Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach's musical Roberta, based on Alice Duer Miller's novel Gowns by Roberta, about an American football player who inherits a Paris dress shop, was a modest success when it opened on Broadway on November 18, 1933, running 295 performances and spawning hits in the songs "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Yesterdays," and "The Touch of Your Hand." The show was sold to RKO Pictures as a movie vehicle for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and the 1935 movie version retained only four songs from the stage score, ...
Read More
Jerome Kern and Otto Harbach's musical Roberta, based on Alice Duer Miller's novel Gowns by Roberta, about an American football player who inherits a Paris dress shop, was a modest success when it opened on Broadway on November 18, 1933, running 295 performances and spawning hits in the songs "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Yesterdays," and "The Touch of Your Hand." The show was sold to RKO Pictures as a movie vehicle for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and the 1935 movie version retained only four songs from the stage score, while bringing in considerable new material written by Kern and Dorothy Fields, including "Lovely to Look At" and a revised version of "I Won't Dance," a song Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II had written for another show, The Three Sisters. Cast and soundtrack albums were largely unknown in the 1930s, and the first notable recording of the score was a 1944 studio-cast album undertaken by Decca that featured Kitty Carlisle and Alfred Drake. But in the early 1950s, MGM, which had acquired the property, filmed a remake re-titled Lovely to Look At featuring Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel. To compete with the soundtrack album, rival record companies Columbia and Capitol recorded their own versions, retaining the original title. The soundtrack album was the big seller, peaking at number two in the charts, but this Columbia recording of Roberta is very impressive. Producer Goddard Lieberson and conductor Lehman Engel were veterans of numerous cast recordings, and they brought their usual sense of quality to this disc as well, employing a combination of legitimate stage stars such as Joan Roberts (the original Laurey in Oklahoma!) and Jack Cassidy, and nightclub performers Portia Nelson and Kaye Ballard (making her recording debut). Lieberson and Engel included "I Won't Dance" and "Lovely to Look At" from the movie versions, which was easy to do, since they were not bothered by having to figure out where the songs were supposed to go in the plot. Of course, they also retained the best songs from the stage version, too, and if they (like others before them) found it necessary to bowdlerize the steamy original lyrics to "Let's Begin," that was a concession to 1950s conventions. It was the only compromise in what was otherwise an excellent rendering of one of Kern's best scores. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Roberta to cart. $3.76, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1991 by Landmark Distributor.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Jerome Kern's Roberta (1952 Studio Cast) to cart. $13.00, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Orange County rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Ana, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by DRG Theater.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. This item has very light surface scratches that do not affect the use of the disc/s. This is a USED item. Case and cover may or may not have wear or damage. All items unless otherwise noted will include disc, case, and artwork. Codes have been used. Other contents such as booklets may vary, please inquire for details. All items ship Monday-Friday within 2-3 business days.
Add this copy of Jerome Kern's Roberta (1952 Studio Cast) to cart. $13.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Drg.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Roberta to cart. $16.97, new condition, Sold by insomniacsonline rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 1990 by Sony Music Special Products.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Size: 5x4x0; Buy from insomniacs! We dont sleep until your order is shipped! Professional packaging, same day shipping on most orders. View our feedback and buy with confidence.
Add this copy of Jerome Kern's Roberta (1952 Studio Cast) to cart. $29.99, new condition, Sold by insomniacsonline rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from South Hackensack, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Drg.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. Size: 5x5x0; Buy from insomniacs! We dont sleep until your order is shipped! Professional packaging, same day shipping on most orders. View our feedback and buy with confidence.
