Patti LuPone - Gypsy [The 2008 Broadway Cast Recording] (2008)

Did we really need yet another recording of Gypsy, the 1959 classic by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim? After all we already have albums headlined by the likes of Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters. The short, answer is an emphatic yes. The 2008 version stars Patti LuPone, superbly supported by Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines and a luscious 36-piece orchestra. LuPone sinks her fangs into the role of the indomitable Mama Rose, and delivers the show’s epic anthems ("Some People," "Everything’s Coming Up Roses" and "Rose’s Turn") with the right balance of manic energy and slightly cracked vulnerability. Touted in the liner notes as "the most complete recording of Gypsy ever," the album only adds more ammo to the arsenal of those who hold the musical as possibly the best of all time. There is not a single weak cut here. And because this production was directed by the book’s author himself, Arthur Laurents, access was granted to seven goodies cut from the original production and tagged at the end. The highlight clearly is Rose’s "Who Needs Him?," a torchy number that manages to pack a punch in just over a minute.--Elisabeth Vincentelli