Broadway in a Box CD Review: Anything Goes 1987 Cast Recording

Broadway in a Box CD Review:

Anything Goes (1987)

At Christmas a few years ago, Jeff gave me a copy of Broadway in a Box: The Essential Broadway Musicals Collection. He has now given me the opportunity to use his blog to share my impressions of each of the 25 cast recordings contained in the set, in alphabetical order.

This week’s entry is about the 1987 Broadway Revival Cast Recording of Anything Goes.

I should admit at the outset that this show is not among my favorites, either in terms of music or story. While I did not see the production recorded on this CD - which Jeff assures me I would have enjoyed - I was completely underwhelmed by the more recent Tony-winning revival. Since many other people loved that one, I can only conclude that the show is just not my cup of tea.

Nonetheless, this CD had a number of truly enjoyable moments for me - in particular the exciting orchestral preludes and dance breaks spread liberally throughout the score. Even without the benefit of the visual spectacle that I’m sure accompanied them on stage, the music came across as vivid and exciting on the recording.

Likewise, most of the performances were excellent, particularly the venerable voice of Howard McGillin as Billy Crocker, as well as his frequent singing partner Kathleen Mahoney-Bennett as Hope Harcourt. They sounded great together in songs like “It’s De-Lovely” and “All Through The Night,” adding a dose of much-needed sweetness among all of the silliness of this show.

I’ve been a huge fan of Patti LuPone since I first listened to my library copy of Evita when I was 15 years old. I loved her delicious performance in the underrated Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and in numerous other recordings, films, and TV shows; I even prefer her London recording of Sunset Boulevard. That being said - specifically in terms of listening to a recording of these songs - I don’t think she is a great fit for this material. Her sudden dynamic shifts and exaggerated vowels work for most of the characters she’s played, but they’re exactly what you don’t need for songs which frequently feature rapid-fire wordplay. At best, it’s a distraction from the material; at worst, as in “Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” she renders the lyrics indecipherable. Of course, I am certain that she was thrilling on stage, and I can’t wait to see her in Company.

Next up is the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Cabaret.

Thanks, Mike! Looking forward to next week already. Jeff 

#2596

At This Theater: The Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center

Tucked away in the back corner of the Lincoln Center campus, the Vivian Beaumont Theater is easily recognizable with its large plate glass windows and trademark neon logo-signs. Opened in 1965 and named for philanthropist Vivian Beaumont Allen, the theater has been home to a wide variety of plays and musicals. Revivals of Shakespeare, Moliere, Williams and Ibsen were the main attractions until 1972, when The Threepenny Opera became its first musical occupant. Since then, modern plays, major musical revivals, and original new musicals have taken their place alongside the classics.

At This Theater:

The Vivian Beaumont

Provided the director and designers truly understand how to take full advantage of the enormous thrust stage, there really isn't a bad seat in the house. Between the view and the relatively spacious seating with decent leg room, we really love going uptown to the Viv.

The Shows We've Seen There:  Anything Goes, Contact, South Pacific, War Horse, The King and I, My Fair Lady

How They Rate:

6. Contact  (2000) Although it really pushed the limits of what could be considered a "musical," and it raised more than a few eyebrows when it won the Tony Award for Best Musical, I really enjoyed this performance. I love watching great dancers, and the show was full of them. Add Boyd Gaines  and  Karen Ziemba, and it couldn't be that bad. What ever happened to the Girl in the Yellow Dress?

  

  

5. My Fair Lady  (2018)  I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this show, ever since 11th grade, when I played Pickering. This production was lavish, beautiful to look at, and made relevant once again with Bartlett Sher's smart direction. Not that it was perfect - I found Norbert Leo Butz to be as tedious as the constant moving in and out of that huge library set. Both were interesting the first time they came into view. After that, not so much.

