Why is everyone just sitting there like so much fish?
We have received our first two Kritzerland CD reviews (at least the first I've seen) - from Broadway's Biggest Hits, which is, I believe, a radio show (or was anyway), and a website. I'll do these in tomorrow's notes, but here's a peek at them:
"NEW GUY IN TOWN"
GUY HAINES
Kritzerland (KR 20010-0)
Guy Haines' jazzy and fun "New Guy in Town" is a winner. Many of the 15 tracks are show tunes and he does them well. There are several unique show tunes like "I'm Past My Prime" from "Li'l Abner," the usually female torch song "Love Look Away" from "Flower Drum Song," and a wonderful "Little Red Hat" from "110 in the Shade" that is a duet with Juliana A. Hansen. There's a big rich band that accompanies Haines conducted with relish by Grant Geissman, who also does the orchestrations and arrangements with album producer Bruce Kimmel. This is the second release from Kimmel's new label and, just like "After the Ball," this is a classy album suggesting a bright future for the new company.
Grade: A
"AFTER THE BALL"
Irish Repertory Theatre Cast
Kritzerland (KR 20010-1)
It's nice to have Bruce Kimmel back producing show music albums and the debut show on his new Kritzerland label is the excellent Irish Repertory Theatre cast recording of Noel Coward's 1954 "After the Ball," a witty and clever adaptation of Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan." When the show opened, the signed star, Mary Ellis, once a musical theater legend, had lost most of her voice and the show was altered during tryouts eliminating much of Coward's excellent score for the role. For this version, Barry Day edited a new version from the original with some extrapolations. The show's music is lovely, some of Coward's best, and the lyrics include Coward's renowned wit and sparkle. The production's cast is excellent. Even though the production wasn't a fully staged one because the show's size would have made it cost prohibitive, this recording gives us a wonderful record of what Coward intended with this show and it's a delightful listen. As expected, Kimmel produces a classy recording with a well-illustrated and informative booklet that explains the show well. It's nice to have Kimmel back with such a nice recording and we know he will capture many interesting shows that would otherwise be overlooked for recordings.
Grade: A
