Makes me believe in musical theatre
932109
This is one of the best musicals ever written - so much better than 90% of the crap produced on broadway today.
2701412
I purchased this, having never heard it, as a precursor to an audition for an Atlanta regional theatre production. It is not your typical musical theatre fare and it took me a bit to adjust my expectations.

That being said, Adam Guettel's score is beautiful and so enhances the telling of this remarkable and touching tale of first love. Beautifully produced and orchestrated with a stellar cast of performers. I suggest sitting with the libretto while listening. This puts everything into the context you'll need to fully appreciate this work.

This show truly makes me want to fall in love for the first time... all over again.
3259267
If you are someone who enjoys musical theatre, I would heartily recommend this DVD to you. There are so many aspects of this musical that make it a worthwhile addition to any collection. It followed closely on the success of "Kismet" and uses the themes of Rimsky-Korsakov as the foundation for the songs. It never appeared on the broadway stages as it was specifically written as a television production. Unfrotunately, the production was in a black and white era and much of the sparkle of the production is missing with the absence of color, especially since, in this age of "colorization," it would have been easy to add the extra sparkle.

It is fun and I am delighted with my copy . . .
3759150
I'm a big musical fan (I can often be found belting out various Broadway tunes) and I love quirky history non-fiction books. I like books that focus in on some minute part of history that I've never known about before. The Girls of Murder City had been on my TBR list for awhile so when I got an opportunity to read the book through Unputdownables Early Reader group, I was ecstatic. This book tells the true story behind some of the women that inspired the musical, Chicago. For you all not in the Broadway know, Chicago is the story of two gorgeous women convicted of murder during the Jazz Age in well, Chicago (surprise, surprise).

First off, I didn't realize that Chicago was based off of any true story so it was cool to learn that. The true story of the women is incredibly compelling. You have very differing cases between the women blessed with looks (many of them were let off) and the women who didn't have the looks to fall back on. The Girls of Murder City is also a story about the journalism during the 1920s, the height of the newspaper wars. You have newspapers covering these salacious stories of women killing people, most often their husbands or boyfriends being covered in a variety of ways by the competing newspapers out for the best and most gripping stories. The newspapers in Chicago fought against each other to provide the best (or at least most scandalous) coverage of these trials. The newspapers had the power to either glorify or condemn these women. In an age where newspapers are slowly losing their grip on their readership, it was sort of amazing to see this contrast of how it was back in the 1920s.

The book also goes into a little bit of detail about how the musical came to be. Maurine Watkins, a young woman, became a reporter for one of the Chicago papers. While women reporters were uncommon, the women reporters who covered hard news like murders were even more uncommon. Maurine covers these murdererous women and almost creates sort of stories rather than hard news articles about these women. She eventually goes on to write a full play inspired by the women. Eventually her play is sold to Bob Fosse (Broadway extraordinaire) and Chicago became the musical that it is today.

Perry does a wonderful job of bringing this little piece of history to life. The way that he writes the story really pulls you in. It's so interesting to see how sucked in the public got through these newspaper articles and how the papers tried to one-up each other over each story about the murdering women.

