Irma La Douce [Sony]

Overview

Sony has done a first-class job with the Broadway cast recording of Irma La Douce -- not only is the original recording from 1960 mastered with clarity and richness of tone, but the accompanying booklet (which requires that the single CD go into a wide double-CD jewel case) is nicely annotated and printed, and filled with photographs of the cast -- including Elizabeth Seal, Keith Michell, Clive Revill, and George S. Irving -- at work. This CD will be a special treat for any of the millions of people who know the underlying work through its non-musical treatment onscreen by director/producer Billy Wilder, who made a great movie out of the play without using any of the songs. But the film score contains the melodies and the music, and hearing that material in the proper setting will only enhance the value of the original, even for those who prefer Wilder's non-singing approach to the material.