December 26, 2006

All Shook Up
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Piano/Vocal selections from Broadway show score. Includes: 25 songs from the show, including: All Shook Up, Blue Suede Shoes, Burning Love, Can't Help Falling in Love, Don't Be Cruel (To a Heart That's True), Hound Dog, It's Now or Never, Jailhouse Rock, Love Me Tender, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, That's All Right, and more.

Dear Me
(Audiobooks - CD Audiobook)
Performer/playwright/director/composer Peter Ustinov's autobiography, read by the author, now in CD format. Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane score.

Legends of Broadway - Angela Lansbury
(Sony BMG/Classical/RCA Red Seal - on CD)
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Compilation CD of perviously released songs: "A Parade in Town," "It's Today," "If He Walked into My Life," "Dear World," "Kiss Her Now," "And I Was Beautiful," "Some People," "Small World," "You'll Never Get Away from Me," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Rose's Turn," "The Worst Pies in London," "Wait," "A Little Priest," "By the Sea," "Not While I'm Around."

Legends of Broadway - Barbara Cook
(Sony BMG/Classical/RCA Red Seal - on CD)
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Compilation CD of perviously released songs: "Glitter and Be Gay," "You Were Dead, You Know," "Hello, Young Lovers," "Getting to Know You," "In Buddy's Eyes," "Too Many Mornings," "Losing My Mind," "Make Believe," "You Are Love," "Why Do I Love You?," "After the Ball," "My White Knight," "Magic Moment," "Dear Friend," "Will He Like Me?," "Ice Cream."

Legends of Broadway - Bernadette Peters
(Sony BMG/Classical/RCA Red Seal - on CD)
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Compilation CD of perviously released songs: "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," "The Sailor of My Dreams," "Raining in My Heart," "There Won't Be Trumpets," "Anyone Can Whistle," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Children and Art," "Move On," "Unexpected Song," "Tell Me on a Sunday," "Stay with Me," "Lament," "Time Heals Everything," "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

Legends of Broadway - Chita Rivera
(Sony BMG/Classical/RCA Red Seal - on CD)
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Compilation CD of perviously released songs: "America," "Tonight (Quintet)," "A Boy Like That"/"I Have a Love," "An English Teacher," "What Did I Ever See in Him?," "Mean," "All That Jazz," "Cell Block Tango," "I Can't Do It Alone," "My Own Best Friend," "When Velma Takes the Stand," "Class," "Where You Are," "Gimme Love," "Kiss of the Spider Woman," "Nowadays."

December 19, 2006

Best Foot Forward
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD (Amazon Exclusive))
1943 musical film, based on the Broadway musical, with Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Tommy Dix, June Allyson, Nancy Walker, Gloria DeHaven. Choreographed by Gene Kelly.

Charlie Chan Collection, Vol. 2
(Fox - on 4 DVDs)
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Four from the classic series, featuring Warner Oland and Keye Luke. Charlie Chan at the Circus, Charlie Chan at the Olympics, Charlie Chan at the Opera (the film's opera was written by Oscar Levant), Charlie Chan at the Race Track. Bonuses: "Charlie Chan's Lucky Director: H. Bruce Humberstone" featurette; "Layne Tom, Jr.: The Adventures of Charlie Chan, Jr." featurette; "Number One Son: The Life of Keye Luke" featurette; "Charlie Chan At the Movies" featurette; restoration comparisons; original trailers.

Presenting Lily Mars
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1943 musical film, based on a novel by Booth Tarkington, with Judy Garland and Van Heflin. Includes songs by Burton Lane, Yip Harburg, Roger Edens, Sammy Fain and more. Extras: audio-only outtake of deleted finale "Paging Mr. Greenback" and the later edited finale "Where There's Music"; final version of the "Where There's Music" as used in the film, but with stereo audio as a separately selectable feature; 1943 MGM short subject "Heavenly Music:; 1943 MGM cartoon "Who Killed Who?" directed by Tex Avery; theatrical trailer.

