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CDs Now Available:

Al Jolson Rediscovered: Dynamic Public-Domain Performances Curated by Chip Deffaa
(Garret Mountain Records - new on CD)
Some two dozen performances. Includes soundtrack recordings from the landmark Jolson films (now in public domain), including one rare number missing from the version of The Singing Fool that's seen today, acoustic studio recordings, and early radio performances. Audio restoration by Scott Gordon. Graphic design by Frank Dain.

Chip Deffaa's Rare And Unrecorded Irving Berlin Songs
(Garret Mountain Records - new on CD/digital)
29 performances available on no other albums. Some classics, with primary emphasis on lesser-known and never-before-recorded Berlin rarities. Singers include such Broadway and cabaret artists as Betty Buckley, Anita Gillette, Steve Ross, Stephen Bogardus, Jon Peterson, Analise Scarpaci, Eric William Morris, Joan Jaffe, Keith Anderson, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano.

Gershwin Rhapsody
(Decca/Verve - new on CD/digital)
Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Michael Feinstein. "Rhapsody in Blue," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "I Got Rhythm," "Embraceable You," "Sweet & Lowdown," "Clap Yo'hands/Fascinating Rhythm," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "The Man I Love/Rhapsody in Blue," "Tea for Two," "Sleepless Night," "Graceful and Elegant," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Dance of the Waves," "Rialto Ripples," "Sutton Place," "Under the Cinnamon Tree," "Jasbo Brown Blues."Released 2/23/24.

Jane Scheckter: I'll Take Romance
(Doxie Records - new on CD/digital)
Songs include "Isn't It a Pity," "If Love Were All," "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "A Beautiful Friendship," "Love I Hear," "A Song for Bill Evans," "Looking Back." Released 3/15/24.

State Fair and the 20th Century-Fox Songbook
(Dutton Vocalion - new SACD Hybrid Multi-Channel 2-CD set)
See DuttonVocalion.co.uk.

Digital Music Now Available:

42 Balloons
(new EP)
Studio cast recording of score by Jack Godfrey. Cast includes Charlie McCullagh, Evelyn Hoskins, Gillian Hardie, and Lejaun Sheppard. The show will run at The Lowry in Salford, Manchester UK starting in April. Eight tracks.

Beautiful Little Fool: The Demos
(new EP)
Demo recordings of score by actress/writer Hannah Corneau (book for the musical is by Mona Mansour). "nobody parties like us," "A Writer Now," "Here We Are," "AlabamaGrl." Produced by Ross Baum and mixed and mastered by Jeremy Chereskin. Released 3/1/24.

"Begging You"
(new digital single)
Colton Ryan and Kate Douglas sing a song from the score for The Lucky Few by Todd Almond and Kate Douglas. On Spotify.

The Effect
(Broadway Records - new digital album)
Music from the National Theatre production of Lucy Prebble's The Effect (currently running at The Shed in New York City). Music by Michael "Mikey J" Asante. 32 tracks.

Glitter & Doom
(PS Classics - new on CD/digital)
Soundtrack from new musical film. Score by Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. New song plus reimaginings of other Indigo Girls classics. Ray and Saliers perform along with Ming-Na Wen, Missi Pyle, Lea DeLaria, Tig Notaro, Kate Pierson, Peppermint, and Beth Malone. "Closer to Fine (Prologue)," "Prince of Darkness," "Shed Your Skin & Touch Me Fall," "Keeper of My Heart," "Get Out the Map & Bitterroot," "Match & (S)He's Saving Me," "World Falls," "Keeper of My Heart (Reprise)," "Everything in Its Own Time," "Little Revolution," "1 2 3 & Leeds & I'll Change," "Center Stage," "Mystery & Fly Away," "Get Out the Map & Prince of Darkness (Reprise)," "Closer to Fine & Everything in Its Own Time," "Power of Two," "What We Wanna Be," "Galileo (Glitter & Doom Remix)." Produced by Chamuel. Released 3/8/24.

Lainie Kazan albums
( digital albums)
Remastered recordings: Right Now! (1966), Lainie Kazan (1966), The Love Album (1967), and Love Is Lainie (1968), originally released by MGM Records. Largely conceived and conducted by Peter Daniels Deluxe CD set is planned for 2025.

Prism Quartet: "Send in the Clowns"
(new digital track)
Featuring Miguel Zenón. Part of Prism Quartet's upcoming Heritage/Evolution Vol. 3 album.

Tesla concept album
(new digital album)
Concept cast album for score by Aaron Guzzo (music/lyrics), Craig Hissong (lyrics), and Denise Bradley (additional lyrics). Oliver Savile, Tim Howar, Bethany Joy Lenz, Pia Toscano, Denise Bradley, Clive Standen, Tony Amendola, Bradley Bundlie. Arranged by Aaron Guzzo and Jonathan Merrill. Executive Produced by Bob Guzzo and Jonathan Merrill. "What I Want," "Standing in the Light," "Dear Mr Tesla," "Go On," "Edison's Monologue," "Edison's Lament," "Where Are You Goin'?," "Child of Light," "Transmission," "Lovely," "Pick Yourself Up," "Katharine's Song." Released 3/1/24. BandCamp.com.

