Tag: Musical comedy

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]

My Year in Show Music

A few years ago, I decided to keep a log of the musical theatre-related albums I listened to in their entirety throughout the calendar year. Every recording 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.

1/1 – Bye Bye Birdie [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/1 – Woman of the Year [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/2 – Bajour [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/4 – The Roar of the Greasepaint—The Smell of the Crowd [Original Broadway Cast Recording]*
1/5 – Wildcat [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/9 – Kean [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/11 – Pacific Overtures [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/12 – A Little Night Music [National Theatre Cast Recording]
1/15 – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/15 – Hello, Dolly! [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/15 – Hello, Dolly! [The New 1994 Cast Recording]
1/15 – Jerry’s Girls [Original Cast Recording]*
1/18 – Follies [National Theatre Cast Recording]*
1/18 – Follies [Original London Cast Recording]
1/23 – Songs for a New World [Encores! Cast Recording]*
1/24 – First Impressions [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/25 – Songs for a New World [Encores! Cast Recording]
1/27 – Rent [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
1/29 – Giant [Original Cast Recording]
1/29 – Gigi [New Broadway Cast Recording]
2/1 – Company [2018 London Cast Recording]*
2/2 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]*
2/3 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
2/3 – Hadestown [Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording]*
2/3 – Shirley Jones & Jack Cassidy: Marriage Type Love*
2/4 – The Scarlet Pimpernel [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/10 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
2/27 – Follies [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/28 – Coco [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
2/28 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
3/1 – Sweeney Todd [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/1 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
3/4 – Wonderful Town [1999 London Studio Cast Recording]
3/7 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
3/7 – The Boy Friend [1984 London Cast Recording]*
3/11 – Cyrille Aimée: Move On, A Sondheim Adventure*
3/11 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
3/16 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
3/16 – 1776 [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/22 – Anne of Green Gables [Original London Cast Recording]
3/22 – Pacific Overtures [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/25 – The Music Man [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/27 – Blood Brothers [1988 London Revival Cast Recording]*
3/28 – Bloomer Girl [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/28 – How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
3/29 – Pippin [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
3/29 – Nine [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
3/29 – Two Gentlemen of Verona [Original London Cast Recording]*
4/1 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
4/1 – The Bridges of Madison County [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/3 – A Time for Singing [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/5 – Tina [Original London Cast Recording]*
4/7 – The Band’s Visit [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/11 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
4/16 – Alfred Drake: Lucky to Be Me*
4/18 – The Light in the Piazza [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/19 – The Cher Show [Original Broadway Cast Recording]*
4/20 – La Cage Aux Folles [Original Australian Cast Recording]
4/29 – The Most Happy Fella [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
4/30 – The Streets of New York [Original Cast Recording]*
5/1 – Ben Bagley’s Kurt Weill Revisited*
5/3 – The Threepenny Opera [1930 German Studio Cast Recording]*
5/5 – The Most Happy Fella [The New Broadway Cast Recording]
5/10 – Sweet Charity [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/11 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
5/12 – High Button Shoes [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/15 – Gypsy [The 2008 Broadway Cast Recording – LP Edition]
5/16 – Goodtime Charley [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/21 – Gypsy [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/28 – On a Clear Day You Can See Forever [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
5/31 – Walking Happy [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
6/1 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
6/3 – Laura Benanti: Songs from My Fair Lady*
6/7 – Kiss Me, Kate [2019 Broadway Cast Recording]*
6/29 – Oklahoma! [2019 Broadway Cast Recording]*
6/30 – Crazy for You [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
7/4 – Regina [1958 NYCO Cast Recording]
7/7 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
7/9 – Laura Benanti: Songs from My Fair Lady
7/15 – Into the Woods [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
7/25 – Bravo Giovanni [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/9 – Fiddler on the Roof [2018 Off-Broadway Cast Recording]*
8/12 – The Dancing Years [1968 London Cast Recording]*
8/12 – South Pacific [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/17 – State Fair [1945 Motion Picture Soundtrack]
8/24 – She Loves Me [Original London Cast Recording]
8/28 – Irma La Douce [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
8/29 – Jan Clayton Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel*
8/29 – Ella Logan Sings Finian’s Rainbow*
8/31 – Kean [Original Broadway Cast Recording – Deluxe Edition]
9/2 – Guys and Dolls [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
9/5 – Moulin Rouge [Original Broadway Cast Recording]*
9/6 – Grey Gardens [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
9/12 – The Boy Friend [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
9/13 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
9/15 – Ragtime [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
9/20 – Porgy and Bess [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]*
9/20 – Cabaret [Original London Cast Recording]
10/3 – The Dancing Years [First Complete Cast Recording]*
10/4 – No Strings [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/6 – House of Flowers [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/8 – Porgy and Bess [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
10/9 – Marin Mazzie & Jason Danieley: Broadway and Beyond [Live at 54 Below]*
10/19 – Julie Andrews: An Evening with Julie Andrews*
10/25 – Ambassador [Original London Cast Recording]
10/28 – Elaine Stritch At Liberty
10/31 – Aimie Atkinson: Step Inside Love*
11/9 – On the Town [1960 Studio Cast Recording]
11/11 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
11/16 – The Sound of Music [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
11/18 – Ernest in Love [Original Cast Recording]
12/3 – Six [Studio Cast Recording]
12/6 – The New Yorkers [Encores! Cast Recording]*
12/9 – The Sound of Music [Original Broadway Cast Recording – 60 Anniversary Edition]
12/9 – Man of Magic [Original London Cast Recording]*
12/10 – The Importance [Studio Cast Recording]*
12/21 – Bye Bye Birdie [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/24 – She Loves Me [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/26 – Little Shop of Horrors [The New Off-Broadway Cast Recording]*
12/27 – Parade [Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Milk and Honey [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Hello, Dolly! [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Mame [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Hello, Dolly! [1967 Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Dear World [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – Mack & Mabel [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – The Grand Tour [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/27 – La Cage Aux Folles [Original Broadway Cast Recording]
12/28 – The Prom [Original Broadway Cast Recording]*