Broadway Playbill - GYPSY, Broadway Theater, Nov 1959, Ethel Merman, EX

Jasmine Records (UK) ( July 13, 1999 ), Genre: Pop Vocal

Did we really need yet another recording of Gypsy, the 1959 classic by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim? After all we already have albums headlined by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters. The short, answer is an emphatic yes. The 2008 version stars Patti LuPone, superbly supported by Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines and a luscious 36-piece orchestra. LuPone sinks her fangs into the role of the indomitable Mama Rose, and delivers the show’s epic anthems ("Some People, " "Everything’s Coming Up Roses" and "Rose’s Turn") with the right balance of manic energy and slightly cracked vulnerability. Touted in the liner notes as "the most complete recording of Gypsy ever, " the album only adds more ammo to the arsenal of those who hold the musical as possibly the best of all time. There is not a single weak cut here. And because this production was directed by the book’s author himself, Arthur Laurents, access was granted to seven goodies cut from the original production and tagged at the end. The highlight clearly is Rose’s "Who Needs Him?, " a torchy number that manages to pack a punch in just over a minute.--Elisabeth Vincentelli

Composed by Julie Styne and Stephen Sondheim.Amazingly, there was no London production of the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy until 1973. One reason might be that the show was a star vehicle for Ethel Merman, who was not interested in appearing overseas. (She never even toured the U.S., in Gypsy or any of her other musicals.) In any case, when the show finally was done in the West End, it was done right. Angela Lansbury might be a native Briton, but she made her career in Hollywood and then on Broadway, originating roles in three musicals (and winning two Tony Awards for her trouble) before she made her stage debut in London in a straight play in 1972. Enough time has passed since Merman's portrayal for Lansbury to make the starring role of Mama Rose her own, and she does. The part as written is essentially unsympathetic, which is why it requires a star to play it, and Lansbury is both a star and an actress who has some experience with unsympathetic characters. She sings the part beautifully on this cast album, m

Did we really need yet another recording of Gypsy, the 1959 classic by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim? After all we already have albums headlined by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters. The short, answer is an emphatic yes. The 2008 version stars Patti LuPone, superbly supported by Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines and a luscious 36-piece orchestra. LuPone sinks her fangs into the role of the indomitable Mama Rose, and delivers the show’s epic anthems ("Some People, " "Everything’s Coming Up Roses" and "Rose’s Turn") with the right balance of manic energy and slightly cracked vulnerability. Touted in the liner notes as "the most complete recording of Gypsy ever, " the album only adds more ammo to the arsenal of those who hold the musical as possibly the best of all time. There is not a single weak cut here. And because this production was directed by the book’s author himself, Arthur Laurents, access was granted to seven goodies cut from the original production and tagged at the end. The highlight clearly is Rose’s "Who Needs Him?, " a torchy number that manages to pack a punch in just over a minute.--Elisabeth Vincentelli

Var\nse Sarabande (USA) ( October 10, 1995 ), Genre: Pop Vocal

Anything Goes (Broadway) reproduction poster print Pop Culture Graphics, Inc is Amazon's largest source for movie and TV show memorabilia, poster and more: Offering tens of thousands of items to choose from. We also offer a full selection of framed posters.. Customer satisfaction is always guaranteed when you buy from Pop Culture Graphics, Inc

Jule Styne, a young Stephen Sondheim and a force of nature called Ethel Merman teamed to take Broadway by storm with this 1959 musical.

Broadway star Ethel Merman's voice was a mesmerizing force and her vitality was legendary, yet the popular perception of La Merm as the irrepressible wonder falls far short of all that she was and all that she meant to Americans over so many decades. This marvelously detailed biography is the first to tell the full story of how the stenographer from Queens, New York, became the queen of the Broadway musical in its golden age. Mining official and unofficial sources, including interviews with Merman's family and her personal scrapbooks, Caryl Flinn unearths new details of Merman's life and finds that behind the high-octane personality was a remarkably pragmatic woman who never lost sight of her roots.Brass Diva takes us from Merman's working-class beginnings through the extraordinary career that was launched in 1930 when, playing a secondary role in a Gershwin Brothers' show, she became an overnight sensation singing "I Got Rhythm." From there, we follow Merman's hits on Broadway, her uneven successes in Hollywood, and her afterlife as a beloved camp icon. This definitive work on the phenomenon that was Ethel Merman is also the first to thoroughly explore her robust influence on American popular culture.

Sepia Records ( May 12, 2009 ), Genre: Pop Vocal

This tribute to American musical theatre features 19 of Broadway's greatest stars performing tunes from 20 historic shows. Stars include Nell Carter, Robert Morse, Debbie Reynolds, Diahhann Carroll, Chita Rivera, Ethel Merman, and others. Hosted by Tom Bosley before a live audience.