Search - Anne Rogers, Anthony Hayes, Maria Charles :: The Boy Friend (Original London Cast) and Bonus Tracks

Another great package from Sepia

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 04/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sepia comes up trumps again with this lovely disc featuring the original 1954 London cast of THE BOY FRIEND, Sandy Wilson's giddy homage to the musicals of the 1920s'. The show originally opened in 1953, at the intimate Player's Theatre, where it was such a success that it was brought back for an encore season, transferring in 1954 to the Wyndhams Theatre where it ran for over 2,000 performances.



Anne Rogers and Anthony Hayes lead the cast as romantic Polly Browne and Tony, with Joan Sterndale Bennett as Madame Dubonnet and Maria Charles in the soubrette role of Dulcie. The orchestra consists of a lone piano with drums, which makes the atmosphere of the recording quite lively and crisp. The orchestra was beefed-up to 12 players for the 1955 Broadway engagement.



Anne Rogers makes for a charming Polly. Julie Andrews famously made her Broadway debut in the role, and the two performers' careers would intertwine further (Rogers replaced Andrews in the London production of MY FAIR LADY). It is great to finally compare the two contemporaries in this role, and Rogers is quite a spectacular Polly. The cast also includes Violetta, Denise Hirst, Joan Gadsdon, Larry Drew and John Rutland.



Sepia has filled out the disc with 2 medeys of BOY FRIEND songs performed by the London Orchestra. Also included are highlights from Rodgers and Hart's THE GIRL FRIEND, and some sparky selections from the 1925 cast of NO NO NANETTE featuring Binnie Hale and Irene Browne.



Another top disc from Sepia!"