E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen - The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast)
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CD Details
Artist: E. Y. Harburg, Harold ArlenEdition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording
CD Release Date: 1998-09-15
Music Label: Tvt
Soundtracks:
- Overture
- Over the Rainbow - Bob Dorian, , Ken Page, Mickey Rooney
- Miss Gulch
- Professor Marvel/Cyclone - Renee Bonadio, Christine DeVito, Jessica Grov?, , Lara Teeter
- Munchkinland: Come Out, Come Out/Ding Dong the Witch Is ... - Jessica Grov?, , Lara Teeter
- If I Only Had a Brain - Jessica Grov?, , Dirk Lumbard
- We're off to See the Wizard - Jessica Grov?, , Dirk Lumbard, Ken Page, Lara Teeter
- If I Only Had a Heart
- We're off to See the Wizard (Reprise)/Lions, Tigers, and Bears/If ...
- We're off to See the Wizard (Reprise)/Poppies - Jessica Grov?, , Dirk Lumbard, Ken Page, Lara Teeter
- Optimistic Voices - Dirk Lumbard, Mickey Rooney, Lara Teeter
- Merry Old Land of Oz - Jessica Grov?, , Dirk Lumbard, Ken Page, Lara Teeter
- If I Were King of the Forest - Ken Page, Lara Teeter
- Wizard's Chamber - Dirk Lumbard, Ken Page, Lara Teeter
- March of the Winkies/The Jitterbug
- Witch's Castle - Dirk Lumbard, Mickey Rooney, Lara Teeter
- Ding-Dong! The Witch Is Dead (Reprise)
- Finale - Jessica Grov?,
- Over the Rainbow (Reprise) - Bob Dorian, Jessica Grov?, , Eartha Kitt,
Music reviews of The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast)
Music Review: Worth it.
Rating: 3 Stars
I had to rate 3 because I had to rate in the middle. This album can be good or bad, depending on who is listening to it. It is good for those who want simple, upbeat, quick, renditions of the song. It is not good for those looking to hear the songs in their entirety or attempt to learn them for a stage production (There are WAY too many cuts and changes to do that here!). I bought this album because I am an Oz collector. Also, I will give them credit on their decision to include the Witch in "The Jitterbug."
Jessica Grove` has a beautiful voice, however, a bit too operatic for the role of Dorothy. Lara Teeter, an amazing Scarecrow (and you may also note this was not his first time in the role). The rest of the cast is pretty good. But lets get this clear: Mickey Rooney is not as good as he once was. Eartha Kitt was a surprisingly good Wicked Witch of the West. The choral arrangements are pretty good, well, from the little bit that remains on the album to hear.
As I said before, the music has been tweaked. The opening verse of "Over the Rainbow", although not removed entirely, is moved to the end and Glinda sings it (yeah). The three solos of the leading men are virtually the movie versions, however, The Scarecrow retained his opening verse. "The Merry Old Land of Oz" is chopped WAY too short, a 5-8 minute production number is reduced to under 2 minutes (unless you count the dialogue on the track). "The Jitterbug" is also chopped, but with a solo for the Witch and a very powerful orchestration, it just may be worth it. "Off to See the Wizard" got a slightly new vocal arrangement for Dorothy: on "the wonderful WIZard of Oz," Jessica splits from the group and jumps to a high soprano note (very different to those used to alto Judy Garland in the film). There is an annoying reprise of "Merry Old Land" just before the Wizard leaves, but luckily, it's very brief. A very beautiful choral rendition of "Over the Rainbow" closes out the album.
Overall, this album is worth the money. Personally, I listen to it whenever I want to listen to the songs, but have a limited amount of time.
If you love the film: Stick to the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Rhino Records. If you're true Ozian, look for the 2 disc deluxe edition (including the scoring, background music, and extras.
If you are looking to learn the music to the stage version, or want a rehearsal supplement: Look for the 1988 London Cast Recording. It is the original Royal Shakespeare Company production from which the amateur stage version comes. However, it like all albums has some minor differences that the vocalists make (and face it, your vocalists will ad-lib slightly as well).
Description of The Wizard Of Oz: 1998 Cast Recording (Madison Square Garden Cast)
How do you fill the ruby slippers of Judy Garland? That's a question, thankfully, only Jessica Grove needs to answer. It's difficult not to hear indelible tunes like "Over the Rainbow" and "We're Off to See the Wizard" without thinking way back to the MGM movie version of 1939, but this touring-cast production uses unique enough music arrangements to stand on its own. Though two stars grace the album's cover--Mickey Rooney as the Wizard and Eartha Kitt as the Wicked Witch of the West--the pair hardly overshadow the upstart cast. Dirk Lombard as the Tin Man, Judith McCauley as Glinda the Good Witch, and Grove herself all deliver inspired performances, and some of the tunes--especially the "Munchkinland" medley--sound superb and remarkably fresh. Judy Garland (for most of us) will always own the role of Dorothy, but this musical does its best to breathe new life into a classic story--60 years after the fact. --Jim YoungClassic Vocalists CDs
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