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Whistle Stopper - Big River: The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1985 Original Broadway Cast)
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List Price: $11.98
Our Price: $9.25
Your Save: $ 2.73 ( 23% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Decca U.S.
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0076732614723
Format: Cast Recording
Label: Decca U.S.
Manufacturer: Decca U.S.
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Decca U.S.
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Studio: Decca U.S.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Who would have thought?
Comment: Roger Miller wrote and performed mostly light-hearted, sometimes goofy, but clever, country songs. Then, after he had left the stage for almost a generation, he penned this classic musical.
When I first saw it performed in a regional theater, I had to be convinced that it was the same Roger Miller.
Who would have thought he had so wide a range in musical styles, such with virtuosity in all of them?
The songs range from sensitive to hilarious, giving as wide a range of emotion as one could expect from a musical. This is a musical for everybody -- even those who dismiss the musical-theater genre as too frivolous for their masculinity!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite musicals
Comment: This is absolutely one of my very favorite musicals. Roger Miller's music fits the novel, Huckleberry Finn, perfectly. I used the music in a high school English class after teaching the novel, and the students loved it. There's a little something for everyone here.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Music and Lyrics
Comment: I love this cd. Our local theatre group is doing the show and it has helped me learn the music. I would love to see it on Broadway.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: fantastic music and lyrics
Comment: I saw a production of Big River at a local theatre and absolutely loved it! I remember a couple of songs from when it first came out and that Roger Miller had penned the songs, but didn't think much about until I saw the play.
The next day I purchased the cd and it has become one of my favorites. The ballad songs are so well thought out and not overly sentimental. The melodies are great.
The actor/singers were phenomenal. I can't believe it took me this long to discover this little gem.
Some of the songs were a little corny and colloquial, but I pass them by and listen to the good stuff.
l would recommend it to a select audience of people who like broadway musicals, or just if they are interested in some good melodies and lyrics.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Musical theater at its best
Comment: This musical is really a monumental achievement. I find it difficult to believe that I only happened upon this recording relatively recently. It is definitely underappreciated or at least under recognized/popular.
Here we have the great American novel by Mark Twain distilled and presented by the musical and lyrical talent of Roger Miller. I am no fan of country music, but I do love other forms of "indigenous" American music. Many forms of classic Americana are celebrated within this musical. In fairness, a couple of the songs are simply throwaway in my opinion (e.g. Guv'ment [I could do without John Goodman's rant], The Royal Nonesuch). They are relevant to the plot but do nothing for the greatness of the score. Otherwise, we have a Dixieland delight (When the Sun Goes Down in the South), a couple of beautiful and soulful spirituals (The Crossing, How Blest We Are), a few funny ditties (Hand for the Hog, Arkansas, The Boys), and more. Though I do not like country, a couple songs are undeniably from that genre (You Oughta Be Here With Me, River in the Rain) yet they are so wonderful and catchy I love even them. A couple ballads are exquisite (Worlds Apart, Leavin's Not the Only Way to Go) - I mean these songs are achingly beautiful; just phenomenal. The soulful Muddy Water and Free at Last are also quite exceptional.
The story concerns the relationship between a country boy (Huck) and a runaway slave (Jim). At its heart, though, the story is one of self-discovery or self-fulfillment for Huck in particular. We first encounter him being told by everyone from church members to Tom Sawyer how he should live his life (Do You Wanna Go to Heaven). As he strikes out on his own, he must determine who he wants to be, or who he truly is (I, Huckleberry, Me). Through his experiences with Jim and others, he chooses his path. In a moment of defiance, he crosses his point of no return and fully commits himself to his "destiny" (Waitin' for the Light to Shine). It is a powerful and powerfully moving experience.
The entire cast does an exceptional job (I would personally omit John Goodman, but I am willing to attribute that to a personal quirk). The actors wonderfully fit their characters. Special mention must be made, however, of Ron Richardson who portrays Jim. He plays the part perfectly. I cannot fathom any other voice in this role. Such soul! Every song he sings is just marvelous.
Perhaps I am more moved than others would be due to my own southern upbringing. Perhaps this musical in both its score and plot strike a chord with me not present in all others. Be that as it may, I cannot recommend this CD enthusiastically enough. Just to be able to experience Worlds Apart is alone reason enough to purchase this wonderful recording ("I see the same skies through brown eyes that you see through blue, but we're worlds apart... world's apart"). Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
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Editorial Reviews:
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This unjustly forgotten masterpiece was in many ways the last great creative gasp for the late, great country songwriter-singer Roger Miller, who died in 1992. After he wrote countless country gems like "Invitation to the Blues," "King of the Road," and "Dang Me" during the 1950s and '60s, Miller's creative muse ran dry in the early 1970s. The drought continued until he made a remarkable comeback by penning the 20-song score and contributing vocals to the soundtrack of this 1985 Broadway adaptation of Mark Twain's literary classic. Big River still stands as a dazzling, heartwarming slice of musical Americana and the final crowning achievement in one of country music's most celebrated careers. --Bob Allen
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