Bottom line: This is a great non-fiction book and should be widely read!
3625042
This music is incredible. I wish I had seen the show on Broadway.
4159385
what a wonder!  while i am amazingly versed in musical theatre, i did not know wonderful town until about eight years ago. It has the jump of on the town and you can hear bernstein moving toward westside story.  additionally, it is comden and green at their drollest and wittiest.  interestingly, you can almost see where fosse got some of his inspirations  when listening to SWING. this recording is beautifully sung and the full  orchestral arrangements are great.  this will tide me over until tyne daily  realizes that this is what should bring her back to broadway.
3126869
I saw the musical on Broadway  6 times and was thrilledto see they made into a movie.  Now I'll be able to seeit 365 if I want to. It's about life and dealing with what life throws yourway. It's great music with lots of feelings wrapped upinside. It's about love and sharing.  It's fantasticand a must have DVD!!!!
4370700
I almost stopped reading this after the first couple of chapters, but once he moved into the making of actual musicals and the stories around them the author caught my attention and I could not put the book down.  My advice is to keep plugging through the beginning.  It is worth the wait!
3554440
After seeing the musical I can honestly say that it will forever change your mind about the Wizard of Oz.  Both Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth performed wonderfully and I would expect to see Ms. Menzel win a Tony Award for her performance.  The show as well as the CD keeps you wanting for more and I always find myself singing, whistling or humming one song or the other.  The first act ended with Defying Gravity and I can say that I literally jumped out of my seat.  Enjoy this CD and if you can get to the show it is a must see.
3611083
It's a shame this musical didn't last long on Broadway. Hopefully it will be produced by local theaters so that more people can experience it.  The vocalization is gorgeous and several of the songs are truly memorable.
4786642
I saw this musical a few years ago when it first opened in Seattle.  I immediately loved it!  So glad to see it went to Broadway and I can't wait to see it again.  Love the music and can't recommend it enough!
507047
I really can't imagine why this show is not on Broadway.  Beautiful story and music.  The singers are excellent.  The sets are full of color and imagination.
1345900
This one of the best stage productions to come along in a long time. It is everything a musical should be. It's funny and romantic, the music is wonderful, the lyrics are beautiful and the book is just fantastic. The music is just glorious.  Sutton Foster has a voice to die for and she is an unbelievable dancing talent. Harriet Harris really came into her own, not like she needed a role such as this to show us her talents. Her performance on Frasier is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her ability. Sheryl Lee Ralph truly shines and I expect big, if not bigger things, from her in the near future. All in all, this is a phenomenal casting job, Foster is the spitting image of the film star Mary Tyler Moore, topped of with wondeful performances of truly outstanding music. If you can't see it, take my word for it and BUY THIS CD, then go see it... like me. The only thing I find disappointing is the absense of the Entr'acte.  It's no big deal, it doesn't detract from the show at all, but I like to see those on recording.  Broadway at it's best!!! This receives my highest recommendation.
538227
This is one of my favorite books on musical theatre. Despite the other reviewer feeling it overdone, I enjoyed the in depth analysis and the fact that the author chose to analyze and discuss works from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim to Joss Whedon's musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
722246
The Scene: Three months before my qualifying exams.  I have crammed every book on theatre I can think of.  I have notecards that I memorize.  I have no love of theatre anymore, no interest in the subject, just trying to get  through the ordeal that so many of my friends have failed.  I don't allow  myself to read books for fun, or all the way through.  I only skim for  facts to drop.
One day this book arrives in the mail with several others  I've ordered.  I dutifully skim it for facts to put on my notecards.  I  find myself being drawn in.  It is academic reading--I couldn't imagine  that it could be all that enjoyable.  More importantly I don't have time to  enjoy a book.  But I am enjoying it, so I decide to let myself really read  the first chapter (on Shakespeare).
I can't put it down.  I'm reading  about museums now, public parks, things that I will never be able to use on  my exams, but I love the way he thinks!  Not only am I loving Levine's  incredible book, but I am even excited about my field again.  Levine's book  is an incredible gift, a gift that helped me renew my delight in what  scholarship and history can do.  A model I will never live up to, but will  cherish and delight in.  And I did pass, quoting Levine not to impress, but  out of a real delight in the field and the joy of sharing ideas.
1063807
I have listened to this CD over and over again.  I am going to see the play in NYC but purchased it before going to NYC.  I enjoy Broadway Musicals and I also remember seeing West Side Story as a young girl on TV with Natalie Wood.  I remember liking the music back then.  There are some different lyrics in Spanish in the new CD and I enjoy the new version of WSS.  I purchased it for my daughter and sisters as well.  I think Lin Manuel Miranda added a nice touch to the songs in WSS.
667735
This is the best musical that I've heard and seen in a long time.  The characters are real, and everything seems to flow so well.  The music carries it, and brings a greater depth to the story.  I believe that even if someone were hearing it in a different language, they would get the general theme of it, because of the expression that Jonathon Larson put into his songs.  That's why these cd's are ALWAYS in my cd player.