Posted by Ben @ 07/21/2003 07:57 AM PST

I listen to plenty of my old LPs: OBCs - Maggie Flynn, Oh, Coward!, Candide ('74), A Family Affair, Baker Street..... STs: Finian's Rainbow, 1776, A Little Night Music, The Stunt Man, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well...(not commercially transferred, but I have two lovely CDs burned by a lovely friend -- thanks again, td!)..... Comedy LPs: Nichols and May, Allan Sherman, Smothers Brothers (the CD "Best OF" compilations don't count for much in my book; I want ALL of the original recordings transferred). My favorite folk stuff, though, is finally making it to CD, thank Zeus.

Posted by Drumm @ 07/21/2003 08:02 AM PST

Ben: New Chad Mitchell Trio & New Christy Minstrels full album transfers NOW AVAILABLE!! Check w/ Amazon and/or Collector's Choice Music.

Posted by Drumm @ 07/21/2003 08:04 AM PST

Thanks, Drumm. I will check it out.

Posted by Ben @ 07/21/2003 08:07 AM PST

I believe I may have a Barry Manilow LP somewhere, although I haven't had a way to play it for many years now.

Posted by Laura @ 07/21/2003 08:08 AM PST

The London Company with Kert's tracks was issued on CD from Sony West End - still findable at places like Footlight.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 08:10 AM PST

I'm with Drumm on a lot of things, including the OBC to "Candide" (74), the OST to "1776" and "The Stunt Man" (great Frontiere score).

Also (Spoken Word) "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" narrated by Richard Harris (still gives me a thrill); the OSTs to "The Swan", "Mutiny on the Bounty," "Call Me Madam" (Fox MAY release this on DVD late this year), "Monsignor," and many, many more.

Some CD issues aren't up to the quality of the LPs: "Exodus" and "Oliver!" seem to have damaged masters...the LPs are vibrant and sonorous. The CDs are atrocious.

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 07/21/2003 08:31 AM PST

There are still LPs I listen to on a regular basis that have never come out on CD. Foremost among these are some Al Carmines musicals (PEACE, JOAN, etc.) plus old cabaret revues produced by Julius Monk and others which may no longer be topical but are still funny and have great casts. One of them, JUST FOR OPENERS has a cast of six unknowns; the men remained unknown, but the women were Madeline Kahn, Lily Tomlin and Betty Aberlin (Lady Aberlin from Mister Rogers Neighborhood). Madeline and Betty do a spoof in 1965 of something that at that point seemed like something that would never happen... a service you call for phone sex. It's called "Dial A Deviate". I had a chance to meet Ms. Aberlin (who I had also seen in the Chicago Company of "The Mad Show") at a PBS function. I went up to her and said "Good Afternoon, Dial A Deviate" and she broke up. In all her appearances with the kid's show I was the first person who knew her other work.

Most of the other LPs I have are of RCA shows since they are most reluctant to reissue shows on CD: MAKE A WISH, SEVENTEEN, HAZEL FLAGG, TWO'S COMPANY, et. al. Also other labels unreleased shows like CRY FOR US ALL... wait a minute. Three of the five shows I just mentioned featured Helen Gallagher. Is this a conspiracy?

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/21/2003 08:42 AM PST

Oooh... "Juggernaut" - I remember seeing it a few times when I was growing up - I think it was another drive-in movie. Of course, it was a "grown up" movie, and I was probably only six or seven years old, so I don't really remember anything about it, but I do remember thinking it was a ship disaster movie too. -And I just loved the title, the word "juggernaut". It sounded so "tough and mean".

As for the London Cast Recording of Company, I've read in more than one source that they did just dub Kert's voice over the OCR's tracks - since the cast was the same. *Now, did the whole original cast cross the pond? Or were there some exceptions?

As for LPs - I still have a crate full of some OCRs which I keep mainly for the covers, and the nice, big lyric sheets - Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along (love the cut-out cover), Sweeney Todd, Working (the limited edition LP reissue), etc... However, I don't have a record player anymore, so... I also have all the Billy Joel Albums up to and including "An Innocent Man" on vinyl - and, I got most of the through the Columbia House Record Club too!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 07/21/2003 08:43 AM PST

I still have my record player, and I still use it. It's going to need replacing soon, though. Recently I acquired the 1981 London Production of "The Sound of Music" with Petula Clark, it's very different from anything I've ever heard before, totally tailored for Ms. Clark of course. Another LP that I listen to is "My Fair Lady" with Christine Andreas which DEFINATELY needs a CD transfer ASAP, she's really good in this part. I've been experimenting by playing the LP's through my receiver and then into my mini-disk player and then ultimately into my computer to make a CD, the process takes time, though. Also, somewhere I have the London production of "Hello, Dolly" with Mary Martin, although, with the newest "Hello Dolly" re-issue, they included two tracks from the LP, which were my favorite, so there's really no reason to listen to the LP anymore! That was long and rambling, sorry!

