On Your Toes

I recently came across this, the original edition of the 1952 Columbia studio recording of On Your Toes, the 1936 Rodgers-Hart musical.

This was one of a notable series of studio recordings of Broadway shows guided by Columbia's Goddard Lieberson. For many years this series was the only way to hear scores like On Your Toes, Babes in Arms and other shows. The Columbia edition of Pal Joey inspired a Broadway revival - and there was also a revival of this show soon after this LP appeared. (That production was recorded by Decca.)

Lieberson had a tendency to use the same singers in several of these recordings, most notably Mary Martin, but also Portia Nelson and Jack Cassidy, who are featured here. I admire both Nelson and Cassidy, but they weren't quite right for their roles. Possessors of perhaps the most prominent vibratos in New York, neither sounds especially youthful (even though they were). Nelson also has little sense of rhythm. That's important in this score, which after all is about dancers.

You can hear the difference in approach in the 1983 recording of the revival, where the timing of Christine Andreas and Lara Teeter is much more acute - helped no doubt by it being a recording of an actual cast.

Now that I am through caviling, let me assure you this recording is very enjoyable. The score is wonderfully varied, the lyrics are by turns witty and touching, and the crowning touch is the glorious ballet Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, with its remarkably beautiful slow music. The sound from Columbia's 30th Street Studio is very good, as well. And despite my carping above, it's always a pleasure to hear Portia Nelson and Jack Cassidy.

While the cover above is from the first issue, I have made the dub from the second issue, circa 1956, which had a different cover but used the same matrices for its pressings.

REMASTERED VERSION