Audio CD review:
Steve Rossell, Julia Graham, Tony Woollard, Richard Addison, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Matthew Draper, Andrew Findon, Dave Lee, Richard Ashton - The Woman in White

Steve Rossell, Julia Graham, Tony Woollard, Richard Addison, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Matthew Draper, Andrew Findon, Dave Lee, Richard Ashton - The Woman in White

Band: Steve Rossell, Julia Graham, Tony Woollard, Richard Addison, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Matthew Draper, Andrew Findon, Dave Lee, Richard Ashton Title: The Woman in White Rating: Release Date: 08 November, 2005 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Prologue 2: I Hope You Like It Here 3: Perspective 4: Trying Not To Notice 5: I Believe My Heart 6: Lammastide 7: You See I Am No Ghost 8: A Gift For Living Well 9: The Holly and the Ivy 10: All For Laura 11: The Document 12: Act One Finale 13: If I Could Only Dream This World Away 14: The Nightmare 15: Fosco Tells Of Laura's Death/The Funeral/London 16: Evermore Without You 17: Lost Souls 18: If Not For Me For Her 19: You Can Get Away With Anything 20: The Seduction 21: The Asylum 22: Back To Limmeridge 23: Finale 24: You Can Get Away With Anything (BONUS TRACK - Opening night performance)

Editoral Review "Freely adapted" from Wilkie Collins's gothic mystery-romance, it tells the story of a young art teacher, Walter Hartright (Martin Crewes), who encounters a mysterious woman dressed in white desperate to tell a secret. The Woman in White, Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical in four years, debuted in London in September 2004. But she disappears, and Walter continues on to his assignment teaching a pair of sisters, Marian Holcombe (Maria Friedman) and Laura Fairlie (Jill Paice). Romance develops, but is threatened by the arrival of some shady characters, Sir Percival Glyde (Oliver Darley) and Count Fosco (Michael Crawford). The score, featuring lyrics by David Zippel (City of Angels), recalls the composer's Aspects of Love, Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard, as well as Victorian-themed shows Sweeney Todd and even The Mystery of Edwin Drood. It has some lovely moments, such as "Trying Not to Notice," "All for Laura," "Evermore without You," and "If Not for Me for Her," though for sheer beauty it's no Light in the Piazza. And as with any ALW nearly through-sung musical, a number of the themes recycle themselves to the point where you'll dread the mere mention of certain characters' names. Friedman and Paice give the strongest performances, while Crawford--in his much-anticipated reunion with Lloyd Webber after Phantom--doesn't have a lot to do other than the muggy showpiece "You Can Get Away with Anything. " Note that The Woman in White was recorded before a live audience, but "You Can Get Away with Anything" had to be rerecorded in a studio because it was the only number with an audible audience reaction. Crawford's original live performance, however, is included as a coda at the end of the second disc. It's great to have the complete libretto, except that it specifies scene titles while the CD packaging shows track listings and song titles, which means that figuring out where you are takes some detective work. When The Woman in White opened on Broadway in November 2005, Friedman, Paice, and Angela Christian (Anne Catherick) reprised their roles from the London production, while Michael Ball replaced Crawford. --David Horiuchi .. You can see a complete list of all Steve Rossell, Julia Graham, Tony Woollard, Richard Addison, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Matthew Draper, Andrew Findon, Dave Lee, Richard Ashton discography, or go back to the Steve Rossell, Julia Graham, Tony Woollard, Richard Addison, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Simon Lee, Matthew Draper, Andrew Findon, Dave Lee, Richard Ashton tabs