Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer, Jane Krakowski, Marshall Barer - Once Upon a Mattress (1997 Broadway Revival Cast)

Hey nani nani nani NO

Perhaps if I were not familiar with the original, I would have appreciated this more. But, I am reminded of a Burma Shave sign I saw as a kid--Substitutes are like/a girdle/They find some jobs/they just can't hurdle.
The pluses for this recording: Better sound quality; that is a given considering the age of the original. More music. A smattering of the dialogue.
The minuses: The cast. Especially Sarah Jessica Parker. Occasionally, she sounds as if she is trying to imitate Carol Burnett. Most of the time, she sounds as if she should be in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!" No reflections on Charlie Brown; just that it is a different kind of musical. Other cast members seem to be simply singing and reciting lines, with no semblance of characterization. The one bright spot in the casting is Lawrence Clayton's Minstrel.
If you feel that you really need an updated version of "Mattress," buy the Tracy Ulman dvd. September 2, 2008

Excellent CD of a musical, and fast delivery time

This is an ecxellent CD. Top shelf CD with great cast. This was exactly what we were looking for. Glad we spent the money, as it has helped us with a school production for 2006.
Thankyou for the prompt and undamaged delivery also. Well worth doing. October 24, 2005

A recording that pales beside it's predecesser

Alright, this recording is of better sound quality than the original, but the actually singing simply pales beside the orginal. Sarah Jessica Parker sound like a rock next to Carrol Burnett. The rest of the cast is not too horrible though. The best songs are the chorus songs, with the exception Sensitivy. September 22, 2005

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really enjoy listening to this recording. I actually bought the CD because I had to audition for the part of Lady Larken for my middle school play and wanted to pick an audition song. Up 'til then, I had not even heard of this show, but I listened to this recording and fell in love with it. Sarah Jessica Parker is awesome, particularly in SHY and HAPPILY EVER AFTER. The only song that I don't care for is MAN TO MAN TALK, but all of the other tunes are catchy and fun to listen to. Buy this CD!!!!!!!!!!!!! August 9, 2005

Perfect

Though the show was met with negative reviews, and the original script should have been used, the music was kept intact, and made even better. Sarah Jessica Parker is a perfect Winnifred, and her takes on "Shy" and "Happily Ever After" are wonderful. There is no way to mess up the Mattress music, (although they managed to murder and butcher the script) so there is no way to do this badly. My only beef with this is that if you're a performer, and you get this one, you'll be lost in rehearsals. The 1959 recording is the one liscensed by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and it does not include "Goodnight Sweet Princess" which is really a shame, although every production I've been in has been allowed to perform the number, which really gives the actor playing Dauntless (me everytime I've done it) to show voice, rather than talk singing, like Man to Man Talk. Speaking of that number, it's the only song on here I don't like. If you want Mattress as a referece, buy the 1959 version, but this is perfect for everyone else. The orchestrations are dazzling, and the whole production sparkles. July 24, 2004

More reviews at Amazon.com ...