Posted by Matthew @ 07/21/2003 09:41 AM PST

I have a bunch of things on vinyl - none of them cast recordings - that I haven't listened to for years, since I have no turntable.

I do, however, have the London cast recording of PROMISES, PROMISES on CD.

One of the first vinyl LPs that I ever bought was a Barry Manilow album. In fact, the first two albums I ever owned were the debut album by KISS and the live album by Barry Manilow. I guess that shows how diverse my listening tastes have always been...

First dress rehearsal for PLAID is tonight! I'll bring a camera, and maybe I'll find a way to post some photos sometime...

We open on Thursday, and we are in pretty good shape. Opening night is sold out, as is most of the first weekend.

Watched a couple of movies over the weekend: "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" is required viewing for fans of the genre, especially musicians.
"Adaptation" was a bit of a disappointment. Interesting, intriguing, some fine performances, but ultimately not particularly satisfying.

Posted by Dave @ 07/21/2003 09:48 AM PST

I have the original London cast recording of "1776" and had it put on CD. I also made my own CD of the laserdisc soundtrack to "1776." And I have Bette Davis' "Two's Company," but I have no idea what condition it's in. I've never played it. Those are just a few of what I have that probably won't ever be on CD.

Posted by George @ 07/21/2003 09:50 AM PST

Maynard Ferguson - Live at Jimmy's (2 LP set)

~one of my favorite jazz sets, not available on CD (not even in Japan, where everything is available on CD!!)

Kenny Rankin - Silver Morning

~classic jazz vocals. Surprising that the rest of his albums from the mid 70-80's have been reissued but not this one as almost half of the cuts from his Greatest Hits CD come from it. KR has reacquired his Little David catalog, and has promised a remastered version, but.....

Posted by Phil @ 07/21/2003 09:57 AM PST

Jose: Re: London OCR of Company... They did dub Larry Kert over Dean Jones' tracks, with the exception of "Barcelona," which was re-recorded (vocally, at least) with Susan Browning.

Most of the original cast did open in London, with the exceptions of Charles Kimbrough (Kenneth Kimmins); can't remember if Merle Louise & Charles Braswell also made the jumpo.

Posted by Drumm @ 07/21/2003 10:11 AM PST

Other LPs I love not on CD -
Malcolm Arnold's marvelous
Welcome to the Queen on
RCA, Robert Prince's Ballet
USA, Betty Hutton Saints and
Sinners, the London cast of I
Do! I Do!, a bunch of jazz
covers of shows, a bunch of
wonderful sixties movie theme
albums, and, of course, the
cast albums of Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf and Luv.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 10:15 AM PST

Oh, yes! I remember hearing WAOVW on record with Arthur Hill and Uta Hagen. What an amazing recording. I remember that and The Boys in the Band. I had both those albums but at some point they got lost.

Posted by Ben @ 07/21/2003 10:21 AM PST

Please send good vibes to DR Sandra, who has to give her speech in class today.

Posted by Laura @ 07/21/2003 11:01 AM PST

Welcome back, Jason! When do you have to return to Pennsylvania?

I apologize for being errant and truant from last night's chat. It has been too darn hot (a Cole Porter referrence) for me. One of the nice things about summers in the Puget Sound area is that you usually have some days of rain to keep things green, and you usually have a nice breeze, even when it is hot. Unfortunately, this summer has been very dry and very warm with not much wind to speak of. Fire danger is extreme already, and that usually doesn't happen until late August. Be careful of fire up there in Leavenworth, Jed. By the way, Jed, who is the good-looking guy in the online publicity photo for Annie Get Your Gun?

As for LPs, I think I keep a lot of them, just for the sentiment attached, rather than the high quality of the sound or the unavailability on CD. However, I do have the original cast recording of On the Flip Side with Rick Nelson and Miss Joanie Sommers, which is probably the only copy ever sold of that TV movie. Also, a rock album from my high school days, that to me defines high school, by a group called Fever Tree. I also have some spoken word LPs that I doubt will ever be put on CD.

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 11:05 AM PST

No, TCB, I bought On the Flip
Side when it came out. I also
saw On the Flip Side on ABC
Stage 67, and the best of all, I
was given a tape of it
(excellent quality) by Miss
Joanie Sommers herself,
which I've put onto DVD. It was
issued on CD in Japan, and I
have that, too. I am loaded
with On the Flip Side, baby,
and it is cool, man, cool.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 11:13 AM PST

Ah yes, BK, I should have known that you would remember On the Flip Side. I too watched On the Flip Side when it was first broadcast. I loved it, and I loved her. She was so wonderful in that show, and so was Mr. Nelson. I would love to hear her behind-the-scenes stories about him.

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 11:27 AM PST

Say, where in tarnation IS
everyone? Where, for
example, is Lulu with her list of
LPs, or WEL, or WFO, or SWW,
or any of the other various and
sundried errant and truant? I
need posts to read, man, so
let's get crackin'.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 11:43 AM PST

BK - Go look at the 10th post today for my list.