Walt Disney Treasures: More Silly Symphonies (1929-1938)
(Disney - on 2 DVDs)
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Another batch of Walt Disney's original Silly Symphonies shorts from the golden age of animation. Rare cartoons including "Hell's Bells," "Mother Goose Goes Hollywood," and "Three Orphan Kittens," as well commentary and conversations about the musical series. Various Mother Goose rhymes are portrayed by Hollywood stars. Bonuses: "Silly Symphonies Rediscovered" featurette; "Animators at Play" featurette; art galleries; commentary on select shorts; packaged in a collectible tin; 8-page booklet with notes; color photo card.

December 12, 2006

Billy Elliot Through the Lens: Original Cast Theatre Photographs
(Billy London Limited - Hardcover Book)
(Import) Features stage and rehearsal photographs from Billy Elliot The Musical, 2005, featuring original cast members, up to opening night. Photographer David Scheinmann. Available at Amazon UK.

Christopher Lee: Revelation
(Magic Film & Entertainment Ltd - new on CD)
Movie star Christopher Lee album mix of show tunes, holiday music, flamenco, rock, standards. Includes "The Impossible Dream," "I, Don Quixote," "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin',"My Way."

Love is for the Birds - Ruth Wallis
(new on CD)
1959 album by Ruth Wallis, with three bonus tracks by Wallis. "A Man of My Own," "Eat and Drink, Be Merry," "Do Me a Favor," "Love Songs for Idiots," "Bill," "Nothin' But a Man," "I've Had It," "My Sugar Daddy," "Julie," "Ain't Gonna Throw Any Rice," "Love is for the Birds," "I Know," "Ugly Man with Money," "My Children are My Treasure," "Long, Long Time."

Marissa O'Donnell - Front Row Center
(Sword in the Stone Records - new on CD)
Annie in 2005-2007 Annie tour. A Cappella Song," "Home Again," "Front Row Center," "Beautiful Dreamer," "Money, Money, Money," "Dance With Me," "Universal Love," "Sun Shines For All," "Summertime," "Tonight."

Present Arms
(Bygone - new on CD)
2006 studio recording of selections from Rodgers & Hart's 1928 musical ("You Took Advantage Of Me"). James Anest, Danielle Vernengo, Brad Roseborough, Joshua Ziel and Daniella Dalli featuring George Pellegrino and Alexander Mohajer. Available at Footlight.com

Putting It Together
(Image Entertainment - on DVD)
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Re-release of 2002 recording of Sondheim revue. Carol Burnett, George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall, John Barrowman, Bronson Pinchot. Filmed live during its Broadway run.

Skinner/Ripley Raw at Town Hall
(Kritzerland - new on 2 CDs)

Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley, original stars of Side Show, reunited in a concert as part of the Cabaret Festival even in November 2006. Songs from Side Show, their two albums, Duets and Unsuspecting Hearts, and lots of new material. "Two's Company," "Little Me," "I'd Rather Wake Up By Myself" (Skinner), "Cigarette Dream/The Last Smoker in America" (Ripley), "Sleepy Man" (Skinner), "I Miss the Mountains" (Ripley), "Every Day a Little Death," "No One Is Alone" (Skinner), "Broadway Baby" (Ripley), "Sisters/Ohio," "Trouble," "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (Skinner), "You've Got to Be There" (Ripley), "Come Up and See Me Some Time" (Skinner), "I'm Past My Prime," "Lazy Afternoon" (Skinner), "She's Gone" (Ripley), "Who Will Love Me As I Am?," "I Will Never Leave You." Now shipping from Kritzerland.com

The Sound of Music - new London Cast
(RUG/Polydor - new on CD)
Connie Fisher, Alexander Hanson, Lesley Garrett, Lauren Ward, Ian Gelber, Sophie Bould, Neil McDermott. UK release, available at Amazon UK. US release expected in Spring.

Spring Awakening
(Universal Classics/Decca Broadway - new on CD)
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Original Broadway cast recording of score by composer Duncan Sheik and playwright/lyricist Steven Sater. Skylar Astin, Lilli Cooper, John Gallagher Jr., Gideon Glick, Jonathan Groff, Brian Johnson, Lea Michele, Lauren Pritchard, Phoebe Strole, Jonathan B. Wright, Remy Zaken, Stephen Spinella and Christine Estabrook. "Mamma Who Bore Me," "Mamma Who Bore Me (Reprise)," "All That's Known," "The Bitch of Living," "My Junk," "Touch Me," "The Word of Your Body," "The Dark I Know Well," "And Then There Were None," "The Mirror-Blue Night," "I Believe," "Don't Do Sadness," "Blue Wind," "The Guilty Ones," "Left Behind," "Totally Fucked," "The Word of Your Body (Reprise)," "Whispering," "Those You've Known," "The Song of Purple Summer." Digital download includes "There Once Was a Pirate" bonus track.

