Various Artists

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Stage Door Records

The Grand Imperial Cirque de Paris is coming back to town!  Stage Door Records has the latest in its series of Deluxe Edition cast recordings with a 2-CD expanded edition of the original 1961 Broadway Cast Recording of Michael Stewart and Bob Merrill's Carnival!  The musical archaeologists at Stage Door have added choice renditions of Merrill's tunes from such diverse artists as Joni (James) and her husband Tony (Acquaviva), Mel Tormé, Pat Boone, and The Everly Brothers as well as two complete studio recordings.  Composer-bandleader Cyril Ornadel's recording was issued on MGM as a complement to the label's cast recording and The Paul Smith Ensemble's Carnival in Percussion arrived on sister label Verve.  (Electric organist Smith's album features "Magic, Magic," a duet between Rosalie and Marco that wasn't included on the original cast album.)  Stage Door has even appended one track from German-born American zither player Ruth Welcome's full-length Carnival! LP, recorded with notable arranger Klaus (or Claus) Ogerman.  Another rare treat is Anna Maria Alberghetti's live "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" from a Stars for Defense radio broadcast.  All three albums on Stage Door's set are presented in stereo