I'm wondering if other DRs keep an LP after replacing it with a CD or if they toss them. When I started getting CDs I kept the LPs, but I only have so much room so eventually I went through all the LPs and got rid of duplicates. Now when I get a CD I still have on LP, out goes the LP. It will make things a lot easier if I ever move.

Speaking of TWO'S COMPANY, I assume that as soon as the CD reaches 50 years of availability in England it will be out on an import like NEW FACES OF 1952, the Dinah Shore CALL ME MADAME and a few others recently issued. Meanwhile, in mid-September DRG is releasing BETTE DAVIS SINGS on CD. I have the LP, and it is really an album you have to hear to believe.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/21/2003 11:58 AM PST

Well, WEL, blow me over with
a toothpick - I get confused
with all these initials. Also,
WEL and others - if you wrote
an amazon review of
Kritzerland and it hasn't shown
up, please write them and if
necessary resubmit.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 12:07 PM PST

Maybe the reason you got confused is that I always use my full name but generally get referred to by my initials.

According to Ken Mandelbaum the next Broadway musical on ABC will be ONCE UPON A MATTRESS with Carol Burnett... except that this time Carol will be playing Queen Agravain to Marissa Jaret Winokur's Winifred. He did not mention any other casting, but I suppose Victor Garber will play the king.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/21/2003 12:16 PM PST

DR Drumm: I just left the Collectors Choice music site. Oh, wow! They have 6 of my Chad Mitchell albums including two of the John Denver releases! I am so happy. With the other two or three that are already out (Mighty Day on Campus and a couple of others) I might actually be able to get them all on CD. Yowza.

Posted by Ben @ 07/21/2003 12:23 PM PST

Speaking of OUAM, does anyone know if there is a video or DVD available of the TV production of the show that Carol did? I would love to see that again.

And speaking of speaking of OUAM, I just came across the autographed program I got from the touring company of the show back in the 50s. It is signed by Imogene Coca, King Donovan, and Edward Everett Horton. Imogene was a b---h, King was very nice, and Edward had me sit on his lap (hmmmm).

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 12:28 PM PST

WEL, you're probably on to something with that suggestion of Victor Garber as the king. Then again, given Disney's penchant for multi-racial casting in their musicals, maybe they are thinking more along the lines of Martin Lawrence as the king? Of course, Paolo Montalban could still play Dauntless. Maybe Jane Krakowski would get a chance to reprise her role as Lady Larken?

Posted by Dave @ 07/21/2003 12:31 PM PST

2 cast albums of shows I saw as a kid I'd love to see on CD: Young Abe Lincoln and Man in the Moon. I transcribed 2 songs from the latter for my Bock & Harnick revue 2 months ago: Itch To Be Rich and Worlds Apart (which I arranged in counterpoint against the most romantic cut song from Fiddler on the Roof, How Much Richer Could One Man Be?)

Posted by Noel @ 07/21/2003 01:05 PM PST

Okay this is the Skinny on the Larry Kert Company.

He did track in his voice with the exception of Barcelona which was recording anew with Susan Browning. If you listen carefully to the tracks Larry Kert overdubbed you can still hear Mr. Dean Jones.

The first cast to perform in London 1/18/72 were:

Robert - Larry Kert*#
Sarah - Marti Stevens#
Harry - Kenneth Kimmins*#
Susan - Joy Franz
Peter - J. T. Cromwell
Jenny - Teri Ralston*
David - Lee Goodman*#
Amy - Beth Howland*
Paul - Steve Elmore*
Joanne - Elaine Stritch*
Larry - Robert Goss#
Marta - Annie McGreevey*#
Kathy - Donna McKechnie*
April - Carol Richards*# [replaced by Julia McKenzie on 3/6/72]

#1971 National Company
*# Broadway Replacement

Second Cast [4/10/72]
Robert - Larry Kert
Sarah - Marti Stevens
Harry - Robert Colman
Susan - Connie Booth
Peter - Phillip Hinton
Jenny - Barbara Tracey
David - Paul Tracey
Amy - Dilys Watling
Paul - Richard Owens
Joanne - Elaine Stritch
Larry - Eric Flynn
Marta - Julia Sutton
Kathy - Antonia Ellis
April - Julia McKenzie

Posted by Mochael Shayne @ 07/21/2003 01:22 PM PST

There were actually two touring companies of OUAM in the 1960-61 season. The one mentioned above was the bus-and-truck and two friends of mine were in the chorus. The other was the "major city" tour with Dody Goodman and Buster Keaton.

I have never seen either of the televised versions on VHS or DVD, but I remember watching them. I think that in addition to Carol Burnett, both of them also had Jane White and Jack Gilford (and possibly Joe Bova) from the original. Elliott Gould was The Jester in one of them. I had forgotten until I real Mandelbaum today, but Bernadette was Lady Larkin in the second one.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/21/2003 01:24 PM PST

I have no record player, but it's
very possible that a couple
records of mine are still
around my mother's house
somewhere.

