Moody’s vocal performance certainly leaves something to be desired, but all of the other music is well interpreted and performed. It’s clear by everyone’s interpretation that this is still essentially a young women’s coming of age story. Graham Bickley sings very well and gives an intelligent and vibrant performance as Gaston, while Lindsay Hamilton is quite charming as Gigi. London Studio Cast, 1997 (JAY) (3 / 5) This well-done digital recording features Ron Moody (of Oliver!) fame as Honoré and the distinguished actress Sián Phillips as Mamita. The major drawback is the tepid title-role performance of Karin Wolfe, who displays none of the pluck and intelligence that are essential elements of Gigi’s character. While “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” will always conjure memories of Chevalier, Drake’s other numbers - including “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore” and “Paris Is Paris Again,” the latter written specifically for the stage version - are highlights of the recording. Amazingly, he is able to dispel the ghost of Chevalier’s performance and offer a fresh characterization. Yet only Alfred Drake as Honoré seems fully at ease and in his element. Maria Karnilova sounds charming as Grandmama, Agnes Moorehead must have been riveting as the tough-as-nails ex-courtesan Aunt Alicia, and Daniel Massey is well cast as Gaston. The new orchestrations sound opaque and soporific the production apparently had a kitschy, 1970-ish operetta look, and this album reflects that ill-advised concept, although some of the performances sparkle. The world had changed so much in the interim that the show seemed antiquated, aside from the flaws of the adaptation itself. Original Broadway Cast, 1973 (RCA) (2 / 5) Here’s the cast album of a stage production that came 15 years after the film Gigi. Other outstanding selections are “The Waltz at Maxim’s,” “The Night They Invented Champagne,” and the Oscar-winning title song, beautifully delivered by Louis Jourdan. Also included here is the film’s magnificent background score, plus several reprises and the “Gossip” number, none of which were on the original LP. Betty Wand dubbed the singing of the title character, and her voice well complements Caron’s plucky Gigi the CD offers Caron’s unused vocal tracks (with solo piano accompaniment) as bonus cuts, so you can judge for yourself whether producer Arthur Freed made the right decision in hiring Wand to post-dub Gigi’s songs. In Chevalier’s artful rendition of “Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” he skillfully walks the fine line between great charm and eyebrow-raising naughtiness, and his performances of “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore” and (with Gingold) “I Remember It Well” are supremely witty. The vocal performances of Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, and Hermione Gingold are all treasures. Conductor André Previn, Conrad Salinger, Bob Franklyn, Alexander Courage, and others came up with superb arrangements/orchestrations the gorgeous counter-melodies of the French horns and the Offenbachesque staccatos of the brass and percussion create spine-tingling effects. Lerner’s lyrics are among his most brilliantly crafted, while Loewe’s dazzling music evokes Lehár, Ravel, and Brahms, even as the composer retains his own distinctive melodic voice. But it’s the score that has made this film an enduring classic. Leslie Caron’s performance as Gigi adds believability and weight to the tale of a young girl who uses her intelligence and steadfastness of character to stand up against an entire society’s misguided conceptions of sex and marriage. Time has been kind to this subtle adaptation of Colette’s novella it holds up well even today as a great feminist story. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, Gigi won nine Academy Awards, including “Best Picture” of 1958. Film Soundtrack, 1958 (MGM/Rhino) (5 / 5) This beloved Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick Loewe score is tremendously appealing, and the soundtrack album is one of the all-time great recordings of any screen or stage musical.
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