Tales of a Theatrical Guru (Music in American Life)
(Univ. of Illinois Press - Hardcover Book)
Press agent Danny Newman (Lyric Opera of Chicago) brings together 33 profiles of key arts people he's known during his career: Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Milton Berle, Jimmy Durante, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Sally Rand, Sam Wanamaker, Dina Halpern (to whom he was married), George Balanchine, Samuel Goldwyn, Carol Channing, Yul Brynner, Richard Tucker, Leontyne Price, Jussi Bjöerling, Tito Gobbi, and Maria Callas. 55 photographs.

Tony Bennett - An American Classic - Blu-Ray
(Sony BMG/Columbia - new on DVD)
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TV special, directed by Rob Marshall, to be broadcast November 21, on NBC. With stops in Greenwich Village, the Columbia recording studios, Las Vegas, and Carnegie Hall the film celebrates Bennett's 80th year and consists of re-recreations of key moments in the singer's life. Guests will be Barbra Streisand, Elton John, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder and many more. Bonus footage includes exclusive behind-the-scenes "making of" footage.

The Vertical Hour: A Play
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Play by David Hare (on Broadway this season).

December 5, 2006

The Beales of Grey Gardens
(Image Entertainment - new on DVD)
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The filmmakers, Albert and David Maysles, went back to their vaults of footage to create part two, The Beales of Grey Gardens, a tribute both to these indomitable women and to the original landmark documentary's legions of fans who have made them American counterculture icons. New video introduction by Maysles; new essay by Michael Musto. 91 minutes.

Bobby Short Is K-R-A-Z-Y For Gershwin
(Collectables - on 2 CDs)
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Reissue of Atlantic album.

Dreamgirls Highlights
(Sony BMG/Columbia Records/Sony Urban Music - new on CD)
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2006 musical film adaptation with Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Hinton Battle, Keith Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Sharon Neal, Danny Glover. To feature some new songs, including "Listen," "Love You I Do," written by original composer Henry Krieger. Click here for track listing.

Dreamgirls The Collector's Edition
(Sony BMG/Columnia/Sony Urban - new on 2 CDs)
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2006 musical film adaptation with Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Hinton Battle, Keith Robinson, Anika Noni Rose, Sharon Neal, Danny Glover. Click here for track listing.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection
(Warner - on 5 DVDs)
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 2-disc Special Edition, The Comedians, The Sandpiper, The V.I.P.s. Extras (Virginia Woolf): commentary by directors Mike Nichols and Steven Soderbergh; commentary by cinematographer Haskell Wexler; vintage biographical profile: Elizabeth Taylor: An Intimate Portrait; new featurettes: A Daring Work of Raw Excellence, Too Shocking for Its Time; 1966 Mike Nichols interview; Sandy Dennis screen test; Taylor/Burton movie trailer gallery; French mono track. Extras (Sandpiper): vintage featurettes: The Big Sur, A Statue for the Sandpiper. Extras (The Comedians): vintage featurette: The Comedians in Africa.

Gisele Mackenzie - In Person at the Empire Room
(Collectables - new on CD)
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An Opening Song," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "Save Your Sorrow (For Tomorrow)," "Medley From "Gypsy"," "April In Fairbanks," "Le Fiacre," "The Twelfth Of Never," "The Piper 0' Dundee," "I Love A Piano (Medley)," "Merci Beaucoup."

Grey Gardens - 2-disc Edition
(Criterion/Image - on 2 DVDs)
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1976 Documentary of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie. Basis for Grey Gardens the musical Off-Broadway. 185 minutes. Includes audio commentary by Albert Maysles, Ellen Hovde, Muffie Meyer, and Susan Froemke; new video introduction by Maysles; new essay by Michael Musto; new digital transfer; excerpts from a recorded interview with Little Edie Beale; video interviews with fashion designers Todd Oldham and John Bartlett; behind-the-scenes photographs; trailers; filmographies.

