Metro's
The Very Best of Broadway Musicals collects renditions of Broadway classics from the '30s to the '90s, including such shows as 42nd Street, Beauty and the Beast, Aida, and Oklahoma, as performed by England's
National Symphony Orchestra and a variety of international musical theater stars. Highlights include
Jan Horvath's "All That Jazz" from Chicago, Deborah Myers' "Send in the Clowns" from A Little Night Music,
Paul Manuel's "Maria" from West Side Story, and
Katrina Murphy's "I Could've Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. The collection features many of Broadway's most highly regarded songwriters and songwriting teams, such as
Cole Porter and
Stephen Sondheim, as well as
Kander & Ebb,
Rodgers & Hammerstein, and
Lerner & Loewe, and nearly as many songs that transcend the boundaries of musical theater. "Singin' in the Rain," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," and "Good Morning Starshine" are just a few of these; indeed, the only drawback to this collection is that it doesn't feature any original cast recordings. However, the track selections and performances are strong enough to make this a minor point for anyone but the most extreme musical theater purists.