Many people have come into contact with and grown to love Frank Loesser's work through his most famous musical, the wonderful Guys and Dolls, but in my opinion this is infinitly superior and no broadway collection can be said to be complete without it. I immediately fell in love with this musical, but at first I was unable to see wherein the charm actually lay. The music, while catchy and fun to listen to, is not extraordinary, and, while Loesser's lyrics are clever and creative, he is certainly not my favorite lyricsist. The cast is excellent and perfectly suited to the piece, but that is the case in many of the original cast recordings of the best broadway musicals. And yet, despite not being overwhelmed by it, I could not stop listening to it. At length, I concluded that it is the story and the nonchalant, carefree feeling of the piece that captivates me. Each character is somehow endearing, in every song it is possible to relate to their emotions and desires, and yet, at the same time, it is so light and funny; at times it is as if nothing could shatter the playful frolicing world Loesser has created. Musicals are usually built around unusual events or are set in unusual places; it is the very simplicity that makes this recording so endearing, the idea is such a basic one, a young man trying to make his way in the world, and yet he goes about it in such an unorthadox fashion that the audience is instantly charmed and sucked into the story. From the first moment that he appears on stage we want him to succeed. That is the mark of a good musical. This down to earth, innocent style is especially well embodied by Robert Morse and his Rosemary, Bonnie Scott. It is impossible to listen to Happy to Keep His Dinner Warm or I Believe in You without a smile coming to your lips. And there are many other wonderful moments on this CD. M personal favorite is The Company Way, but I cannot resist the charming Been a Long Day, the electricfying Paris Original, the lovely Rosemary or the wonderful climatic moment that is Brotherhood of Man. Buy this recording, dont even think abut buying the revival cast first, (i mean, come on, how could they leave out Cinderella, Darling? It's one of the catchiest moments on the whole CD) or better still buy the Deluxe Edition if you can. But whatever you do, dont hesitate to buy it at the earliest oppurtunity. Even if you dont believe me, take a look at the facts, 1,417 performances, every possible award for best musical in its season, a Pulitzer Prize, (if nothing else sways you that should, I mean, only two other musical won one) productions all over the world, a successful revival, a reasonably successful film...I could go on and on. Please, just do me a favour and invest in something that you will enjoy for the rest of your life.

Whether you saw the film or not, get the CD and nod your head, stamp your feet, pucker up and smile. Great Music!

The always-delightful musical HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is given a beautiful treatment in this re-issue of the original Broadway cast recording.

HOW TO SUCCEED...opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on October 14, 1961, and ran for 1,417 performances.

The original cast cannot be bettered; Robert Morse as Finch, Bonnie Scott as Rosemary, Rudy Vallee as J.B. Biggley, Virginia Martin as Hedy La Rue and Claudette Sutherland as Smitty.

Robert Morse' performance as Finch is still considered his trademark and most celebrated stage creation. His renditions of "How To" and "I Believe In You" have yet to be equalled.

Bonnie Scott is lovely in the songs "Cinderella, Darling", "Been A Long Day" and "Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm".

Later on, Michele Lee would replace Bonnie Scott on Broadway; and Maureen Arthur would replace Virginia Martin after a brief stint in the National Tour.
Both Lee and Arthur, together with Morse and Vallee, would reprise their performances in the under-valued movie version.