   

   

4.  The King and I (2015) I've seen so many professional productions of this show, you'd think it was my favorite by Rodgers an Hammerstein. It isn't - though "The Small House of Uncle Thomas" may be  the all-time great production number of any show I've seen. This production was a beautiful, sweeping epic, made all the more so because the design and direction took up every inch of the cavernous space (even when the stage was virtually empty). Kelli O'Hara was endearing, a brooding Ken Watanabe was charming, and both Ruthie Ann Miles and Ashley Park were captivating. And yet, the show didn't leave me on a high like the 1996 revival.

   

   

3. War Horse (2011) The sheer magnitude of this production puts this show near the top of my all-time favorite plays. I mean, a sweeping, epic story performed live before my eyes?! But what makes this show so wonderful is the artistry of those amazing puppets, not only in their execution, but the way that the actors interacted with them, and how, as an audience member, they all elicited such emotion from me. It was a privilege to see this.

   

   

2. South Pacific (2008) From the overture (the orchestra reveal...WOW!) to the finale, this gorgeous revival of my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical did not disappoint. Some how, this production managed to be as big as the Pacific and as intimate as a quiet pond.  Paulo Szot, Loretta Ables-Sayre, Danny Burstein and Matthew Morrison were all amazing, each bringing a depth and vibrancy to their roles. This is the role Kelli O'Hara should have won the Tony for. She's never been better, and neither has this show.

   

1. Anything Goes (1987) Let's face it. This title is old, somewhat problematic, and eye-rollingly cliche. Sure, it has a great Cole Porter score with some super opportunities for big dance numbers. (On paper, it is exactly the show that people who hate musicals would point to for proof of their hatred.) And yet, this revival was magnificent.  Patti LuPone was the definitive Reno Sweeney (sorry, Sutton), and Howard McGillin had the audience in full swoon with every impish grin, plot twist, and song. Brilliantly sung and danced, this revival knew what it was working with and made the most of it at every turn.

   

   

#2554

At This Theatre: The Stephen Sondheim

This month's column is really a tale of two theaters, a before and after, if you will. One of my all-time favorite shows played at the "before," and several shows I was underwhelmed by played the "after." The good news is that the complete reconfiguration of this theater offers much better sight lines, comfortable (relatively spacious) seating, and an entrance that is both practical and dramatic. Knowing that I won't get leg cramps and that I will get a great view from the last row of the mezzanine or the front row of the orchestra makes me look forward to returning to the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.

At This Theatre:

The Henry Miller's/The Stephen Sondheim

Shows We Saw There: The Henry Miller's: Urinetown: The Musical; The Stephen Sondheim: Bye Bye Birdie, Anything Goes, Beautiful

How They Rank: I have a feeling that my rankings this month will generate some fun email. But I like what I like.

4. Anything Goes: I loved the 1987 revival of this Cole Porter relic. This revival, not so much. Was it the bland scenery? The bland direction? Well, that had something to do with it. But mostly, it was the uncomfortable miscasting of Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney. (To be fair, the rest of the casting was good.)

3. Beautiful: Here's another show that everyone seemed to adore - it did run forever a long time. Aside from the excellent music, this was a live Behind the Music that showed very little creativity in the staging or the book. I mean, seriously, was Carole King's life really that easy and problem-free?

2. Bye Bye Birdie: Here's a show I enjoyed quite a bit. Colorful and splashy, and a score that I adore, this revival made me feel so happy. And I thought John Stamos and Gina Gershon were terrific together. (I loved them both in Cabaret, albeit separately.) It made a real case for fun, nostalgic revivals.

1. Urinetown: The Musical: This one, as I noted above, I saw when it was the Henry Miller's. It was the perfect venue for this particular show, with its dingy, run down interior a perfect match for this dystopian comedy. Heck, even the roof leaked! And the bathrooms (come on, I had to go considering the show) were dark and dank. Since they gave out free postcards from racks on the walls above the urinals, and there was humorous signage throughout the area, I have to assume this was part of the overall environmental design plan. The show was great, and the theater was really the icing on the cake.

#2534