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Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971 Original Broadway Cast)
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About Two Gentlemen Of Verona
It's hard to get more embedded in the early 1970s than an encounter with Two Gentlemen of Verona. The show embodies a long-gone chunk of New York theater history, when a musical's racially integrated cast was taken for granted; when a producer like the Public Theater's Joseph Papp thought it his duty to bring the classics to the masses; when composer Galt MacDermot (best known for Hair) and lyricist John Guare made Shakespeare pop, in all the meanings of the word, without dumbing it down. So yes, Two Gentlemen of Verona is of its time--and it was a fabulous time. Led by Raul Julia, the cast breathes uncommon energy into MacDermot's score. All right, so it's not Hair, but this show still has a lot more kick and melodies than most of what's currently on Broadway. Just check "What Does a Lover Pack" and "To Whom It May Concern Me," or the way "Follow the Rainbow" segues into "Where's North" and its rocking brass arrangements: fabulous! This recording had been out of print for too long, and it's great to have it available again. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
