A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast. A cast recording featuring the first cast to perform a musical in a particular venue is known, for example, as an "original Broadway cast recording" or an "original London cast recording". Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London 's "Theatreland"
Cast recordings are (almost always) studio recordings rather than live recordings. The recorded song lyrics and orchestrations are identical (or very similar to) those of the songs as performed in the theatre. Like any studio performance, the recording is of course an idealized rendering, more glossily perfect than any live performance could be, and without audible audience reaction. Nevertheless, the listener who has attended the live show expects it to be an accurate souvenir of the experience.
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History
The British were the first to make cast recordings, and they were also the first to make original London cast recordings of shows that had already opened on Broadway, but had not been recorded with their original Broadway cast. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. This led to the odd situation of having, for example, a 1928 recording of the London cast of Show Boat, but no recording with the actual 1927 Broadway cast, and a recording of the London cast of Sigmund Romberg's The Desert Song, but not of the 1926 Broadway cast - even though both of these shows are Broadway musicals, rather than British ones. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Sigmund Romberg, born Zsigmond Romberg ( July 29, 1887, Nagykanizsa − November 9, 1951 The Desert Song is an Operetta with Music by Sigmund Romberg and Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and
Prior to the development of original cast recordings, there had of course been recordings of songs from musicals, and collections of several such songs, and recordings of songs performed by cast members; but they were recordings of songs, not recordings of a musical. For example, Danny Kaye made a set of recordings of songs from Lady in the Dark. Danny Kaye ( January 18, 1913 – March 3, 1987) was an American award-winning Actor, Singer and Comedian Lady in the Dark is a Broadway musical written by Kurt Weill (music Ira Gershwin (lyrics and Moss Hart (book and direction Even though Danny Kaye was a member of the cast, this was certainly not an original cast recording not merely because the arrangements and presentation were different, but because in this recording, Danny Kaye performed Gertrude Lawrence's songs! (Gertrude Lawrence did record her songs for RCA Victor. Gertrude Lawrence (July 4 1898 - September 6 1952 was an English actress and musical comedy performer whose work spanned from the 1920s to the 1950s RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. )
The first American original cast recording as we know it was an early experimental LP of program transcription of selections from The Band Wagon, a 1931 revue starring Fred and Adele Astaire. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A gramophone For the musical see The Band Wagon (musical. The Band Wagon ( 1953) is a Musical comedy film that many critics rank (along Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award Lady Charles Cavendish ( September 10, 1896 &ndash January 25, 1981) better known as Adele Astaire, was an American dancer
The following year, Jack Kapp produced an album of songs from Show Boat timed to the 1932 Ziegfeld revival. Jack Kapp was a record company executive with Brunswick Records who founded Decca Records in 1934 Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein This album featured Helen Morgan and Paul Robeson doing their songs from the show but used studio cast singers for the leads. Helen Morgan (August 2 1900 – October 9 1941 was an American singer and actress who worked in films and on the stage Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson ( April 9, 1898 &ndash January 23, 1976) was a multi-lingual American Actor, athlete
As the 1930s progressed, Liberty Music Shop in New York City made mini albums of songs from the Ethel Merman musical comedies Red Hot and Blue and Stars in Your Eyes. The City of New York Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical Red Hot and Blue is a 1936 musical by Cole Porter originally starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Bob Hope These were more like personality recordings, since the arrangements were not the ones heard in the theatre.
The first complete original cast albums was Marc Blitzstein's 1938 recordings of songs from The Cradle Will Rock although these were recorded with just piano accompaniment and not the show's orchestra. Marc Blitzstein ( March 2, 1905 &ndash January 22, 1964) was an American Composer. The Cradle Will Rock is a 1937 musical by Marc Blitzstein. Originally a part of the Federal Theatre Project, it was directed by In 1984, the original recordings from Very Warm for May (1939) were discovered and issued on an LP. Very Warm for May opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 17, 1939.
RCA Victor had made an album of the key songs from Porgy and Bess using the theatre orchestra but featuring Met opera singers Lawrence Tibbett and Helen Jepson singing the songs. Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Lawrence Mervil Tibbett ( November 16, 1896 - July 15, 1960) was an American opera singer movie actor radio personality and recording artist Helen Jepson was an American Lyric soprano noted for being a "stunning blond beauty" as well as for her voice Decca riposted with another album of the same highlights sung by the actual stars of the original production, although recorded five years after the premiere. Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. When a revival was staged in 1942, Decca issued a second album of some of the secondary songs from the opera by the revival cast and later combined these two albums onto one LP and called it the "original cast recording". Decca also issued an album of songs from the all-soldier revue This Is the Army by Irving Berlin. This Is the Army is a 1943 American Motion picture produced by Hal B Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 &ndash 22 September 1989 was a Russian-born American Composer and Lyricist, and one of the most prolific American songwriters
Finally in 1943, came Decca's recording of Oklahoma!. Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The show was the biggest hit Broadway had experienced up until that time and people who could not get tickets bought the album. It would eventually sell over 1 million copies as a set of 78-rpm records, and millions more on LP and Compact Discs.