TCB, we are always very
aware of summer fires around
here. I'll never forget two years
ago when we had a fire that
came about 3 miles out of
town and the fire camp was
established at one of our
theater sites. The Forest
Service informed our producer
one morning that we would not
be able to hold our
performance of Fiddler that
evening, but rather than refund
our sold-out 525 tickets, he
called up a few of us cast
members and we moved our
entire set to our other site.
This included our infamous
Tevye's house, which was the
least practical set piece ever
constructed. Our director for
the show decided to try out his
set design abilities, and
proceeded to build a little
hell-for-stout shack out of too
heavy wood. It was a hellish
strike and rebuild day. That
director has not designed a
set for us since.

Oh, the fellow in the AGYG pics
is our Frank Butler for the
summer (not pictured with our
Annie, however), a fellow
named Matthew Baldwin. I
understudied him as Tevye,
and again last summer as Dr.
Carrasco in MoLM. Too many
stories about that guy to even
begin!

Posted by Jed @ 07/21/2003 01:28 PM PST

Eileen Rodgers (FIORELLO, TENDERLOIN, Abby Lane's replacement on the OH! CAPTAIN album, etc.). has passed away. Click my name for details.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/21/2003 01:50 PM PST

What a shame. I always loved Eileen's cast recording of ANYTHING GOES with Hal Linden.

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 02:17 PM PST

I have an enormous collection of LPs, consisting primarily of opera, a good dose of classical, a fair amount of musical theatre, and a smidgen of pop. The cost of replacing these LPs would be enormous, so I invested in a high quality direct-drive turntable a few years ago, and have not purchased CDs of recordings I already have on vinyl. Although this is inconvenient when I want to listen to something I own only on vinyl, say, during a long road trip, I have plenty of CDs from which to make alternative musical selections. I have no doubt that some of what I own on vinyl has yet to make its way to CD.

Could not make the chat last night because I was at the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. The Pageant is a seventy year old Laguna tradition of presenting tableaux vivants of famous and not so famous paintings, sculpture and other objets d'art, accompanied by live orchestra and narration. When I first heard about the pageant many years ago, my reaction was that there couldn't be anything hokier than a bunch of people standing still making like Da Vinci's "The Last Supper." Well, a few years ago somebody dragged me there and I've been hooked since. Yes, I'll admit, there IS a certain degree of corniness to it, but it is all quite amazing and magical. Staffed and presented primarily by volunteers, the Pageant runs for about nine weeks, seven nights a week, and the entire season sells out each year soon after tickets go on sale.

Posted by Jay @ 07/21/2003 02:36 PM PST

Ken Berry was the Jester in the second Burnett MATTRESS. And they even invented a part for Lyle Waggoner in the second version (he was named Sir Studly). I did not like the second one much at all, even though it was taped in color. (The original was done in black and white.)

LPs I still listen to often: ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Day, Goulet), BRIGADOON (Jones, Cassidy), TWO'S COMPANY, BAKER STREET, MAGGIE FLYNN, THE BOY FRIEND (Carne, Duncan), A THURBER CARNIVAL, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC soundtrack, LOOK MA I'M DANCING, TOGETHER WITH MUSIC (this is on CD, I believe, but I've never gotten it).

Posted by Matt H. @ 07/21/2003 02:45 PM PST

Pageant of the Masters is very
entertaining. I went down to
Laguna about three years ago
to see it because our very own
Lisa Richard was the featured
singer. It's not as dreary as it
sounds and in fact is quite
moving at times. The music
(can't remember who scored
it) was really excellent, too.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 02:48 PM PST

Speaking of Petula Clark, there are two more OSTs that I still listen to on LP:

Finian's Rainbow

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Neither has been issued on CD (or DVD) and it's a crying shame!

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 07/21/2003 03:00 PM PST

BEN: Good show! Always happy to help out a fellow Folkie... ordered all three CMTs last week for the low, low price of $50.00!
That, combinmed w/the 2 new Christies means I eat PB&J for a week, but oh, it's soooooo worth it. Enjoy!

Posted by Drumm @ 07/21/2003 03:11 PM PST

I still have a few thousand 12" vinyl records - most of which are pop music from the 1960's. Many of my OBC records still get played too - I can't afford to replace them with CD but it is gradually happening. English cast and Australian cast albums are there as well. I still play records such as Tommy Garrett's 50 Guitars go... etc. More significant to my playlist are the 4 or 5 thousand 45 rpm discs many of which still hit the turntable. My "pocket money" is from transferring many of the 50's and 60's songs to CD for people who would like their own compilations of songs from the childhood. Many songs are unavailable or are out there if you wish to pay a premium price for a collection that has ONE track that you want.
Of the "pop" albums I would like to replace, "Melanie's "Candles In The Rain" is high on my list but it out of print these days. My poor old vinyl copy is far too worn to copy. The Anthony Newley albums are probably my most played of the old albums. Of Boxed sets, "Songs Of New York" (Book Of The Month) would have to be a favourite as is, of course, the Sondheim set from the same company.
Must agree with Ben re "Cowardy Custard" which is a long time favourite. I was lucky enough to see the London Show but Julia McKenzie had replaced Patricia Routledge at that stage.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 07/21/2003 03:18 PM PST

Sorry for being E&T, BK. Been busy busy busy.

