Original cast recording in Original Cast Music

"Rent [Original Broadway Cast]" (08/27/1996) Pop Vocal Original Cast, Dreamworks SKGMusic and lyrics written by Jonathan Larson. Principal cast: Adam Pascal (Roger Davis); Anthony Rapp (Mark Cohen); Jesse L. Martin (Tom Collins); Taye Diggs (Benjamin Coffin III); Fredi Walker (Joanne Jefferson); Wilson Jermaine Heredia (Angel Schunard); Daphne Rubin-Vega (Mimi Marquez); Idina Menzel (Maureen Johnson); Kristen Lee Kelly, Byron Utley, Gwen Stewart, Timothy Britten Parker, Gilles Chiasson, Rodney Hicks, Aiko Nakasone. Additional personnel: Stevie Wonder. Recorded at Sorcerer Sound and Right Track Recording, New York, New York. Includes a 36-page booklet with a plot synopsis and complete lyrics. RENT was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. Composer: Jonathan Larson. Lyricist: Billy Aronson. Personnel: Daphne Rubin-Vega, Rodney Hicks, Jesse L. Martin, Gwen Stewart, Idina Menzel, Aiko Nakasone, Taye Diggs, Byron Utley, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Gilles Chiasson, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp (vocals); Anthony Jackson (guitar, contra guitar); Daniel A. Weiss (guitar, synthesizer); Kenny Brescia (guitar); Ira Siegel (electric guitar); Dominic Derasse (trumpet, piccolo trumpet); Tim Weil (piano, synthesizer); Steve Skinner (keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming); Jeffrey Potter (drums, percussion); Kurt Fischer (sound effects). Audio Mixer: Michael O'Reilly. Recording information: Right Track Recording, NY; Sorcerer Sound, NY. Directors: Michael Grief; Michael Greif; Robin Sloane; Tim Weil. Photographers: Joan Marcus; Richie Lee; Amy Guip. Unknown Contributor Roles: George Marino; Anthony Jackson; Stevie Wonder; Tim Weil. Arrangers: Arif Mardin; Steve Skinner; Tim Weil. This 43-track set includes in its entirety the unlikely opera about AIDS, drugs, squatters, down-and-out artists and (of course) love that won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for drama and went on to knock Broadway off its feet at a time when the Broadway musical was widely assumed to be dead. Like the climactic love song that seems to magically rescue one of the main characters from near-death, RENT itself may well be responsible for bringing Broadway back to life. RENT was written and composed by Jonathan Larson, who died suddenly hours after the final dress rehearsal. Larson's music is almost seamless in the way it quilts together show-tune tradition with current pop styles, reflecting the story's blend of a classical plot (it's loosely based on Puccini's opera "La Boheme") with a thoroughly modern setting. A tango, in which a man and woman compare notes on a lover they have shared, fits comfortably between an electronic dance tune with rapped vocals ("Today 4 U," sung by the play's drag-queen hero) and a rocking entreaty to come "Out Tonight." The latter is sung by Daphne Rubin-Vega, whose coquettish pop voice and sensual presence help her stand out from a great ensemble cast. The play's unexpectedly optimistic message is spelled out in a breathtaking pop song called "Seasons Of Love," which leads off the second act. As a bonus, Stevie Wonder joins the cast for a reprise that puts a soaring coda of hope on this dark opera.

"Hair [Original Broadway Cast]" (05/31/1998) Pop Vocal Original Cast, RCA Victor Records (USA)Principal cast includes: Ronald Dyson (Ron); James Rado (Claude); Gerome Ragni (Berger); Steve Curry (Woof); Lamont Washington (Hud); Lynn Kellogg (Sheila); Sally Eaton (Jeanie); Melba Moore (Dionne); Shelley Plimpton (Crissy); Diane Keaton (Waitress); Jonathan Kramer (Young Recruit); Paul Jabara (General Grant); Lorrie Davis (Abraham Lincoln); Donnie Burks (Sergeant). Producer: Andy Wiswell. Recorded in RCA Studio B, New York, New York on May 6, 1968. Composer: Galt MacDermot. Lyricists: Gerome Ragni; James Rado. The first and best musical of the hippie peace and love generation, with a score by Gerome Ragni, James Rado and composer Galt Macdermot. The show and the album were quite different to the usual Broadway fare, but songs such as 'Aquarius', 'Good Morning Starshine', 'Let The Sunshine In' and the title number, soon went on to have a life of their own. The album spent 59 weeks in the US Top 40, 13 of them at number 1, and also did well in the UK. It was also awarded a Grammy for 'best score from an Original Cast album'.

