The Broadway Musicals Of 1955

The Age

Thursday May 1, 2008

Jim Murphy

The Broadway Musicals of 1955

De Hoty, Bryan Batt etc, accompaniment directed by Ross Patterson. Recorded live.

Middle 8

4/5

The hit musical prominent in this 19th recording from the excellent series of concerts at New York Town Hall is Damn Yankees (by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, to be revived here in August by The Production Company). It contributes Whatever Lola Wants, Heart, A Little Brains, a Little Talent and the devilishly amusing Those Were the Good Old Days. And Silk Stockings (based on Lubitsch's film comedy Ninotchka) shows composer/lyricist Cole Porter at the top of his considerable form in Paris Loves Lovers, All of You and the concert's opening number Stereophonic Sound (disappointingly, however, using the movie version's bowdlerised lyric). Among other fine songs heard on Broadway in 1955 are the choice ballads All at Once You Love Her and Everybody's Got a Home But Me, from Pipe Dream (a flop by Rodgers and Hammerstein's lofty standards), and one of the year's top hits, Young and Foolish, from Plain and Fancy (Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt). The 10 singers who present these and other 1955 songs are splendid (notably Dee Hoty) and the linking commentary by host Scott Siegel is informative and entertaining. -- JIM MURPHY

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