Just a few of the many LPs we have, none of which (to my knowledge) are available on CD:

Dick Contino and his Accordion
Dick Contino Polka Time
Bagels and Bongos: Irving Fields Trio
Organ Fantasy
The Living Word as quoted by Susie
Fill My Cup, Lord: Sean Rothwell
How to Keep Your Husband Happy (Look Slim! Keep Trim! Exercise Along with Debbie Drake!)
All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth & Festive Favorites for Children played and sung merrily by Santa's Helpers
Appointment With Success (The Science of Achievement) by Bjorn Secher
Dla Doroslych Polish Adults Hit Parade: Nowe Piosenki Ludowe (this record can be played on a stereo phonograph)
Musitalische Trumpfe (mit Martl Felbinger, Gesang: Annymarie Ramfauer und Otto Letsch)

Posted by Lulu @ 07/21/2003 04:24 PM PST

PS: How did Sandra's speech go?

Posted by Lulu @ 07/21/2003 04:28 PM PST

If they absolutely must have Victor Garber in the cast (and tradition being what it is, yes, they must), I'd hope Zadan & Co. would have the sense to cast him not as the King, but as the Jester. I can see him doing very well by "Very Soft Shoes."

Casting Winoker, on the other hand, sounds like a very good idea to me. She's made her name on Broadway, but she's a total unknown everywhere else...so far! The role of Princess Fred is a perfect fit for this non-traditional young woman, and pairing her with Burnett (who has certainly aged into Agravain quite nicely) strikes me as very good casting.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 07/21/2003 04:42 PM PST

Jason, sounds as if you will be making some interesting posts soon. I will have to read them when I return.
I'm off to L.A. to visit my Dad in the hospital.

Posted by Jane @ 07/21/2003 05:03 PM PST

A big OZ thank you to a DR for his posting of "Love". Such thoughtful people there are at HHW.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 07/21/2003 05:12 PM PST

Question for all Hainsie/Kimlets:

THE BATTLE OF THE ELEGIES

I got a gift certificate from amazon.ca for $5 off my next purchase. Yea!

I've been trying to decide betwen purchasing ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS and ELEGIES: THE SONGS OF WILLIAM FINN.

I only want to buy one cd and simply can't decide. Have any of you heard either album (or preferably both) and can recommend one?

Thanks in advance! :)

Posted by Emily @ 07/21/2003 06:04 PM PST

oops... that ELEGIES: THE SONGS OF WILLIAM FINN should actually read INFINITE JOY: TSOWF

why on earth did I think both titles have "elegies" in the title?

silly moi ;)

Posted by Emily @ 07/21/2003 06:06 PM PST

Damn it!

I know I made a mistake. It's actually ELEGIES: A SONG CYCLE I want.

Good lord.

Next time I'll check titles pre-posting :)

Posted by Emily @ 07/21/2003 06:08 PM PST

Vinyl treasures include two Lionel Bart gems: Blitz and Twang. Also: Anya ("The Musical Musical"), with Constance Towers, Lillian Gish, and of course Irra Petina; in my opinion, the lyrics are better than in the reworked Anastasia Affaire. As well, two New Faces - 1956 and 1968 - are worth hearing, if I only had a turntable. Jane, I hope your father's doing okay.

Posted by Dan-in-Toronto @ 07/21/2003 06:12 PM PST

Good evening.

What a wonderful day off this has turned out to be. And it was actually semi-productive too! Got a lot of little things taken care of, and I got a nice walk in earlier.

Unfortunately, I was not able to get any baking done, but it is on my schedule for next weekend, so... Maybe I'll have to come up with my own trivia contest to see who will get them. ;-)

And two food-related things:
-Who knew making a hamburger could cause so much smoke? But it was a real good burger after all was said and done.
-Aren't frozen blueberries yummy?!?!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 07/21/2003 06:51 PM PST

"Patchwork" by Bobbie Gentry should be released on CD (with extras even)

There are still many LP's I listen to (or put on tapes) because the compilation CD's often leave off some of my favorite songs (like the flip side of a 45).

I'll think of more later.

Posted by Kerry @ 07/21/2003 07:08 PM PST

THREEPENNY OPERA - N. Y. Shakespeare Festival cast.
FINIAN'S RAINBOW (OST) which is coming from Rhino Handmade this year.
JENNIFER WARNES' 1st two US albums.
JANIS IAN's middle albums (from Night Rains on).
GOODBYE MR. CHIPS was released on cd in Britain, coupled with THE BOYFRIEND.
Speaking of which, the revival cast with Sandy Duncan and Judy Carne.
HALF A SIXPENCE (OST)
Julie and Carol at Lincoln Center
soooo many more!

