..." is SEVENTEEN minutes! In summary, if you're a fan of Elaine Stritch, buy this CD. Otherwise, the 1983 recording is preferable."

Good, but...

Elliot Fisch | Los Angeles, CA | 01/21/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I eagerly purchased this CD when it first came out. I didn't even know this recording existed. It was not the find I'd hoped for. All the performers are good, but underwhelming. The major turnoff is the sound. Tubby, low level, no dynamics, no mid-range at all. The performers are often drowned-out by the orchastra. It's sounds as if it was recorded at the bottom of a garbage can. Compare this with the terrific Pajama Game sound from the same year, and you'll think this is electronically re-channeled stereo from 1940. The 1983 revival and old columbia recording are better."

"You wanna know the way the wind blows?"

Tommy Peter | Baltimore, MD United States | 02/23/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Then, my boy (or girl), you'd better get up and get this delightful recording of the 1954 revival of "On Your Toes," which is just as light on its feet, just as delightful and just as entertaining as the show itself supposedly is on stage. Full of unique and truly memorable songs by the legendary Rodgers and Hart, this score sparkles and never fails to let up excellence. There is never a dull moment as the score truly dances from one song to the next, including the amusing "Three B's," the beautiful "Quiet Night," the poignaint "Glad to Be Unhappy," the delightful title song, and the famous instrumental "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," which is probably presented in as close to complete fashion (Over 10 minutes) as possible, given the time limits of LP records that the recording producers had to work with, and sounds great. (It accompanies a "classical-versus-jazz" ballet which was the first attempt to try and integrate dance into the storyline of a musical) Even the love songs are bright and breezy and are prime examples of Rodgers and Hart's collaboration. "It's Got to Be Love" shows the nervously giddy reaction to that welcomed yet dreaded "sickness" that Hart often had in his lyrics set to a bouncy and irresistable tune by Rodgers, and the standard "There's a Small Hotel" has lyrics that are an expression of love with an underlying, sly suggestion of something else, set to one of those beautifully lilting and romantic waltzes the composer was a master at writing. The performers on this recording, including Bobby Van in the role originated by Ray Bolger, are all very ingratiating and talented and do wonderful justice to these songs. The one standout, naturally, is Elaine Stritch. Her world-weary, sophsiticated cynicism fits Rodgers and Hart like a form-fitting glove, and her perfectly constructed performance is delightful. She is good when mocking fads of the wealthy in "Too Good for the Average Man." She is great when using her legendary deadpan timing to describe her mother's romantic escapades ("We would travel quite a lot, but we always went to Reno...") in "The Heart is Quicker Than the Eye." And when she is let loose to do her "thing" with "You Took Advantage of Me," (Interpolated for this production especially for her), she stops the show cold. What a gal! What a score! What a recording! What are you waiting for?"

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