totentanz: (Stephen Sondheim)
2011-08-20 04:38 pm

Review: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1982 First National Tour Cast Video)

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
DVD Info: Cast Albums
Buy: Barnes & Noble|Amazon (Reissue)

More information about the show is here. Despite this video being first presented to the public on The Entertainment Channel on September 12, 1982, this was actually recorded in 1981 around July/August.

Cast:

Sweeney Todd - George Hearn
Mrs. Lovett - Angela Lansbury
Tobias - Ken Jennings
Anthony - Cris Groenendaal
Johanna - Betsy Joslyn
Judge Turpin - Edmund Lyndeck
Beggar Woman - Sara Woods
Beadle - Calvin Remsberg
Pirelli - Sal Mistretta


Review )
totentanz: (Stephen Sondheim)
2011-08-05 11:41 pm
Entry tags:

Review: Into The Woods (1987 Broadway Cast Video)

Err...it was actually taped in 1989 but it does contain the 1987 Original Broadway Cast. LOL!

Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
DVD Info: Cast Albums
Buy: Barnes & Noble|Amazon

More information on the show can be found on this synopsis.

Hey! Long time no see everyone! I'm glad to be here in somewhat full form and maybe I'll get rolling on more reviews and stuff along the way in the near future.

Cast:

The Witch: Bernadette Peters
The Baker: Chip Zien
The Baker's Wife: Johanna Gleason
Narrator/Mysterious Man: Tom Aldredge
Red Riding Hood: Danielle Ferland
Wolf/Cinderella's Prince: Robert Westenberg
Rapunzel's Prince: Chuck Wagner
Cinderella: Kim Crosby
Jack: Ben Wright

Wow. That's all I can say about such a brilliant show. I'm glad that it preserved all of the original Broadway cast and the original staging. Seriously, this should be added to everyone's library. Sondheim is love. You can't get more intelligible than what I'm describing here so stick around and read this review.


Now to the review. Yes...Review! )
totentanz: (I Am Jean Valjean)
2011-01-05 11:21 pm
Entry tags:

Review: Les Misérables (1985 Original London Cast Recording)

Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics: Alain Boublil (French lyrics)/Herbert Kretzmer (English adaptation)
Album Info: Cast Albums
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble

Cast:

Jean Valjean: Colm Wilkinson
Javert: Roger Allam
Fantine: Patti LuPone
Cosette: Rebecca Caine
Marius: Michael Ball
Eponine: Frances Ruffelle
Enjorlas: David Burt

Review )
totentanz: (Red Death)
2010-12-20 10:00 pm

Review: The Phantom Of The Opera (1986 Original London Cast Recording)

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Charles Hart, Richard Stilgoe
Album Info: Cast Albums
Buy The Complete Recording: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Buy The Highlights Recording: Amazon | Barnes & Noble



Cast:

The Phantom of the Opera: Michael Crawford
Christine: Sarah Brightman
Raoul: Steve Barton

Review )
totentanz: (I Am Jean Valjean)
2010-11-30 02:23 pm
Entry tags:

Review: Les Misérables (1987 Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg
Lyrics: Alain Boublil (French lyrics)/Herbert Kretzmer (English adaptation)
Album Info: Cast Albums
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble

Cast:

Jean Valjean: Colm Wilkinson
Javert: Terrence Mann
Fantine: Randy Graff
Cosette: Judy Kuhn
Marius: David Bryant
Eponine: Frances Ruffelle
Enjorlas: Michael Maguire

Wow. From reviewing cast albums that were from 1997, this one's a surprise to review a cast album from 1987 XD! This recording is still good for being 23 years old and has won a Grammy too (it beat the "Phantom" OLC recording at the time). To be honest, it's hard to pick a definite good recording of the show but for me, I keep coming back to this. This might have to do with the fact that this was the first recording I've heard.

Now to the actual review:

Review )
totentanz: (That Demned Elusive Pimpernel)
2010-11-04 01:16 pm

Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel (1997 Original Broadway Recording)

Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Nan Knighton
Album Info: Cast Albums
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Musical-Shop

Cast:

Percy Blakeney - Douglas Sills
Marguerite St. Just - Christine Andreas
Chauvelin - Terrence Mann
Armand St. Just - Gilles Chiasson

Review )
totentanz: Steve Barton as Krolock (Sink mit mir)
2010-11-01 06:32 pm

Review: Tanz der Vampire (1997 Original Vienna Cast Recording Highlights)

Music: Jim Steinman
Lyrics: Michael Kunze
Album Info: Cast Albums Page
Buy: Musical-Shop | Amazon | Sound Of Music

Cast:

Graf von Krolock: Steve Barton
Sarah: Cornelia Zenz
Alfred: Aris Sas
Professor Abronsious: Gernot Kranner
Herbert: Nik
Chagal: James Sbano
Rebecca: Anne Welte
Magda: Eva Maria Marold

More info on the original songs here and a complete synopsis here. Here is more information on the Roman Polaski film that it was based on.

Review )