Heart and Soul: The Life and Music of Frank Loesser
(PBS - new on DVD)
New documentary that will be airing on PBS stations around the country during December's pledge drive. 90-minute program and bonuses including: The Making of the Soundtrack - 50th Anniversary of Guys & Dolls; Senor Discretion First Day of Rehearsal; audio commentary featuring Director Walter Gottlieb, Editor Michael Gehman, and Joseph Weiss, Manager of Frank Loesser Enterprises. Available now by phone; more information at www.loessermovie.org/ which will have online ordering in the future. Should also be in stores at a future date.

Idlewild
(Universal - new on DVD)
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2006 musical film. Andre 3000, Big Boi, Macy Gray, Terrence Howard, Patti LaBelle, Faizon Love, Paula Jai Parker, Paula Patton, Ving Rhames, Cicely Tyson, Ben Vereen. Extras: audio commentary by director Bryan Barber; deleted scenes; deleted songs; music videos "Morris Brown" and "Idlewild Blue."

Lady in the Dark: Biography of a Musical
(Oxford Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
Author Bruce McClung pieces together the musical's life story from sketches and drafts, production scripts, correspondence, photographs, costume and set designs, and thousands of clippings from the star's personal scrapbooks. He interviewed ten original cast members to provide a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the backstage story. The result is the saga of how the musical play came to be, the string of events that saved the experimental show at every turn, and the important role the show played for the war effort through 777 performances in 12 cities.

Premiere Frank Capra Collection
(Sony - on 6 DVDs)
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, It Happened One Night, You Can't Take It With You, American Madness. Completely digitally remastered picture and sound. Extras: "Frank Capra Jr. Remembers..." featurette for each film; commentary on each film; interviews including Frank Capra Jr., Ken Bowser: Frank Capra Documentarian, Richard Pena: Director, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jeanine Bassinger: Curator: Frank Capra Archives, Wesleyan Cinema Archives; "Frank Capra's American Dream" documentary hosted by Ron Howard; 96-page Collectible Movie Scrapbook

Restaging the Sixties : Radical Theaters and Their Legacies
(Univ. of Michigan Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By James M. Harding. Essays examining the artistry, politics, and legacies of radical theater groups—the Living Theatre, the Open Theatre, the Performance Group, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, El Teatro Campesino, At the Foot of the Mountain, the Free Southern Theater, and Bread and Puppet theater—that came to prominence in the U.S. during the volatile period of the late sixties and early seventies. Each of the specially-commissioned essays is from a leading theater artist, critic, or scholar. Historical overview of each groups work, an exploration of the group's significant contributions to political theater, and the legacy of those contributions.

Sir Henry Irving: A Victorian Actor And His World
(Hambledon & London - Paperback Book)
By Jeffrey Richards. U.S. release of biography of legendary actor of the Victorian age.

A Star is Born
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1976 film with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. All-new audio commentary from Streisand, remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, additional scenes and wardrobe tests (montage cut to the song "Queen Bee" from the original wardrobe tests) , also with Streisand commentary.

Swing Sessions - David Campbell (Import)
(Sony BMG - new on CD)
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Actor-singer David Campbell (Saturday Night, Babes in Arms, Shout!, Sunset Boulevard) and a big band present classic songs. "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You," "Call Me Irresponsible," "Mack The Knife," "Way You Look Tonight," "Love Me Or Leave Me," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "Birth Of The Blues," "All The Way," "Waters Of March," "Beyond The Sea," "Mr. Bojangles," "With Plenty Of Money And You," "My Funny Valentine."

Theatre Directory 2006-2007
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
34th edition. Contains: information on artistic directors, managing directors, and board chairpersons-for over 420 theaters; theater addresses and business, fax, and box office phone numbers, along with e-mail and website addresses; performance seasons; regional index listing by state; theater index listing by budget size; Actors' Equity Association contract information; special interests listings for all theaters.

Tony Bennett - An American Classic
(Sony BMG/Columbia - new on DVD)
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TV special, directed by Rob Marshall, to be broadcast November 21, on NBC. With stops in Greenwich Village, the Columbia recording studios, Las Vegas, and Carnegie Hall the film celebrates Bennett's 80th year and consists of re-recreations of key moments in the singer's life. Guests will be Barbra Streisand, Elton John, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder and many more. Bonus footage includes exclusive behind-the-scenes "making of" footage.

