God, That's Good: 4 Sondheim Show CDs Digitally Remastered

Even with my modest and rather old stereo player, I could immediately notice the heightened vibrancy and clarity of the MASTERWORKS BROADWAY digitally remastered quartet of Stephen Sondheim original Broadway cast recordings.  These reissues of Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday In The Park With George and Into The Woods allow us to hear far more details in classic acting and singing performances by Angela Lansbury, Len Cariou, Bernadette Peters, Mandy Patinkin and Joanna Gleason, dramatic orchestrations by Michael Starobin and Jonathan Tunick and, of course, the masterfully-crafted words and music of Stephen Sondheim.

Director, producer and former Broadway actor, Richard Jay-Alexander writes new liner notes for each CD that come from the viewpoint of a knowledgeable and extremely enthusiastic fan who isn't shy about expressing his enthusiasm for the material.  He praises the "intelligence running rampant everywhere" in Sunday In The Park With George, the "delicious score and lyrics you sometimes couldn't believe you were hearing" from Into The Woods and shares how hard it is to listen to the recording of Merrily We Roll Along "and not get a bit misty-eyed and reflective."  Of Sweeney Todd's opening moments he fervently declares, "It just doesn't get any better than this."

Penned between March of 2005 and April 2006, Jay-Alexander's notes only briefly touch on each show's plot, devoting more space to discuss artistic achievements, critical reception and life after the original Broadway production.  (Click here to see the liner notes from each original CD release, including a plot synopsis and complete lyrics.  Unfortunately the web site is not very clear.)

There are also remembrances from cast members.  David Shine reflects on Merrily's recording session, where the cast was called in at 7:30am the Sunday morning after the production's Saturday night closing performance.  Victor Garber tells of learning from Angela Lansbury "how a star of a show conducts themselves."  Bernadette Peters remembers thinking, "What have you gotten yourself into?" when first trying to learn the deluge of lyrics and rhythms in Sunday's title song and credits her participation in Into The Woods for attracting so many young people to her concerts.

The cover art for each new CD book and jewel box replicates their original, with show logos and full-page color photos.  Inside are the same smaller photos that, with the exception of Sweeney, appeared in color originally (a couple less for Into The Woods) but this time they're in black and white.

The bonus tracks for each CD contain some real gems.  Merrily features a hilarious recording of Stephen Sondheim singing every role (including the cheering audience) in a madcap rendition of "It's A Hit!" and an exquisite Bernadette Peters interpretation of "Not A Day Goes" (from 1992's Sondheim: A Celebration At Carnegie Hall) that blends light artfulness with growling frustration.  The tracks from Into The Woods are from a proposed video adaptation for children with revised music and lyrics.  John Cameron Mitchell, Kim Crosby and Maureen Moore sing "Giants In The Sky," "Back To The Palace" and "Boom Crunch."

Sunday's CD ends with the Off-Broadway cast of Putting It Together (Stephen Collins, Rachel York, Michael Rupert, Julie Andrews, Christopher Durang and Scott Frankel) belting out their title song followed by Bernadette Peters, from the previously mentioned Carnegie Hall concert, lovingly reciting "order… design… balance… composition… harmony" to introduce the Broadway Chorus and American Theatre Orchestra in a rich performance of "Sunday."  Sweeney Todd's CD also features bonuses from that 1992 concert with Paul Gemignani conducting the Don Sebesky orchestrated Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd featuring stirring solos of "Johanna" (Jerry Hadley) and "Pretty Women" (Eugene Perry and Herbert Perry) followed by Harolyn Blackwell's soaring "Green Finch and Linnet Bird."  (Be sure to stick around for a delightful little surprise at the end of that track.)

Though Sunday, Sweeney and Woods all enjoyed no more than reasonably healthy Broadway runs (nowhere near the thousands of performances significantly lesser efforts have racked up) and Merrily was a flat out 2-week flop, all have been recognized as far more significant in musical theatre's history than their limited commercial success would indicate.  These reissues not only provide a dazzling aural experience but their booklets document the recognition of each show's cultural value long after the last Broadway curtain was lowered. 

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