Original Broadway Cast, 1962 (Columbia/Sony) (3 / 5) This show has gone down in history for having launched the career of Barbra Streisand, but there’s so much more here. Jerome Weidman adapted his own novel about a Seventh Avenue go-getter who sells his soul for shmattehs. Composer-lyricist Harold Rome’s score percolates with energy. Elliot Gould stars as schemer Harry Bogen, displaying plenty of nasty vitality in numbers like “The Way Things Are” and “The Sound of Money.” This is, however, an ensemble show filled with vividly etched character portraits. Marilyn Cooper, as the girl who loves Harry, delivers two wry ballads: “When Gemini Meets Capricorn” and “Who Knows?” Ken Le Roy and Bambi Linn, as a dress designer and his wife, deliver the lovely “Have I Told You Lately?” Lillian Roth, as Harry’s doting mother, offers chicken soup for the soul in the introspective “Too Soon” and the chilling “Eat a Little Something.” And yes, Streisand hits the comedy number “Miss Marmelstein” out of the park. Rome’s lyrics evoke a world of middle-class Jews who work in the garment trade, while his music merges jazz with Yiddish harmonies and a touch of Leonard Bernstein. Sid Rarnin’s percussive orchestrations are among the most unique of the period. It’s an underrated, distinctive achievement.  — David Barbour

Off-Broadway Cast, 2023 (Concord Theatricals) (4 / 5) This cast recording of an Off-Broadway revisal of I Can Get It For You Wholesale was released belatedly, more than a year after the show completed its limited run in December 2023, but it’s a wonderful opportunity to revisit Harold Rome’s underrated score. Tony Award-winner Santino Fontana leads the cast as the ambitious heel Harry Bogen, bringing to the role a higher level of vocal talent than Elliot Gould displays on the original cast album. Rebecca Naomi Jones does a fine job with all of Ruthie’s stellar solo moments, sounding particularly sweet in “Who Knows?” In addition, Jones gets a song not included on the 1962 recording: a bubbly duet, titled “Grab Them While I Can / A Gift Is Not Enough,” for Ruthie and Bogen’s other love interest, Martha (superbly portrayed by Joy Woods). Adam Chanler-Berat and Sarah Steele add some panache with their rendition of the soft-shoe ditty “Have I Told You Lately?” As if our cups weren’t already running over, Judy Kuhn is on hand as Mrs. Bogen, Harry’s adoring mother. Although she’s not afforded an opportunity to fully show off her vocal mettle here, Kuhn sings hauntingly in “Too Soon” and “Eat A Little Something.” Taking on Barbara Streisand’s breakout role of Miss Marmelstein, Julia Lester is zany and full of personality, and if her interpretation isn’t quite equal to Streisand’s (how could it be?), it’s distinctive in its own right and worthy of praise. This revisal reshuffled the order of some of the songs as compared to the original production, and there were some cuts and other changes. (The production featured book revisions by Jerome Weidman’s son, John Weidman, best known for his work on the Stephen Sondheim musicals Pacific Overtures, Assassins, and Road Show.)  Jacinth Greywoode’s orchestrations are simple and charming, even if they can’t be wholeheartedly recommended over the fuller versions heard on the Broadway cast album. Note: Concord released this recording in streaming format only, but included a full and well-designed booklet as a free download. — Forrest Hutchinson