Posted by td @ 07/21/2003 07:11 PM PST

I had a couple of thousand LPs at one time. I had many rare out of print cast albums but when cds came in their value dropped. They are still in my parents basement in Montreal. I have never moved them down here. I am sure there are some I'd listen to if I had an LP player.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 07/21/2003 07:23 PM PST

Jose: I LOVE FROZEN
BLUEBERRIES!!!!!!
Sorry for that irrational exuberance,
but they are so yummy, liike candy,
but not. I must eat some soon.
Since we still have a working record
player, favorite LP's include:
Threepenny, NYSF recording
Sunday in the Park with George
Chcago (original)
Zorba (Tony Quinn)
Drood
The Fantasticks
Jacques Brel... (Both Original and
Cleveland casts. I actually prefer the
Cleveland)
The Pajama Game
My Fair Lady
Fiddler
Finian's Rainbow
1776
Irma La Douce (Yay!)
On the Town
Several Monty Pythons
And a whole lot more!

I got another record player when a
neighbor moved away, so I will get
to take them to college!
Alright, I am using way to many
exclamations. I sound *shudder*
perky. I need to go to sleep.

Posted by Hapgood @ 07/21/2003 08:00 PM PST

Oooooh, glad you mentioned NEW FACES OF 1968. I enjoy it so much. Hard to believe it was not a success because the LP sounds like so much fun.

Also have those three CUT! LPs with outtakes and rehearsals from movie musicals.

Posted by Matt H. @ 07/21/2003 08:36 PM PST

How sad to hear about Eileen Rodgers. She had a great voice and should have become a bigger star I think.

Re: Once Upon a Mattress. I am so excited about a TV version of this...I was Aggravain in a production in high school. I agree that Marissa Jaret Winokur would be an excellent choice for Fred...she's funny and has the vocal chops. Since, as was pointed out, Victor Garber has to be in every Meron and Zadan musical, I think he would be good as either the king or the jester. I actually think Matthew Broderick would be a good Dauntless, and how awesome would it be to see Carol Burnett playing Aggravain! And some lovely silver-voiced ingenue like Laura Benanti as Lady Larkin, I guess.

For my high school graduation present, my mom gave me this amazing vintage-looking combo record/CD/tape pleasure, so I listen to my LPs a lot, though maybe not as often as CDs. I have a lot of great rare cast recordings though I imagine most of them have been put on CD by now. I have Here's Love, House of Flowers, Walking Happy, Hallelujah Baby, What Makes Sammy Run?, Me and Juliet, 110 in the Shade, Happy Hunting, Wildcat, Wonderful Town, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Golden Boy, Mack and Mabel, Irma La Douce, the Apple Tree and Little Mary Sunshine. Plus I have Barbara Cook at Carnegie Hall and this great Vivian Blane cabaret recording and an album of Bea Lillie songs and one of Noel and Gertie doing songs from Tonight at 8:30 among other songs. And for non-theatre records, my favorites are Eva Le Gallienne and Louis Jourdan reading selections from Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal and John Barrymore reading from Shakespeare plays including Hamlet and Richard III.

BK--I succeeded in convincing my mom to read Benjamin Kritzer! At first she was reluctant to read it because she hates reading books that people suggest to her, but I prevailed and when I came home from work today, she greeted me with "What is it, fish?" She told me she loved it, and plans to read Kritzerland too.

One more thing..welcome back to Jason!!

Posted by Maya @ 07/21/2003 08:47 PM PST

Maya, please give mumsie a big kiss for me. She'll get another one when she finishes Kritzerland. Just got a sweet e-mail from our very own Melissa Errico who is here in town shooting a series. She'll be doing two nights at Feinstein's at the Cinegrill, and she'd love all us West Coast Hainsies/Kimlets to attend. I'll have complete details tomorrow.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 08:54 PM PST

Thanks Dan. My ninety year old father is slowly improving and I expect to be home in a couple of days.

Posted by Jane @ 07/21/2003 08:58 PM PST

DR Lulu - I don't know about the rest of your LPs, but Organ Fantasy does sound like a keeper.

Sorry, I shouldn’t have taken the low road. Where is Francois when needed?

Speaking of treasured LPs, I used to have the complete film version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf on LP. I spent a major fortune, at the time, but I just had to have Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor doing Albee. I treasured that record album. Then one day, this evil young girl in the Drama Department at college convinced me to let her borrow it for just one weekend. Well, the last day of the school year, I had to show up at her dorm and demand the return of my LP. The problem turned out to be that she had fallen asleep listening to George and Martha and the vinyl had ended up permanently warped. I never forgave that girl. In fact, that might have single-handedly changed my sexuality forever.

No, that wasn’t it.

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 09:33 PM PST

Jane, I hope you will call when you're here.

Posted by bk @ 07/21/2003 10:34 PM PST

Hey, td,

How could you forget . . .

