Nightingale: A New Musical
Original London Cast 1985

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sed on a Hans Christian Andersen tale, Nightingale tells the story of a bird who sings so beautifully she becomes the prized possession of a Chinese emperor. (It's sort of a cross between Stephen Schwartz's 'Meadowlark' and Pacific Overtures, Stephen Sondheim's more serious presentation of Japan.) When the emperor receives a mechanical bird, however, he forgets the nightingale, until the mechanical one breaks down and he realizes his mistake. This release is a remastered and expanded reissue of the 1983 London cast recording, clocking in at a generous 79 minutes. The quasi-operatic score features a number of catchy if unremarkable tunes by Charles Strouse (who also provided lyrics, which he did not do for Annie and Bye, Bye Birdie). Clearly, though, the chief attraction here is the casting of a 22-year-old Sarah Brightman in the title role, before she became Mrs. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Her character appears for less than half the CD, but fans will certainly enjoy hearing Brightman play a soaring, high-trilling bird.