Cabaret

Product Description Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb are enjoying a renaissance of popularity at the moment. The revival of their 70's work in the form of CHICAGO is currently conquering the world. Broadway is also enjoying a sensational revival of Cabaret, another of Kander and Ebb's works from the same period. This first complete recording of Cabaret is finally being released in the USA and celebrates the genius of the composers. Cabaret is recognised as Kander and Ebb's masterwork and is considered one of the 10 greatest musicals ever written. Nominated for the 1998 Gramophone Award, this recording features an all star cast including Dame Judi Dench, Jonathan Pryce, Maria Friedman and the lyricist Fred Ebb. The National Symphony Orchestra is conducted by John Owen Edwards who scored great success as the musical director of this years National Theatre production of OKLAHOMA! This is the only recording containing all the songs from the Original Broadway Score, The Film Score and The Revival Score. Hit songs include Willkommen, Cabaret, Maybe This Time, Money Money, Tomorrow Belongs To Me and Two Ladies. The wonderful original Broadway orchestrations by Don Walker and the sensational film orchestrations by Ralph Burns were used for this recording. Recorded in Digital Dolby Surround sound at Abbey Road Studios in London. Amazon.com This 1999 entry in JAY's Masterworks Edition series captures Kander and Ebb's Cabaret in an excellent two-disc release that preserves the complete Broadway score with its original orchestrations and vocal arrangements, as well as an addendum of four songs written for the 1972 motion picture (including "Maybe This Time" and "Money, Money") as well as three written for the 1987 Broadway revival--111 minutes in all. Jonathan Pryce might be too similar to his most famous role as Miss Saigon's Engineer, but Oscar-winner Judi Dench (who shined as Desiree in a London version of Sondheim's A Little Night Music) and lyricist Fred Ebb himself are excellent as the older couple, Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz. Also good are Gregg Edelman as Cliff and Maria Friedman (best known for her role in the video production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Sally Bowles. This production may not have the authenticity of the original Broadway cast, the Liza-led star power of the film soundtrack, or the grit of the 1998 revival, but it's a highly enjoyable reading, and the completeness of the score makes it a must for the voracious Cabaret listener. --David Horiuchi