It’s been pretty quiet on the Masterworks Broadway front of late. Last year, and the preceding couple of years, we had lots of ‘first time on digital’ releases from this major label. However, after a brief hiatus, they are back with another series of planned releases of cast recordings previously only available on vinyl. The first of these is the London Cast recording of the fun musical Dames at Sea.

A surprise hit Off-Broadway in 1968, Dames at Sea had its London debut little more than a year later. The Original London Cast Recording features an all-English cast in a lively but distinctive interpretation of the show, under original director/choreographer Neil Kenyon, with orchestral arrangements that differ from those created expressly for the Off-Broadway cast recording – perhaps closer to what was actually heard in the theater. In the role that made Bernadette Peters famous, nineteen-year-old Sheila White brings a fresh, pixie-ish quality to the optimistic showgirl Ruby. (White played Brigitta in The Sound of Music in London and, in 1969, had just appeared as Nancy Sykes’s best friend in the Oscar-winning film Oliver!). Dames at Sea has had an enduring popularity in England, and this production was the beginning of that.

As I said, this is very much a fun musical. It’s very much a traditional cast recording with lots of libretto included between songs, which I like as it really sets the scene for the numbers. The musical is very much in the style of the old '20s and '30s Busby Berkley movie musicals, and this recording captures the spirit of the era with just the right amount of pastiche. It’s full of good numbers, that stick in your head - especially 'Wall Street' and 'Choo Choo Honeymoon'. Performances are all excellent, and the recording comes with a detailed booklet that tells you all you need to know.

This recording marks a promising return to the re-issue arena for Masterworks Broadway, and I look forward to their future planned releases.

8

Ian Gude