| User & Date | Comment |
| 2007-08-05 20:52:46 | Amazon.com Editoral Review: The delightful pairing of Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters headlines the 1974 cast of Mack and Mabel. Despite a distinguished pedigree of composer-lyricist Jerry Herman, director Gower Champion, and producer David Merrick, the show ran only 66 performances on Broadway due to an unwieldy and tragic plot about the doomed romance of silent-movie maven Mack Sennett, creator of the Keystone Kops (Preston), and star Mabel Normand (Peters)--which won't prevent you from enjoying this CD. Herman's score evokes the old silents (the banjo is particularly welcome), and the songs include "When Mabel Comes in the Room" (a welcoming song that is a direct descendant of Herman's "Hello Dolly"), the sprightly "Tap Your Troubles Away," Peters's defiant "Wherever He Ain't," and "Time Heals Everything," a gorgeous ballad that Peters subsequently made into a staple of her solo performances. Both Preston and Peters were nominated for Tony Awards, as was the show. The CD includes extensive production notes and a synopsis, but no lyrics. --David Horiuchi |
| Sammas 2007-08-05 23:52:46 | This show is packed with problems since it started its out-of-town run. However, no matter how the book depict a down-beat story and the insufficient choreography and direction by Gower Champion, the music and lyrics remains a gem. The score is the favorite of Jerry Herman, and also the Overture is made famous by ice-skaters duo Torvill and Dean, who used it as the bgm in 1982 Copenhagen World Championships and won.
This is absolutely a must-buy for those who like tuneful melodies as in "Mame" and "Hello, Dolly!". And of course Robert Preston, Bernadette Peters and Lisa Kirk contribute their unique voices in the CD as well. Stand-out tracks include the opener "Movies were Movies", show-stopping "Look What Happened to Mabel", the soulful "I Won't Send Roses", the vigorous "Wherever He Ain't", and the heart-breaking "Time Heals Everything" and "I Promise You a Happy Ending". |
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