Fiddler On The Roof (1971 Soundtrack)

This is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite CDs. I don't even know if I can describe how much I love this musical, but let's see if I can get a decent review done for you all. ;)

1. Prologue And Tradition & Main Titles - This song starts the musical off splendidly. I love every little bit that the fiddle plays (that high note at the end! :) and Tevye's narration is so funny! Sure, it's a little long, but you won't ever regret listening to it all. I don't think I can go a day now without snippets of Tradition playing through my head. If I had ten thumbs, they'd all be going up.... wow, that's a wonderful mental image. *cough*

2. Matchmaker - Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava sing about Yente the matchmaker finding them all matchless matches. This was pretty much the only song I knew from FotR before watching the musical (if knowing the first stanza can count as "knowing" it), and it is a big favorite in our house right now. Since Tevye's daughters add up to five, the exact same number of girls in *my* family, my dad thinks that his daughters need to learn this song to sing together. *grins*

3. If I Were a Rich Man - Tevye's iconic song, and a definite favorite. I don't know what more I can say about this song, save for the fact that I laugh every time Tevye sings about his wife looking like a rich man's wife... with a proper double chin. If you haven't heard this song yet, you're totally missing out. You *must* listen to this one!

4. Sabbath Prayer - Not a huge song in the musical, but the rich and haunting melody has put it high on my favorite list. Love.

5. To Life - Lazar Wolf and Tevye have come to an agreement - the betrothal of Tevye's daughter to Lazar himself - and it's time to celebrate! "To life, to life, la'chaim!" Very fun.

6. Miracle of Miracles - Motel the tailor is a poor man, but wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, God did what he thought was impossible. This "love" song doesn't have the feel that most love songs do, but I love it just the way it is. 

7. Tevye's Dream - How to convince your wife to agree to something you know she never will? Give her a detailed description of a pretend nightmare - that'll do the trick! This song isn't as famous as other songs from FotR, but it's still fun. My sisters and I joke that our dream role in a musical now is to play the people popping out from gravestones. "It's her husband! Fatal wedding!"

8. Wedding Procession - Instrumentals only, but still awesome. This is (one of) my younger sister's favorite songs, and she asks us to play it constantly so she can dance to it.

9. Sunrise, Sunset - One of the most popular songs from FotR, and it is by no means less popular in our house. It's pensive, beautiful, melancholy, serene, rich, etc. etc. Highly recommend. :)

10. Wedding Celebration/The Bottle Dance - Personally, this is probably one of the least-listened-to songs on this soundtrack for me. Although the music for the celebration and dance is really pretty, it's not as epic as the songs with words. Good, but not an absolute favorite, in my opinion. The bottle dance is cool to watch, but of course, you can't do that with a CD. 

11. First Act Finale - A rather dramatic instrumental piece that ends the first half of the musical. Despite the wedding just taking place, we learn that peaceful times are not in store for Tevye and his family. It's a powerful scene to watch, but not particularly a favorite just to listen to.

12. Entr'acte - Epic. It's a minute and forty-nine seconds of all the big songs from the first half. Who can't love entr'actes?

13. Do You Love Me? - "Golde, I'm asking you a question!" The lyrics in this song are sweet, but for some reason, they always make me laugh. "You're upset, you're worn down! Go inside, go lie down!" Tevye and Golde have been married for twenty-five years after their parents arranged the match. They first met on their wedding day, and yet, they learn that after twenty-five years, they really do love each other.

14. Far From the Home I Love - This is a sweet song sung by the second daughter, Hodel, as she's leaving to go meet her fiancee in Russia. Tevye doesn't want to give up his children, and the relationship he has with his daughters is so touching. Hodel doesn't have a particularly strong voice, but this song is still one of my favorites.

15. Chava Ballet Scene - "Little Chavala..." this is probably the prettiest scene in the movie to watch. And I'm a little disappointed because my DVD doesn't have the whole song. It cuts straight from Tzeitel being carried away to Chava. They skip all of Hodel in the middle. As second daughter, I shake my head. Anyway, the song is still beautiful, sung by Tevye as he contemplates the different paths his daughters have taken.

16. The Rejection Scene - If I were to pick a least favorite track on this CD, this would be it. It's a powerful scene between Tevye and Chava, so I can't complain, but there's no singing. The raw emotion they poured into this really is... wow, but I'd rather watch the scene than just hear it.

17. Anatevka - "Underfed, overworked Anatevka." What's so nice about a little bit of this or a little bit of that? Forced to leave their homes, the Jews sing about what they're leaving behind. Which... amounts to nothing much. I consider this the saddest song in the musical as Motel says to the Rabbi in the beginning of the track, "We've been waiting all our lives for Messiah. Wouldn't now be a good time to come?" But that's real! The Jews have no idea that He came, He died, He saved them, and He rose again, and they His own people! Truthfully, it breaks my heart.

