Tell Me on a Sunday (2003 London Revival Cast)
This 2003 cast recording is an update of a song cycle by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Don Black. First produced in London in 1982 as half of an evening titledSong and Dance,Tell Me on a Sundayis pretty much a one-woman show and a vehicle for a versatile singer with strong acting skills (Bernadette Peterswon a Tony for it in 1985). This time, Denise Van Outen, aChicagoalum, takes on the role of the young British woman who goes to New York in order to get over a broken heart. Overall, this is one of Sir Lloyd Webber's most rocking scores, even if too often the results sound like the work of someone desperately trying to soundau courant. "Haven in the Sky," for instance, is a quasi-dance track with a trip-hop beat. When the heroine goes to L.A., the tone turns to folk-rock ("Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad"), but the composer is defeated by Black's clunky lyrics. Kudos to Van Outen for infusing perky charm into even the tritest moments.--Elisabeth Vincentelli