RAGTIME.
Ragtime..THE MUSICAL..is a weighty tome of a CD. Written by Terence McNally with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens it includes all the drama and inovations of early America. Because there is so much dialogue some of the songs get lost in music and words but as a whole piece it is momentous. The American Les Miz it could be, but because of a lack of great ballads it falls short of reaching high acclaim. ***.
HOUSE OF FLOWERS.
With a book and lyrics by Truman Capote and music by Harold Arlen this short -run musical should be something special and some of it is. Suffering a little from Sixties orchestrations and starring Pearl Bailey the CD does not allow the listener to follow any sort of plot except that The House of Flowers is a bordello for ladies of the night. That's all you need to know and Pearl Bailey and Dianne Carroll have all the plum songs between them. TWO LADIES IN DE SHADE OF DE BANANA TREE,I NEVER HAS SEEN SNOW,A SLEEPIN BEE,DON'T LIKE GOODBYES and there's a few exceteras. A Black Musical with a raunchy plot in the sixtes? No wonder it didn't run. There has been a revival CD but this is the one you need.***
MAGIC OF THE MUSICALS ON TUDNOFM 107.8 OR ONLINE AT TUDNOFM.CO.UK AND CLICK ON THE LINK TO LISTEN LIVE.
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