As an over 50 professional the performing arts, I have always admired and loved the music of Jerry Herman. I am so delighted to hear, the great performing artist treasure, Angela Lansbury's commentary about this show and the greatness of the score. It has been one of my most favorite of Jerry Herman's scores. I think it contains some of the most beautiful music and lyrics he ever wrote. He and Ms. Lansbury are indeed treasures of the American theatre, The tragedy is that it was never revived while Ms. Lansbury was still able to reprise her role. Perhaps it was before it's time and maybe audiences would have welcomed an older A.L. in the role second time round. With the right director, it would've been a wonderful film musical. I have seen the movie version of The Mad Woman of Chaillot with Katherine Hepburn. I found it a quirky film, but did mostly enjoy it. I could not imagine K.H. the musical version, Dear World. Not relating to this at all, I just had a thought of how interesting if Sondheim were to write a musical based on Genet's play The Balcony. That could be quite an interesting piece of musical theatre.
Great score. Great Star. Both strangled by an impossible libretto -which no one has been able to overcome in the 50 years since the show was first done. The show should be done in concert-form,. period!
I wish the show had worked. It's one I have never seen on stage; but I very much liked the record. I listened to it for a long time. I had known the original play, and had liked it; but I didn't know exactly what they had done with the musical libretto. There certainly were some good songs, and orchestration; and the singing sounded fine. I read a review that said they tried to make what would be better as a small show into a great big Broadway blockbuster. I don't know if that's true; but I can understand the Producers wanting to find another "Mame".
It's a great pity that Angela never got the chance to play Countess Aurelia in a good production of the original straight play "The Madwoman of Chaillot" by Jean Giraudoux. It's a delightful comedy-fantasy (with a trial scene that's worth the price of admission all by itself). Unfortunately, nothing seems able to put Giraudoux's beautiful dramas "over" to Americans. Audrey Hepburn won acclaim on Broadway in Giraudoux's marvelous fairy-tale play "Ondine", but even that didn't sell the play itself to regional companies for future revivals, while his masterpiece "The Trojan War Will Not Take Place", about a peace conference between Hector and Ulysses, where they attempt to avert the mythic war, isn't even known by name in the United States. It's either due to an unbridgeable gap between the two national temperaments, or to the unreasoning hatred of France, and all things French, which so many Americans feel without even knowing why. Either way, we're cheating ourselves out of some real treasures.
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She's not kidding about her voice in Dear World. I was stunned when I first heard the cast recording... she sounds wonderful.
The CD I have of Dear World is one of my favourites and Miss Lansbury was in great voice - so strong an clear.
I love Ms. Angela. She is such a legend.
I agree that Angela's best singing is in Dear World.
As an over 50 professional the performing arts, I have always admired and loved the music of Jerry Herman. I am so delighted to hear, the great performing artist treasure, Angela Lansbury's commentary about this show and the greatness of the score. It has been one of my most favorite of Jerry Herman's scores. I think it contains some of the most beautiful music and lyrics he ever wrote. He and Ms. Lansbury are indeed treasures of the American theatre, The tragedy is that it was never revived while Ms. Lansbury was still able to reprise her role. Perhaps it was before it's time and maybe audiences would have welcomed an older A.L. in the role second time round. With the right director, it would've been a wonderful film musical. I have seen the movie version of The Mad Woman of Chaillot with Katherine Hepburn. I found it a quirky film, but did mostly enjoy it. I could not imagine K.H. the musical version, Dear World. Not relating to this at all, I just had a thought of how interesting if Sondheim were to write a musical based on Genet's play The Balcony. That could be quite an interesting piece of musical theatre.
Her voice in Dear World is just beautiful. Its so underappreciated but its wonderful.
Great score. Great Star. Both strangled by an impossible libretto -which no one has been able to overcome
in the 50 years since the show was first done. The show should be done in concert-form,. period!
Listen to "Kiss Her Now" for her fantastic performance! She's amazing in the song.
Absolute Legend, I am in awe of her talent and her longevity.
I will be blessed if I can sing as long as she has.
Well said
And she is right, she is at her most vocally fluid here
love this recording, especially "kiss her now"
I wish the show had worked. It's one I have never seen on stage; but I very much liked the record. I listened to it for a long time. I had known the original play, and had liked it; but I didn't know exactly what they had done with the musical libretto. There certainly were some good songs, and orchestration; and the singing sounded fine. I read a review that said they tried to make what would be better as a small show into a great big Broadway blockbuster. I don't know if that's true; but I can understand the Producers wanting to find another "Mame".
It's a great pity that Angela never got the chance to play Countess Aurelia in a good production of the original straight play "The Madwoman of Chaillot" by Jean Giraudoux. It's a delightful comedy-fantasy (with a trial scene that's worth the price of admission all by itself). Unfortunately, nothing seems able to put Giraudoux's beautiful dramas "over" to Americans. Audrey Hepburn won acclaim on Broadway in Giraudoux's marvelous fairy-tale play "Ondine", but even that didn't sell the play itself to regional companies for future revivals, while his masterpiece "The Trojan War Will Not Take Place", about a peace conference between Hector and Ulysses, where they attempt to avert the mythic war, isn't even known by name in the United States. It's either due to an unbridgeable gap between the two national temperaments, or to the unreasoning hatred of France, and all things French, which so many Americans feel without even knowing why. Either way, we're cheating ourselves out of some real treasures.
Do we have a vid of her discussing Mame coming up soon