THE LITTLE PRINCE!!!

The LP's okay, but that score cries out for a new CD release, with all the underscoring, the recorded-but-cut song "Matters of Consequence," and the demo recordings by Alan & Fritz themselves.

I also sometimes listen to my "The All New Mickey Mouse Club" original TV cast LP, featuring a pre-"Facts of Life" Lisa Whelchel. I'm beyond help.

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 07/21/2003 10:39 PM PST

WARNING: This post is LONG!

Thanks for all the 'Welcome Backs!!' Its so good to be home.

For Jane, and for the general edification of the rest of you Dear Readers, I will relay a summer-stock story for you. This should give you some indication of the level of professionalism I was working with and will probably make you pay more attention to what the actors are actually doing to each other onstage next time you see a show. Here goes:

Picture it: New Hope, PA, July, 2003. Its the closing performance of TITANIC at Bucks County Playhouse, which we've been performing while rehearsing THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL. We're all exhausted, and after three weeks, some of the "actors" are getting bored with the show. In order to "perk it up" a bit, a young lady (who, by the way, holds a Masters Degree in Opera Performance and should know better) thinks that it would be a good idea to play "pass the condom" onstage during the second act to see how many people she could get to break character (meaning, how many could she get to laugh onstage at inappropriate times). So, taking one of the condoms off of a microphone pack (the condoms keep the sweat off the mics so they don't short out), she began her antics with little or no regard for the actors who were actually trying to focus on their performance. During the Act Two opening number, "Dressed In Your Pyjamas in the Grand Salon," as I was working my butt off to ensure that all the first class passengers are in their lifebelts, I noticed a great deal of giggling going on. I was quite confused, because the scene had shifted from the funny bits to "uh-oh...we're sinking" and there was no reason for anyone to be giggling at that point. Once offstage, I asked what was going on.

"We're playing pass the condom! There are two of them floating around somewhere. Maybe you'll get one in your next scene!"

"If a condom even comes near me, so help me God, you will rue the day you screwed up my last performance," I said with much sincerity.

Wouldn't you know it? While in the middle of my next scene, in the middle of herding people to the lifeboats, Ms. Master of Music in Opera stuffs a wad of rubber in my hand. By that point, my anger could not be controlled and I involuntarily gave her a hearty shove in the sternum, keeping in character all the while, and carried the stretched out condom to the Assistant Artistic Director.

"THIS is what is being passed around onstage right now. What do you intend to do about it?"
I threw the profalactic in the garbage can and walked away.

I thought the condom incident had been taken care of by the time we got to the end of the show--that they had all been gathered up and disposed of. Unfortunately, I was proven wrong when I found two of them on the stage floor during the curtain call.

Now, I'm all for having fun and I'm all for changing things up a bit to keep things fresh. What I have a huge problem with is the total lack of respect that was shown by people who call themselves actors toward their co-workers. Not only toward their co-workers, but also the disrespect they displayed for the people we were supposed to be up there portraying--real people who suffered through that terrible tragedy, most of whom lost their lives.

There is a time and place for tomfoolery. That was not it.

And that's my first tale from Bucks County.

Posted by Jason @ 07/21/2003 10:43 PM PST

Yes please. "The Little Prince" deserved so much more.
I fell in love with "Amour" with just one play. That and "A Man Of No Importance" are IMHO the most worthy musicals of the last year or so. They make you feel for the characters.
I watched "Sunday ITPW George" last night. I needed to be reminded of how good Mandy & Bernadette can be! The ends of both acts are wonderfully moving pieces of theatre.

I agree Jason. Fun in its place; and the audience deserve more respect. Where would the actors be without the audience?

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 07/21/2003 10:59 PM PST

I know what you mean, Jason. I don't understand the stupidity of closing night pranks.

Posted by TCB @ 07/21/2003 11:00 PM PST

Tom: I totally agree with you...we wouldn't have jobs if people didn't pay their hard-earned money to come see us do what we do.

TCB: Unfortunately, this was not her first prank. Oh, no...she'd been pulling stunts for a week or two already at that point, but I'll save that story for another day.

Posted by Jason @ 07/21/2003 11:05 PM PST

Dear Reader Jason: I have to say that as a ticket buyer, I would be appalled at that kind of behavior on stage at a show.

Posted by Laura @ 07/22/2003 12:08 AM PST

Hmmm.. Pranks on stage... I seem to remember the "hide the Oreos" game during LES MIZ... and I've seen "pass the hanky" at RENT... BUT no one broke - or at least I didn't notice anyone.

Ah, well...

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 07/22/2003 12:54 AM PST

TD: You made me think of another LP I still play, Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall. I really like the Lincoln Center production but I LOVE the Carnegie Hall recording. It is so fresh and funny (even now around 40 years later) and well done. I have to get over to the Museum of Television and Radio and watch the show.

