By Steven Suskin
15 Nov 2009
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"That Something Extra Special" is a song title, from the Jule Styne-E.Y. Harburg musical Darling of the Day, which serves as the opening track on Kate Baldwin's new CD "Let's See What Happens." "That something extra special" just might be a phrase you'd pick to describe Ms. Baldwin. Starring just now in the vibrant revival of Finian's Rainbow at the St. James, this newly-minted leading lady is especially well-showcased on her new solo CD from PS Classics.
Following her appearance in the Burton Lane-Yip Harburg classic at Encores! last March, Baldwin had the good sense to go into the studio with a stackful of songs by Lane and Harburg. Lane or Harburg, we should say; only four of the 16 songs come from the pair, who did not get along especially well. On the first day of rehearsals of Finian back in 1947, Lane performed the songs for the cast. When he finished and they applauded enthusiastically, Harburg dismissively told them "he's just the piano player." Lane stormed out, and that was that. However difficult the collaboration might have been, they certainly turned out a remarkable score for their "Glocca Morra" musical.
The decision to shake songs from the Lane/Harburg tree turned out to be sound; in come contributions from Lerner, Loesser and Fields on Burton's side and Arlen, Styne and Duke on Yip's. So what we have is an excellent (if underactive composer) and an excellent lyricist, compounded by some of the finest composers and lyricists of our time. And the song pickers on this occasion — Ms. Baldwin and producer Tommy Krasker, presumably — know how to pick 'em. Little known songs mostly, other than "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" "Come Back to Me" and "How About You?," but fine songs all. What's more, there are nine orchestrators on display, with some especially fine work. "How About You?" — that's the one that goes "I like New York in June, how about you?" — is given a swinging rendition by Jonathan Tunick, who plays the solo clarinet solo here. (This and his other two tracks, a breezy "Come Back to Me" and a jazzy rendition of Arlen's "Paris Is a Lonely Town" from the animated film "Gay Purr-ee," are performed by "Jonathan Tunick's Broadway Moonlighters," featuring 13 top pit players.)
If it seems like we're addressing the arrangers while ignoring the singer, that's because Ms. Baldwin sparkles throughout; no need to follow her progress song-by-song. The CD ends with a high point, just Baldwin and Mr. Berman (at the piano) giving us "The World Is in My Arms." I don't know what this sounded like when Lane and Harburg wrote it for Al Jolson in their only stage musical other than Finian's Rainbow, the 1940 Hold On to Your Hats; here it sounds just wonderful.
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In the 1983 musical Baby, songwriters Maltby and Shire had a middle-aged character sing a song called "Patterns" (which was cut) while their twentyish heroine Liz Callaway sang songs, shook the rafters of the Barrymore and gave birth to the title character. I mention this only because 25 years later, Ms. Callaway is singing that same "Patterns" on her new CD "Passage of Time." To those of us familiar with the original cast recording of Baby, it sounds like there has been little-to-no passage of time; this is not the same 22-year-old voice, certainly, but no way does it sound middle-aged. Callaway went on to create the role of Ellen in Miss Saigon, picking up her second Tony nomination in the process. Such was the nature of musical theatre job opportunities in the 1980-2000 period that Ms. Callaway's most profitable gig was a five-year stint singing "Memory" at the Winter Garden.
At any rate, Callaway's new CD does indeed address the passage of time. Among the highlights are "Nothing to Lose (But Your Heart)," a fine new song from Ahrens and Flaherty. Not new, exactly; it was written four or five years ago for a Norwegian pop star, who never recorded it. Ms. Callaway had done the demo for Ahrens and Flaherty back them; when looking for songs for "Passage of Time," she remembered it and called the composer (who orchestrated it for this recording, and plays the piano part too). The aforementioned "Patterns" is especially good, with an effective orchestration provided by composer David Shire; so is "Better," from Ed Kleban, and Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman's "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be" (a fine duet with Ann Hampton Callaway). The latter two are orchestrated by Callaway's musical director, Alex Rybeck. Standing out, perhaps surprisingly, is a wonderfully touching rendition of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby."
What's more, the singer favors us with a couple of special pieces of Sondheim. (Callaway comes naturally by Sondheim, having made her debut in the original Merrily We Roll Along, playing the Nightclub Waitress and understudying Mary, followed by the 1983 "A Stephen Sondheim Evening" and as Young Sally in the 1985 "Follies in Concert.") Here we have an especially good "Children Will Listen," incorporating material from the rarely heard verse and well orchestrated by Michael Starobin. Callaway ends the disc with "Being Alive," in a solo version (as opposed to that heard in the show, with dialogue breaks) prepared by the composer for the above-mentioned 1983 anthology.
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Two Christmas albums benefiting worthy causes have also appeared. BROADWAY'S CAROLS FOR A CURE: Volume 11 [Rock-it Science Records] comes along as it has every season for more than a decade, with contributions from cast members (and musicians, conductors, arrangers and more) benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Twenty-two groups are represented; Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, and some other local groups. As always the holiday songs range from traditional to vibrantly nontraditional, resulting in an enjoyable sampler. As always, you can buy "Carols for a Cure" through broadwaycares.org or in many theatre lobbies during the upcoming fund-raising period when cast members — instead of rushing out the door after curtain calls — come out to the cold, drafty lobby to greet theatregoers and pass the basket.
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(Steven Suskin is author of "The Sound of Broadway Music: A Book of Orchestrators and Orchestrations" as well as "Second Act Trouble," "Show Tunes" and the "Opening Night on Broadway" books. He can be reached at Ssuskin@aol.com)