"Cats [Original London Cast] [Slipcase]" (05/23/2006) Pop Vocal Original Cast, Decca (USA)The Original London Cast of CATS is currently only available in the UK on Polydor. Music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on a book by T.S. Eliot. Principal cast: Elaine Paige (Grizzabella); Brian Blessed (Old Deuteronomy/Bustopher); Paul Nicholas (Rum Tum Tugger); Wayne Sleep (Quaxo/Mr. Mistoffelees); Myra Sands (Jennyanydots); Finola Hughes (Victoria); Sarah Brightman (Jemima). Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew Lloyd Webber's epic Cats takes its characters from T.S. Eliot's book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Though the book contains no narrative structure, Webber has created one, although what drew audiences to the theatre in droves was the charm of the feline characters, not the tale of what happens to them. The score is rather fetching but simple, with moments of elegance, as in during the now-standard "Memory." The longest-running musical of its time, Cats is at times overrated, but as a whole it retains the charm that attracted audiences. This version contains Elaine Paige's U.K. Top Ten recording of "Memory." ~ William Ruhlmann and Sarah Erlewine

"Me Nobody Knows" (09/30/2003) Soundtracks Original Cast, AtlanticComposer: Gary William Friedman. Lyricist: Will Holt. Original Cast Recording: Irene Cara, Beverly Bremers, Melanie Henderson, Laura Michaels. Audio Remixer: Lewis Hahn. Liner Note Authors: Gary William Friedman; Robert Livingston; Will Holt. Recording information: Atlantic Recording Studios, New York, NY. Photographer: Bert Andrews. Arranger: Gary William Friedman.

"Hot Mikado [Original Cast Recording]" (04/17/2001) Soundtracks Original Cast, Original Cast (Label)

"25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" (05/24/2005) Pop Vocal Original Cast, GhostlightOriginal Cast Recording/Original Soundtrack: Jose Llana, Derrick Baskin, Craig, Deborah S., Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jay Reiss, Sarah Saltzberg. Who would of thunk it? That some ingenious soul(s) would use the spelling bee -- that great American institution that millions of children have suffered through -- as a gristmill for a Broadway musical? The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee does exactly that, and Ghost Light has provided an original Broadway cast recording of the musical. The compositions and lyrics are from William Finn, and with a Tony under his belt, he's got the experience to make even a spelling bee dramatic. As one might imagine, the cast includes a number of overachievers gathered at a junior high gym for the contest. There are love songs to the dictionary ("My Friend, the Dictionary" rhymes Nietzsche with Christiana Richie), expressions of inferiority ("I'm Not That Smart"), and lots and lots of spelling. The music is catchy and the cast are fine singers, though numbers like "Pandemonium" are a bit overwhelming as what seems like a dozen spellers trade lines and build to a crescendo as the band plays louder and louder. A musical without the visuals can seem a bit fragmented, and that's true of The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee. Some may find all of this a bit precious and not unlike sitting through another spelling bee. Others (i.e., overachievers) will no doubt enjoy a glance back at their glory days. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

