This is an incredible recording of an incredible production. The score is quite astonishing, full of motifs that get under your skin, and bursting into glorious harmony when the characters sing of their beloved Southland. Despite having a band of nine and a cast of fifteen, this does not feel View More

This is an incredible recording of an incredible production. The score is quite astonishing, full of motifs that get under your skin, and bursting into glorious harmony when the characters sing of their beloved Southland. Despite having a band of nine and a cast of fifteen, this does not feel small or scaled back in any way, because all of the performers give it everything they have in technique and characterisation, as they did in the theatre, and the minor problems of staging are obviously eliminated in audio form.


The CDs give a complete picture of the show, every word and every note, and even the sound effects, which makes it possible to follow exactly what`s going on without the slightly disconcerting lurch between songs you can sometimes experience on recordings of shows (like this) that have an awful lot of music. It`s worth getting even for fans of the original recording because it is more complete and because it offers the new material written for the production. `The Glory`, from the second act, is a particularly fine addition to the score.

The music is not `easy` in any sense, though some of the early numbers, particularly `The Picture Show` (a fun duet) are closer to traditional musical numbers than later pieces. But it is definitely rewarding and well-crafted.

The bonus DVD gives 20 minutes of interviews with the key personnel, particularly composer Jason Robert Brown and bookwriter Alfred Uhry, who discuss this particular production. This is interesting, though the camera work is shaky and it is probably mostly of interest to those who were lucky enough to see the production.

Highly, highly recommended. View Less