Track Listing

1. Act One, Swinging: My Heart Stood Still - St�phane Grappelli
2. Act One, Did You Move?: Anitra's Dance [From "Peer Gynt Suite No. 1"] - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic
3. Act One, Did You Move?: Waltz Eugene [from "Eugene Onegin, Op. 24"] - Leonard Bernstein, New York Philharmonic
4. Act One, Did You Move?: Farandole [From "L'Arl�sienne Suite No. 2"] - Branford Marsalis, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
5. Act Two, Contact: Your're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
6. Act Two, Contact: Put a Lid on It - Squirrel Nut Zippers
7. Act Two, Contact: Sweet Lorraine - St�phane Grappelli
8. Act Two, Contact: Runaround Sue - Dion
9. Act Two, Contact: Beyond the Sea - Royal Crown Revue
10. Act Two, Contact: See What I Mean? - Al Cooper & His Savoy Sultans
11. Act Two, Contact: Simply Irresistible
12. Do You Wanna Dance [Act Two, Contact] - The Beach Boys
13. Act Two, Contact: Topsy - Royal Crown Revue
14. Act Two, Contact: Sing Sing Sing (With a Swing), Pt. 1-2 - Benny Goodman & His Orchestra

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1394675 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording

Amazon.com
Susan Stroman's Contact stirred up a hornets' nest of controversy by winning the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical. The fact that the music for the dance play was entirely prerecorded, and mostly from classic sources didn't sit well with either traditionalists or union musicians. So what exactly do you get on the CD, Contact: Music from the Broadway Show? The first segment of the three-section show takes place in the French countryside and is represented by a Stephane Grappelli recording of "My Heart Stood Still." The second part is a romantic fantasy accompanied by Leonard Bernstein recordings of Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Bizet. The most famous segment portrays modern New Yorkers and the music they swing dance to: classic pop (Dion, the Beach Boys), neo-swing bands (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Royal Crown Revue), and of course the show's defining number, Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible."

It's extremely odd to listen to a CD representing four Tony-winning achievements and not be able to enjoy three of them: Stroman's choreography, and Karen Ziemba and Boyd Gaines's dancing/acting (not to mention Deborah Yates's striking Girl in the Yellow Dress). Fortunately for Gaines, he actually appears on this CD, as his new, suave rendition of "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" replaces the show's usual Dean Martin recording. Comparable to the CD of music used in Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, Contact: Music from the Broadway Show is without question a useful souvenir of an innovative, invigorating theater experience (only a few numbers are missing from the 56-minute CD), but as a listening experience, it's a real mixed bag. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Wonderful dance music!
If you like swing/good dancing music this CD is a must for your collection. And no, you don't have to have seen the play to enjoy these songs. Hearing any one of them on the radio would be reason to crank up the volume! Yes, the first half is classical music but they are tuneful and delightful to listen to. And seeing the show (which I highly recommend!) will give an added dimension to your enjoyment but is definately not necessary to enjoy this cd.

Fabulous dance
Although I do not have the cd as of yet, I just saw this show on Broadway, and it was amazing. Although the first scene is somewhat uninteresting, the remaining sketches build in intensity and elaborate technique. Although not having an orchestra was a bit odd, I still enjoyed the music enough to order the cd. The different styles of music kept the show intriguing and energetic. I highly reccomend this 2000 Tony Award winner.

Good Music...Bad Representation
Now granted, some of these songs are great, but they don't compare in the least to the show itself. Contact is a fabulously entertaining show, and a wonderful new concept for Broadway...even though it is TRULY NOT a musical (one might classify it as a play with music, or even better, a "modern ballet"). So this is a good CD if you are just interested in a random compliation of good music, but unlike many broadway cast albums, it is NO substitution for the show...and the exclusion of Moondance? That's just silly...