Encore
London's premier theater diva takes center stage inEncore, a career retrospective covering selections from Elaine Paige's most famous roles (Cats,Evita, andChess), her 1993 salute to legendary chanteuse Edith Piaf, and West End hitsJesus Christ SuperstarandLes Misérables.  Released in 1995 around the time she took the role of Norma Desmond in London (which she eventually took to Broadway), the 53-minute album also includes three ofSunset Boulevard's biggest hits as well as two selections ("I Dreamed a Dream," "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina") recorded live for BBC Radio in 1993.  For those more used to Paige'sbrassier American counterparts, this is an excellent introduction. Fans, of course, will need no convincing to pick up this CD.--David Horiuchi