Decca soon began recording every hit musical that came along including Carmen Jones, Carousel, and Annie Get Your Gun. Carmen Jones is a 1943 Broadway musical, later made into a 1954 Musical film; the play also ran for a season in 1991 at London Carousel is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics that was adapted from Ferenc Molnar Soon, all the other record companies were bidding for the rights to record Broadway shows with their original casts.
Capitol recorded St. Louis Woman in 1946, and RCA Victor recorded Brigadoon in 1947. Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as St Louis Woman is a musical by Harold Arlen (music and Johnny Mercer (lyrics based upon the novel God Sends Sunday RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Although Decca abandoned the cast album field in the mid 1950's, Capitol and Victor actively bid for recording rights. Sometimes problems arose as when RCA Victor signed on to record the 1950 musical Call Me Madam even though the show's star, Ethel Merman was then under exclusive contact to Decca Records. Call Me Madam is a musical with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical This resulted in two albums of the score being released: Merman with a studio cast on her label, while the rest of the Broadway cast made an album fro RCA Victor with Dinah Shore singing the Merman role!
The label that would dominate the field until the late 1970s, however, was Columbia. Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American Singer, Actress Columbia Masterworks Records was a Record label started in 1927 by Columbia Records. They began by issuing an album of the 1946 revival of Show Boat followed by the original Broadway cast of Finian's Rainbow in 1947. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by EY Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Burton Lane. A year later the label introduced LP records and used the format for two best sellers: Kiss Me, Kate and South Pacific, both recorded and released in 1949. Long play (LP record albums are 33⅓ Rpm vinyl Gramophone records (phonograph records generally either 10- or 12- Inches in diameter Kiss Me Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. South Pacific is a musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by both Hammerstein and Joshua
Under the leadership of Columbia's Goddard Lieberson, the label's cast recordings came to define the genre. Columbia Masterworks Records was a Record label started in 1927 by Columbia Records. Goddard Lieberson ( April 5, 1911 &ndash May 29, 1977) was the president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971 and from 1973 to 1975 Columbia Masterworks produced the original cast recordings of such shows as The Pajama Game, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Gypsy: A Musical Fable, and Camelot) Lieberson also recorded important shows that had failed at the box office including Candide and Anyone Can Whistle. The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell. My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay West Side Story is a musical by Arthur Laurents (book Leonard Bernstein (music and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics Gypsy is a 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics and Frederic Loewe (music Candide (1956 is an Operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the Novella of the same name by Voltaire Anyone Can Whistle is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. In 1956, he recorded Frank Loesser's musical The Most Happy Fella complete on three LPs, the first time an entire Broadway show had been fully recorded. Frank Henry Loesser ( June 29, 1910, New York City – July 26, 1969, New York City) was an American The Most Happy Fella is a theater musical (labelled an opera by various commentators) with music lyrics and book by Frank Loesser.
A 1970 documentary by D. A. Pennebaker, Original Cast Album—Company gives a straightforward view of the making of a cast recording. Donn Alan "D A" Pennebaker (born July 15, 1925) is an American Documentary filmmaker and one of the pioneers of Direct Cinema It shows how the recording studio looks, how performers are arranged, and how the director behaves. The cast feels the pressure of delivering a definitive performance, with a degree of perfection beyond that ever required on stage, under a time limit imposed by the high cost of studio time.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s it was not uncommon for cast albums to become best sellers. My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Funny Girl, and Hello, Dolly! all reached the #1 position on the Billboard magazine best-sellers chart. My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner The Music Man is a musical with book music and lyrics by Meredith Willson. Funny Girl is a musical with a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. Hello Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder 's 1938 See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry As popular music split away from the traditional Tin Pan Ally song stylings of Broadway and Hollywood, and Rock music became the dominant pop culture form, show albums began selling less well. Also as radio and TV moved away from showcasing Broadway numbers the ability for a show to reach an audience beyond the traditional Broadway fans lessened.