November 28, 2006

365 Days/365 Plays
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
By Suzan-Lori Parks. Collection of 365 plays - the result of her personal commitment to write a play a day for one year.

Alan Ayckbourn: Plays 3 : Haunting Julia, Sugar Daddies, Drowning on Dry Land, Private Fears in Public Places
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Third volume of Ayckbourn's collected plays.

Back Stage Guide to Working in Regional Theater: Jobs for Actors
(Back Stage Books - Paperback Book)
Guide to surviving and thriving as an actor in regional theaters by Jim Volz. Includes a history of the movement and a description of each of the League of Regional Theater (LORT) houses in the U.S, plus sections on personal marketing for the actor, the business of acting, strategies and career planning. Essential web sites, a sample organizational chart, contact names, a guide to theater unions, and listings of more than 100 theaters across the country.

Mabel Mercer Sings Cole Porter
(Collectables - on CD)
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Reissue of Atlantic album.

Strike Up the Band: A New History of Musical Theatre: A New History of Musical Theatre
(Heineman Drama - Paperback Book)
By Scott Miller (Let the Sun Shine In, Rebels with Applause, (Deconstructing Harold Hill, From Assassins to West Side Story). Miller "tells the whole story of musicals, pulling back the curtain on the amazing innovation and adventurousness of the art form, revealing its political and social conscience, and chronicling its incredibly rapid evolution over the last century." In this decade-by-decade look, he "offers a forward-looking perspective on treasures from each era - such as Anything Goes, West Side Story, Hair, and Rent - while also looking at fascinating, genre-busting, and often short-lived productions, including Bat Boy, Rocky Horror Show, Promenade, and The Capeman

November 21, 2006

Broadway North: The Dream of a Canadian Musical Theatre
(Natural Heritage Books - Paperback Book)
By Mel Atkey. Historical chronicle of Canadian musicals and the composers, lyricists, actors and producers who brought them to life across Canada; from Sunshine Town to The House of Martin Guerre.

Dirty Dancing - Music From The Hit London Show
(Sony/BMG - new on CD)
Josef Brown, Georgina Rich, David Rintoul, Issy Van Randwyck and Isabella Calthorpe. 2006 London Cast Recording. Mixes performances of songs and dialogue by members of the London cast with original recordings used in the film. Order at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

Dreamgirls Special Edition OBC
(Universal/Decca Broadway - on 2 CDs)
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Remastered reissue of OBC recording with three long-thought-lost unissued tracks ("It's All Over," "Driving Down the Strip," "Dreamgirls (reprise)"), and a second disc of vocal-less instrumental (karaoke) tracks plus a remixed disco version of Jennifer Holliday's "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." See track list.

Dreamgirls Tribute to the Soundtrack
(on CD)
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Please email soundadvice@talkinbroadway.com with any information on this release.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Deluxe Remastered Edition)
(Warner - new on DVD)
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1966 animated film. New digital transfer. Extras: audio tracks (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround); "Horton Hears A Who"; new featurette "Dr. Seuss and the Grinch - From Whoville to Hollywood"; "Songs in the Key of Grinch" featurette with composer Albert Hague and vocalist Thurl Ravenscroft; TNT's How the Grinch Stole Christmas Special Edition featurette with Phil Hartman; "Who's Who in Whoville" biography gallery; "Grinch Pencil Test" game.

The Dying Gaul and Other Screenplays by Craig Lucas (With Commentary by the Author, Mary Louise-Parker, Norman Rene, and Others)
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
Steven Drukman, Editor.

Elegies - A Song Cycle
(Paperback Book)
Songbook for William Finn show. "Mister Choi and Madame G," "Saying My Goodbyes," "Mark's All-Male Thanksgiving," "Only One," "Passover," "Infinite Joy," "Anytime," "My Dogs," "14 Dwight Ave, Natick, Massachusetts," "When the Earth Stopped Turning." Available at ColonyMusic.com.

The Firefly
(Albany Records - new on CD)
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Ohio Light Opera recording of Rudolf Friml/Otto Harbach operetta.

