Archive for the ‘New Releases’ Category

Recent months have seen quite a number of significant OLC recordings get their CD debut.  November sees the release of two more very different shows of interest to collectors.

First, Sepia Records, a British public domain label, will release the London recording of Mary Rodger’s Once Upon a Mattress, the musical retelling of The Princess and the Pea.  Due on 9th November, the recording includes the same numbers as the LP release of the original Broadway cast, interpreted by performers including comedian Max Wall as the Jester and character actress Jane Connell as Princess Winnifred.  On CD, it is paired with the studio recording of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves 40, which Rodgers wrote with Sammy Cahn.  Sung and narrated by Bing Crosby, this curiosity (intended for a child audience) is also making its CD debut.

Once Upon a Mattress -- 1960 Original London Cast

Later in the month, Stage Door Records will release the original cast recording of Mutiny!, a show which starred David Essex, who also wrote the score with Richard Crane.  Based on the novel Mutiny on the Bounty, the show also starred veteran actor Frank Finlay and pop diva Sinitta just prior to her career-making meeting with Simon Cowell.  It was modestly popular, running for over a year in the mid 1980s  This release is remastered from the original tapes.

Mutiny! -- 1985 Original London Cast

From Sepia Records:

The Most Happy Fella -- 1960 Original London Cast For our September releases, we revisit three musicals that played in the West End in 1960. Firstly, the CD reissue of The Most Happy Fella celebrates composer Frank Loesser‘s centenary. The original London cast included leading names of the day such as Inia Te Wiata, Helena Scott, and Art Lund, who bring their unique interpretations to this important score. Our release also features five bonus tracks from the show sung by Edmund Hockridge.

Make Me an Offer -- 1959 Original London Cast Winner of the 1959 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, Make Me an Offer reunited David Heneker and Monty Norman, two of the leading figures in British musical theatre. Here, we couple the original cast album with the first-ever release of excerpts from a live TV performance of the show. This reissue is also enhanced by extensive liner notes written by Monty Norman, who has also contributed photographs from his private archive.

Follow That Girl -- 1960 Original London Cast Our third cast album is a newly-remastered version of Julian Slade’s 1960 hit Follow That Girl. Our new release features not only the cast album but also seven bonus tracks, including cut songs and production images.

Millicent Martin Sings -- 2010 Millicent Martin A stalwart of the West End, Millicent Martin‘s career has spanned six decades. As our fourth release in this batch, we are proud to release her debut solo CD, which was recorded at the peak of her career on the British stage. As well as enjoying numerous successes as an actress in musical theatre, Martin has also won popularity in recent years for her TV appearances, and we hope that this CD release will serve as a useful tribute to her musical roots.

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson -- 2010 Original Cast Samples from the upcoming cast recording of emo-rock musical Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson are now available online. Ghostlight Records recorded the cast of the Public Theatre production (now Broadway bound) on April 26 and plans to release the recording later this summer. The samples include songs Populism, Yea, Yea!, I’m Not That Guy, Rockstar, and Second Nature.

Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge -- 2010 Original Off-Broadway Cast Prospect Theater Company is throwing a CD release party for the original cast recording of the new bluegrass musical Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge on June 30.  Adapted from J. M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World by composer Peter Mills and director Cara Reichel, Golden Boy made its world premiere at 59E59 Theaters in April of 2009.   Golden Boy – the tale of an unlikely hero, a backwoods romance and a slapdash murder – features music and lyrics by 2010 Kleban Prize Winner Peter Mills. The recording is produced by Great White Wax and is the first commercially released CD of Mills’ work.  More information & tickets are available on the Prospect Theater Company website.

Broadway.com takes you behind the scenes as the original Broadway cast of MEMPHIS records their cast album. The recording is now available for purchase at the Shubert Theatre and on the show’s website; nationwide distribution should be available soon.

The new revival of Stephen Sondheim‘s A Little Night Music, currently playing on Broadway, will record a cast album on January 4, 2010. The revival stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury and is based on a production that originated at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory. Tommy Krasker will produce the new recording, a joint venture between PS Classics and Nonesuch.

The recent 2008 Broadway cast recording of the Tony-winning revival of Hair is being released on vinyl by Ghostlight Records on November 24.

West Side Story -- 2009 Broadway Cast West Side Story – 2009 Broadway Cast
The Story of My Life -- 2009 Original Broadway Cast The Story of My Life – Original Broadway Cast (previously available on iTunes & Amazon MP3)
Rock of Ages -- 2009 Original Broadway Cast Rock of Ages – Original Broadway Cast (digital release in advance of 7/7 store date)
Napoleon -- 1994 Toronto Cast Napoleon – 1994 Toronto Cast (Limited edition of 500)
The Broadway Musicals of 1956 -- 2006 Town Hall Broadway by the Year Series The Broadway Musicals of 1956 – Town Hall Broadway by the Year Series
The Journey Home -- 2008 Malcolm Gets The Journey Home – Malcolm Gets (previously available on iTunes & Amazon MP3)
This Place I Know -- 2009 Stephanie J. Block This Place I Know – Stephanie J. Block (previously available on iTunes & Amazon MP3)
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog -- 2008 Short Film Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog – 2008 Short Film (Previously just a Amazon on-demand DVD)

More information about Upcoming Releases.

Spotlight on Larry Kert Spotlight on Larry Kert (First appearance on CD)
Is Anybody There? Is Anybody There? – Adam Lambert (Single from The Ten Commandments, sung by this year’s American Idol runner-up)
Hair Hair – 2009 Broadway Cast (Digital release in advance of 6/2 CD release)
The Story of My Life The Story of My Life – 2009 Broadway Cast (Digital release in advance of 6/2 CD release)

More information about Upcoming Releases.

The first cast recording of the new theatre season will be Jason Robert Brown’s 13, which Ghostlight Records will release online for digital download September 30. The cast is recording the show this weekend, before previews have even begun (September 16). Ghostlight will release the CD in stores later this Fall.


About this blog

News & reviews of cast recordings, soundtracks, and other musical theater-releated recordings.

Check out the castalbums.org database.

Recent Releases

The Phantom of the Opera at The Royal Albert Hall - 2011 Concert Cast Love Never Dies - 2011 Australian Cast Rent - 2012 Polish Studio Cast Godspell - 2011 Broadway Cast Annie - 2012 Australian Cast (Live) Wildcat - 1961 Studio Cast War Horse - 2008 Original Cast Big Society! - 2011 Original Cast
  • cmichaelperry: I saw this show in London with the original London Cast. I loved it but could never find the recordi [...]
  • House: Cool, didn't know there was even a musical about Memphis. [...]
  • Joseph: Is this really happening? This story was published over 3 months ago, enough time to get out a CD. [...]
  • bryan: i can not bevile that glory days got a cast cd and not cry baby cry baby need a cast cd today!!!! [...]
  • Tom Kocur: Thanks for all the Broadway LP's not on Cd. Still on my wish list are Three more. Eubie; One Mo' Tim [...]