Singin' in the Bathtub

In John Lithgow's most memorable roles, he's played the outsider: the transsexual former football player in The World According to Garp, the alien in Third Rock from the Sun. On Singin' in the Bathtub, he puts the same aspect of his character that's made him successful in those roles--the slightly-out-of-touch wonder at the obvious--to work on 14 children's songs. Backed by a big band (and the occasional banjo or musical saw), Lithgow takes on topics from multiple births (the Alice in Wonderland-esque "Triplets"), the alphabet ("You're Adorable, A" which recalls Really Rosie's "Alligators All Around"), and a veritable menagerie ("The Gnu Song," "I Had a Rooster," "The Hippopotamus Song," and "The Inchworm"). He kicks off the title song with a reminder to "Grab your ducky, grab your toy boat--let's make this fun!" It's a triumph that he manages to do so for the entire album; but be warned--Lithgow's energy level is tough to keep up with, and you might find yourself exhausted long before the album ends. --Randy Silver