My Favourite Broadway: The Love Songs

My Favourite Broadway: The Love Songs
Live album by
Various artists
Released27 February 2001
Recorded16 October 2000
GenreShow tune, pop
LabelHybrid Recordings
Julie Andrews chronology
Relative Values
(2000) 		My Favourite Broadway: The Love Songs
(2001) 		Classic Julie, Classic Broadway
(2001)

My Favourite Broadway: The Love Songs is a cast live album recorded during a special Broadway concert at New York's City Center in October 2000. The event brought together several notable Broadway performers, and the album was released on compact disc (CD) by Hybrid Recordings on February 27, 2001.[1] The concert, recorded live under the musical direction of Paul Gemignani, was released on VHS and DVD by Image Entertainment.

The concert featured a variety of musical theater love songs, performed by an all-star lineup, and served as a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Critics highlighted the album's emotional and standout performances, praised its nostalgic and "magical" moments, but also noted that some tracks felt like pop versions that prioritized the performers over the songs..

Background and release

The special Broadway concert My Favourite Broadway: The Love Songs, held at New York's City Center in October 2000, was a benefit event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.[2][3] Julie Andrews served as host for the concert, introducing many of the acts and even performing a brief duet of "The Rain in Spain" with Michael Crawford.[4] The show featured selections from a wide array of musical theater classics, with songs drawn from productions such as My Fair Lady, Funny Lady, The Music Man, West Side Story, Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls, and Camelot. Featured performers included Bebe Neuwirth ("I'm a Brass Band"), Nathan Lane ("Sue Me"), Heather Headley ("He Touched Me"), Linda Eder ("What Kind of Fool Am I?"), Marin Mazzie ("What Did I Have That I Don’t Have?", "Not a Day Goes By"), Chita Rivera ("How Lucky Can You Get?"), Michael Crawford ("The Music of the Night"), and Peter Gallagher ("Too Late Now").[5][6][7]

Some performers delivered one-time renditions of relatively obscure or underperformed songs from Broadway's past. For instance, Rebecca Luker performed "Too Late Now", a piece less commonly heard. Robert Goulet contributed "If Ever I Would Leave You", and Adam Pascal offered "Seasons of Love".[1][8] Barry Manilow and Tom Wopat also made appearances, adding variety to the tracklist.[8]

The CD was edited under the musical direction of Paul Gemignani. The entire project was recorded live, capturing audience reactions and stage interactions. A portion of the proceeds from CD sales supported AIDS-related charities and services.[8]

In addition to the performances, the event highlighted the legacy of Broadway music and its impact. Julie Andrews's introduction and participation was seen as especially significant given her vocal limitations following past throat surgery.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[9]

William Ruhlmann of AllMusic highlighted the emotional impact of the performances, noting that the moment when Julie Andrews sings a few bars of "The Rain in Spain" after her throat surgery "will bring a tear to the eye of any fan of musical theater". It concluded that this moment stands as "the highlight of an album that… features some wonderful performances".[10]

Back Stage called the album "a new must-have CD for any musical theatre enthusiast's collection" and stated that listening to the album offers "a similar remembrance of the magic and wonder that classic composers and performers brought to the medium".[8]The Hour wrote that "many of the cuts are strictly pop versions of show tunes that won't recall the contexts in which they were first heard", suggesting that they "seem designed to boost not the songs but their interpreters’ egos". However, the newspapper emphasized that these tracks should be "contrast[ed] with distinctive character-laden numbers by Marin Mazzie, Robert Goulet, Peter Gallagher and Chita Rivera".[11]