Today few show albums even appear in the Billboard top 200, and the rare breakout hit like Wicked receive no radio airplay. Wicked (Original Broadway Cast Recording contains the songs from the Tony award -winning American musical Wicked,
New boutique labels such as PS Classics and Ghostlight release many of the cast albums of recent Broadway hits. PS Classics is a Record label that specializes in Musical theater and standard vocals Ghostlight is a Video game Publisher based in the UK, it was set up as a subsidiary of Midas Interactive during 2005 With the recent merger of Sony Music (formerly Columbia Records) and BMG Music (formerly RCA Victor), many older cast recordings are being deleted and the new company is in no great rush to record new shows or reissue titles from the vaults. Sony Music Entertainment is a major global Record label controlled by the Sony Corporation of America, being one of the "big four" record companies
Technical limitations
A 10-inch 78-rpm disc could hold about 3½ minutes of music per side. A 12-inch 78-rpm could last 4½ minutes. Early albums had to severely abridge selections to fit the format. With LP cast recordings, usually released as single discs, it was not rare for compromises to be made to fit the recording within the forty-to-fifty-minute time limit. For example, reprises, or minor songs might not be included.
By the 1980s, the rise of the compact disc with its 74-minute recording capacity (which was increased to 80 minutes in the 1990s) resulted in improvements in cast recordings, which were now usually capable of including all songs, the full overture and entr’acte, and, when appropriate, lead-in dialogue to the songs. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio
In recent years, some cast recordings have been recorded live, but maintaining perfect quality. This is due to theaters that contain recording studios within. What is often a vibrant stage performance, however, often does not translate as such to discs and these recordings lack the heightened sparkle that leading album producers can bring to studio made cast albums.
Alternate versions
It is often the case that many cast recordings may be made for the same show. In addition to the recording of the cast of the original production, later high-profile productions may also produce cast recordings: for example, a recording by the cast of the first London production of a show that originated on Broadway, or of the first Broadway cast of a show that originated off-Broadway, or of the cast of a revival produced many decades later than the original production. Off-Broadway plays or musicals are performed in New York City.
For some musicals created before cast recordings became the norm, studio cast recordings are all that exist to document the original productions' orchestrations. Such studio cast recordings have been made of many early musical comedies by the Gershwins, Vincent Youmans and Rodgers and Hart. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. Vincent Youmans ( September 27, 1898 - April 5, 1946) was an American popular composer and Broadway producer Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership consisting of the composer Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and the lyricist
Terms
Original cast: the premiere or original cast of the production. (Original Broadway cast; original London cast; original Toronto cast, etc) and can include revivals as well as first productions.
Studio cast: assembled by a record company. In the early days the studio cast singers were often lesser known performers with good singing voices, usually joined by one fairly well known star. Mary Martin made a number of studio cast recordings for Columbia in the early 1950s including Babes in Arms, Girl Crazy and Anything Goes. Mary Virginia Martin ( December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American Tony Award -winning star of stage film Babes in Arms is a 1937 Musical theater production which tells the story of a boy who puts on a show to avoid being sent to a work farm This article is about the stage musical For other uses see Girl Crazy (disambiguation. Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. More recent studio albums have tended to be note-complete recreations of the original orchestrations often with opera singers taking the leads such as EMI's recordings of Brigadoon and Show Boat. Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Soundtracks: This term came into use in the late 1940s when MGM started releasing albums of songs from their movie musicals that were recorded directly from the soundtracks. MGM Records was a Record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film studio in 1946 Although these albums sold well they were marred by a flat boxy sound, as the listening environment in a huge movie palace is far different from the acoustics of a standard living room. Some soundtrack albums, such as those of Oklahoma! and Carousel, may include brief portions or even overtures that differ markedly from those in the finished film; as an example, at the end of the film Carousel, Gene Lockhart, as the town doctor, recites the opening phrase (over music) of "You'll Never Walk Alone", upon which the chorus of graduates takes up the refrain, but Shirley Jones, who plays Julie in the film, does not join in until the last few bars of the song. The 1943 musical play Oklahoma!, written by Composer Richard Rodgers and Lyricist / Librettist Oscar Hammerstein II Carousel is a 1956 film adaptation of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the same name which was based on Ferenc Molnar 's Eugene "Gene" Lockhart ( July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957) was a Canadian Academy Award -nominated Character " You'll Never Walk Alone " is a Show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is a American Singer and character actress of Stage, Film and On the soundtrack album finale, Jones begins the song - over the same musical accompaniment heard in the film - and sings it all the way through, with the chorus seeming to join her in the song, rather than the other way around.
Occasionally, alternate takes of a musical number may be issued on a soundtrack album; an example is the song "Pore Jud is Daid" in the film Oklahoma!. " Pooor Jud Is Daid " is a song written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II for the musical Oklahoma!. The film was literally made twice in a row , first in Todd-AO, and then in Cinemascope, as it was impossible in those days to show a Todd-AO film on a standard widescreen. Todd-AO is an extremely high definition Widescreen Film format developed in the mid 1950s CinemaScope was a Widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967 While the sung portions of "Pore Jud is Daid" were exactly the same as those heard in both versions of the film, the spoken passages, in which Gordon MacRae comically yet mercilessly taunts Rod Steiger about the funeral service that would be held if Steiger were to die, were not. Albert Gordon MacRae ( March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American Actor and Singer, best known for Rod Steiger ( April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American Academy Award -winning Actor known for his The monophonic verrsion of the album, released first, used the soundtrack as heard in the Cinemascope release of the film. However, the film had been made in six-track stereophonic sound, which made it possible for Capitol Records to release a stereo edition of the album in 1958. Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as This later album features that same dialogue passage as heard in the Todd-AO version of the film, and here MacRae's speech inflections are noticeably different.
