Steel Pier (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

by Original Broadway Cast

Overview

John Kander and Fred Ebb's musical Steel Pier, with an original book by David Thompson, was set at a dance marathon held at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City in 1933. That it failed on Broadway in the spring of 1997 may be attributed both to the competition -- it was swamped by Titanic -- and to a peculiar plot twist: feeling that the subject matter was not dire enough, the creators decided that the leading man should be, well, dead. Typically, Kander and Ebb chose a dark story (their previous efforts include Cabaret, Chicago, and Kiss of the Spider Woman) and then wrote a lot of slick, superficial songs, few of which were integrated into the story, the intention being that the plot would add weight to the music and the music would give buoyancy to the plot. For that to work, however, the songs have to be a little more than slick and superficial to begin with, and the plot has to be at least somewhat involving, and here they were not. Composer Kander's primary influence came not from Broadway but from Hollywood, as he evoked the music Harry Warren wrote for Warner Bros. movie musicals like 42nd Street; Ebb's lyrics were as serviceable as usual. But the differing tones of the material actually worked against one other rather than complementing one other, and though the cast was talented, especially Karen Ziemba, for whom the show should have been more of a star vehicle, and Debra Monk, the performers were unable to overcome the faults of the creators. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	07/29/1997
Label:	SONY MASTERWORKS
UPC:	0090266887828

Tracks

1. Overture
2. Prelude
3. Willing to Ride
4. Everybody Dance
5. Second Chance
6. A Powerful Thing
7. Medley
8. The Shag
9. Everybody's Girl
10. Two Step
11. Wet
12. Harmonica Specialty
13. Lovebird
14. The Sprints
15. Entr'acte
16. Leave the World Behind
17. Somebody Older
18. Running in Place
19. Two Little Words
20. First You Dream
21. Steel Pier
22. Steel Pier (Reprise)
23. Final Dance

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Original Broadway Cast   Primary Artist
Karen Ziemba   Primary Artist,Vocals
Kristin Chenoweth   Primary Artist,Vocals
John Kander   Primary Artist,Piano
The Orchestra   Primary Artist
Mary Illes   Primary Artist
Rosa Curry   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ronn Carroll   Primary Artist,Vocals
Gregory Harrison   Primary Artist
Gregory Mitchell   Primary Artist,Vocals
Daniel McDonald   Primary Artist
Debra Monk   Primary Artist,Vocals
Barry Finclair   Viola,Violin
Matthew Raimondi   Violin
Charles Gordon   Trombone (Tenor)
Christopher Cardona   Violin
Lawrence Feldman   Woodwind
Roger Wendt   French Horn
David Loud   Conductor,Musical Direction
Jill Jaffe   Viola,Violin
Earl McIntyre   Tuba,Trombone (Bass)
Mark Sherman   Percussion
Andy Drelles   Woodwind
John Pintavalle   Violin
Susan Follari   Viola,Violin
Anthony Geralis   Synthesizer
Gregory Utzig   Piano,Guitar
James Moore   Synthesizer
Anita Miller   French Horn
William Shadel   Woodwind
Richard Kelley   Trumpet
Richard Auldon Clark   Viola,Violin
Paul Woodiel   Violin
Richard Henrickson   Violin
Diane Barere   Cello

Technical Credits

Daniel McDonald   Performer
Kevin Fox   Assistant Engineer
Debra Monk   Performer
Michael McCoy   Assistant Engineer
Ken Hahn   Post Production
Evan Morris   Music Preparation
Gregory Mitchell   Performer
Carol Rosegg   Photography
Tony Meola   Sound Design
Regina Elliott   Production Coordination
Gregory Harrison   Performer
Ronn Carroll   Performer
James Michols   Engineer
Paul J. Falcone   Assistant Engineer
Donald Oliver   Music Preparation
David Thompson   Liner Notes
Joan Marcus   Photography
Richard Dombrowski   Art Direction
Mary Illes   Performer
Michelle Ryang   A&R
The Orchestra   Performer
Emily King   Text Preparation
John Kander   Composer,Performer
Bill Rosenfield   A&R
Fred Ebb   Composer,Lyricist
Kristin Chenoweth   Performer
Jay David Saks   Producer
Karen Ziemba   Performer