On Your Toes

When so many contemporary revivals (New World's SITTING PRETTY a case in point) treat the vintage show as a museum piece and handle it gingerly with kid gloves, this truly robust production, documenting an acclaimed 1983 staged revival (George Abbott, aged 95, directing his original book), is exceptional. It is kicky, energetic, spicy and vastly entertaining, with real theatrical ambience. Where else can you hear the patrician Dina Merrill sing "The heart is quicker than the eye"? Or Christine Andreas, for that matter, who sells us just as surely as Eileen Farrell did with "Glad to be unhappy." The neglected "Quiet night" is pure loveliness, suggesting Kern or Porter, and Rodgers doesn't routinely deserve such encomia.The dance-driven tap/ballet show was originally ambitiously intended as an Astaire film musical. He passed on the "highbrow" aspects of the Balanchine choreography (and, in the end, Astaire never introduced a Rodgers score of any stripe). Original (1936) and revival (1954) cast members included equally big names in dance artistry: Ray Bolger, Tamara Geva, Vera Zorina and Bobby Van. The score, restored to mint theatricality by conductor John Mauceri assisted by John McGlinn, is memorable throughout (including two lengthy ballets, the rare faux-Russian "La Princesse Zenobia" and a very dynamic "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," uncut and heard in rightful showstopping context), Rodgers at his most playful and least stuffy, Larry Hart at his most gaily insinuating ("There's a small hotel") and witty (consider this a full-dress leadup to that wicked, bewitching PAL JOEY). The orchestration is authentic: a Gershwinesque jazzband idiomatically augmented by twin pianos, a full string section and a very danceable and aggressive percussion battery, not excluding the gong.This is superb listening: Hart will put a smile on your face and Rodgers will assuredly set your feet tapping. That's entertainment, folks.

I grew up on musical recordings, and Rogers and Hart were my favorite team. From the Ella Fitzgerald Songbook to The Boys from Syracuse, if it had Hart lyrics and a Rogers score, I memorized it. The 1930s were a racy, dicey time, and the songs have an edge to them. Also, Hart was conflicted when it came to love and romance, so most of his love songs are atypical, with lines like "This can't be love because I feel so well" ( from the aforementioned Boys from Syracuse) to this CD's "It's Got to Be Love" which compares that condition to various illnesses. A real antidote to mindless sentimentality, our Hart. This musical has several show stopper songs, depending on your taste. Romantics like "There's a Small Hotel" and "Quiet Night"; if you prefer Sondheimesque irony, go with "The Heart Is Quicker Than the Eye" or - my favorite - "Too Good for the Average Man." Here is where original lyrics come to the fore, because previous recordings have usually gone with the post-censor version, wherein a verse about baseball players replaces the one about how rich girls have access to birth control that ordinary ones cannot find or afford. 80 years later, it is still all too true. Of all the songs in this sometimes dated but always charming work, "Too Good for the Average Man" is shockingly relevant.

Great musical tunes with great dance music! You will tap your toes listening to this cd

I like Babes in Arms and The Boys From Syracuse better, but so what? Rodgers and Hart were as good a team as the Broadway musical ever had and this is indeed one of their best, in a fantastic recording that is as true to the original sound as they could get it. There aren't so many full recordings of Rodgers and Hart musicals, and this is one of the best there is. Go for it.

Great CD from a show I saw many times when it ran on Broadway. Nice to remember those days, now. Quickly and safely delivered. A+ seller.

If you have ever heard the original on disk or in the movie you may be repelled by this version (as was I).Buy this one instead: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P9V4F6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

classic

Terrific performances especially the ballets one of the best on cd

The best original cast album of this musical.

Excellent