Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)
There may be no original Broadway cast recording more iconic than 1970'sCompany, with its funky organ sound and Elaine Stritch's not-quite-there high notes, but the December 2006 Broadway revival makes its own mark.  For Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's piece about a single man observing the benefits and follies of marriage, director John Doyle borrows the same controversial concept he used for his 2005Sweeney Todd: the actors playing instruments on stage (now referred to in many circles as "Doyle-izing," and not always with affection and delight).  But when you're listening to a cast recording, as Bobby would say: What do you get?  For one thing, you'll have to adjust to some different sounds created by Doyle and his music supervisor, Mary-Mitchell Campbell.  It's a benefit in "Side by Side by Side," which begins with a jazzy double-bass line.  It's a drawback in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," in which the trio's doo-doots are replaced by their saxophone lines.  You also get "Marry Me a Little," cut from the original show but by now very familiar and welcome, as well as a lot of the contextual dialogue before, between, and even within numbers.  Finally, the strong cast led by Raul Esparza makes this the best-sungCompanywe've ever gotten (and they play very well too), and Stephen Sondheim's score is still a landmark in musical theater.  There will never be a replacement for the original Broadway cast recording, but this revival recording can stand on its own and in some respects may be more flat-out enjoyable to listen to.--David Horiuchi