In the case of the 1956 film Carousel, the song "If I Loved You" contains a spoken passage (coincidentally, also spoken by Gordon MacRae), which, like the one in Oklahoma!, actually sounds different from that heard in the film, although the dialogue is exactly the same. "If I Loved You" is a Show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. However, the sung portion of the song on the album was taken from the soundtrack, including a brief portion that was deleted before the film's release. (Many soundtrack albums of musicals contain songs, or portions of songs that were deleted before the films were released. In the case of Carousel, there are two songs on the soundtrack album which are not in the film; in the case of The King and I, there are three. The King and I is a 1956 Musical film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Walter Lang and produced by Charles Brackett Finian's Rainbow and Chicago each contain a song that was cut from the movie before the film was sent out to theatres. Finian's Rainbow is a 1968 American movie musical directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Chicago is a Musical film adaptation of the satirical stage musical Chicago, the film explores the themes of )
Still, the majority of soundtrack albums are recorded directly from the film, and are, contrary to some claims, not "recreations"; examples of albums which sound exactly like an edited version of the music to the film are the soundtrack to the classic Julie Andrews movie The Sound of Music, the soundtrack to the 1962 film The Music Man, and the soundtrack albums of Walt Disney's animated classics. Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1 1935) is an award-winning English Actress Rodgers and Hammerstein 's The Sound of Music is a Musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews in the lead role The Music Man is a 1962 Academy Award winning Film musical starring Robert Preston as Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as Marian Paroo Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter
The performers who appear in Broadway shows sing the score live each night and when they make a cast album it is recorded in a studio and produced with the home listener in mind. While it is perfectly correct to call a movie soundtrack a "cast recording" since it does have the performances of the film cast, it is wrong to call a cast recording a "soundtrack".
Sometimes, the soundtrack of a film released in mono sound will be re-mixed into stereo simply to boost album sales. Such was the case with the 1966 documentary John F. Kennedy: Years of Lightning, Day of Drums, and with two soundtrack albums made from Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 Romeo and Juliet. Franco Zeffirelli, KBE (born Gianfranco Corsi on February 12, 1923) is an Italian Film director. Romeo and Juliet ( 1968) is a movie adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. In these cases, however, the re-mixing for the album resulted in true stereo, not the fake one inflicted on so many pre-hi-fi albums which were (as the album covers boasted) "Electonically Rechanneled for Stereo".
Major label cast albums
Decca
This is the label that more or less began the trend in North America. They released 78-rpm album sets of: Porgy and Bess, Oklahoma!, A Connecticut Yankee, One Touch of Venus, Carmen Jones, Bloomer Girl, Song of Norway, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Mister, and Lost in the Stars. Porgy and Bess is an Opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, Libretto by DuBose Heyward, and Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. One Touch of Venus is a musical with music written by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ogden Nash, and book by S Carmen Jones is a 1943 Broadway musical, later made into a 1954 Musical film; the play also ran for a season in 1991 at London Bloomer Girl was a Broadway musical that premiered on October 4, 1944. Song of Norway is a musical written in 1944 by Robert Wright and George Forrest, adapted from the music of Edvard Grieg and the book Carousel is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics that was adapted from Ferenc Molnar For the 1966 book of the same name see Call Me Mister. Call Me Mister is a Revue with sketches by Arnold Auerbach Lost in the Stars is a 1949 musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel Many of these were transferred to LP in 1949/1950 although sometimes songs were abridged or left out completely. The label added more titles to their cast album library in the early 1950s: Guys and Dolls, The King and I, Wonderful Town, Seventh Heaven, On Your Toes and Ankles Aweigh. Guys and Dolls is a musical, with the music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. On Your Toes (1936 is a musical with a book by Richard Rodgers, George Abbott, and Lorenz Hart, music by Rodgers and lyrics Ankles Aweigh is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Eddie Davis lyrics by Dan Shapiro and music by Sammy Fain.
Starting in 1949 Decca re-released the best selling of these albums on LP and in the late 1950s began offer electronically enhanced for stereo editions, which sounded thin and hollow.
The label was out of the business of recording new cast albums by the end of the 1950s. Decca was bought by MCA and in the early 1970s many of these titles were re-released on the MCA label, all using the fake stereo masters.
