Search - Herbert Lom :: The King and I / Golden City (Original 1953 London Cast) plus Bonus Tracks

2 fine (rare) original London cast albums on 1 CD

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 12/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This great CD from Sepia presents 2 rare London cast albums, crisply remastered, including the original London cast album of THE KING AND I.



THE KING AND I starred Valerie Hobson and Herbert Lom in London, both strong and capable performers. Vocally, Hobson is more than a match for Gertrude Lawrence, but Lawrence conveyed more heart and feeling in her singing than Hobson does here. If anything Valerie Hobson is an adequate Mrs Anna but I'll always hold Gertie Lawrence with higher esteem. Herbert Lom is a bold and daring King and doesn't hold back with his numbers. Doreen Duke makes for a lovely Tuptim with Jan Muzurus a fine Lun Tha. Muriel Smith (perhaps miscast as Lady Thiang, best-remembered as Broadway's original CARMEN JONES) nevertheless captivates with her rendition of "Something Wonderful". Finally having the original London cast album on CD is a treat indeed! THE KING AND I opened in 1953 and ran for a solid 946 performances.



GOLDEN CITY is a charming rarity with a score by John Tore`. Set in South Africa and telling the story of a group of farmers and gold prospectors, it bears more than a passing similarity to OKLAHOMA! in it's style and substance. It opened in 1950 and ran for a disappointing 140 performances. Standouts in the score include "Moonlight on the River", "What More Is There to Say?" and "The Girl in the Window". If GOLDEN CITY was a bitter disappointment, if nothing else it primed audiences for other `rural-type' musicals to follow such as PAINT YOUR WAGON and LOLA MONTEZ.



Sepia's disc is rounded-out by 6 extra tracks of Muriel Smith, including 2 numbers from BET YOUR LIFE (which is featured on the Sepia disc `Julie Wilson in London with Friends'). All-in-all a superlative CD."