Could any single disc live up to the title The Only Broadway CD You'll Ever Need? Of course not, though this 76-minute disc gives it a good try. Out of the RCA vaults come original cast performances such as Zero Mostel's "If I Were a Rich Man," Carol Channing's "Hello Dolly," and Oliver's "Consider Yourself." From topnotch revivals come Patti LuPone's "Anything Goes," Peter Gallagher's "Luck Be a Lady," Alan Cumming's "Money," and Bebe Neuwirth's "All That Jazz." Also included are selections from newer shows Titanic and Ragtime. The collection starts to get thin when it has to hunt for available versions of classic songs, ending up with an "America" from Jerome Robbins' Broadway, "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" from the 1979 Oklahoma! revival, and an "Impossible Dream" from Colm Wilkinson's solo album--all fine recordings, but nothing that could be considered a first choice. And of course there are many omissions, most notably the shows of Stephen Sondheim (a longtime RCA artist, even!). A follow-up, The Only Other Broadway CD You'll Ever Need, proved what everyone expected--the original's title was indeed an impossible dream. But it got your attention, didn't it? --David Horiuchi
