Release Date: 30 June 2017
Label: Stage Door
Packaging Type: Slip Sleeve (CD or Vinyl)
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 5055122154105
Genres: Soundtracks Musical
Description
The Broadway musical 'Man in the Moon' was a collaboration between famed puppeteers Bil and Cora Baird and the award winning Broadway writing team of lyricist Sheldon Harnick and composer Jerry Bock. The original cast album now makes its debut on CD.
The production opened at New York's Biltmore Theatre on April 11th 1963 and ran for 22 performances. Two weeks later, Harnick and Bock's critically acclaimed musical 'She Loves Me' opened on Broadway and although 'Man In The Moon' would not achieve the same enduring legacy as 'She Loves Me', the charismatic children's musical still proved a critical success and contained five original and memorable songs by Harnick and Bock.
'Man in the Moon' was conceived by Bil Baird and featured a book by Arthur Burns. The story centred around the young protagonist Jerry who is beamed to the moon to act as an "Earth Ambassador" and state a case in the defence of our planet to the 'Man in the Moon'. Jerry is unexpectedly accompanied on his journey by jewel thief Flicker and his gang of henchmen.
The New York Times found the 'Man in the Moon' to be like a "box of holiday bon-bons" and praised Bock and Harnick's "snappy score". The limited theatre run was preceded by an Original Cast Album on Golden Records featuring Bil and Cora Baird, Franz Fazakas, Frank Sullivan, Gerald Freedman and session singers Rose Marie Jun and Eric Carlson. The album featured the dialogue scenes interspersed with the original songs by Bock and Harnick.
It is coupled here with the unreleased original demos for the show performed by composers Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock. The release continues Stage Door's Collector's Series, a line of limited edition CD products presented in slim cardboard sleeves, in a retro style of a miniature long-playing record. All Collector's Series titles are limited to 500 units.
Tracklisting
Tommy Steele
Original Broadway Cast
Max Bygraves
Original London Cast
The Nolans
Moira Danis
1967 London Studio Cast Recording
Original London Cast & George Formby
Bradley Jaden
Various Artists
Original Off Broadway Cast
Original Revival London Cast
Original West End Cast Recording
Original London Cast
Various Artists
Various Artists