18. Finale - A five star finish! What starts out as the familiar violin solo soon turns out in a full orchestra commemorating the opening melody from the musical. "TRADITION!"

19. Any Day Now - This is a deleted song from the film. I'm sad it didn't make the final cut, because this is one of my favorites! Yes, I tend to have a lot of favorites when it comes to FotR. *sheepish grin* This tune is catchy, and the words are so hopeful. Love.

By the way... just something interesting to note: while Jerry Bock was the man behind writing the musical, John Williams was the composer who put everything together for the film. I find it funny that the man we know for action films like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and War Horse also worked on musicals. *grins* 

I have a feeling I should wait to post this until tomorrow, but I don't want to wait. Besides, it's only fitting that I should post a review of one of my absobloominglutely favorite CDs on my birthday. Yes, I'm justifying this.

God bless!

Peter Pan (Original Cast Soundtrack)

To be honest, I have had zero inspiration for blog posts these last couple of weeks. My mind has been so stuck in Secret of the Hazel Tree that every time I have free time to waste on the computer, I'm researching for the story or writing it. But... I'm reaching a compromise with myself. Since I have no ambitions for great posts at the moment, I will be making myself write up reviews to all the millions of musicals I've been listening to lately. There are some real gems out there, folks! And the sad thing is... most of them are going unnoticed by the greater crowd. 

So... first on the list, the musical that delighted me while I washed the dishes this morning: 

Peter Pan (Original Cast Soundtrack)

1. Medley: Opening Titles/Tender Shepherd - This song starts the musical out with a glorious overture full of tunes that immediately stick in your head. Mrs. Darling says good-night to her young children, and the narrator warns of a certain Peter Pan who is coming after the parents leave the house. The Tender Shepherd song is a lullaby-like song, soft and beautiful.

2. I Gotta Crow - Once you get past the odd fact that Peter Pan is played by a girl (Cathy Rigby in this soundtrack, but she does a rather good job of playing the all-famous Pan), this is a fun song. Peter sings of himself and all his cleverness, boasting his accomplishments, and all in all being very proud of his shadow. Definitely one of my favorites.

3. Neverland - "Peter, where do you live?" This song is really pretty and another favorite; Cathy Peter sings of Neverland, showing Wendy all the wonders of the island.

4. I'm Flying - Peter teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly. Michael's "CANDY!" always makes me laugh during this song, and the lyrics are spot-on. You can imagine just what is going on without even seeing anything. "You try, and you'll fall flat on your face. I told you, Wendy." But visuals are always fun, so here you are.

5. Medley: Opening Act Two/Hook's Tango - "The lost boys were out looking for Peter, the pirates were out looking for the lost boys, and the Indians were out looking for the pirates." The narrator says this straight out of the book. Don't you just love it when adaptations do that? :) Hook's Tango introduces us to the villainous Captain Hook and his despicable crew, and in a fun, Carmen-like ballad, Hook tells of his plan to kill the lost boys. 

6. Indian Dance - Look out! It's Tiger Lily and the Indians! This song is mostly instrumental as the Indians go on the warpath, with a few cries and chants thrown in. In my personal opinion, Jules Styne did a great job of capturing the different elements of the island in this musical, because this song sounds very Indian.

7. Wendy - Peter and the lost boys want Wendy to stay to be their mother, so they build her a house to live in. "Peter, wait! We forgot the chimney!" Very fun.

8. I Won't Grow Up - How could it be a Peter Pan musical without the famous opinion that Peter thrives on? This is one of those catchy tunes, and even if you do want to grow up, it's hard not to sing along with Peter and the lost boys. And poor John fails epically in trying to fix Peter's grammar. "I won't grow up! Not me!" "Not I!" "Not me!" :)

9. Hook's Tarantella - Hook had a tango before, and now he requests a tarantella. This song is short, but it's got one of the best moments in the musical. Just listen to it, and once you get to the pirates', "To the ship! To the ship!" you'll know what I mean.

10. Ugh-A-Wug - Another Indian song, with lots of drums and hardly any lyrics. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's nice to have lots of lyrics to sing along to. While I'm still not sure what "ugh-a-wug" means, the lost boys and the Indians make peace during this song. ;)

11. Distant Melody - Another one of my favorites, a duet between Peter Pan and Wendy as they recall the mothers they left behind on the mainland. 

