Retail Music Store :Face the Music (2007 Encores! Cast Recording) [CAST RECORDING]

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New York's Encores! series pursues its excavation of nearly forgotten musicals with this wonderful 1932 chestnut from Irving Berlin. Moss Hart's dementedly screwball book uses the frame of a show within the show to juxtapose references to both the top and the bottom of the heap as the Depression hits America. But of course entertainment is primordial throughout: As Berlin puts it in the determinedly hopeful "Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee," "Trouble's just a bubble,/And the clouds will soon roll by." The songwriter is at the top of his game here--this CD is wildly entertaining from beginning to end—-and his command of the styles of the day is stupendous. He effortlessly goes from the gently acidic "Two Cheers Instead of Three" to the fevered love letter to a city that is "Manhattan Madness," from the operetta spoof "Crinoline Days" to "Torch Song," which sends up the tropes of the nominal genre (and is perfectly delivered by Felicia Finley, whose small part in The Wedding Singer had not prevented her from stealing the show). As is the case with Encores!, the cast—-including musical-comedy experts Judy Kaye, Lee Wilkoff, and Walter Bobbie—-is superb, and the large orchestra does justice to the period arrangements. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Kudos to all involved for resurrecting this work. If not a masterpiece along the lines of 'Annie Get Your Gun' or 'Call Me Madam,' still some wonderful, fun moments-- & great to have
anew a show by George Kaufman as well. Also fascinating that it anticipates
'The Producers' in plot, and the corruption farce still resonates in a way.
I think it's well cast too-- esp. the young lovers & Judy Kaye, if not in her
very best voice, still is effective in the 'Margaret Dumont' sort of role.
One of my favorite '07 show music albums. E. C Goodstein (Northern CA United States)