"Little Women [Original Broadway Cast]" (05/03/2005) Pop Vocal Original Cast, GhostlightComposer: Jason Howland. Lyricist: Mindi Dickstein. Original Cast Recording/Sutton Foster: Sutton Foster; Danny Gurwin, Janet Carroll, Maureen McGovern, Amy McAlexander, Megan McGinnis, Jenny Powers, John Hickok. Personnel: Karl Kawahara, Sylvia Davanzo, Eric Degioia, Mary Whitaker, Martin Agee, Sean Carney (violin); David Blinn, Liuh-Wen Ting (viola); Lawrence Feldman (flute, alto flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet); Lynne Cohen (oboe, English horn); Tony Kadleck (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn); Russ Rizner-French (French horn); Mark Lusk (tenor trombone, bass trombone, euphonium); Rob Meffe (piano); Jim Saporito (percussion); Peter Hylenski (sound effects). Audio Mixer: Joel Moss . Liner Note Author: Allan Knee. Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (02/03/2005/02/28/2005); The Hit Factory, New York, NY (02/03/2005/02/28/2005). Photographers: Paul Kolnik; Joan Marcus. Louisa May Alcott's perennially popular 1869 novel Little Women, recounting the domestic adventures of the four March sisters (particularly the literarily minded middle sister, Jo) in the Civil War era in Concord, MA, has proven perennially popular as a subject of adaptation into other media, especially since the book fell out of copyright. There was the classic 1933 film starring Katharine Hepburn; a 1949 movie with June Allyson; a 1958 TV musical with songs by Richard Adler; a 1978 TV movie; and a well-received 1994 screen version featuring Winona Ryder. And, starting on January 23, 2005, there was a Broadway musical (no relation to the Adler work), with songs by composer Jason Howland and lyricist Mindi Dickstein, starring Sutton Foster (fresh from her Tony-winning performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Jo, with cabaret singer Maureen McGovern as Marmee, the mother of the brood. The show made a modest appearance on Broadway, which had in recent years seen a plethora of musical adaptations of public-domain novels. Neither particularly liked nor disliked by critics, it nevertheless settled in for an extended run, and while the cast album, recorded the month after the opening, seems to have had a little trouble finding a home, such that it did not appear in record stores until May 2005 through the auspices of theater specialist Ghostlight Records, the show was still running at that point. (After the Tony Award nominations virtually ignored it, only giving a nod to Foster, it closed on May 22 after 137 performances.) On disc, the reasons for both the theater community's indifference and the public's acceptance are suggested. Certainly, this is not a remarkable score; serviceable would be a better word to describe it. The lyrics have none of the wit that critics revel in when it comes from the pen of Stephen Sondheim, and the music is neither traditional Broadway show music nor entirely in the camp of the sub-operatic style of Andrew Lloyd Webber, though it suggests both at times. But then, Little Women is not the sort of material that would be likely to attract either Sondheim or Lloyd Webber. As the show goes on, it becomes apparent that Dickstein is aiming at a simple, plainspoken language that matches the tone of the book, while Howland, though capable of dramatic passages (particularly employed comically in "An Operatic Tragedy," as Jo recounts one of her overwritten early stories to a friend at the outset), also wants to match his music to the understated particulars of the story. The score is conventional and workmanlike: it gives co-star McGovern two showcases ("Here Alone" and "Days of Plenty") and provides Foster with a typical Broadway "I am" song ("Astonishing"). Indeed, it provides her with much more; this is nothing less than a star vehicle, and Foster, who may be to Broadway what Sandra Bullock was to Hollywood in the early 2000s, a rough-and-ready heroine who can handle a kiss or a pratfall with equal aplomb, is up to that challenge. Slow to get going, Little Women makes its points about family commitment and social responsibility movingly by its end, and it's no surprise that audiences respond to that kind of sincerity