History Boys - Soundtrack
(Rhino/Wea - new on CD)
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Soundtrack from upcoming film. "As You Wave Me Good Bye" - Gracie Fields, "Blue Monday" - New Order, "This Charming Man (New York Vocal Mix)" - The Smiths, "L'Accordeoniste" - Sam Barnett & Richard Sisson, "Mustapha Dance" - The Clash, "Bewitched" - Sam Barnett & Richard Sisson, "Never Stop (Discotheque Mix)" - Echo & The Bunnymen, "A Forest" - The Cure, "Papa's Got A Brand New Pig Bag (12" Version)" - Pigbag, "Bye, Bye, Blackbird" - The History Boys & Richard Sisson, "Bewitched" - Rufus Wainwright, "Can't Get Used to Losing You" - The English Beat, "Walk Out to Winter" - Aztec Camera, "2000 Miles" - The Pretenders."

Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris
(Sh-K-Boom - new on CD)
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2006 revival cast recording. Robert Cuccioli, Natascia Diaz, Gay Marshall, Rodney Hicks and Eric Svejcar. 22 tracks; seven additional tracks to be made available online for digital download. Available now at Zipper Theatre, the show website, and Sh-K-Boom.com.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Living in Paris Additional Tracks
(Sh-K-Boom - new on CD and download)
Download at iTunes
7 additional tracks will be available for download at iTunes or on a CD in a plain sleeve from Sh-K-Boom (see www.sh-k-boom.com/Brel.html for more information) for $10. "Brussels," "The Statue," "Bachelor's Dance," "I Loved," "The Girls and the Dogs," "The Bulls," "Mathilde."

The Lady With The Torch ... Still Burning
(Ghostlight - new on CD/download)
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Patti Lupone. Seven tracks recorded for, but not used on, her Lady with the Torch album. "Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please," "C'est Magnifique," "I Love Paris," "Me and My Shadow," "Frankie and Johnny," "Find Me a Primitive Man," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." On disc for $10 available at Sh-K-boom.com.

O. Henry's Full House
(Fox - new on DVD)
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Adaptations of five short stories: The Cop and the Anthem, with Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe, David Wayne; The Clarion Call with /Richard Widmark, Dale Robertson; The Last Leaf with Anne Baxter, Jean Peters; The Ransom of Red Chief with Fred Allen, Oscar Levant; The Gift of the Magi with Jeanne Crain, Farley Granger. Extras: additional footage - "The O. Henry Museum"; audio commentary Dr. Jenny Lind Porter, Ph.D - O. Henry Expert; "Girls"; "Man About Town"; featurette - "The Life and Writings of O. Henry"; photo galleries; booklet - Original Exhibitor's Campaign Book.

Miracle on 34th Street - Special Edition
(20th Century Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Classic 1947 film featuring Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Thelma Ritter. Special edition details: Disc 1: full frame feature in black and white; Disc 2: full frame feature, colorized version; commentary by Maureen O'Hara; 1955 The 20th Century Fox Hour of Stars TV remake; "AMC Backstory: Miracle on 34th Street" featurette; "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Floating in History" featurette; Movietone News: Hollywood Spotlight; promotional short; poster gallery.

Somewhere : The Life of Jerome Robbins
(Broadway - Hardcover Book)
By Amanda Vail. Written with full access to the Robbins papers, a voluminous collection of letters, diaries, notebooks, memos, and production notes. Chronicles Robbins's career and plumbs his complex private life.

Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
(Kultur - on DVD)
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Re-release of 1992 performance with Jerry Hadley, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry, Bill Irwin, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn, Liza Minnelli, Billy Stritch, The Tonics, Dorothy Loudon, Boys Choir of Harlem, Betty Buckley, Patti LuPone, Karen Ziemba, Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber, Daisy Eagan, Bernadette Peters, Harolyn Blackwell, Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker, Glenn Close. American Theatre Orchestra, conductor Paul Gemignani.

Steve Dorff - Pacific Sunrise
(SHD Music - new on CD)
Award winning composer (Say Goodnight - the love story of George Burns & Gracie Allen; Heartland - the stage version of Pure Country; and Josephine - the Josephine Baker Story) performs new songs. Available at CDBaby.com.

