There's no saying that I don't get to listen to a variety of music whilst I write reviews. I always enjoy reviewing the Masterworks Broadway digital re-issues, as you are never sure what is going to be released next - there are some wonderful recordings that have
yet to see the light of day in the digital world. Unfortunately, A Thurber Carnival isn't one of them.

A Thurber Carnival opened in New York at the ANTA Theatre in 1960, and ran for a brief 223 performances. This recording has music by Don Elliott (although there is little to claim credit for), and includes mainly sketches from the show, which rather than a musical, was really just a satirical review based on James Thurber's cartoons from the New Yorker.

The talent is good (Tony Award winner Peggy Cass, Paul Ford who had found fame on the Sergeant Bilko TV series and John McGiver), and the recording, under the production of Goddard Lieberson, is top notch.

But having listened to it once (I couldn't stand it twice) and not laughed once, nor found any music of note bar the Overture (there is no singing on the recording) I can't help feeling that Masterworks Broadway should have given this a miss.

As one of the track titles suitably suggests - file and forget.

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Ian Gude