Unfortunately what could have been a good document of a recording has been subverted by the presence of the ever insufferable egomaniac Mandy Patinkin. It's bad enough his voice grates like nails on a blackboard, but to have to listen to his insufferable egomania (he thinks he should be playing Tony in 'West Side Story' even though he is 30 years too old) is really a chore. Fortunately there are a few good performances to compensate, though nothing near the stature of the original cast members. I mean most of these singers couldn't act there way out of the proverbial paper bag. Still, the music is the thing, and many of these numbers have rarely been recorded, so it is good to hear them. One other drawback is the fact that the performances are often interrupted by useless comments from the performers. I don't need some dimwit telling me how great Bernstein was, just give me the music, please!!!
Review of Leonard Bernstein's New York
