CD Details
All Artists: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, John Mauceri, Lorna Luft, David Carroll, Judy Blazer, David Garrison, Vicki Lewis, Eddie Korbich, Stan Chandler Title: Girl Crazy (1990 Studio Cast) Members Wishing: 1 Total Copies: 0 Label: Nonesuch Release Date: 11/13/1990 Album Type: Cast Recording Genres: Soundtracks, Classical, Broadway & Vocalists Style: Musicals Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 075597925029 |
Synopsis
Amazon.com essential recordingWidely known for its (very loose) 1943 Hollywood adaptation with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, this musical is among the Gershwins' very best. Originally a star vehicle for Bert Lahr, the original 1930 production also featured Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman. This new complete recording includes pros like Lorna Luft, Judy Blazer, Vicki Lewis, and David Carroll, and all of them do a bang-up job. The book is a mere pretext: most of the songs are self-contained and could be used in just about any story, and many quickly became classics ("Embraceable You," "But Not for Me," "I Got Rhythm," "Bidin' My Time.") The upbeat score--the original pit orchestra included Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, and Benny Goodman--sees George Gershwin in complete sync with his jazz-crazed times. There's barely a wrinkle on this 70-year-old show. -- Elisabeth Vincentelli
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CD Reviews
A Musical Not To Miss D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 10/03/2002 (5 out of 5 stars) "As with so many Broadway shows, the story behind Girl Crazy is concerned with the quest for love and romance built into a thin story. The setting of Girl Crazy in Arizona provided a more exotic locale for 1930's America. What makes Girl Crazy so memorable are the songs: "Embraceable You," "Sam and Delilah," "Could You Use Me?," "Barbary Coast," " But Not For Me" and "I Got Rhytm." This is a well-cast recording of Girl Crazy with Lorna Luft (a daughter of Judy Garland) as Kate, Judy Blazer as Molly and Frank Gorshin as Gieber Goldfarb, to mention a few. The "But Not For Me" routine where Mr. Gorshin does several impression is truly wonderful. The vocal quartet singing "Biddin' My Time" are fabulous. The orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri, play with real affection. They sound a bit muffled, as if they were playing in an orchestra pit, which may be an attempt for accuracy. The voices are loud and clear. This was the first complete recording of Girl Crazy made with the cooperation of the Library of Congress. The accompanying booklet is highly informative about the musical, the Gershwins and the orchestrators who expanded George Gershwin's musical ideas for the stage. This is a very special recording that is a great introduction to the musicals of the Gershwins." Embraceable! Douglas E. Tyskiewicz | new york, ny | 11/08/2003 (5 out of 5 stars) "Some people value the "integrated" musical, like "Oklahoma," in which the songs emerge from character and advance the plot. But the disintegrated kind can be a lot more fun. "Girl Crazy" is a wonderfully nonserious musical -- the "plot" is just an excuse for the numbers, a setting for some priceless Gershwin jewels. Unlike today's hit musicals, which yield at most a single semi-memorable tune, "Girl Crazy" is packed with brilliant songs that became standards. The overture alone is enough to cause blindness and insanity. For the kinda guy I'm, "Girl Crazy" is an essential and irreplaceable CD."
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