MCA released many of their classic shows on CD in the 1990s, going back to original master discs and tapes to generate excellent sounding (and complete) remasters of the originals. When MCA and Polygram were merged into the new Universal Music Group, a new label Decca Broadway was born. Decca Broadway re-mastered and reissued virtually every cast album in the old Decca catalogue including many rare titles that had not been available in almost 50 years. Decca Broadway has also recorded recent hits including: Wicked, Monty Python's Spamalot, and Spring Awakening. Wicked is a musical with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical comedy "lovingly ripped off from" the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Spring Awakening is a Tony Award -winning rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik and book and lyrics by Steven Sater. Wicked, in particular has been a big seller for the label and continues to sell well. Although they are being selective about what they record, Decca Broadway plans to continue making cast albums, including the new Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein. Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American director, Writer, Composer, Lyricist Young Frankenstein, officially known as The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, is a musical with a book by Mel Brooks and As of October 2007 some of the slower-selling catalogue titles have been deleted, and it seems likely that as time goes on the more obscure shows will vanish from the catalogue. Collectors are advised to pick up older, more obscure titles now while they can still be found.
Capitol
Capitol recorded St. Louis Woman in 1946, mainly because lyricist Johnny Mercer was one of the label's founders. Capitol Records is a major United States -based Record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood California and New York City as St Louis Woman is a musical by Harold Arlen (music and Johnny Mercer (lyrics based upon the novel God Sends Sunday It wasn't until the 1950s, however, that the label began bidding for cast album rights. Their first few choices were generally not big hits: Flahooley, Top Banana, Three Wishes for Jamie, and the revival of Of Thee I Sing. Flahooley is a musical with a book by E Y Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Sammy Fain. Three Wishes for Jamie is a musical with a book by Charles O'Neal and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Ralph Blane. Of Thee I Sing is a musical with a score by George and Ira Gershwin and a book by George S They finally got a hit show in 1953 with Cole Porter's Can-Can, which remained in print until the end of the LP era. Can-Can is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and a book by Abe Burrows. An even bigger hit came along in 1957 with The Music Man, which reached the #1 spot on the Billboard charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. The Music Man is a musical with book music and lyrics by Meredith Willson. It was also the label's first stereo cast album. They scored another bestseller in 1964 when Barbra Streisand's label Columbia Records passed on recording Funny Girl. Funny Girl is a musical with a book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill. Capitol recorded it, and became a million seller. Without a TV/radio network affiliation (such as Columbia had with CBS and RCA with NBC) Capitol sometimes had to content themselves with also ran shows. The 1960s found them with recording rights to a number of minor hits: No Strings, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Golden Boy but mostly they got flop shows: Sail Away, Kwamina, The Gay Life, Skyscraper, Walking Happy, Zorba. No Strings is a musical Drama with a book by Samuel A Taylor and words and music by Richard Rodgers, his only score written without The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a 1964 musical film based on the 1960 stage musical by Meredith Willson. Sail Away is a musical with a book music and lyrics by Noël Coward. Kwamina is a musical which originally debuted on Broadway on October 23 1961 at the 54th Street Theatre and ran for 32 performances ending on November 18 The Gay Life is a musical with a book by Fay and Michael Kanin lyrics by Howard Dietz, and music by Arthur Schwartz. Skyscraper is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. Walking Happy is a theater musical with music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by Roger O Zorba is a musical with a book by Joseph Stein, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. They did record Stephen Sondheim's Broadway debut as a composer with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, but in 1971 they came under fire for refusing to record the complete score of Sondheim's Follies as a 2-LP set. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The label executives complained that "cast albums don't sell" ignoring the ongoing success of Funny Girl and The Music Man and the fact that many of their shows had been outright flops. Follies was truncated to a single LP missing four songs and abridging many of the others. It would be Capitol's last original cast album.
EMI's classical division took over the Capitol Broadway cast catalogue in 1992 and reissued all 40 of the cast albums on the Broadway Angel label. The CDs were well packaged with booklets containing detailed notes and production photos. Although only a half dozen of these releases are still in print as of October 2007, most of the deleted titles have been reissued by DRG keeping the scores available for collectors.
Broadway Angel has recorded some recent shows such as: Crazy for You, Passion, The Color Purple and Curtains, the 1994 Broadway revival of Carousel, as well as the Bernadette Peters revivals of Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy. Crazy for You is a musical with a book by Ken Ludwig, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Passion is a musical adapted from Ettore Scola 's film Passione d'Amore (which was in its turn based on Iginio Ugo Tarchetti The Color Purple is a Broadway musical based upon the novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander Carousel is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics that was adapted from Ferenc Molnar Gypsy is a 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
RCA Victor
RCA Victor entered the cast album field in 1947 with two hits and a miss: Brigadoon, High Button Shoes, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. Brigadoon is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. High Button Shoes is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Sammy Cahn and book by George Abbott and Stephen Longstreet Allegro is a theatre musical by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics their fourth collaboration together Brigadoon was a big seller and remains in print on CD today. High Button Shoes was a hit show but the album did not do well. RCA's budget label, Camden, reissued it on LP in 1958 and Victor re-released it in 1965. At that time they also did the first LP transfer of Allegro.
