Search - Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Stephen Sondheim :: Dress Casual

Stan T. from EAGLE, ID
Reviewed on 7/16/2007...

From Amazon
Mandy Patinkin follows up his successful solo debut with Dress Casual. Keeping the same pattern, he provides some Sondheim ("Sorry-Grateful," "Giants in the Sky"), triple-tracking ("Triplets"), and medleys of standards, as well as some Yiddish ("Yossel, Yossel"). The real highlights, however, are two extended suites, one from Rodgers and Hart's Pal Joey (and no, he doesn't sing "Bewitched" in falsetto) and one from Sondheim's 1966 television drama Evening Primrose. For the first full recording of these four songs, Patinkin recruited Sondheim specialist Bernadette Peters, who sings the only song that got significant play after the show, the beautiful ballad "I Remember." Six years after their collaboration in Sunday in the Park with George, the stars are in perfect sync and give Evening Primrose a well-deserved resuscitation. --David Horiuchi

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Mandy does...

03/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...dress casual, that is. At his concerts, Mandy lets nothing distract from the music--no fancy stage costume & set--just his comfortable old black t-shirt, slacks, & sneakers, a hands-free microphone, stool, piano, & accompanist on a bare stage. Dress Casual started out as a Broadway show, & I just happened to be in NYC when it was playing. Did I go see it? Nope--I had no idea who Mandy Patinkin was then. If I had, I wouldn't have been on line for 7 hours to get standby tickets for Phantom of the Opera! Mandy's 2d album finds him in top form, & highlights include previously unrecorded songs from Stephen Sondheim's little-known musical, Evening Primrose. Mandy is joined by fellow Broadway baby, Bernadette Peters, in some stirring duets. Peters & Patinkin are well-matched & exciting to listen to in this tale of a poet who takes refuge from the world in a department store & the mannequin come to life that he falls in love with. Other standout numbers include the nostalgic & lushly orchestrated "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe," (introduced by Judy Garland in the "The Harvey Girls"). Mandy, ya done Judy proud! Singing on all 3 tracks, Mandy races through "Triplets," the novelty number from "The Bandwagon," at about triple the original tempo--whew! He also pays tribute to the original "Music Man," Robert Preston, in "Trouble in River City." And there's always Sondheim & then, some more Sondheim on Mandy's albums. If ever there was a singer's composer...the wrenching "Sorry/Grateful" segues into a bravura performance of "Being Alive" -- "someone to know me too well/someone to hurt me too deep/someone to sit in my chair/& ruin my sleep/& make me aware of being alive..." There are so many show stoppers on this album that you'll find yourself hitting the repeat button as a matter of course. If you've only heard Mandy sing snatches of songs on Chicago Hope, then you haven't heard Mandy sing. Let 'er rip!!!!!!!!"

Innovative...Beautiful...Spellbounding

L. Chandler | Brooklyn, NY United States | 09/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can not attempt to begin writting about this album. It is reminds me of what I forgot music could accomplish... "Show Me the World" is breath taking. I simply love this album, it combines standards with rare matterial, and frankly I can't say enough. Mandy and Bernadette Peters together on a few tracks- who could ask for anything more? The orchestations(sp) are mystical and magical, and...and... what can I say? You like Mandy? You love this album. The music can be soft and gentle and emtional, or fast paced and occsionaly silly. If you like muscials, I mean really *good* musicals, and appreciate talent, buy this album. If you do not like it, I will be surprised. Truely."