Triumph Of Love (1998 Original Broadway Cast)

by Various Artists

Turning Marivaux's satirical play into a musical actually was a pretty good idea, as the 18th-century French playwright had concocted a brilliant story full of lovers in disguises, plot twists, and witty banter. Now, we're not sure composer Jeffrey Stock and lyricist Susan Birkenhead's ambitious endeavor was entirely successful, but as this recording shows, their effort deserved better than the lukewarm reception it got at the time (1997). Susan Egan and Betty Buckley easily steal the show from their male counterparts, Christopher Sieber and F. Murray Abraham. Egan's performance as the dashing, love-torn Princess Leonide translates well from stage to recording, and while Buckley doesn't have that much to sing, her one solo, "Serenity," is a wonderful, thoughtful song that's become part of her regular repertoire. (The CD includes another Buckley solo, "If I Cannot Love," which had been cut from the show during previews.) --Elisabeth Vincentelli