Search - Andrew Lloyd Webber :: Song & Dance

A Very Strong Performance

Kevin P. Costello | Atlanta, GA | 08/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a two disc compilation of the London show of Song and Dance. The first disc features Marti Webb in a one-woman show about an English Girl going to America, while the second is a instrumental/ballet of variations composed by Webber based (VERY loosely) on a theme by Paganini. The first disc (originally entitled Tell Me on a Sunday) is a tour-de-force in and of itself. Although Bernadette Peters won a Tony in the main role on Broadway, I actually prefer Webb's performance here. She brings a touching innocence to the role that makes it all the more believable. Some of the songs (especially Tell Me On a Sunday) are among the most beautiful Webber has written (Unexpected Song, which is in the broadway version, is not featured here. It does appear in the second disc with different lyrics as "When you want to fall in love"). The second disc is a bit more unusual in its contents. Webber combines Jazz, Classical, Tap, and Rock into a very Eclectic mixture that might not be to the tastes of some. I found it to work very well, however. You should be forewarned that this is a live recording(opening night!), with all the dangers and rewards inherent therein. The audience can be quite noticable (especially on the second disc), and the show is not perfectly polished yet. On the other hand, I found the energy injected into the performance by the audience to be of a quite positive nature."

An Unexpected Song

Richard W. Harner | Rehoboth Beach, Delaware United States | 07/12/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having heard "Tell me on a Sunday" and "Take That Look off Your Face" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Premier Collection" I have always wanted to hear the complete recording by Marti Webb. Now it is a dream come true: Ms. Webb's subtle, emotional, and believable performance in "Tell me on a Sunday", is flawless. The music is terrific, the lyrics by turns pensive and comical (though some British references may be hard to catch); Disc 2, "Variations", retains the electricity of the live recording, and the finale "When you Want to Fall in Love", is a special treat: it was re-written as "An Unexpected Song" for the Broadway Cast Recording starring Bernadette Peters (another wonderful album)."

A FINE MIXTURE OF SONG & DANCE

Marijan Bosnar | Croatia | 11/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Song & Dance premiered in West End in 1982. It is comprised of two pieces Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote in the 70-is: the short musical called "Tell me on a Sunday" and the instrumental piece called "Variations" that he composed based on the work of 18-19th century violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini. The latter was written for Webber's brother Julian, who plays the cello, although not in this recording. The title is derived from the fact that the first part is formed by the songs only and the second by the orchestra and Wayne Sleep's dancing troupe.



"Tell me on a Sunday" tells the story of a young English girl in New York, going through various love affairs and dealing with the life in another country. The music consists of beautifully composed pop and ballad songs, among the finest Lloyd Webber has ever done. The orchestrations are neatly made; I am especially fond of the parts when the orchestra takes the lead within a song, especially the saxophone part in "Come back with the same look in your eyes." Other noticeable songs are "Take that look off your face", "You're the last man in my life"; "Tell me on a Sunday" and many more. The lyrics of Don Black, Lloyd Webbers later cooperator on "Aspects of love" and "Sunset Blvd" are as witty as always. The first disc with the musical is almost entirely sung-through and although various characters are mentioned, we only see and hear the English girl.





The role of the English girl was originally written for Marti Webb, who played it as a solo part in the 70-is. She reprised her role on this live recording as well. She sounds perfect for the character of a young girl because her vocal abilities seem very suitable for that particular role. She brings a touch of a childish playfulness to it and that works very well. After Marti, many others played the role outside Song & Dance framework, including Sarah Brightman for a TV special and, most recently, Denise Van Outen for the current UK Tour. Marti herself is still playing the part at some parts of the said tour. The show was modernized to match today's standards, so instead of writing letters to her parents as she does on this recording, today the English girl emails them and among other things mentions "Friends" in the show. Also, songs were re-written and some new ones added. Despite of that, this original live 1982 recording works more than well. My only complaint is the lack of the lyrics in the booklet.





"Variations" loosely based on Paganini's compositions are a group of songs performed by the orchestra alone to which the group of professional dancers headed by Wayne Sleep danced. It was quite a sight according to the pictures in the booklet. Here Webber combines pop, jazz and even step dancing. The result is a wonderful mixture of fabulously composed music, which is attested by the enthusiastic response from the audience on this recording. As such, this CD works lovely as background music.



Song & Dance therefore is an obligatory part of any Lloyd Webber fan's collection.

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