The Ten Commandments - The Musical
(Echo Bridge Entertainment - new on DVD)
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Live filming of L.A. cast of Patrick Leonard/Maribeth Derry musical. Val Kilmer (Moses), Kevin Earley, Lauren Kennedy, Aharon Ipalé, Adam Lambert, Filmed at Kodak Theatre. Widescreen feature, custom foil printed package and bonus "Behind the Scenes with Val Kilmer."

November 14, 2006

Broadway Unplugged 2
(Bayview Records - new on CD)
September 2005 concert recording. William Michals, Bill Daugherty, Emily Skinner, Norm Lewis, Jenifer Kruskamp, Anne Steele, Mary Bond Davis, Cheyenne Jackson, Liz Callaway, Marc Kudisch, Euan Morton, Bobby Belfry, Brandon Cutrell, Peter Gonya, Steven Ray Watkins, Lennie Watts, Deven May, Ron Bohmer, Sutton Foster, Barbara Walsh, Eddie Korbich, Christiane Noll. Musical Director: Ross Patterson. Available at BayviewRecords.com and Footlight.com.

Bing Crosby: Screen Legend Collection
(Universal - on 3 DVDs)
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Includes five films: Waikiki Wedding, Double Or Nothing, East Side Of Heaven, If I Had My Way, Here Come The Waves. Digi-pak.

Carols for a Cure - The Box Set
(new on 12 CDs)
All eight volumes of this seasonal favorite. Available at bcefa.org.

Cary Grant: Screen Legend Collection
(Universal - on 3 DVDs)
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Five films: Thirty Day Princess, Kiss And Make Up, Wings In The Dark, Big Brown Eyes, Wedding Present. Digi-pak.

Charles Sings Strouse
(PS Classics - new on CD)
Latest in the label's Songwriter Series. Produced in conjunction with the Library of Congress under the supervision of producer Steve Nelson. Songs from Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, Pound in Your Pocket, Marty, Lady for a Day, Bojangles, Palm Beach, Lyle and Real Men. "Put on a Happy Face" (Bye, Bye, Birdie), "A Few Small Tasks," "Gimme Some" (Golden Boy), "Fairfield County, USA," "Until He's Home," "The Man Who Invented Ice Cream," "Once Upon a Time" (All American), "Those Were the Days," "Robin Hood," "Me Oh My, Oh Man Do I Miss Milwaukee," "Homeless," "New Deal for Christmas" (Annie), "I Don't Need Anything but You" (Annie), "You've Got Possibilities" (It's a Bird ...), "Texas Blues," "Things," "My Mother in Law" (My Mother-in-Law), "The Most Beautiful Girl in Waldo, Kentucky," "Millionaire Blues," "To Be Me," "I Want to Sleep With You Now," "Smashing — New York Times" (Applause), "Too Young to Be Old "Tomorrow" (Annie). Available at PSClassics.com.

Edward Scissorhands
(First Night - new on CD)
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OLC recording of score for Matthew Bourne ballet, co-composed by Danny Elfman and Terry Davies.

The Fantasticks
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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New Off Broadway revival cast recording. Burke Moses, Leo Burmester, Santino Fontana, Sara Jean Ford, Martin Vidnovic and Tom Jones under the stage name Thomas Bruce. Score includes revised lyric for "It Depends on What You Pay."

Forbidden Planet Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Warner Bros - on 2 DVDs)
1956 cult classic film (basis for musical Return to the Forbidden Planet). Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly. Includes bonus deleted scenes, lost footage, featurettes "Watch the Skies!: Science Fiction, the 1950s and Us," "Amazing!: Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet," "Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon"; trailers; collectible Robbie toy. Also available in 2-disc Anniversary Edition and HD DVD edition.

Front Row: Evenings at the Theatre
(Continuum Int'l - Paperback Book)
By Beryl Bainbridge. Paperback version of collection of writing about theater from one of Britain's most acclaimed and best-selling novelists.

Gauguin / Savage Light
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
New York cast recording of George Fischoff score, including Jeff Nardone, Kelly Dynan, Jennifer Sanchez. Available at Footlight.com.

The History Boys - Screenplay: The Film
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Alan Bennett, Nicholas Hytner.