As the LP era dawned, Victor competed with Columbia for cast album rights. Their first LP release was Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam but because the star Ethel Merman was under contract to Decca, she was replaced on Victor's album by Dinah Shore. Call Me Madam is a musical with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore February 29, 1916 - February 24, 1994) was an American Singer, Actress The album was a failure and was out of print until Red Seal reissued it in 1977. Victor did better with Paint Your Wagon, and Damn Yankees!, but had their share of flops: Seventeen, Make a Wish, Hazel Flagg, and Pipe Dream, along with minor hits Me and Juliet, Happy Hunting, New Girl in Town, Jamaica, Redhead, Take Me Along, Do Re Mi, Wildcat, and Milk and Honey. Damn Yankees is a Musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Hazel Flagg is a musical with a book by Ben Hecht, lyrics by Bob Hilliard, and music by Jule Styne. Pipe Dream is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Me and Juliet is a musical comedy written by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book Happy Hunting was a 1956 musical with a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, lyrics by Matt Dubey, and music by Harold Karr. New Girl in Town is a musical with a book by George Abbott and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill based on Eugene O'Neill 's 1921 Jamaica is a musical with a book by E Y Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Harold Arlen. Redhead is a Broadway musical set in London in the 1880s around the time of Jack the Ripper. Take Me Along is a musical based on the Eugene O'Neill play Ah Wilderness, with music and lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by For the song from the musical The Sound of Music, see Do-Re-Mi. Wildcat is a musical with a book by N Richard Nash, lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, and music by Cy Coleman. Milk and Honey is a musical with a book by Don Appell and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.
In the 1960s Victor did better with the Tony award winners How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hello Dolly, and Fiddler on the Roof. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set They hit the top of the charts with Hair in 1968. Hair The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a Rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt During this time it also released five of the cast albums from the Music Theatre of Lincoln Center revivals, The Merry Widow with Patricia Munsel, Show Boat with Barbara Cook, Constance Towers, Stephen Douglass, David Wayne and William Warfield, Kismet with Alfred Drake, Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman, Carousel with John Raitt and The King and I with Rise Stevens and Darren McGavin. The Merry Widow (Die lustige Witwe is an Operetta by the Austro-Hungarian Composer Franz Lehár. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Barbara Cook (born October 25 1927) is an American Singer and Actress who first came to prominence in the 1950s after creating Constance Towers (born 20 May 1933) is an American Singer and Actress. Stephen Douglass (born September 27, 1921) is an American Actor. David Wayne ( January 30 1914 - February 9 1995) was a Tony Award -winning American Actor with a career spanning William Caesar Warfield ( 22 January 1920 - 26 August 2002) concert Baritone singer was born in West Helena Arkansas Alfred Drake ( October 7, 1914 - July 25, 1992) was an American Actor and Singer. Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical Carousel is a musical by Richard Rodgers (music and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics that was adapted from Ferenc Molnar John Emmett Raitt ( 19 January[[ 917]] &ndash 20 February[[ 005]] was a star of the Musical theater and stage The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Risë Stevens (pronounced "REE-sah" (born June 11, 1913, New York City) is a retired American Mezzo-soprano who captured a wide popular Darren McGavin (born William Lyle Richardson; May 7, 1922 &ndash February 25, 2006) was an American Actor best
In 1976 Thomas Sheppard left Columbia Records for RCA's Classical division and under his guidance RCA Red Seal eclipsed Columbia as the dominant label for cast albums. Sheppard recorded Sondheim's scores for Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George and Merrily We Roll Along, the 1977 Broadway revival recording of The King and I, as well as the hits Ain't Misbehavin', 42nd Street, and La Cage aux Folles. Pacific Overtures is a 1976 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a libretto by John Weidman, and additional material by Sweeney Todd is a semi-fictional character who first appeared as one of the Protagonists of a Penny dreadful serial entitled The String of Pearls Sunday in the Park with George is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Ain't Misbehavin is a musical Revue with a book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr 42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren La Cage aux Folles is a musical with a book by Harvey Fierstein and lyrics and music by Jerry Herman.
In 1985 Sheppard staged an all-star concert to make a complete recording of Sondheim's Follies. Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. When pre-production costs escalated, label president Jose Menendez wanted to cancel the recording. Sheppard held his ground and won the battle. The 2 LP set was a bestseller and made profit within a month of release. Early in 1986 Sheppard resigned and went to MCA.
