Album Description
“Summer of ‘42 is a coming-of-age piece drenched in nostalgia.” — New York Times

Original cast recording of a concert performance of the musical Summer of ‘42. The only complete recording of this popular musical, with many productions being produced across the country. Most of the original off-Broadway cast, together with Broadway star Rachel York, were assembled for this concert performance and subsequent original cast recording. Recorded at New York’s Clinton Studios. Mixed at London’s Abbey Road Studios.Amazon.com
Despite running for only a month Off-Broadway in 2002, this musical was preserved in a studio cast recording five years later. Based on Herman Raucher’s coming-of-age memoir about a very special New England summer (which also spawned a 1971 movie that boasted one of Michel Legrand¹s most famous themes, THe Summer of ‘42 is uneven but sports enough grace notes to be deemed encouraging. Working from a book by Hunter Foster (himself a musical-theater actor of note), David Kirshenbaum has come up with a pleasant, if perhaps a little bland score‹one wishes his music reflected more the youthful passion felt by the main protagonist, 15-year-old Hermie, for the older Dorothy. Kirshenbaum, like many young composers of his generation, displays a certain Sondheimian bent (“Will That Ever Happen to Me?” “I Think I Like Her”) but the best tracks are the ones that incorporate period touches, most notably in the lovely Andrews Sisters-­like harmonies of Celia Keenan-Bolger, Danielle Ferland and Megan Valerie Walker (check out their winning, swinging “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” “Man Around the House,” and “Oh Gee, I Love My G.I.”). As Dorothy, the wonderful Rachel York gets three ballads that may well find their way in many cabaret set lists in years to come–Alice Ripley already did the belting showcase “Losing Track of Time” (a bonus track) on Unsuspecting Hearts. –Elisabeth Vincentelli

Summer of ‘42 Off-Broadway Cast Album