Off-Broadway CD delights include 'Ark,' 'Chicago'

Producers of Broadway and off-Broadway musicals know that there's a big market beyond the box office for original cast recordings. Here are brief reviews of two off-Broadway shows that should be of interest to local theatergoers and three Broadway musicals (the latter of which are still packing them in around the Great White Way).

THE ARK, original off-Broadway cast recording (private label) *** 1/2

Conceived and nurtured through continually changing productions over the past several years in Utah and Washington, Michael McLean and Kevin Kelly's "The Ark" made a short-lived appearance in New York City earlier this year.

Audiences loved it; most of the major critics loathed it.

The audiences were right.

Most Utahns haven't heard the new songs and newly revised orchestrations featured on this CD. Some favorites remain from the original score — "Ship Without an Ocean," "Whenever He Needs a Miracle," "Life Me Up" and "Rain Song," as well as the humorous "Dinner" (after 40 days and 40 nights of oatmeal, the sons and their wives are anxious for some red meat, right there on the hoof).

Noah and his ark may be the centerpieces of the show, but there's a powerful message about family love and redemption in Noah and Eliza's prodigal son, Ham.

The entire cast is vocally strong, especially Adrian Zmed ("Grease") as Noah, Annie Golden (from the original "Urinetown" cast) as Eliza, and as Ham, D.B. Bonds, who has performed in Utah several times.

I'm deducting one-half star from the four-star rating because the liner notes are skimpy. There's no indication of who's singing what and, like many cast albums, the lyrics would have been nice.

CHICAGO: THE MUSICAL (Masterworks Broadway) ****

This slam-bang — OK, razzle-dazzle — revival of Bob Fosse's 1975 musical featuring Kander and Ebb's jazzy score, has been running on Broadway for more than 10 years, with no end in sight. (Locally, Pioneer Theatre Company audiences got a rarely produced regional production as a season-opener in September.)

This special 10th-anniversary edition package includes two CDs and one DVD, with a photo-packed booklet of highlights of previous productions.

The first CD is the complete Broadway-cast revival, starring Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton and Joel Grey.