Encores! Paint Your Wagon Cast Recording Release 5/27!

[theaterdrew]

I am so excited to get this.  I was beginning to think it would be one of those brilliant but unreleased recordings.  The score is gorgeous, regardless of the silly book.       

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Encores-PAINT-YOUR-WAGON-Cast-Recording-Gets-527-Release-20160511        

 

[CATSNYrevival]

Yay! I was wondering what happened to this one. Seemed like it was going to join cast album purgatory with Lestat and Jay's Anyone Can Whistle.

[madela2]

Omg, finally! I had nearly given up hope on this. 

[givesmevoice]

I cannot wait to listen to Justin Guarini's "I Talk to the Trees" on repeat for the rest of time.

[Fan123]

Speaking of PYW, the Seattle production with the new book by Jon Marans is opening in June. I don't know if the new book will have further life beyond that. Is anybody here going to the Seattle production?

https://www.5thavenue.org/show/paint-your-wagon

[SmoothLover]

Me too!

[theaterdrew]

^^^givesmevoice, I hope this lives up to your expectations.  It did mine.

First Listen - I Talk to the Trees and How Can I Waltz

 

[givesmevoice]

IT DID.

It's funny that I had such a hard time finding someone to use my second ticket to this show, and it turned out to be one of the best Encores shows I've ever seen.

[darquegk]

I can't think of this show without thinking of the classic "Simpsons" bit about it.

 

"Paint your wagon? ...With blood, I'll bet!"https://frinkiac.com/meme/S09E11/145010.jpg?b64lines=IOKZqiBHT05OQSBQQUlOVCBZT1VSIFdBR09OCiDimaog4pmqIEdPTk5BIFBBSU5UIElUIEZJTkUg4pmq

[noradesmond]

Nobody else listening yet?  I downloaded today and am listening now. Did not see the production at Encores and the God-awful movie was my only reference point to this show, sadly.  Loving this score!  

[Mr Roxy]

I think it is safe to put Lestat in cast album hell . It is evident Sir Elton will not let it see the light of day. Sad when a composer does not even stand behind his own work.

[CATSNYrevival]

I'm enjoying the album. The score and performances are completely charming. The movie is mostly unwatchable so I wasn't sure what to expect but it seems as though the film and the show have very little in common. It's wonderful to have such a complete recording with such a brilliant orchestra and cast.

[CarlosAlberto]

I love case recordings they are so much better than cast recordings....

[Mr. Nowack]

Ugh my CD won't arrive for days I need this recording in my life now

[gypsy101]

I just finished listening and I thought it was a great recording. This is one of the Lerner & Loewe shoes I'm not familiar with, it just never interested me. It looks like the original recording is about 30 minutes shorter than this new recording, is a lot of this material being recorded for the first time?

[Mr. Nowack]

The original LP was definitely truncated heavily. It also was recorded in 1951 Mono so isn't the best listening experience.

[CATSNYrevival]

One of the essays in the digital booklet confirms that a lot of material and dance music has been recorded for the first time on this album. The movie didn't use very many songs from the show and as stated above the OBC recording is quite truncated.

[gypsy101]

Ah, I listened to it on Tidal so I didn't have the benefit of a digital booklet. I was also surprised by Justin Guarini's strange accent. Nathaniel Hackmann's voice is gorgeous as is his face. Alex Socha is even better than she was in Fun Home.

[Mr. Nowack]

Anyone know if it's on Spotify? Sony releases usually are day of release.

[Fantod]

It is

https://open.spotify.com/album/1gkNzIB5BqJFsvgUYR2M1m

[JayG 2]

Excellent recording - and the show needed one for sure.

Interesting cut song Bonus Track: "What Do Some Other Folk Do?" I haven't read the booklet, but there must be some mention of this and Camelot. A different ,melody, but exact same idea as "Simple Folk".

[theaterdrew]

Yes, the booklet notes that L&L recycled the cut song into What Do the Simple Folk Do?

A lot of "new" orchestrations are on this recording.  I am curious what the current Seattle production is doing with it.  The timing is interesting.

[CATSNYrevival]

It is mentioned in the booklet.

"Problems with the second act led to the addition of a three-week Boston preview through most of October, with an extra week after that for the final polishing before the Broadway debut on November 12th. As part of this process several songs were dropped from the score. One of them, "What Do Other Folks Do?", a duet between Jennifer and Ben was recorded for the first time in connection with this album as a nod to its obvious historical importance: Lerner would later recycle the concept of the lyric for "What Do the Simple Folk Do?" from Camelot."

[CATSNYrevival]

Which orchestrations are new? The booklet also says this:

"Helping to capture the spirit of the original Broadway production were the full handwritten scores used in 1951 by Franz Allers (Frederick Loewe's favorite musical director) and discovered accidently by Rodgers and Hammerstein musicologist Bruce Pomahac at the bottom of a musty Warner Chappell trunk stored, curiously, at the Rodgers & Hammerstein offices in New York."

[Mr. Nowack]

Another glorious rediscovery on disc by Encores. It reminds me of the excellent recording of PIPE DREAM a few years back. Cannot wait until my CD arrives so I can read the essays in the booklet.

[Fan123]

I too am enjoying this new recording. "What's goin' on here?" has long been a favourite of mine; it's great to get another excellent version of it, along with some other gems.

 

To put some images to the music, here are some throwback links to highlights videos of the 2015 Encores production:

 

http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay/BWW-TV-Watch-Highlights-of-Keith-Carradine-Justin-Guarini-More-in-Encores-PAINT-YOUR-WAGON-20150318#.VQncfuH4ZME

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbqrXxdRsvM