Broadway and Hollywood Redux

It’s beginning to look like a banner season for musical theater recordings. EMI/Angel was out of the starting gates first with a massive three-CD retrospective on “Show Boat.” Now, Columbia Records follows with an unprecedented large-scale release of 17 original Broadway cast albums and film sound tracks, running the gamut from “My Fair Lady” to the film music of Dmitri Tiomkin.

The size and quality of the package, with its nostalgia of past musical theater, glories in stark contrast to the limited and relatively subdued offerings of recent theatrical seasons.

The recordings, which will be available also on cassette and compact disc, are part of the company’s low-price collection “Broadway’s Best Value” and include such major entries as the original-cast versions of “Kiss Me Kate,” “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Bells Are Ringing” and “Anyone Can Whistle.”

Other items are, to say the least, odd participants in a collection devoted to Broadway, but all represent considerable value for the gift-giving season. Rating the releases on a scale of one to four stars, with four being best, can be a bit deceptive, especially for those listeners who find Doris Day’s movie songs infinitely superior to, say, a Stephen Sondheim musical. Nonetheless, choices can be made, as follows:

FOUR STARS OR BETTER “My Fair Lady.”

Original cast. The classic musical, even for the most casual listener, and still a marvel of language and music.

“Kiss Me Kate.”

Original cast. Cole Porter’s spirited variation on “Taming of the Shrew,” with Alfred Drake and Patricia Morrison.

“Finian’s Rainbow.”

Columbia’s first original cast album, starring Ella Logan and a pixieish David Wayne.

“Bells Are Ringing.”

Original cast. A less than superlative score brought to life by Sydney Chaplin and, especially, by the utterly unique magic of Judy Holliday.

“Anyone Can Whistle.”

Original cast. One of the lesser-known Sondheim musicals, featuring Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury, and an extended version of the “Cookie Chase” ballet not included in the original release.

“A Star Is Born.”

The sound track from the Judy Garland motion-picture version of “A Star Is Born” (reprocessed in legitimate stereo from the film’s original magnetic sound tracks).

3 1/2 STARS “On the Town.”

A studio re-creation, with composer Leonard Bernstein conducting original-cast members Adolph Comden, Betty Green and Nancy Walker.

“Pal Joey.”

Another studio re-creation, and an important one, since it led to the production of the 1952 revival. Featuring Vivienne Segal and Harold Lang.

THREE STARS “Cinderella.”

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s widely watched 1957 original musical for TV starring Julie Andrews. Not a particularly memorable score, but lovely singing by Andrews.

“Peter Pan.”

Another highly successful TV production (1955), with songs by Leonard Bernstein and delightful performances by Jean Arthur and Boris Karloff.

“Julie Andrews: A Little Bit of Broadway.”

Actually, quite a lot of Broadway, including Andrews’ performance of the previously unreleased “I’ll Follow My Secret Heart” from Noel Coward’s “Conversation Piece” and a sparkling version of “I Feel Pretty.”

“Bye Bye Birdie.”

The original sound track from the film, starring Dick Van Dyke and Chita Rivera.

2 1/2 STARS “Doris Day: A Day at the Movies.” Strictly for Day fans. A collection of songs from, among others, “Romance on the High Seas” and “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” including some material that has not been available since the initial release of the films.

TWO STARS OR LESS “Hollywood Magic: ‘50s” and “Hollywood Magic: ‘60s.” Collections of motion picture highlights, with the ‘50s album overflowing with such doggedly memorable numbers as “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” “Wild Is the Wind” and “The River Kwai March.”

“Film Music of Jon Barry” and “Film Music of Dmitri Tiomkin.” Both albums confirm, despite the obvious craft and talent of the composers, that film music generally sounds better when one is looking at a motion picture.