Sail Away (Original 1962 London Cast Recording)
Let's face it: Sometimes, even Noel Coward could fail. Take his 1961  musicalSail Away: Coward wrote the book, lyrics,  and score--and sometimes you wish he had delegated a bit more. Set on  the cruise shipS.S. Coronia, the show certainly has its  moments, but overall it fails to make a lasting impression. While  there are lovely tunes ("Sail Away," "Later than Spring") and a few  peerless comic showcases ("Useless Useful Phrases," "Why Do the Wrong  People Travel?"), Coward's trademark wit comes across as toothless  now. And yetSail Awayremains cultish because it turned Elaine  Stritch into a marquee name. The singer-actor was so good during the  out-of-town tryouts that Coward expanded her part, and Stritch ran  with it. She sells a ballad like "Something Very Strange" with all  her heart, but what she really transcends are bravura pieces such as  "Why Do the Wrong People Travel?" (which she reprised in her one-woman showAt  Liberty). If you want to listen to the birth of a stage star, this  CD is it.--Elisabeth Vincentelli