With the rise of compact discs in the late 1980s, RCA was bought out by BMG. At this time Bill Rosenfield headed up a new label called RCA Victor to re-release the label's vast catalogue of show albums on CD and to record new shows including: Into The Woods, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Grand Hotel, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Titanic, Steel Pier, Ragtime, Fosse, The Full Monty, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Urinetown, and Avenue Q. Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. Jerome Robbins' Broadway is an anthology comprising musical numbers from earlier shows that were either directed or choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Grand Hotel is a musical with a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, with additional Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, book by Terrence McNally. Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997 Steel Pier is a musical written by the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb from the original book by David Thompson. Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. Fosse is a Tony Award winning three-act musical Revue showcasing the Choreography of Bob Fosse. The Full Monty is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbek. This article is about the 1967 film For the Broadway musical see Thoroughly Modern Millie (musical. Avenue Q is a musical conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics and directed by Jason Moore. During this time RCA Victor also released the cast recordings for the Broadway revivals of Anything Goes (1987), Guys and Dolls (1992), Chicago (1996), Candide (1997), Cabaret (1998), The Sound of Music (1998), You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999), and Man of La Mancha (2002). Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Guys and Dolls is a musical, with the music and lyrics written by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. Candide (1956 is an Operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the Novella of the same name by Voltaire Cabaret is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay You're a Good Man Charlie Brown is a musical Comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner based on the characters created by Cartoonist Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh.
Many of the older more obscure titles were deleted in 1999/2000 but the catalogue remains active. The merger between Sony and BMG in 2004 has resulted in a new label called Masterworks Broadway although at this point it is unclear as to what will happen with the extensive cast album catalogue owned by the new company.
Columbia
Columbia's first original Broadway cast album was the 1946 revival of Show Boat soon followed by an album of Finian's Rainbow. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Finian's Rainbow is a musical with a book by EY Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Burton Lane. In 1948 Columbia introduced the Lp to the record market and soon offered LP editions of their 78-rpm sets. The first cast album recorded as an LP was Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, which was a big hit on records and was followed by the blockbuster Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific. Kiss Me Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. South Pacific is a musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by both Hammerstein and Joshua The producer of these albums was Goddard Lieberson who brought unquestionable taste and skill to translating a Broadway show to records. He didn’t just record the songs. It was his goal to make the album an enjoyable listening experience for home listeners who, quite often, had not even seen the shows. Recorded in an old converted church on 30th street in New York City, Columbia's albums had a lush, open, spacious sound. When stereo came along in the late 1950s, Lieberson used stereo placement to enhance the performances but avoided any gimmicks. As a result Columbia's albums of Kismet, The Pajama Game, Bells Are Ringing, and Flower Drum Song remain classics in the field. The Pajama Game is a musical based on the novel 7-1/2 Cents by Richard Bissell. This article is about the stage musical For the 1960 film see Bells Are Ringing Bells Are Ringing is a musical with Flower Drum Song is a musical written by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Chinese American
In 1956 Lieberson persuaded CBS to put up the entire capitalization for Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady. My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner This ensured that Columbia got the cast album rights and that CBS held all film and TV rights to the property. The show was the biggest hit of the decade, selling out for nearly 6 years on Broadway. The original cast album reached #1 on the Billboard charts, and stayed on the charts for nine years. Because the Broadway cast had been recorded only in monaural, when the cast opened it in London Columbia re-recorded it in stereo. The label later offered the film soundtrack and a 1976 20th anniversary revival cast albums as well as recordings in French, Italian, Spanish and Hebrew.
The profits from the My Fair Lady album financed many of Columbia's subsequent original cast and classical recordings.
