Search - Richard Rodgers, Richard Day-Lewis, Charles West :: Rodgers & Hart's Dearest Enemy

Good recording of Rodgers & Hart score

The Music Man | United States | 01/12/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This 1981 recording of 1925's "Dearest Enemy" is a pleasant, faithful account of an unremarkable R&H score. Unfortunately, the producers didn't spring for a full orchestra, so we're left with piano, electric keyboard, drums and bass. Despite their reduced forces, the band manage to keep the tempos spritely; and the cast, despite being relative unknowns, gamely do their best to capture the mood of the 1920s in their mannerisms and inflections. The best thing about this score is Hart's always-clever lyrics, with special mention towards the opening number, "War Is War" which features a bevy of maidens gleefully singing "We're going to be compromised!" with all the glee of Monty Python's virgins waiting to be spanked. Richard Rogers music is fine, but little stands out, with the exception of the pretty ballad "I'd Like To Hide It", sung by Michelle Summers. Among the performers, leading man John Diedrich is probably the weakest of the bunch, sounding somewhat drowsy in his performances, while Charles West manages to sound blustery in his numbers, and the female performers all hit their marks. The recording adds two bonus tracks from the Original Australian cast, and are welcome for their historic value. The sound is good, the notes are skimpy, but overall this is a pleasant listen, definitely worth picking up for fans of early musical theater."