[.ca] Fantasticks, the - Contains Ov

Times Like These Need Recordings LIke This:
I can't claim to be any kind of musical expert, but I know what I like, and I love this CD. Need to escape to a simpler time and place? Want to viscerally experience the most fundamental of human emotions? Pop in this in your player and you'll be transported there, instantly. Heck, this is worth the price just for the chance to hear the loveliest of voices, that of Chiara Peacock. Angels do sing, and one does on this record.

The Little Show That Could!:
This pretty little musical finally closed after umpteen years off Broadway, but will always live on in dinner theatres and regional productions. It's terribly sweet and deservedly a classic. This particular recording, however, doesn't do justice to the original recording, largely as a result of the casting. Nouveau political correctness and strange sounding young leads leave this version coming up short. Stick with the original and, for a treat, check out the straight-to-video FANTASTICKS film with a divine Luisa!

Not SO Fantastick:
I, unlike other reviewers, am very upset with this recording. The content is wonderful; however, the actors used in the recording don't seem to grasp the "feel" of the piece itself. El Gallo's voice is simply not up to par. It lacks the richness and mysterious quality that is El Gallo. Matt is supposed to be nearly 20, yet he is delivered as if he were only 15. Louisa's character is a bit of a ditz, and immature. However, this Louisa lacks the forceful vigor that makes Louisa real beneath the immature outside. The best performance on the whole CD is given by the actor who plays the old actor, Henry. For once, we have someone who knows what their character is about. It's sad, though, because he doesn't have a lot to do in the show. Again, this is just my opinion. But if you want a GREAT recording of THE FANTASTICKS, stick to the original cast. They knew what they were doing.

It has its pluses:
The vocals on this recording are lacking compared to the original off-broadway cast recording, however the plus of this recording is that it features the original orchestrations whereas the off-broadway recording has augmented the orchestra with a second piano. In my opinion, that alone makes this recording worth owning.

Fantastic Fantasticks:
This recording of "Fantasticks" is a must for anyone who loves the show - and almost everyone who has seen it does love it. The only criticism that could be made of this recording is that Alfred Lakeman as El Gallo, the narrator who holds the show together, lacks the dash, charisma and soaring voice of Jerry Orbach from the original recording. But then, Mr. Obach is someone that would be impossible to replace in almost any role he has done. Yes, the same Jerry Orbach in "Law and Order" created legendary performances in "Fantasticks"; "Carnival"; the original "Chicago"; "Promises, Promises"; Lumiere in the film of "Beauty and The Beast"; "42nd Street" and others. So replacing a truly magnetic star is a tough assignment for anyone. It's a crime that he does not have the opportunity to display his singing voice more often today. This recording preserves the wonderful poetic diaglogue that is so much a part of the magic of this show. It is a treat to have the dialogue of the Old Actor and Mortimer in "The Old Actor's Farewell" as well as El Gallo's "You Wonder How Such Things Begin" and the beautiful "Curious Paradox" (yes, the latter two are on the original recording too, but to have them in this context is wonderful). Then there is the bonus track of "A Perfect Time To Be In Love" written for the 30th Anniversary tour with Robert Goulet that comes just before "Soon It's Going To Rain" in the show. It is a lovely addition to an already legendary score. Don't abandon the original recording, but get this one to make memories of this wonderful show even better.

• Overture
• Try to Remember
• Luisa's Introduction
• Much More
• Matt's Introduction
• Metaphor
• Never Say No
• Gallo's Entrance
• It Depends on What You Pay
• Players Have Arrived
• You Wonder How These Things Begin
• Soon It's Gonna Rain
• Abduction Ballet
• Old Actor's Farewell
• Happy Ending
• Burnished by the Sun
• This Plum Is Too Ripe
• This Tear Is Enough
• I Can See It
• Socrates and Lodavigo
• Grant Me in Your Minds a Month
• Plant a Radish
• Much More (Reprise)
• Round and Round
• Necklace
• I Can See It (Reprise)
• There Is a Curious Paradox
• They Were You
• Try to Remember (Reprise)
• Curtain Call
• Perfect Time to Be in Love \oFirst Recording\c