The label recorded Frank Loesser's near sung-through musical The Most Happy Fella, virtually complete and issued it as a 3-record set as well as a single Lp of highlights. The Most Happy Fella is a theater musical (labelled an opera by various commentators) with music lyrics and book by Frank Loesser. Lieberson made sure that important scores were recorded even if the shows were not box office successes. Thanks to his foresight the original casts of Candide, Anyone Can Whistle, and Goldilocks are preserved. Candide (1956 is an Operetta with music composed by Leonard Bernstein, based on the Novella of the same name by Voltaire Anyone Can Whistle is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Goldilocks is a musical with a book by Jean and Walter Kerr, music by Leroy Anderson, and lyrics by the Kerrs and Joan Ford
Columbia recorded as many hits as they did flops - Gypsy, The Sound of Music, Bye Bye Birdie, Camelot, Sweet Charity, Mame, 1776, Cabaret, Company, A Little Night Music, and Annie. Gypsy is a 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. The Sound of Music is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay Bye Bye Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. Camelot is the most famous Castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. This is the article on the musical For the 1969 film see Sweet Charity (film. MAME is an Emulator application designed to recreate the Hardware of Arcade game systems in Software, with the intent of preserving gaming 1776 is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. Cabaret is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. A Little Night Music is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Annie is a musical based upon the popular Harold Gray Comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles
In the 1980s the label began to withdraw from the cast album field as RCA began to dominate it. Sony bought CBS records in the late 1980s and began reissuing many older cast albums on the Sony Broadway label in 1991-94 and later the Sony Columbia Broadway Masterworks labels. The few, mainly obscure flops, that Sony chose not to reissue were farmed out to DRG and other specialty labels. As of October 2007 almost all of the Sony titles are still in point although as supplies run out the label is quietly removing slow-selling titles from the catalogue. Gone are Irving Berlin's Mr. President, Noel Coward's The Girl Who Came to Supper, and the Sondheim & Rodgers musical Do I Hear a Waltz?. The Girl Who Came to Supper is a musical with a book by Harry Kurnitz and music and lyrics by Noël Coward. Do I Hear A Waltz? is a musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents.
The merger between Sony and BMG in 2004 has resulted in a new label called Masterworks Broadway although at this point it is unclear as to what will happen with the extensive cast album catalogue owned by the new company.
Other labels
ABC – This label was active in the cast album field in the 1960s. It was bought by MCA and is now owned by Universal Music Group.
Disney Records - This label, owned by Disney, has recorded cast albums for the musical adaptations of their films, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, and more recently, The Little Mermaid
DRG – Hugh Fordin's Discovery Record Group records Broadway cast albums and Cabaret performances. Walt Disney Records is a family music Record label owned by Disney. The Lion King is a Tony and Olivier Award -winning Broadway and West End musical based on the 1994 Disney animated Tarzan is a stage musical based on the Disney film of the same name and the story by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Mary Poppins is a Walt Disney Theatrical musical based on the similarly-titled series of children's books and the Disney 1964 film. This is the article about the stage musical For the 1989 film see The Little Mermaid (1989 film. The label also reissues material from Capitol and Columbia.
Fynsworth Alley – Although now defunct, the label reissued some Columbia albums and recorded some solo artists.
Kapp – an MCA label now owned by Universal
Polydor – Part of the Polygram group that includes London (U. Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. S. label for British Decca), Deutsche Grammophon and Philips. Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical Record label. The company has long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity. Philips Classics Records was started in the eighties as the new classics Record label for Philips Records. Polydor released a few show CDs under license from John Yap's TER label in UK but these were quickly deleted. Polydor also released a lot of the cast recordings from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals through the Really Useful Records label. Andrew Lloyd Webber Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948 is a British Composer of Musical theatre, the elder son of William Lloyd Webber Polygram merged with MCA to form Universal Music Group, and many of the cast recordings that Polydor has released are released in the US on the Decca Broadway label.
Geffen - Although Geffen is a pop label, it released the cast recordings for five shows of which David Geffen was an investor. Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American Record executive, Film producer, Theatrical producer and philanthropist It released the original off-Broadway cast recording and the film soundtrack of Little Shop of Horrors, the original Broadway cast recordings of Dreamgirls and Les Misérables, and the original Broadway cast recording of Cats. Little Shop of Horrors is a Rock musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, which opened on December 20, 1981 at the Imperial Theatre. Les Misérables ( in French, le mize'ʁaːbl colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a musical composed Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T Geffen also released the London cast recordings of Cats and Miss Saigon in the USA. Miss Saigon is a West End musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil
PS Classic – In a few short years PS Classics has build an impressive catalogue of cast albums including Grey Gardens, A Year with Frog and Toad and the revivals of 110 In the Shade, Fiddler on the Roof, Company, Assassins, and Nine. Grey Gardens is a 1975 Documentary film by the direction / Cinematography / editing team of Albert and A Year With Frog and Toad is a musical written by brothers Robert (music and Willie Reale (book and lyrics based on the Frog Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set Company is a musical with a book by George Furth and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert Jr Nine is a musical with a book by Arthur Kopit and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.
Sh-k-Boom & Ghostlight – Both are owned by Kurt Deutsch with Ghostlight having recently become a dominant player in the cast album field. They have released albums of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and The Drowsy Chaperone. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a one act musical Comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn and a book by Rachel Sheinkin The Drowsy Chaperone is a musical with a book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg
Varese-Sarabande – Established as a label for movie scores, they did branch out into cast albums in the 1990s recording a number of Broadway and off-Broadway shows. The label has re-organized and is now focused on film scores only. Many of the Broadway shows have been deleted.
See also
Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Goddard Lieberson ( April 5, 1911 &ndash May 29, 1977) was the president of Columbia Records from 1956 to 1971 and from 1973 to 1975 Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic