The CD is a faithful recording of the show and includes all the musical numbers. The overture, a trifle cheesy, gets you into the mood for what is to come - nothing sophisticated but a lot of fun. However, there is reason enough to buy the CD for "Just Arrived". This is perhaps the only true Broadway number in the whole show. A rhythmic, fast moving number from Nicola Dawn that recalls the superb projections that were used throughout. All you young hopefuls out there should be singing this as you step off that subway waiting for stardom (does this happen anymore...somehow I think not!). Gary Wilmot is in superb voice especially in his big number "Who Need to Dream" which is a classic piece of Manilow smooch. The camp numbers sung by Anna Nicholas as the clone Carmen Miranda are good...very samba-ish.

Sadly the show came to a grinding halt bookwise (and songwise) in Act 2 with the dreadful Pirate sequence and equally silly "Mermaids Song" and "El Bravo", but no matter, by that time you had realised that you were not going to get Sondheim's wit or irony and you just sat back and enjoyed....and what's wrong with that...absolutely nothing at all! A good CD, especially worth getting if you are a Manilow fan and didn't see the show.

Review by Steve Taylor