Cats (1982 Original Broadway Cast)

 (104 customer reviews)

This recording of CATS is what I consider the finest of all the official English recordings of the score of this classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Compared to its London cast predecessor, I find this recording more spirited in nature, and better able to keep in tune with its quintisential Britishness. Notwithstanding revisions and rewrites, this cast does an excellent job at this, even with American accents that do not seriously jar the ear. And the recording quality, despite having a sense of theatrical atmosphere, tends to be a little too thick-textured, and sometimes clouded.This fine performance boosts the stalwart Betty Buckley as Grizabella. Buckley is able to adopt the right kind of gorgeous voice in her portrayal of the fallen glamour cat, and she really is able to use this to great effect with her rendition of Memory. Elaine Paige may be regarded as the foremost interpreter of the role, but here Buckley is able to prove that she can hold her own against her arch-rival...Read more

WOW!I mean WOW!This cd is awesome!Ken Page is Old Dueteronomy!Betty Buckley is GREAT!But I would say that ELaine Page is a better Grizabella.Betty is good don't get me wrong.Harry Groener is a great Munkustrap(the best you can get)!Jellylorum is GREAT!The best one you can find.Bustopher/Asparagus/Growltiger all those characters being played by Stephen Hanan is the GREATEST you can find.He gives a crisp interpretation.Demeter could have been better.Also this recording has a great Mr.Mistoffelees sounding Caberatish(excuse the spelling).I also like the sound COMPLETE in it.Over all this recording sounds THE BEST AND IS THE BEST!Well see you at the Jellicle Ball!Also Recommended:Les Miserables(Concert version),Jesus Christ Superstar(Australia version),The Phantom of the Opera(London Cast),Sunset Boulevard(American version),and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat(Canidian version).

I saw "CATS" at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in July 1987 when I was 13, and it made an impression on me that is with me to this day. The songs, costumes and makeup were breathtakingly fantastic, and being a cat lover, I had an instant affinity for the subject matter. This soundtrack is SUCH a pleasure to listen to, and I never tire of it. Each and every song is performed with enthusiasm, emotion, and a sense of fun. My personal favorites are "MungoJerrie & Rumpelteazer", "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat", "The Jellice Ball" and, of course, "Memory". I also own the London Cast Soundtrack, and I despise it. The vocals are weak, unenthusiastic and almost indifferent. I definitely prefer Betty Buckley's interpretation of Grizabella to Elaine Paige's, and Ken Page gives a MUCH more heartfelt and robust performance as Deuteronomy than Brian Blessed does. To sum up, the Broadway version is the ONLY version of "CATS". It will always be a delight for the ears.