Andrew Lloyd Webber, who scored the biggest hit of his highly successful career adapting Gaston Leroux's 1911 horror/fantasy novel Phantom of the Opera to the musical theater, returns to familiar ground with what is described as a "freely adapted" musical version of Wilkie Collins' "classic" (and, more important, out of copyright) 1860 novel The Woman in White, considered the first full-length example of detective fiction in English literature. Collins' tale is a gothic melodrama with an innocent heroine married off to an ...
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Andrew Lloyd Webber, who scored the biggest hit of his highly successful career adapting Gaston Leroux's 1911 horror/fantasy novel Phantom of the Opera to the musical theater, returns to familiar ground with what is described as a "freely adapted" musical version of Wilkie Collins' "classic" (and, more important, out of copyright) 1860 novel The Woman in White, considered the first full-length example of detective fiction in English literature. Collins' tale is a gothic melodrama with an innocent heroine married off to an upper-class villain and a terrible secret revealed only in the final moments. Lloyd Webber, an industry unto himself, tends to employ different librettists and lyricists on each project; here, Charlotte Jones does her best with the penny-dreadful plot in her book, while Broadway veteran David Zippel (City of Angels) writes efficient, occasionally witty words for the cast to sing. (Typically, the two-CD album, with a running time of two hours and 24 minutes, contains a complete audio rendering of the show, not just song highlights.) That cast sings as well as it can, although only Michael Crawford (Lloyd Webber's original Phantom) gets a juicy part, mincing around the stage in a fat suit and an Italian accent in the part of Count Fosco, the villain's charming associate. For his part, Lloyd Webber turns in one of his less tuneful but more consistent scores. The trouble is simply that the story is a poor choice for musical theater. It has too many main characters -- in fact, there are actually three heroines -- and, despite Crawford's efforts, it is much too dreary. Lionel Bart managed to enliven the work of Collins' contemporary, Charles Dickens in Oliver!, his musical version of Oliver Twist, but Lloyd Webber has either picked the wrong book to adapt or failed to make it sufficiently compelling as a musical. (The recording was, for the most part, made live on opening night in London, with some studio recordings substituted when there was too much audience reaction. One example is retained as a bonus track, with Crawford's second-act tour de force , "You Can Get Away with Anything," considerably hammed up from the studio version. At least it's amusing.) ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi
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Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $2.26, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Really Useful/EMI Classics.
Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $3.39, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Really Useful/EMI Classics.
Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by EMI Import.
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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 The Woman In White [Original Cast Recording] to cart. $4.23, very good condition, Sold by Movie Surplus rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Mobile, AL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Really Useful/EMI Classics.
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Lloyd Webber/Zippel. Very Good. Used-Very Good Condition. Case and disc(s) is in great condition with no significant scratches or marks. Includes original artwork and liner notes when applicable.
Add this copy of The Woman In White [Original Cast Recording] to cart. $4.23, poor condition, Sold by Movie Surplus rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Mobile, AL, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Really Useful/EMI Classics.
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Lloyd Webber/Zippel. Poor. Used-Acceptable, withdrawn library disc(s) with liner notes. Disc(s) should play great without any playback issues. Disc(s) & liner notes may contain typical library markings like stickers, protective label covers, & writing. Discs may be repackaged in library style casing. Back artwork & any other promo material not included.
Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $6.22, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by EMI Import.
Add this copy of The Woman in White to cart. $6.39, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES.
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Very Good. Very Good condition. audioCD. Case Good. Case cracked/scuffed. 2 disc set. Quality guaranteed! In original artwork/packaging unless otherwise noted.
Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $7.75, like new condition, Sold by Streetlight_Records rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Santa Cruz, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by EMI Import.
Add this copy of The Woman in White (2004 Original London Cast) to cart. $8.78, good condition, Sold by Prime Goods Outlet rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Troy, OH, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Really Useful/EMI Classics.
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