Doctor Dolittle (cast recording)

The album was produced and musically supervised by Mike Dixon. Recording sessions were conducted prior to the show's transfer to musical director Michael England and took place in conjunction with the rehearsal period of the stage production. The recording was completed before the show's official press opening at the Hammersmith Apollo, allowing for a version of the material that closely reflects the production's initial structure and musical arrangements.{{harvnb|Dixon|2022|p=181}}

Doctor Dolittle premiered at the Hammersmith Apollo on 14 July 1998 and closed on 26 June 1999.{{harvnb|Dixon|2022|p=182}} The recording stands as a representation of the musical's original London staging, including the orchestrations, vocal arrangements, and specific technical elements that defined that version of the show.

The album includes the full principal score, with lead vocals performed by Phillip Schofield (Doctor Dolittle), Sarah Jane Hassell (Emma Fairfax), and Bryan Smyth (Matthew Muggins). Julie Andrews recorded her dialogue and vocals for the character Polynesia, the parrot, separately from the rest of the cast, in sessions held at Angel Recording Studios in London. These sessions were organized and conducted by Mike Dixon. According to him, Andrews recorded the song "Talk to the Animals" using an arrangement specifically adapted to her vocal capabilities following the surgery that had affected her range and projection.{{harvnb|Dixon|2022|p=179-180}} According to Richard Stirling, author of Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography, Andrew's contribution was more akin to vocal acting than conventional singing, reflecting the limitations of her vocal range following surgery.{{harvnb|Stirling|2008|p=500}}

The recording of Julie Andrews songs was carried out with great attention to detail, in an isolated and carefully controlled environment, in order to capture the clarity and nuance of her performance. Dixon also noted that the session was technically challenging, as it involved integrating Andrews's pre-recorded voice with the rest of the track, which had already been recorded with the other cast members at the Pierce Rooms. The play marks Andrews' first appearance - albeit in voice only - on a British stage for 40 years.

The cast recording documents the orchestrations created specifically for the West End production. These orchestrations integrated new motifs and themes based on material previously developed by Bricusse, and were adapted to accommodate the technical constraints of the production, which included animatronic puppets (by Jim Henson's Creature Shop responsibility), off-stage sound cues, and real-time synchronization between cast and pre-programmed elements. According to Dixon, musical material was written and arranged with these factors in mind, particularly the interaction between live vocals and pre-recorded puppet voices.

Unlike typical cast albums recorded in isolation, this recording involved coordination between musical performance and technical staging design. The recording sessions utilized a control space within the theatre building—a repurposed technical room referred to as the “Pierce Rooms”—which allowed full access to recording equipment while remaining physically close to the stage environment. This permitted continuity between the stage performance practices and the studio sessions.{{harvnb|Dixon|2022|p=182}}

{{Music ratings

| noprose = yes

| rev1 = The Des Moines Register

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}

}}

In his review for the Des Moines Register, Jeffrey Bruney reflected on the 1998 original London cast recording of Doctor Dolittle, and acknowledged that while the show underwent considerable adaptation for its American stage transfer, the recording still offered valuable insights. He described it as an engaging mix of classic musical theatre—evoking comparisons to My Fair Lady—and a more contemporary, politically charged narrative centered on animal rights. Although the well-known number "Talk to the Animals" didn't quite deliver the expected impact, Bruney highlighted other standout moments, particularly the "emotionally resonant" "When I Look into Your Eyes".{{cite journal |last1=Bruner |first1=Jeffrey |title=Headline: Original cast albums cue in season |journal=The Des Moines Register |date=21 August 2005 |page=4 |url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/headline-original-cast-albums-cue-season/docview/237754167/se-2?accountid=196403 |access-date=12 April 2025 |publisher=Gannett Media Corp |location=Des Moines, Iowa |id={{ProQuest|237754167}}}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Doctor Dolittle (World Premiere London Cast Recording)

| total_length = 68:53

| extra_column = Performer(s)

| title1 = Overture

| writer1 = Leslie Bricusse

| length1 = 1:45

| extra1 = Orchestra

| title2 = My Friend The Doctor

| writer2 = L. Bricusse

| length2 = 4:41

| extra2 = Matthew, Tommy & The Company

| title3 = The Vegetarian

| writer3 = L. Bricusse

| length3 = 3:03

| extra3 = Dolittle

| title4 = Talk to the Animals

| writer4 = L. Bricusse

| length4 = 3:23

| extra4 = Dolittle

| title5 = Doctor Dolittle

| writer5 = L. Bricusse

| length5 = 4:25

| extra5 = Matthew, Tommy & The Animals

| title6 = You're Impossible

| writer6 = L. Bricusse

| length6 = 2:29

| extra6 = Emma & Dolittle

| title7 = I've Never Seen Anything Like It

| writer7 = L. Bricusse

| length7 = 7:03

| extra7 = Stubbins & The Company

| title8 = Beautiful Things

| writer8 = L. Bricusse

| length8 = 3:16

| extra8 = Dolittle

| title9 = When I Look Into Your Eyes

| writer9 = L. Bricusse

| length9 = 3:27

| extra9 = Dolittle

| title10 = Like Animals

| writer10 = L. Bricusse

| length10 = 4:59

| extra10 = Dolittle & Emma

| title11 = After Today

| writer11 = L. Bricusse

| length11 = 2:28

| extra11 = Matthew

| title12 = Fabulous Places

| writer12 = L. Bricusse

| length12 = 4:26

| extra12 = Emma, Dolittle, Tommy & Matthew

| title13 = Where Are The Words?