Posted by Ben @ 07/22/2003 04:20 AM PST

Ah, yes, Mr. Holmes! THE LITTLE PRINCE indeed!
And of course that Atlantic Records lp that I struggled so long to keep in playing order, the soundtrack to JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. I think that DR Drumm will agree with me when I say that this soundtrack sounds particularly great on cd!

Posted by td @ 07/22/2003 06:02 AM PST

I had at one time the LP of Syephen Vincent Benet's JOHN BROWN'S BODY. This was a recording of a show that I believe starred Tyrone Power,Judith Anderson,Raymond Massey.Does anyone remember that beautiful recording??I somehow over the years have lost it.

Posted by Arnold M. Brockman @ 07/22/2003 06:03 AM PST

The Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall is (or at least was) released on CD. I have it.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 07/22/2003 06:08 AM PST

AFter I saw the film of VIRGINIA WOOLF, I was so shattered that I couldn't wait to get the soundtrack. When I went into the store and show they were offering the music soundtrack with excerpts from the film, or the entire dialogue of the film, I jumped at the latter, and I still have it. Until the advent of DVDs, I played it a lot as it's always been one of my favorite plays. At one point I could recite the lines along with every single character.

JULIE AND CAROL AT CARNEGIE HALL was at one point issued on CD, and I snapped that up, too, as my stereo LP was badly worn from being played so much. Yep, make a point to go to the Museum of TV and Radio to see it; it's a wonderful show. The two programs I first watched there were Julie's CINDERELLA and J&C AT CH.

Posted by Matt H. @ 07/22/2003 06:12 AM PST

I'm with you, Jason. It seems to be a closing night tradition in community theatre that pranks will take place, but it is surprising to hear of it happening in a "professional" theatre. There is no way to stop it (an R&H reference), but we stress that if a prank is going to take place, the audience should not be aware of it. After all, the audience at the closing performance paid the same amount for their tickets as those who came to the opening night, and all deserve a performance of equal calibre.

Want another example? (and this is one that you will be able to relate to, having just performed in SCARLET PIMPERNEL) On our closing night of PIMPERNEL, one of our merry pranksters decided it would be very funny to place an oversized dildo in the basket in front of the guillotine. Thus, when the Marquis de St. Cyr has his head placed in the yoke, he looks down and sees Mr. Johnson looking up at him. Worse, when the blade falls...well, needless to say there were a lot of "head" jokes that evening.

The thing about that prank is, nobody but the executioner and the Marquis were aware of what was going on, until after the show. Nobody broke character, so the scene could proceed without anyone being the wiser.

The "pass the condom" routine is simply childish. Even at the community theatre level, the woman who initiated such a prank would have a hard time getting cast in any of our future productions. It boggles the mind that she felt this was appropriate at a "professional" theatre.

In other news, we had our first dress rehearsal for FOREVER PLAID last night, and it went quite well. All of us Plaids are quite pleased. We have some tightening up to do in a few spots, but it's all stuff we can fix by Thursday. We had invited several people to come and watch, and they responded quite well to the show.

There were cameras flashing throughout the night, so there should be some good pictures to share soon.

One funny story to share...

At the point in the show when Frankie tells the audience that we had saved up our money for these really boss plaid tuxedos, etc. he pulls out a catalogue from a tuxedo rental company, and shows the audience a picture of a guy in a plaid tux. Well, we used an actual catalogue, but inserted a photo of one of our crew members wearing my tux. This particular crew member has a moustache. So when Frankie says, "...so if you squint real hard and think plaid, we could all look like this", I replied, in my most earnest voice, "With moustaches?"

Well, in the back of my mind I was thinking, "I shouldn't have ad libbed like that." At the end of the evening, as the director was giving us notes, he turned to me and said, "And that part about the moustaches..." I thought, 'okay, here it comes...' He said, "You've got to keep that in. That's hilarious." The whole cast started laughing as they wholeheartedly agreed. That was a relief. ;-)

Posted by Dave @ 07/22/2003 06:48 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:53 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:54 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:54 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:55 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:56 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:58 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 08:59 AM PST

Jason, you've been found. I don't knnow what site this is, but I was doing a "review" search for Titanic and I found your little diatribe about the heading-for-some-kind-of-breakdown M.M. lady.
I wholeheartedly agree, as you know, but in regard to being surprised - as others on this board have said - no, I am not. I've been making my living as an actor and singer for 11 years, and there hasn't been one entire run of any show I've done that's gone by without some small thing being done. There is no magic ceiling where all pranks stop. They do go on, at every - EVERY level. The difference is sophistication and subtlety. The difference is also competent stage management that will step on things like that whole "condom day" and keep them from getting out of hand. These kinds of things are why there are fine systems in place in both Equity and non-Equity houses; Unfortunately Bucks relies on the professional discretion of its performers and then hires inexperienced people like ...you know... and ...yeah... who make their own rules and aren't corrected.

Still, we've done a couple of good shows there, eh? Let's do them again, what say you, next week through the end of the month in the Poconos?

Posted by Don @ 08/05/2003 09:01 AM PST