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New CD Reviews - 2007-08
by John Kenrick

(Copyright 2007-08)

PLEASE NOTE: If you order recordings by using this search link to Amazon.com, a portion of your purchase price goes towards supporting Musicals101.com.
 

Enchanted - Soundtrack
Wanted to love this one, but my hearing still works, so no chance. A terrible score by the usually inspired Schwartz & Menken, and performances of no value besides. It is sad to find Disney engaging in such a clumsy, witless act of self-mockery.


The Little Mermaid - Original Broadway Cast (Disney)
This is one of those times when the cast recording is far more fun than the show!
While the Broadway production looks unspeakable tacky, the cast recording sounds quite a treat. For a change, Disney has added decent songs to an existing film score (nice work by lyricist Glenn Slater, who abets the great original work of Howard Ashman), and the cast sings every track with style and brio. Serra Boggess soars as Ariel, Sheri Rene Scott manages to give the evil Ursula a touch of humanity, and Broadway stalwarts Norm Lewis, Eddie Korbich, John Tracy Egan and Jonathan Freeman lend strong support. 


West Side Story (Decca Broadway)
It doesn't get much worse than this. A cast of European opera singers has no clue how to perform this material -- an insult to a great Broadway classic. Even if you want coasters, you could invest in something far better than this ghastly recording.

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