My Year in Show Music

Old habits die hard. I haven’t written about theatre in years but I am still keeping track of what I listen to; a grasp at normalcy in abnormal times, perhaps. Every recording—which I listened to in its entirety; the only criterion—is linked to its own page on castalbums.org (a site I highly recommend for serious collectors of theatre music).

An asterisk indicates a recording I listened to for the first time.

1/3 – Fiorello! [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/6 – Chicago [1998 London Cast Recording]
1/9 – A Little Night Music [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/13 – The Visit [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/14 – Barbara Cook: It’s Better with a Band
1/20 – The Most Happy Fella [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/2 – Kwamina [Original Broadway Cast Recording – Deluxe Edition]
2/2 – Porgy and Bess [2019 Metropolitan Opera Cast Recording]*
2/3 – Prettybelle [Studio Cast Recording]
2/4 – Show Boat [1993 World Premiere Cast Recording]
2/8 – A Chorus Line [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/12 – Annie [Original London Cast Recording]
2/14 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
2/15 – Lady in the Dark [1963 Studio Cast Recording]
2/16 – Bright Star [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/24 – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/2 – On the Level [Original London Cast Recording]*
3/3 – The Merry Widow [1968 Studio Cast Recording]
3/17 – Juno [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/25 – June Bronhill at the Sydney Opera House*
3/28 – Something’s Afoot [World Premiere Cast Recording]*
3/29 – La Cage Aux Folles [Original Australian Cast Recording]
3/30 – The Boys from Syracuse [Encores! Cast Recording]
4/3 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
4/13 – South Pacific [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
4/14 – Bye Bye Birdie [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/17 – Fiddler on the Roof [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
4/18 – The Light in the Piazza [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/19 – Carousel [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/20 – The Wedding Singer [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/21 – Pal Joey [Encores! Cast Recording]
4/24 – Barbra Streisand: The Second Barbra Streisand Album
4/26 – Company [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/29 – On the Level [Original London Cast Recording]
5/2 – Sunday in the Park with George [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/5 – John Raitt: Highlights of Broadway
5/7 – No, No, Nanette [1971 Broadway Cast Recording]
5/14 – The Last Five Years [Original Cast Recording]
5/15 – Rags [Original London Cast Recording]*
5/18 – The Good Companions [Original London Cast Recording]
5/19 – The Girl Who Came to Supper [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/21 – Gypsy [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/23 – Annie [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/24 – Legally Blonde [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/27 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
6/13 – Geraldine Fitzgerald: Streetsongs*
6/20 – Raisin [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
6/27 – Phantom [Original Cast Recording]
6/28 – Flower Drum Song [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
6/29 – Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Complete Overtures
6/29 – Flower Drum Song [Original London Cast Recording]
7/2 – Ann Veronica [Original London Cast Recording]*
7/2 – James Shigeta: Scene One*
7/3 – The Phantom of the Opera [Original London Cast Recording]
7/6 – The Sound of Music [Original London Cast Recording]
7/7 – Ragtime [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
7/7 – Robert and Elizabeth [Original London Cast Recording]
7/8 – Ain’t Misbehavin’ [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
7/8 – James Shigeta: We Speak the Same Language*
7/18 – Hello, Dolly! [Original French Cast Recording]*
7/20 – Zip Goes a Million [Original London Cast Recording]*
7/21 – Happy Holiday [Original London Cast Recording]*
8/3 – Here’s Love [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/9 – The Merry Widow [1962 Studio Cast Recording]
8/13 – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang [Original London Cast Recording]
8/15 – Company [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/15 – A Chorus Line [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/16 – The Producers [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/19 – Destry Rides Again [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/19 – Diahann Carroll Sings Harold Arlen*
8/20 – Beautiful [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/21 – Kiss Me, Kate [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
8/21 – Sail Away [Original London Cast Recording]
8/22 – Passion Flower Hotel [Original London Cast Recording]
8/24 – Dolores Gray: Heat Wave, The Decca Singles 1953-1955*
8/24 – Mr. & Mrs. [Original London Cast Recording]*
8/25 – Anne of Green Gables [Canadian Studio Cast Recording]
8/26 – Mary Poppins [1966 London Studio Cast Recording]*
8/26 – Hallelujah, Baby! [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/27 – James Joyce’s The Dead [PICT Cast Recording]
8/27 – Anything Goes [2003 London Revival Cast Recording]
8/29 – The Desert Song [1967 London Studio Cast Recording]*
8/30 – Pippin [New Broadway Cast Recording]
8/31 – Rachel Bay Jones: ShowFolk*
9/2 – Carousel [1994 Broadway Cast Recording]
9/2 – Oklahoma! [1966 London Studio Cast Recording]*
9/6 – Kiss Me, Kate [1967 London Studio Cast Recording]
9/9 – On the Town [1959 London Studio Cast Recording]*
9/11 – South Pacific [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
9/12 – Grease 2 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]*
9/15 – Blitz! [Original London Cast Recording]
9/15 – Salad Days [Original London Cast Recording]*
9/15 – Free As Air [Original London Cast Recording]*
9/17 – On the Level [Original London Cast Recording]
9/17 – My Fair Lady [Original London Cast Recording]
9/17 – The Secret Garden [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
9/17 – The Pajama Game [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
9/17 – Nick Cordero: Live Your Life [Live at 54 Below]*
9/20 – Nine [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/3 – Rex [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/5 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
10/5 – Evita [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/6 – Carnival [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/7 – The King and I [1966 London Studio Cast Recording]*
10/16 – Anyone Can Whistle [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/16 – Mame [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/16 – Dear World [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/16 – Gypsy [Original London Cast Recording]
10/16 – Sweeney Todd [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/20 – Oliver! [1962 London Studio Cast Recording]*
10/20 – The Bridges of Madison County [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/22 – Grease 2 [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
10/23 – Laura Benanti*
10/25 – Seesaw [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/28 – High Spirits [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/30 – The Scottsboro Boys [Original Cast Recording]
11/3 – The Unsinkable Molly Brown [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
11/6 – Mary Poppins [The Definitive 2020 Cast Recording]*
11/6 – Porgy and Bess [Houston Grand Opera Cast Recording]
11/16 – The Sound of Music [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/4 – Anyone Can Whistle [First Complete Recording]*
12/17 – Bye Bye Birdie [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/23 – Strike Up the Band [1990 Studio Cast Recording]
12/23 – Brigadoon [1991 Studio Cast Recording]
12/23 – The Secret Garden [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/23 – Show Boat [1993 World Premiere Cast Recording]
12/23 – Rebecca Luker: Anything Goes – The Songs of Cole Porter
12/23 – The Boys from Syracuse [Encores! Cast Recording]
12/23 – The Sound of Music [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
12/24 – The Music Man [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
12/24 – She Loves Me [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/25 – Rebecca Luker & Sally Wilfert: All the Girls*
12/25 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]