PINS AND NEEDLES opened on November 27, 1937 with a cast compiled from the International Ladies' Garment Worker's Union. The show consisted of songs and skits with an edge of satire aimed at politics, economics, overseas dictators, and American decadence. It was Harold Rome's first Broadway show and it ran for 4 years. In that time the skits and songs occasionally changed in order to keep up with the current times. This recording is a compendium of songs from those 4 years, and 4 editions of the show. While Rome was the rehearsal pianist for the original show (in addition to his music and lyrics), here he is a vocalist. Joining him are Jack Carroll, Rose Marie Jun, Alan Sokoloff, and a relatively (then) unknown Barbra Streisand.The arrangements are simple, with only piano, guitar, bass, and drums (performed by members of Local 802) providing a nice feeling of a simple stage performance. While Streisand's performances are the definite highlight, everyone does a nice job of capturing these commentaries of a time when social significance was coming to the fore in mainstream consciousness.
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Pins and Needles
