Disney's Teacher's Pet

Amazon.com

As created by renowned illustrator Gary Baseman, Disney's Teacher's Pet spins the wistful tale of Spot, a dog who wants to be a boy, but whose mad scientist/would-be benefactor miscalculates his dog-year math and gives the hapless hound the body of a middle-aged man instead. But as did South Park before it, the film adaptation of the Emmy honored series trumps its small-screen rival with an ambitious musical soundtrack that's not only an unexpected delight, but one whose songs and performances sometimes rival many an over-hyped, contemporary Broadway stage production in the bargain. After the bouncing teeny pop of co-star Christy Carlson Romano's title track cover dispenses with the youth marketing angle, the album settles into a collection that's split between the more traditional show sensibilities of songwriters Cheri Steinkeller, Randy Peterson and Kevin Quinn and Stephen James Taylor's more contemporary pop/swing/rock pastiche underscore. Broadway vet Nathan Lane infuses his title role with dollops of loopy sincerity and charm on the opening "I Wanna Be a Boy," the wistful ballad "A Boy Needs a Dog" and elsewhere, while Kelsey Grammer imparts his mad scientist turn "I, Ivan Krank" with a delightful, perfectly-pitched hammy bravura. Underappreciated musician/actor Jack Sheldon swings merrily through "Take the Money and Run" while Debra Jo Rupp, David Ogden Stiers, Megan Mullally, Jerry Stiller, Shaun Fleming and Paul Reubens variously make even the briefest of turns memorable on the singalong "Whole Bunch of World," the merry march "Small But Mighty" and the goofy canine affirmation of "Proud To Be a Dog." --Jerry McCulley