When I tell people I review recordings, their first reaction is usually "Wow! Lots of CDs for free", closely followed by "That must be cool". It is cool, most of the time. You do get releases through that are a real struggle to listen to, and review objectively, but thankfully these are the minority. The majority are a good listen, and enjoyable. Every now and again, you get one that is an absolute joy.

So, with the usual trepidation of not knowing which category a CD will fall into, I've set about reviewing the latest release from Broadway Records. Broadway Records, as regular readers will know, are a particular favourite of mine, having released the majority of new, Broadway recordings over the past few years. First one on the deck (or the MP3 player, in this case) is Broadway Cast recording of a new musical that opened (and closed) on Broadway last autumn - Big Fish. I was really looking forward to hearing this (and had hoped to see it on Broadway when I was there in January - alas this was not to be. It features music and lyrics by one of my top 3 Broadway composers - Andrew Lippa - responsible for The Addams Family and Wild Party amongst others.

Big Fish centres on Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman with a huge heart, enormous spirit and an extraordinary vision of the world. Edward's incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him – most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, must make his way through the smokescreen of his father’s improbable stories to unravel the mystery of who his father truly is. The musical is based on the 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, and the 2003 critically acclaimed film from Columbia Pictures written by John August and directed by Tim Burton. The film and its soundtrack were nominated for an Academy Award, Grammy Award, 4 Golden Globe Awards and 7 BAFTA Awards. Big Fish had its pre-Broadway world premiere at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre in a critically-lauded 5-week engagement in April of 2013.

The Broadway cast had some stellar names in it - and all feature on this recording. It stars two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Catch Me If You Can) as Edward Bloom, Tony Award nominee Kate Baldwin (Giant, Finian’s Rainbow) as Sandra Bloom and Tony Award nominee Bobby Steggert (Giant, Ragtime) as Will Bloom. The supporting cast is equally experienced, and it shows in what is a uniformly excellent cast.

Thankfully, this recording falls firmly into the latter of the categories mentioned above - it is wonderful. Sure, Lippa's score may not have you humming the songs on the way to work, but it is a strong and varied score that certainly has something for everyone. From soaring ballads, to traditional Broadway-esque dance numbers, it is a contemporary sounding romp, that ticks all the boxes for what a good musical should be.

The cast, as I said above, are all true masters of their art. Butz is, as ever, a commanding lead, and vocally superb - you only have to get as far as the first number 'Be The Hero' to get proof of this. 'How It Ends' shows a much softer side to his voice, and is one of the stand out songs for me. Kate Baldwin also comes across well in this recording, both on her own ('I Don't Need a Roof') and with Butz - 'Daffodils' is a great number, as is 'Time Stops'. Bobby Steggart also has another winning song ('Stranger') as well as contributing well to several other numbers, including the final reprise of 'Be The Hero'.

A final mention to someone who is quickly for me becoming 'best in field' - the orchestrator of the album, Larry Hochman. The whole album sounds superb, and this is in no small part down to the tasteful when needed (and powerful when needed) orchestrations. For me, the unsung hero of this wonderful recording.

9

Ian Gude