"Altar Boyz" (05/17/2005) Soundtracks Original Cast, GhostlightOriginal Cast Recording: Scott Porter, Tyler Maynard, Andy Karl, Ryan Duncan, David Josefsberg (vocals). Personnel: David Anthony Matos (guitar); Clayton Craddock (drums). Additional personnel: Lynne Shankel (keyboards); Doug Katsaros (programming); David Anthony Matos, Clayton Craddock. Audio Mixer: Jonathan Kaplan. Recording information: Sound On Sound Studio A, New York, NY. Photographers: Chris Cassidy; Nick Ruechel; Carol Rosegg. The peak of the so-called boy band craze in pop music came in about the year 2000; by 2002, the fashion was over. Altar Boyz, a musical about a boy band, arrived off-Broadway on March 1, 2005, which may be as close to currency as the musical theater gets. But there is nothing as out as that which was recently in, and the show plays as a period piece no less than Forever Plaid, another off-Broadway musical about a male vocal group. And similar to Forever Plaid, Altar Boyz is intended as a lightly satiric, yet affectionate take on its subject. The big joke here is that the fictional Altar Boyz are a group of Catholics -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Juan (and, oh, yes, Abraham, who, for reasons never really explained, is Jewish) -- and they are here to sing about their faith. They do so in the combination of dance, Latin, and ballad styles, complete with overly emotive harmony and solo singing, that will be familiar to anyone who's ever heard a Backstreet Boys album. Songwriters Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker clearly have their tongues in their cheeks. "Church Rulez" is an account of what the Catholic Mass is like, with its constant cycle of standing, sitting, and kneeling. "The Calling" announces that Jesus Christ has spoken to the singers -- by calling on a cell phone! "The Miracle Song" repeats familiar Gospel tales in rap style. The big romantic ballad, "Something About You," finds lead singer Matthew (Scott Porter) explaining to his girlfriend his adherence to abstinence. "La Vida Eternal," the inevitable Latin track inevitably handled by Juan (Ryan Duncan), reveals that "the afterlife is not a scary place." And "Epiphany," with lead vocals by Mark (Tyler Maynard), is a declaration of Catholic identity in terms reminiscent of a homosexual coming-out ("this is who you are, it's not a choice"). The singers, of course, render all these potted sentiments with mock sincerity, and, particularly on the cast album, it's possible to mistake that for real sincerity now and then. At very least, the songwriters have brought a knowledge of their musical and theological subjects to their writing, and as much sympathy as critical intent. And maybe the boy band trend has been gone just long enough to be ripe for such treatment. Meanwhile, both non-believers and the devout (as long as they have a sense of humor) should enjoy the music. ~ William Ruhlmann

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (05/10/2005) Soundtracks Original Cast, GhostlightComposer/Lyricist: David Yazbek. Original Cast Recording: Gregory Jbara, Joanna Gleason, John Lithgow, Sherie Ren? Scott, Norbert Leo Butz. Personnel: Erik Dellapenna (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel guitar, banjo); Claire Chan, Michael Nicholas (violin, viola); Cenovia Cummins, Paul Woodiel, Belinda Whitney (violin); Anja Wood, Sarah Carter (cello); Andrew Sterman (flute, alto flute, piccolo, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Mark Thrasher (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone saxophone); Dan Willis (flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jim Hyne (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn); Dave Stahl, Hollis Burridge (trumpet, flugelhorn); Theresa MacDonnell (French horn); Michael Boschen (trombone, bass trombone); Dan Lipton (piano, keyboards); Sherie Ren? Scott, Bill Charlap (piano); Jan Rosenberg (keyboards); Dean Sharenow (drums); Howard Joines (percussion). Audio Mixer: Billy Straus. Liner Note Author: Peter Marks. Recording information: Right Track Studio A509, New York, NY; Sound on Sound Studios, New York, NY. Ensembles: Grasan Kingsberry; Tom Galantich; Julie Connors; Rachel Debenedet; Michael Paternostro; Jason Gillman; Amy Heggins; Greg Graham; Laura Marie Duncan; Sally Mae Dunn; Timothy J. Alex; Rachelle Rak; Stephen Campanella; Joe Cassidy; Andres Asnes; Roxane Barlow. Illustrator: David H. Cowles. Photographer: Carol Rosegg. Arranger: Ted Sperling. For years, Hollywood made a habit out of turning Broadway musicals into films, so it probably shouldn't be too surprising that the tables have turned: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a 1988 feature, became a Broadway musical in 2004. Like the movie, the musical follows the exploits of two con men, one smooth and debonair, John Lithgow, and the other, Norbert Leo Butz, simply small potatoes. Of course, since it's a musical now, a soundtrack had to be added, and David Yazbek wrote both the melodies and the lyrics. Ghostlight's original Broadway cast recording features both Lithgow and Butz along with Sherie Ren? Scott, Joanna Gleason, Gregory Jbara, and a number of others singing lots of bouncy bright show tunes. In a way, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' music and lyrics ("Give Them What They Want" and "Great Big Stuff"), save for a few four-letter words here and there, seems very traditional. Yazbek enjoys wordplay and puns, reminding one a bit of Cole Porter, and has a knack for writing tuneful, memorable melodies like the other purveyors of the classic songbook. Even the music itself on songs like "Here I Am," filled with piano, brass, and the vocal backing of the ensemble, qualifies as a bit old-fashioned. While these aspects might not please the avant-garde, this approach, along with good performances by all involved, are real crowd-pleasers, and make Dirty Rotten Scoundrels easy to listen to over and over. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original London Cast]" (11/08/2005) Pop Vocal Original Cast, Sony Music Distribution (USA)Personnel: David Ross, Ray C. Davis, Emma Williams, Graham Hoadly, George Gillies, Carrie Fletcher, Emil Wolk, Anton Rodgers (vocals). It is hard to resist the extravagant charms in the stage adaptation of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (which is based on the MGM/United Artists movie of the same name), which is billed as "the most fantasmagorical stage musical in the history of everything!" The music and lyrics of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman complement Jeremy Sams's stage script perfectly by creating the aural equivalent of the story's magic (the ultimate protagonist is, of course, a flying car). A 34-piece orchestra, directed by Robert Scott, backs the original London cast (led by Michael Ball and Emma Williams) on this fine recording that works alone and as a souvenir of one's visit to the theater.

