Track Listing

1. Overture - London Symphony Orchestra
2. I Get a Kick out of You - Kim Criswell, London Symphony Orchestra
3. Bon Voyage - London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
4. All Through the Night - Cris Groenendaal, Cris Groenendaal, Bruce Hubbard, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, Frederica Von Stade, Frederica Von Stade, Michael B. Wailing
5. There'll Always Be a Lady Fair - Bruce Hubbard, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael B. Wailing
6. Where Are the Men? - Rebecca Caine, , Judy Green, London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
7. You're the Top - Kim Criswell, Cris Groenendaal, Cris Groenendaal, London Symphony Orchestra
8. Encore: You're the Top - Kim Criswell, Cris Groenendaal, Cris Groenendaal, London Symphony Orchestra
9. Reprise: There'll Always Be a Lady Fair - Bruce Hubbard, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael B. Wailing
10. Anything Goes - Kim Criswell, Bruce Hubbard, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael B. Wailing
11. Finale Act One - Kim Criswell, , Jack Gilford, Cris Groenendaal, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, , Frederica Von Stade, Frederica Von Stade
12. Entr'acte - London Symphony Orchestra
13. Public Enemy Number One - Bruce Hubbard, Bryan Landrine, London Symphony Orchestra, Michael B. Wailing
14. What a Joy to Be Young - London Symphony Orchestra, Frederica Von Stade, Frederica Von Stade
15. Blow, Gabriel, Blow - Kim Criswell, London Symphony Orchestra
16. Be Like the Bluebird - Jack Gilford, London Symphony Orchestra
17. Buddie, Beware - Kim Criswell, London Symphony Orchestra
18. Gypsy in Me - London Symphony Orchestra, Frederica Von Stade, Frederica Von Stade
19. Finale Ultimo - London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
20. There's No Cure Like Travel - Rebecca Caine, , Judy Green, London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
21. Kate the Great - Kim Criswell, London Symphony Orchestra, Chorus
22. Waltz Down the Aisle - Simon Green, London Symphony Orchestra, Frederica Von Stade, Frederica Von Stade

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8980 in Music
• Brand: Porter
• Released on: 1990-05-08
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Dimensions: .32 pounds

Amazon.com
Along with Kiss Me, Kate, 1934's Anything Goes is usually thought to be Cole Porter's finest show. Even without a young belter named Ethel Merman as the lead, the show's parade of hits ("I Get a Kick Out of You," "All Through the Night," "You're the Top," and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow") would have secured it a place in Broadway's pantheon. This recording is the first one to use the original 1934 arrangements, painstakingly reconstructed with the help of one of the original arrangers, Hans Spialek, and it also includes three songs cut from the original production. And the excellent cast does the London Symphony Orchestra and conductor John McGlinn proud: Kim Craswell is her usual powerhouse as Reno Sweeney (if only a little brittle around the edges sometimes), while mezzo Frederica von Stade smoothly adapts to musical theater as Hope Harcourt. All musical-theater lovers should have Anything Goes in their collection, and this recording is quite a worthy one. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

A well reconstructed rendition of a classic
Cole Porter's brilliantly witty show, written to raise the spirits of depression-enfolded America, is a wonderful treat. After two reworkings, the stage version of Anything Goes presented today is different from the original, but this modern recording (aided by one of the original orchestrators) brings back the magical work that inspired the audiences of the 1930s. Talented voices that compliment the orchestra well, good articles and an interview in the CD booklet, as well as Cole Porter's brilliant music make this an essential for the Anything Goes fan.

Easily the best version available
There are several fine versions of Anything Goes available, but the 1988 London version is the best in my opinion, thanks to sensational orchestrations and the wonderful, naughty, zesty, sexy performance by Kim Criswell who in my opinion is much better than Patti LuPone. The title number will knock your socks off, especially if you are used to the tame version by Ella Fitzgerald. Frederica von Stade is fine too. Fantastic sound quality as well.

As close to the original 1934 performance as we'll ever get!
Of the many ANYTHING GOES recordings, this is the ONLY one to recreate the score as it was heard on opening night in 1934.

The later stage revivals (1962 and 1987) dropped some of the original songs and added other Cole Porter standards. While these versions play well on stage, there is something to be siad for hearing the original text and orchestrations. While no one can replace Ethel Merman's original star performance, it was not preserved because "original cast" albums were not being done in 1934. She did record some of the songs over the years but never with the original orchestrations. (Just think if EMI had made this set in the 1960s and brought Merman into the studio to record her interpretations! What a missed opportunity.) That said, Kim Criswell brings the requesite belt to Reno Sweeney's songs. Cris Groenendaal brings a pleasant light tenor to Billy Crocker's songs, and Frederica Von Stade (one of the few opera singers whose voice seems well suited to american musical theatre repretoire) is well suited to Hope's short musical scenes. As an ingenue, she doesn't get to sing all that much!

Not all is perfect. Jack Gilford was too old and frail having little voice left for Moonface Martin's number. And the Ambrosian singers sing correctly without having the proper "broadway" sound. Nevertheless, John McClinn conducts with precision, and the thick booklet is full of fascinating facts about the show, a detailed synopsis, all the lyrics and an amusing glossery explaing some of the obscure references in Porter's original lyrics.