This is an interesting CD that I was able to pickup on Discogs.com. It is, apparently, extremely rare and I have been trying to find a copy for ages. It is, as you can see, Noel Coward in Las Vegas.
I have a particularly good LP copy of Noel Coward in New York, but it is easier to find than this CD.
There are several stories here.
About the CD
The term “iconic” is ridiculously over-used with clearly non-icon figures being so labeled. However, in the case of Noel Coward “iconic” is really an understatement. Let’s take a quick look at a basic list-
- Playwright
- Composer
- Actor
- Singer
- Director
- Secret Service “employee”
- WWII Volunteer
- Knight
- Raconteur
Not bad at, eh?
Here is a quick theatrical note. In the Man Who Came to Diner, the Broadway hit of 1939, the character of Beverly Carlton is patterned after Noel Coward.
In 1955 Mr. Coward was booked into the Desert Inn in Las Vegas. His shows at the Desert Inn were cabaret performances with Peter Matz accompanying him on piano and a backup orchestra. By modern standards, the record is, to blunt, not very good. It sounds like Mr. Coward is singing in a trash can.
My limited experience in performance recording suggests to me that the mics were placed in, or over, the audience. This was before wireless microphones. However, unlike a lot of current recordings you get the real flavor of the performance because the audience is clearly a part of the show.
This CD is a re-publication of the original LP. The booklet cover features an image of that LP. It was made by DRG Records.
From “back in the day” I understand that his was the first in what was to be a series of records made by Noel Coward. Subsequent recordings were to be done at what is described on the LP jacket as various “watering holes”. New York was next on the list. New York was also the last on the list. That LP is a studio recording without an audience.
What’s the Big Deal?
Yes, well … it is like this.
Back when I dinosaurs roamed the earth (the late 1970s) we were doing Coward’s Blythe Spirit at Lincoln College where I was the Technical Director, etc. We were planning to do Blythe Spirit for the final show of the season. I designed a set that was rather interesting, if I do say so myself. There were two things of note. One is that to give the texture to the walls (the play takes place in an upscale British home) I had the crew glue sawdust to the surfaces. I painted the walls using a spray gun to give further depth.
The other thing worth mentioning is that we rigged the set from one side to the other with special effects. If you are familiar with the show you know that the ghost character goes on a rampage and starts throwing things. Naturally, like a good ghost, she is invisible, so the crew had to make all sorts of things fly around the stage. We had objects getting “tossed” from the mantle, pictures that dropped off of the walls, and all sorts of other fun things going on.
The director and I decided that the pre-show music should be all Noel Coward, and we discovered Noel Coward in Las Vegas and Noel Coward in New York LPs in the college library. We made great pre-show tape and our audience was treated to an all-Noel Coward evening.
You might say that this CD and the LP that I mentioned above have sentimental value. That is true. But the music is particularly good, and especially so because Sir Noel sings everything himself.
If you get a chance to listed to these recordings, make a point to do so. I think you will get a kick out of them.