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The story concerns the various guests and employees at a well-to-do hotel in Berlin: the ageing ballerine Elizaveta (Liliane Montevecchi - NINE) and her lesbian companion Raffaela (Karen Akers - NINE); the dashing Baron Felix (Brent Barrett); the ambitious hotel typist Miss Flaemmchen (Jane Krakowski); Mr Kringelein (Michael Jeter), the dying clerk looking for one last fling; and the Doctor (John Wylie) who guides us through these various stories and relationships.

Standout numbers include the manic "Fire and Ice", the Baron's beautiful ballad "Love Can't Happen", Flaemmchen's jaunty-yet bittersweet "I Want to Go to Hollywood", "Who Couldn't Dance with You" and "Bonjour Amour".

David Carroll originated the role of Baron Felix in the Broadway production, though he was very ill, suffering from the ravages of AIDS. Carroll left the production before the cast album was recorded and died shortly after. Brent Barrett from the national tour was brought in to record the role for the cast album. Added as a bonus here is David Carroll's rendition of "Love Can't Happen", recorded live at Steve McGraw's with Wally Harper at the piano.

Highly-recommended. [RCA 09026-61327-2]


A "Grand" show   April 28, 2000
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I saw the London production of this show, starring Brent Barrett and Liliane Montevecchi from the Broadway cast. It was an excellent evening's entertainment.

I went and bought the Broadway cast recording, and it became one of the first cast recordings that I found myself listening to a) lots and lots, and b) the whole way through.

It begins with a typical Maury Yeston opening, introducing all the characters (he does this too, in Titanic.) The tension created between the anger of the boiler workers and the tenderness of the rich guests begins to shape the show. Music ranges from dance numbers such as "Maybe My Baby Loves Me" to ballads such as "Bonjour Amour."

Of an excellent cast, I select Karen Akers to comment upon first, for the heartbreaking portrayal of Liliane Montevecchi's indispensable and devoted confidante and assistant.

Ally McBeal fans may be interested in Jane Krakowski's stenographer desperate to get to Hollywood, to be Berlin's first big star. The central portion of I Want To Go To Hollywood, in which she tells the mirror of her lifestyle is pretty moving.

Brent Barrett brings just the right amount of grandeur and good looks to the role of the Baron. Liliane Montevecchi is suitably delicate as the fading ballerina the Baron "befriends."

This is a good value CD, with little comments from the cynical Doctor that keep one abreast of the storyline. At the end of the show, you learn just enough of most of the characters to enable you to imagine what the future has in store for them.


This one grows on you   October 18, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

On stage GRAND HOTEL was a beautiful, seamless, enlessly entertaining show. For some reason, however, the cast album was not made until near the end of its 2 1/2 year broadway run. Many of the cast members had departed and were called back to make the recording. Sadly David Carroll (who created the role of The Baron) collapsed and died (of AIDS) in the studio before his numbers could be taped. The rest of the original cast is here with Brent Barrett filling in for Mr Carroll (as he did on Broadway and on tour.)

The score was pieced together with some songs by Robert Wright and Chet Forrest, and others by Maury Yeston. Yeston also reworked some of the Wright/Forrest songs (without their complete approval - which may explain why the recording took so long to get made.) However Wally Harper was on hand to orchestrate everything so it does tend to sould all of one piece. The more you listen to this fascinating show the more you like it.

The recording has some flaws..wrong notes here and there and maybe they should have used a bit more dialogue and created a condensed version of the show. But the performances are great. And the pulsating score keeps with the musical's theme "Time is running out."

It really is too bad that Tommy Tune's staging was not video-taped because this is one show we'll probably never see again.