Fanny: A New Musical (1954 Original Broadway Cast) ( Visit this link)
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Fanny: A New Musical (1954 Original Broadway Cast)
Harold Rome
Music and Lyrics by
Harold Rome
Book by Joshua Logan and S.N. Behrman
Original Broadway Cast Recording with Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak, Florence Henderson, William Tabbert, Gerald Price
Musical direction by Lehman Engel
RCA Victor CD 9026-68074-2
Fanny, new in 1954, marked David Merrick's debut as a producer of Broadway shows. Although not a favorite of the critics, Fanny ran for 888 performances on Broadway. Its success, no doubt was due to the exceptional cast that graced the show, which included the two principal male alumni of South Pacific, opera star Ezio Pinza, and hunky William Tabbert, Hollywood favorite Ezio Pinza, and , in the title role, a young protégé of composer Harold Rome, Florence Henderson. Set in Marseille in the 1930'sa, Fanny is a romantic tale of a young girl who marries a wealthy, generous man whom she does not love, in order to give the baby she is carrying a "good" name. Fanny's life is complicated by the attention she receives from Cesar, the father of her lover Marius, who has set off to sea. Fanny is at times sudsy and sentimental, but its characters have charm, and, most importantly for those who acquire this recording, Harold Rome's score is melodious and appealing. Rome's songs often convey honest, dramatic emotion.
There is a socko overture (orchestrations are by Philip J. Lang), and the album improves upon the original LP of Fanny by keeping the songs in their original running order. Pinza, although ailing ( he died three years after Fanny opened) is in excellent vocal shape, singing "Why Be Afraid to Dance" and Welcome Home" with vigor and a uniquely recognizable sound. Slezak presages Rex Harrison, Robert Preston, et. al, in the way he talks his way through his songs, but brings sensitivity and humor to the role. Tabbert, a wonderful baritone, gets to sing the musical's title song, which follows Miss Henderson's passionate account of Fanny's confession of love for Marius, "I Have to Tell You"
Harold Rome provides wedding music, belly dance music, duets, ensembles, and even the mischievous anthem "Be Kind to Your Parents" I don't know if Fanny is a great musical, but I've always felt it is a pretty darn good one. The album sounds as fresh as if it had been recorded last month, the performances are compelling, and the music is delightful. Those of you who are unfamiliar with this show are urged to give Fanny their most rapt attention.
Reviewed by Kenn Harris
Kenn Harris has been reviewing theatre, opera, ballet, and film for more than twenty-five years. His published books include The Ultimate Opera Quiz Book (Penguin, 1997 a biography of opera star Renata Tebaldi (l974) and Opera Recordings A Critical Guide.
For many years he worked in cable television in New York City. Kenn Harris has written criticism for numerous magazines and newspapers, and is currently at work on The Ultimate Broadway Musical Quiz Book
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Added: Mon Apr 04 2005