U.G.L.Y. the Moo-sical
(Todrick Hall Musicals - new digital album)
Score by Todrick Hall. Kristin Chenoweth, Carlie Craig, and Todrick Hall, Nick Adams, J. Harrison Ghee, Derek Klena, Tiffany Mann, Orfeh, Colleen Ballinger, Mari Maupin, Cheyenne Isabel Wells. 10 tracks.

Books Now Available:

The Long Revolution: Sixty Years on the Frontlines of a New American Theater
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book/Kindle Edition)
By Zelda Fichandler. Todd London, editor. Content from sixty years of essays, speeches, and manifestos by the founding mother of the resident professional theatre movement. Founder and artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and chair of New York University’s Graduate Acting program. Gathers Fichandler’s most prescient writing about that movement, ranging over such topics as The Institution as Art-Work, the Profit in NonProfit, Race and a Deepening Aesthetic, and Creativity and the Public Mind. Also includes intimate portraits of artists with whom she frequently collaborated and director’s notes from the major productions that defined her vision. 320 pages.

Music to Be Released This Friday, March 22:

Edith Piaf, Je Vous Aime
(Stage Door Records - new on CD)
Part of Stage Door Records' Cast Album Masters Series. Musical revue devised by Canadian performer Libby Morris, based around the songs of Piaf, specially adapted into English by American lyricist and poet Fran Landesman (with additional lyrics by Peter Reeves and Ronnie Bridges). Opened at London's King's Head Theatre in February 1977. Starring, with Morris, Maureen Scott, Peter Reeves, and Clifton Todd. 37 songs were recorded in April 1977 and produced by Norman Newell. Released as a 2LP set. Limited release of 500 copies. StageDoorRecords.com.

The Gardens of Anuncia
(Ghostlight Records - new digital album)
Original cast recording of score by John LaChiusa. Enrique Acevedo, Andréa Burns, Eden Espinosa, Priscilla Lopez, Tally Sessions, Mary Testa and Kalyn West. Orchestrations by Michael Starobin. "Opening," "Mamí Said," "Listen to the Music," "Waiting/Dreaming," "Dance While You Can," "Malagueña," "The Annunciation," "Smile for Me, Lucia," "The Vigil," "Dance While You Can (Reprise)," "Travel," "Miss the Man," "The Story of That Man," "Listen to the Music (Reprise)," "Never a Goodbye/Finale." Recorded 12/4/23. Produced by Lawrence Manchester and Michael John LaChiusa.

PRISM Quartet: Heritage/Evolution Vol. 3
(XAS Records - new album)
Saxophone quartet Timothy McAllister (soprano), Zachary Shemon (alto), Matthew Levy (tenor), Taimur Sullivan (baritone). With Melissa Aldana, Tim Ries, Terell Stafford, Miguel Zenón. "Send in the Clowns" (this track was released 3/8/24), "Found," "Favor," "Reflections," "Resumen de Otoño," "El Atardecer," "Una Carta de Amor," "Con La Primavera," "Un Breve Amor."

Rosie the Musical
(Absolute Label - new on CD [import])
Studio cast recording of score by Chris Broom. Cast includes Desmonda Cathabel, Lucy Thomas, Will Callan, Nora Thomas. The show follows Rosie Boot, a convent-educated Irish girl who joins the chorus line at London's Gaiety Theatre in the Strand at the turn of the last century.

Newly Listed Recordings:

April 19:

The Notebook
(Atlantic Records - new digital album)
OBC recording of score by Ingrid Michaelson. Cast includes Maryann Plunkett, Dorian Harewood, Joy Woods, Ryan Vasquez, Jordan Tyson, John Cardoza, Andréa Burns, and Carson Stewart..

May 31:

Ben Platt: Honeymind
(Interscope - new on CD/digital/vinyl)
To include songs written with songwriters Hillary Lindsey, Natalie Hemby, and Alex Hope. Executive producer Dave Cobb.

Release date TBA:

The Heart of Rock and Roll
(new album)
OBC recording of score from the new musical inspired by the Songs of Huey Lewis and The News. Cast includes Corey Cott, McKenzie Kurtz, Josh Breckenridge, John Dossett, F. Michael Haynie, Zoe Jensen, Tamika Lawrence, Raymond J. Lee, John-Michael Lyles, Orville Mendoza, Billy Harrigan. Release date TBA.

Newly Listed Books:

April 1:

The American Musical: Evolution of an Art Form
(Routledge - new Hardcover Book/Paperback/Kindle Edition)
By Ben West. A portrait of the American musical's artistic evolution over the course of seven distinct, newly defined eras, with a perspective gleaned from research at more than twenty different archives across the United States. 416 pages.

May 24:

Yankee Doodle Dandy: George M. Cohan and the Broadway Stage
(Oxford Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By Elizabeth T. Craft. Part of the Broadway Legacies series. In the first book on Cohan in fifty years, Craft situates Cohan as a central figure of his day. Examining his multifaceted contributions and the various sociocultural identities he came to embody, Craft shows how Cohan and his works indelibly shaped the American cultural landscape. 288 pages.

Compiled by Talkin' Broadway Staff.