DVD release

The album was also released on VHS and DVD by Image Entertainment, with a runtime of 1 hour and 44 minutes, featuring highlights from the event.[12][13] Regarding the DVD, John Kenrick of Musicals101.com wrote that "serious fans will enjoy wallowing in this showtune-fest".[14]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Performer(s)Length
1."Introduction" Julie Andrews1:15
2."Lullaby of Broadway" (From 42nd Street)Al Dubin, Harry WarrenTom Wopat3:47
3."Sue Me" (From Guys and Dolls)Frank LoesserNathan Lane2:41
4."He Touched Me" (From Drat! The Cat!)Milton Schafer, Ira LevinHeather Headley3:25
5."Gigi" (From Gigi)Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick LoeweRon Raines5:38
6."When Did I Fall in Love?" (From Fiorello!)Jerry Bock, Sheldon HarnickMarin Mazzie3:43
7."If Ever I Would Leave You" (From Camelot)Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick LoeweRobert Goulet2:25
8."Love Song Medley I: Come Rain or Come Shine / I Don't Know How to Love Him / What Kind of Fool Am I?" (From St. Louis Woman / Jesus Christ Superstar / Stop the World – I Want to Get Off)Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer / Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice / Leslie Bricusse, Anthony NewleyLinda Eder4:54
9."Seasons of Love" (From Rent)Jonathan LarsonAdam Pascal3:53
10."The Music of the Night" (From The Phantom of the Opera)Andrew Lloyd Webber, Charles Hart, Richard StilgoeMichael Crawford5:40
11."Every Single Day" (From Harmony)Barry Manilow, Bruce SussmanBarry Manilow2:44
12."Love Song Medley II: Too Late Now / Sometimes a Day Goes By / Not a Day Goes By" (From Royal Wedding / Woman of the Year / Merrily We Roll Along)Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner / John Kander, Fred Ebb / Stephen SondheimRebecca Luker, Peter Gallagher, Marin Mazzie6:44
13."I'm a Brass Band" (From Sweet Charity)Cy Coleman, Dorothy FieldsBebe Neuwirth3:38
14."How Lucky Can You Get?" (From Funny Lady)Fred Ebb, John KanderChita Rivera4:26
15."My Fair Lady Medley: I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face / The Rain in Spain" (From My Fair Lady)Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick LoeweJulie Andrews, Michael Crawford2:49
16."Finale: Lullaby of Broadway" (From 42nd Street)Harry Warren, Al DubinCompany1:38

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of My Favorite Broadway - The Love Songs.[15]

  • Music director – Paul Gemignani
  • Orchestra – The American Theater Orchestra
  • Recorded live at City Center, New York City, on 16 October 2000

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth (27 February 2001). "'My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs' CD Appears Feb. 27". Playbill. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  2. ^ Daniels, Robert L. (18 October 2000). "My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs". Variety. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. ^ Bessman, Jim (3 March 2001). "Andrews' singing is the high point of Broadway funder-raiser for AIDS". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 9. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 33. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Photo call: Andrews and Crawford Sing Love Songs for Favorite B'way Oct. 16 | Playbill". Playbill. 19 October 2000. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  5. ^ Miller, Daryl H. (3 March 2001). "A Tribute to Broadway Love Songs". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  6. ^ Holden, Stephen (18 October 2000). "POP REVIEW; Show Tunes, From Personality To Propulsion (Published 2000)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  7. ^ Archerd, Army (25 October 2000). "Andrews making comeback? Not so fast…". Variety. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d "My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs". Back Stage. 2 March 2001. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  9. ^ a b Bernardo, Melissa Rose (2 March 2001). "Various Artists: My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs". Entertainment Weekly. No. 585. New York. p. 71. ISSN 1049-0434.
  10. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs - Various... | AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  11. ^ Rosenberg, David A. (4 March 2001). "Songs of Broadway". The Hour. 130 (62): D5. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  12. ^ Cling, Carol (9 March 2001). "The Race Heats Up". Las Vegas Review-Journal: 52J. ISSN 1097-1645. ProQuest 260183107. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  13. ^ Larson, Gale K.; Crawford, MaryAnn Krajnik (2002). Shaw: The Annual of Bernard Shaw Studies. Penn State Press. p. 262. ISBN 978-0-271-02227-7.
  14. ^ Kenrick, John. "Musicals on DVD 6: Reviews by John Kenrick". Musicals101.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  15. ^ Various artists (2000). My Favorite Broadway - The Love Songs (liner notes). Hybrid Recordings. HY-20020.
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