For this new series, Jeff has invited me to choose some classic Broadway show tunes and compare versions of these songs from several different cast recordings. Wherever possible, I’ll link to the songs on YouTube, where I listen to most of them myself.
This week I consider four recordings of “I Am What I Am” from Jerry Herman’s groundbreaking musical La Cage aux Folles. Sung by Albin just after he learns his partner Georges has signed on to a scheme to hide the couple’s gay identity to appease his son’s bigoted future in-laws, this song provides singer-actors of a certain age the delicious opportunity to execute a tour de force built from fierce emotions, rising from despondence to defiance.
There are apparently only three legitimate cast recordings of La Cage aux Folles: the original Broadway and Australian casts, and the most recent Broadway revival cast. I also found a sketchy-looking studio recording (check out the bizarre photo on the cover!) attributed to “The London Theatre Orchestra & Cast.” Strangely, I was unable to track down any detailed information about this recording, including the name of the singer who performs the part of Albin. Nonetheless I included it in the discussion.
My overall favorite version is marked with two stars (**); one star (*) is used to indicate that a particular version stands out in terms of singing, orchestra, sound, or other miscellaneous qualities.
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ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST (1983) - YouTube
Albin: George Hearn
SINGING: Hearn’s interpretation of this song really does live up to that term “tour de force,” embodying a range of viscerally felt emotions: the chilling, whispered beginning leads to a very vulnerable middle section, culminating in some breathless yell-singing as his Albin stakes his claim to his own identity. It was a tough call not to give this one the star, but in the end I found that Hodge’s more restrained, more musical vocal performance made for a better audio recording. (Having seen Hodge but not Hearn on stage, I make no claim as to whose performance came off better in the theater.)
ORCHESTRA: This version uniquely begins with a soft timpani roll, soon accompanied by gentle woodwinds and harp; the brass joins in as the rhythm becomes more regular, leading to the thrilling tutti at the song’s climax.
SOUND: There’s a fairly good balance between orchestra and vocals, maybe favoring the former a bit too much; the texture is generally clear except for the loud, somewhat muddled finale.
MISCELLANEOUS: As the song requires, the tempo is quite slow at the beginning but then moderate for most of the song.
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ORIGINAL AUSTRALIAN CAST (1985) - YouTube
Albin: Jon Ewing
SINGING: Ewing follows Hearn’s approach fairly closely, so most of the things I said above apply here, too, although Ewing can’t quite match his predecessor’s sense of delicacy and vulnerability.
*ORCHESTRA: Though the basic build-up of the orchestration follows the same pattern in each version, this one seems the fullest of the four. The unaccompanied beginning section soon leads to a very gentle arrangement for winds and piano; later on, the string and brass fills seem more vivid and active than the original. The vibrant harp and tuned percussion instruments lend this version a particular warmth.
SOUND: The sound is fine, with perhaps too much emphasis on the voice over the orchestra, and a rather “flat” stereo sound.
MISCELLANEOUS: This version has a super-slow beginning section, but the second half is probably the fastest of the four.
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LONDON STUDIO CAST (2002) - YouTube
Albin: ?
SINGING: The vocal style here is much more heterogeneous, lacking in personal touches and any real sense of build-up, but it’s actually pretty good as a straightforward delivery of the melody and lyrics.
ORCHESTRA: This track begins with a strange “thunder” effect, and things don’t get much better from there. The music is heavily synthesized, and if there are real instruments (I suspect at least some of the brass is acoustic) it gets lost in the turbid electronic texture.
SOUND: The voice is mostly clear, but the accompaniment is muddled throughout, and the loud finale sounds like a mess.
MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is consistently moderate, lacking the extremes of the other versions.
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**BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (2010) - YouTube
Albin: Douglas Hodge
*SINGING: Hodge’s approach differs from his theatrical predecessors in a couple of ways. His Albin never seems despondent, even at the beginning of the song; rather, his build-up is from a wounded strength to an angry strength. Perhaps relatedly, his performance relies more on vocal technique than actorly touches. I think his pop-tinged style and his higher range work well for this song; he is the only one who options up for the final note. (As I noted, it’s a close call for me between Hodge and Hearn; choosing between them is a matter of the listener’s taste rather than the performer’s talent.)
ORCHESTRA: Pretty similar to the original; it’s a little thinner, but the orchestrations do some nice things with what’s available. In particular, the clarinet is prominent and lovely in the first half of the song, and there are some nice, pointed brass flourishes later on.
*SOUND: The sound is great here, with orchestral details perfectly clear throughout the song, and the vocals have a very warm feel to them.
MISCELLANEOUS: The tempo is again moderate; the beginning isn’t as slow as some of the other versions.
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