| writer13 = L. Bricusse

| length13 = 3:35

| extra13 = Dolittle & Matthew

| title14 = The Storm

| writer14 = L. Bricusse

| length14 = 1:27

| extra14 = Instrumental

| title15 = I Think I Like You

| writer15 = L. Bricusse

| length15 = 4:33

| extra15 = Emma & Dolittle

| title16 = Save The Animals

| writer16 = L. Bricusse

| length16 = 3:07

| extra16 = Straight Arrow & Company

| title17 = Entrance of Jean-Claude

| writer17 = L. Bricusse

| length17 = 1:08

| extra17 = Stubbins & the Seal

| title18 = Something In Your Smile

| writer18 = L. Bricusse

| length18 = 2:24

| extra18 = Bello

| title19 = My Friend The Doctor (Reprise)

| writer19 = L. Bricusse

| length19 = 1:10

| extra19 = Straight Arrow

| title20 = The Voice Of Protest

| writer20 = L. Bricusse

| length20 = 3:12

| extra20 = Emma & the Company

| title21 = Finale: I've Never Seen Anything Like It (Reprise) / My Friend The Doctor (Reprise)

| writer21 = L. Bricusse

| length21 = 2:10

| extra21 = The Company

| title22 = Talk To The Animals (Reprise)

| writer22 = L. Bricusse

| length22 = 0:42

| extra22 = The Company

}}

Adapted from the album's liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title= Doctor Dolittle (World Premiere London Cast Recording) |type=liner notes |author=London Cast Of Doctor Dolittle|year=1998 |publisher=First Night Records|id=CASTCD 68}}

{{div col}}

;Cast

• Dr. John Dolittle – Phillip Schofield
• Emma Fairfax – Sarah Jane Hassell
• Matthew Mugg – Bryan Smyth
• General Bellowes – Peter Cellier
• Albert Blossom – John Rawnsley
• Tommy Stubbins – James Paul Bradley
• Straight Arrow – Peter Gallagher
• The Voice of Polynesia – Julie Andrews

;Production

• Produced and recorded by Mike Dixon
• Orchestrally Produced by Bill Occleshaw
• Arranged by (Vocal, Dance and Original Musical Arrangements) Mike Dixon
• Music and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse
• Music Director – Michael England
• Keyboards, Music Director (Assistant) – Corin Buckeridge
• Directed by (Resident Director) Wayne Fowkes
• Contractor (Casting Director) – Anne Vosser
• Coordinator – John Craig
• Engineer – David Hunt
• Engineer (Assistant) – Meredith Leung
• Programmed by André Horstmann
• Programmed by (Keyboard) Ian Terry
• Management (Company Manager) by Michael Mansfield

;Musicians

• Conductor – Michael England
• Bass – Ben Groenevelt
• Bassoon – Tim Mallett
• Cello – David Bucknall
• Clarinet – Dick Ihnatowicz
• Drums – Tim Goodyer
• Flute – Chris Harding
• Harp – Sharron Griffiths
• Horn – Stephan Smoktunowicz
• Keyboards – Ian Terry, Phil Hawkes
• Oboe – Nicki Woods
• Percussion – Joff Morgan
• Trombone – Richard Henry
• Trumpet – John Barclay
• Viola – Nigel Rowlands
• Violin – Dai Emanuel, Roz Lishak

;Design

• Design – Dewynters Plc London
• Photography by (Production) – Michael Le Poer Trench
• Photography by (Additional) – Gavan Goulder
• Liner Notes – Leslie Bricusse

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last1=Dixon |first1=Mike |title=Turn Around and Take a Bow! |date=31 May 2022 |publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-1-80313-249-5 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Turn_Around_and_Take_a_Bow/uadxEAAAQBAJ}}
• {{cite book |last1=Stirling |first1=Richard|authorlink=Richard Stirling|title=Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography|date=2008|publisher=Piatkus Books Ltd London |location=London|isbn=978-1-84782-162-1}}

{{Refend}}

{{Julie Andrews}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Dolittle (cast recording)}}

Category:Cast recordings

Category:1998 albums

Category:Julie Andrews albums

Category:West End musicals