"The Light in the Piazza" (05/24/2005) Soundtracks Original Cast, Nonesuch Records (USA)Composer/Lyricist: Adam Guettel. Original Broadway Cast: Patti Cohenour, Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Matthew Morrison, Mark Harelik, Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry, Beau Gravitte, Felicity LaFortune, Joseph Siravo. Going into the family business was not what the grandson of songwriting icon Richard Rodgers originally had in mind, but composer/lyricist Adam Guettel rose to the occasion while grabbing the ring at his own steady pace. His musical THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA tells the touching love story of an American tourist and an Italian countryman in post-WWII Firenze. Guettel's unabashed romanticism includes soaring, long-lined melodies, rich and deep harmonic language not far from the land of Sondheim, and lush orchestrations. The refreshing, wide-eyed naivete felt by the young Clara is aptly translated in her solo "The Beauty Is," while Fabrizio's charming awkwardness with English (and with courting a beautiful stranger) is winningly expressed in their duet "Passeggiata. " The exciting rhythms of "Hysteria" and "Octet" recall Stravinsky's neo-classical language. The story's tragic secret is achingly revealed by Clara's mother in "The Beauty Is (Reprise)." All the proceedings are supported by a superior cast including Victoria Clark (URINETOWN, TITANIC), Kelli O'Hara (DRACULA, JEKYLL & HYDE) and Matthew Morrison (HAIRSPRAY, FOOTLOOSE). The future of musical theater may look murky to some. But Guettel's sure-handed amalgam of styles has a voice of his own, one that can point the way.

"Promises, Promises [Varese] [Remaster]" (04/12/2005) Soundtracks Original Cast, Varese (Japan)Composer: Burt Bacharach. Lyricist: Hal David. Original Broadway Cast: Dick O'Neill, Donna McKechnie, Edward Winter, A. Larry Haines, Jerry Orbach, Jill O'Hara, Marian Mercer, Norman Shelly, Paul Reed. Recording information: A&R Studios, New York, NY. Authors: Neil Simon; Burt Bacharach. The 1969 Grammy-winning score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Promises, Promises was adapted by Neil Simon from Billy Wilder's screenplay of the 1960 film The Apartment (with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine). A Broadway smash that lasted over 1,200 performances, the play won one Tony Award alongside four Grammys, and was out of print for many years before being reissued on CD in 1999. The songs include several of Bacharach-David's best, including "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "What Do You Get When You Fall in Love" and the title song. ~ Jenna Woolford