12. Farewell - The above video is 8 minutes long, and it includes Distant Melody and Farewell. I couldn't find another video of Cathy Rigby singing, so I had to go with the long video. Wendy and her brothers want to go home, and the lost boys wish to accompany them. Yet, Peter cannot leave Neverland. 

13. Hook's Waltz - Not many villains get to choose their own songs, but Hook is no ordinary villain. He's the slimiest rat in the pack, the unlovable, the one who would stoop to the lowest of tricks in the book, the creepiest creep in the world... yes, him. Captain Hook. And this is his song. He's in his element, you know.

14. I Gotta Crow (Reprise) - Peter takes down Captain Hook, and now everyone sings his glory. They all love him, and they all clamour for him to teach them how to crow. After all, can anyone not admire Peter Pan?

15. Finale - Wendy brings her company (i.e. brothers and lost boys) back to her house as Mrs. Darling breaks into a reprise of Tender Shepherd. Mr. Darling sets a few ground rules for his new children, and they're all happy to grow up together (reprise of I Won't Grow Up sung as I'm Going to Grow Up). Peter promises to come back for Wendy, and mistakenly does so when she's all grown up. When Wendy tells him she's forgotten how to fly, her daughter Jane takes her place to go to Neverland with Peter. Peter belts out one last reprise (Neverland) as he and Jane fly off towards the second star to the right.

16. Medley: Bows/End Titles - And here we are, suddenly at the end. How to describe the end titles except a fantastic conglomeration of all the wonderful songs from the musical that make you wish they were the opening titles all over again? 

And that's it! A five-star soundtrack all around! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite musicals, and I hope you enjoy it, too!

God bless!

"Who Can Make Up These Endless Refrains As Gaston?"

Very many sugar-coated, cherry-on-top thanks to Amy for hosting this wonderful event known as Celebrate Musical Week and you can click here in this abnormally long link to visit Amy's blog and see the musical she's spotlighting this week.
I knew at some point during the week I'd have to post a review of the musical recording, and then came the complication of which one. I have listened to the entirety of both the Original Broadway Cast Recording with Susan Egan and Terrence Mann as well as the London Cast Recording with Julie-Alanah Brighten and Alasdair Harvey. And then I've heard a few songs from the Australian Cast which, many of you probably didn't know, starred Hugh Jackman (yes, Mr. 2012 Movie Jean Valjean himself) as Gaston. However, I settled with the Original Broadway Cast being as that was the first BatB musical recording that I heard.

1. Prologue (The Enchantress): The traditional beginning to BatB, with the story of how Prince Adam became the Beast. Does the narrator sound similar to the narrator from the movie? Yes? Well, it's the same guy - David Ogden Stiers, who, coincidentally, also voices Cogsworth in the film. I love the music playing in the background. Almost wish that there was a track you could get with just the music, and not wit the narrator talking over all the beautiful instrumentals. But the story he tells is fun to listen to. Mysterious.

2. Belle: I will admit that Susan Egan isn't my favorite Belle ever, but she does the job creditably enough, and besides, this song is never boring. I love the way the townspeople pop in with their "Bonjours!" and "This fish... it smells!" And I always laugh when the triplets scream, "Oh! He's so CUTE!"

3. No Matter What: This song between Belle and her father is one not in the movie, and it's one of the best from the musical, IMHO. It's sweet the way the two interact with a strong father-daughter relationship, not something you see a lot in Hollywood. Tom Bosley sings Maurice's part perfectly, and Susan Egan complements him nicely.

4. No Matter What (Reprise)/Wolf Chase: A short reprise by Maurice on his way to the fair, a rather funny bit, followed by the familiar wolf chase music from the movie.

5. Me: I've listened to this song I don't know how many times. It's a perfect portrayal of Gaston's character, and Burke Moses singing the proposal is epic. Honestly, I've loved every version of this song that I've seen. I really don't have anything else to say on the subject. You need to listen to it. 'Nuff said.

6. Belle (Reprise): Now we get to where I don't like Susan Egan very much. Paige O'Hara (movie Bell) made this reprise iconic in the movie (I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, anybody?), but I felt that Susan just... didn't get it. She's got a pretty voice, granted, but she seems a bit too heavy for my Belle. I will give her this: she spits out a good "ugh" after she sings "Madame Gaston, his little wife" though.

7. Home: Belle has traded places with her father and now is locked in the Beast's castle forever! What should she do?! Sing, of course. This is a musical, after all. This is a beautiful monologue on Belle's thoughts, all set to Alan Menken's memorable score. And she ends on a high note. *grins*

8. Home (Reprise): Short, but thoughtful, reprise sung to a forlorn Belle by the motherly wardrobe, who in the musical actually gets a real name: Madame de la Grande Bouche. Ain't that a mouthful?

