Amazon.com - Ordered 09.05.2000 - Shipped 09.17.2000 - Received 09.28.2000 Directed by Peter Coe, Sound Designed by Philip Clifford, Musical Director Alexander Faris, Musical Arrangements by Philip J. Lang, Producer Michael White, in association with Isobel Robins Konecky.
The booklet contains a two pages complete synopsis and the back cover holds two small black and white pictures of the show (I guess).
I was really wondering what this recording could sound like: I read the novel a few years ago, and it's one of the best I did read. Very simple but also very efficient. I had also heard at Michael Crawford as the Phantom in The Phantom Of The Opera, so I had already something in my mind when I opened my CD player to put this recording in it. Well, the sound is so bad that it's quite difficult to cleverly make my mind about it. I'd say this about the recording (I can't say about the show): it could have been better. It probably couldn't have made a great recording but at least something acceptable.In Charles Strouse music, I feel a little of the style that made me love Nightingale so much, that love for telling stories with his music. But unfortunately the whole thing is hardly worth the price I'm afraid. Performances are not very well emphasised but my feeling is that they're not very good. In fact, this recording sounds like an amateur demo recording more than a professional cast recording. As there are no particular liner notes on that matter I couldn't figure out more on why and how this recording occurred that could explain the bad sound. It's also possible that this was such a disaster that they had to record it quickly or whatever... Anyway, this is a rather mysterious and amusing recording for me. A complete cast list is also missing unfortunately.