At Long Last- Nancy Walker and Harold Lang Together Again
Bruce K. Hanson | Petersburg, VA | 09/05/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My friend Mr. Gable, who is celebrating his 87th birthday this year, saw the original production of Look Ma, I'm Dancin' back in 1948. What he remembered most was the opening number which was sung and danced by Harold Lang, whom up to that point was known primarily as that ballet dancer in Fancy Free. He called it a show stopper that opened the show. He also delighted in the physical comedy of Nancy Walker in her first lead in a Broadway musical. What a shame that hardly any footage exists of Harold Lang dancing but we are lucky to have several films with Walker including Best Foot Forward, Girl Crazy and Lucky Me. There are also her many television appearances on Rhoda, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and McMillan and Wife. But now, at last, there is also a wonderful cast recording of Look Ma, I'm Dancin'; the kind of Broadway musical they just don't make anymore. While I already owned this audio treat in several formats (the Decca 78 rpm set, the Decca 10 inch Lp, a pirate LP from Music Masters with alternate takes on two of the selections, and the Columbia Records reissue from the seventies on a 12" LP) I could not wait until Decca Broadway reissued it on CD so I could listen to it in the car where I spend 3 hours a day commuting to work. Decca has outdone itself with this release that includes two deleted songs: "Let's Do a Ballet" featuring Walker, Loren Welch, Sandra Deel, Bill Shiley and Harold Lang, and "Horrible, Horrible Love" with Walker and Deel. There are some great photos from the play as well as very frank notes by songwriter Hugh Martin. Directed by Jerome Robbins, the story is about a egotistical dancer working his way to the top no matter whose toes he steps on. A young stage-struck heires (played by Walker) is allowed to join the dance company as she is contributing 60% of the necessary capitol. This slim story line provided Walker with some of the best and funniest songs: "I'm Tired of Texas" and "I'm the First Girl in the Second Row". And then there is Harold Lang letting go on "Gotta Dance". Wow! Rumor has it that the beautiful Lang slept with the composer, the leading lady, and perhaps several members of the chorus during the run of the show. Perhaps that partially explains why it sounds like everyone is having such a good time in these songs. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because this is one fun musical comedy! In any case, Mr. Gable was delighted this summer when I bought him a copy of this CD. I don't think he ever expected to hear Look Ma, I'm Dancin' again. Thanks Decca! (Now, how about reissuing Donnybrook?)
"
Pure vintage Hugh Martin
Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 01/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"LOOK MA, I'M DANCIN'! is purely and simply vintage Hugh Martin. The score for this show is quite delightful and the cast album (making it's long-awaited CD debut from Decca Broadway) is highly-recommended from this reviewer.
Nancy Walker plays Lila Malloy, a brewery heiress from Milwaukee with dreams of becoming a ballerina. Walker was ideally suited to this "duck-out-of-water" kind of storyline and the score was dynamite, nevertheless the show closed after 188 performances.
Standouts in the cast album proper include "I'm the First Girl in the Second Row", "I'm Tired of Texas", "Tiny Room", "Shauny O'Shea" and "The Little Boy Blues".
This CD issue also includes "Horrible Horrible Love" (which was recorded but cut after the opening and thus not included on the original release of the cast album). There's also another take of "Shauny O'Shea" and an alternate version of "Gotta Dance" to savour.
Sound quality is quite good for the age of the material (some surface hiss and crackle can be heard but nothing too obtrusive).
Also featuring Sandra Deel, Bill Shirley and Harold Lang."
