RCA Victor has a "Darling" of a recording -- the original cast recording of Darling of the Day -- set for release Nov. 10.

When Darling opened Jan. 27, 1968, it marked the American and Broadway debut of Patricia Routledge (most recently Hyacinth on the Britcom "Keeping Up Appearances"). She played Alice Challice, a lower middle class girl who falls in love with a famous painter who is disguised as his deceased butler. Routledge would tie with Leslie Uggams (currently Off-Broadway in The Old Settler ) for a best actress Tony award for her work on Darling.

Her co-star was horror film star Vincent Price as the artist who becomes his own butler in order to escape the snobbery of the Edwardian art world.

Jule Styne (Gypsy) wrote Darling's music with lyrics by Yip Harburg (The Wizard of Oz). The piece was based on Arnold Bennett's book "Buried Alive."

RCA's recording boasts the following songs sung by Routledge and Price: "It's Enough to Make a Lady Fall in Love," "Let's See What Happens," "To Get Out of the World Alive," "That Something Extra Special," "Not On Your Nellie," "A Gentleman's Gentleman," I've Got a Rainbow Working for Me," What Makes a Marriage Merry," "Butler in the Abbey" and "Sunset Tree." Darling of the Day originally played 32 performances at the George Abbott Theatre.

-- By Christine Ehren