Gary Beach and Susan Egan

9. Gaston: Who can do anything like Gaston? After this song, no one can compete with him! And with reason, too, for who would want to digest five dozen eggs? In the middle of the song is a rather long instrumental part where, I assume from the oohs and aahs, Gaston is showing off his matchless skills. Burke Moses seems to stick more ego into his performance than Richard White (movie Gaston) ever did, if that's possible.

10. Gaston (Reprise): "Lefou, I'm afraid I've been thinking." "A dangerous pastime." "I know." (I couldn't help it, folks! It slipped in!) This reprise is longer than the movie's, and my post's title borrows from this added bit, which happens to be some of the best lines EVA.

11. How Long Must This Go On?: Terrence Mann definitely captured the Beast's devastation and frustration. "Left me in this STATE!" Short, but powerful.

12. Be Our Guest: Just gonna say it here, peoples: Jerry Orbach is Lumiere forever and ever. Period. Gary Beach lends a fun atmosphere to his rendition, but he can't hold a candle to Jerry. Sorry, no pun intended. Nevertheless, this song is epic to listen to and a great favorite of mine. All six minutes and fifty-five seconds of it. Yes, it's extended from the movie by almost a full three minutes. I love having that much more Be Our Guest! Though, I'm still trying to convince myself that "diner" rhymes with "china." Oh, well.

13. If I Can't Love Her: I think I'm starting to sound redundant by saying, "Oh, this is another one of my favorites." But it's true! When watching the movie, I didn't get much from the Beast other than anger. Supreme anger. This song has Terrence Mann singing about his crushed dreams, his devastated state, and his hopes for a possible future. A great deal of the melody actually repeats itself in the historic Transformation scene at the end, so the tune many people should recognize.

14. Entr'acte/Wolf Chase: A BatB medley/overture of sorts for the intermission, although I can't see why anyone would want to go grab popcorn while this was being played by an orchestra (even thought I LOVE popcorn!).

15. Something There: I've always loved the Christmas-like chimes at the opening of this song, and this version doesn't disappoint. The musical includes the bit in which the Beast gives the library to Belle, although I think Terrence Mann may get a little too ecstatic about the surprise, as well as Mrs. Potts giving hope to her sad son, Chip. In the movie, the extended scene of Human Again (the following song) shows Belle reading Romeo and Juliet to the Beast, but in the musical they stuck this scene into this song and changed the book to King Arthur, a much better tale, IMHO. And I love how the Beast gives Belle that smug "Told you so," at the end.

16. Human Again: "Little push, little shove, they could whoosh fall in love!" The enchanted castle sings about the glories of Belle breaking the spell and turning them all back into humans. *ahem* Another favorite. And here, Belle also finishes reading King Arthur, and then asks the Beast for a second chance to be friends again.

17. Maison des Lunes: With evilly amazing harmony, Gaston, Lefou, and Monsieur D'Arque plot to lock up Maurice to get Belle to marry Gaston. This song has the uncanny ability to get stuck in your head. Fast.

18. Beauty and the Beast: The classic song and tale older than time. It starts out with a snippet of If I Can't Love Her, a touch which I appreciate as it reminds you of the Beast's hopes for the night. Mrs. Potts provides the vocals, just like in the film, although I think I prefer Angela Lansbury (movie Mrs. Potts) to Mary Millar (musical Mrs. Potts). Lumiere's and Cogsworth's "Dance with her!" always manages to give me the giggles.

Susan Egan and Terrence Mann

19. If I Can't Love Her (Reprise): The Beast has let Belle go back to her father, and he laments that he couldn't have done more, knowing that he will spend the rest of his days stuck in his terrible form.

20. The Mob Song: This song plays out differently than the movie version, but I like how they added the bit between Bell and Maurice, showing the father's determination to protect his daughter. And Gaston's Shakespeare reference "Screw your courage to the sticking place" makes me grin. Only Disney.

21. The Battle: Pretty much the battle in the castle set to music, only no one ever sings. It's funny to listen to the screams and moans of Gaston's men. "You look like you could use a good cup of tea." "Oh, thank you. AHH!" Oh, yes, and *wince* excuse Lumiere's French. Literally.

22. End Duet/Transformation: Susan Egan sings a short reprise of Home, begging him not to die and telling him that *boom* she loves him. Insert the epic and spine-tingling music. Then *poof* the Beast turns back into Princes Adam. There's not much more I can say, lest I detract from the amazingness of this song.

23. Beauty and the Beast (Reprise): A short, but epic (yes, that word again) reprise of the all-familiar tune, concluding the entire show in a glorious, happy ending. 

God bless!