If I Sing: Songwriters Album
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Sixteen songwriters perform their own material. "Live Out Loud" (Andrew Lippa), "From a Distance" (Julie Gold), "All the Gold in California" (Larry Gatlin), "The Long Cold Fall" (Rick Jensen), "Nowhere to Go But Up" (Maury Yeston), "How Could I Ever Know?" (Lucy Simon), "If I Sing" (David Shire & Richard Maltby, Jr.), "The Sweetest of Nights and the Finest of Days" (Shelly Markham), "Somebody's Out There" (Emily Bindiger), "Tear It Up and Throw It Away" (Jeff Marx & Robert Lopez), "Daddy's Girl" (Jamie deRoy), "Old Friend" (Nancy Ford & Gretchen Cryer), "For Good" (Stephen Schwartz). Jamie deRoy executive producer, Paul Rolnick producer.

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical
(Image Entertainment - on DVD)
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Re-release of 2001 version, first on pay-per-view TV, of Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse musical with David Hasselhoff, Colleen Sexton, Andrea Rivette, George Merritt. Filmed on stage before a live audience. Includes introduction and backstage interview with David Hasselhoff.

Mrs. Leslie Carter: Biography of the First American Stage Star of the Twentieth Century
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
By Craig Clinton. Biography focuses particularly on Mrs. Carter's successful career and on her professional partnership with David Belasco. Spanning a period of radical transformation in American theatre, her career reflected—and endured—the artistic changes which occurred during the decades on either side of the century mark. Period photographs and theatrical art are included.

My Christmas Song For You
(Andreasong - new on CD)
Andrea Marcovicci holiday album. Joined by Bucky Pizzarelli, Warren Vache, Jered Egan, Michael Migliori, Rex Benincasea. Features "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting ...)," "Silver Bells," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "White Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland," "Silent Night," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," "Blue Champagne," "The Gift," "Christmas Lullaby" lyrics by Peggy Lee and music by Cy Coleman), "All Through The Night," "Sleigh Ride," "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas." Available at www.marcoviccicollection.com.

Rock Hudson: Screen Legend Collection
(Universal - on 3 DVDs)
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Five films: Has Anybody Seen My Gal?, A Very Special Favor, The Golden Blade, The Last Sunset, The Spiral Road. Digi-pak.

Songs I Taught My Mother
(PS Classics, Inc. - new on CD)
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Charlotte Rae's 1955 solo album. Includes specialty material written for Rae (including Sheldon Harnick's "Backer's Audition" and "Gabor the Merrier" and Marc Blitzstein's "Modest Maid") and songs by Cole Porter ("When I Was a Little Cuckoo"), Vernon Duke ("Summer Is a-Comin' In" and "The Sea-Gull and the Ea-Gull"), John Latouche ("A Nail in the Horseshoe"), and Rodgers & Hart ( "Why Can't I?").

Tex Beneke & His Orchestra (And Some Vocals): S'wonderful
(Sepia Records - new on CD)
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Legendary big band's rare recodings of the '50s. Vocalists include Ray Eberle. 27 tracks, many on CD for the first time, include "Stardust," "'S Wonderful," "Blue Moon," "Singin' In The Rain," "Danny's Hideaway," "Moritat," "Lullaby Of Birdland."

The Theater Will Rock : A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig
(Univ. of Michigan Press - Hardcover Book)
By Elizabeth Lara Wollman (faculty member at the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Baruch College, City University of New York.). Chronicles the rock musical's artistic and financial blockbusters - and bombs - from 1960 to the present (including Hair, The Who's Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, Mamma Mia!, The Capeman).

Thelma Carpenter: Seems Like Old Times
(Sepia Records - new on CD)
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Child singer on WNYC; vocalist for Teddy Wilson Orchestra, Coleman Hawkins' band, Count Basie Orchestra; Eddie Cantor radio show; Broadway's Inside U.S.A. and Eubie Blake's Shuffle Along; on film in The Wiz and Cotton Club; TV's The Cosby Show. 26 tracks, almost all on CD for the first time.

3 Sailors and a Girl
(Sepia - new on 2 CDs)
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Soundtrack from 1953 film with Gordon MacRae and Jane Powell. Score by Sammy Cahn and Sammy Fain - "Face to Face" made the American Top 30. Bonuses: thirteen MacRae tracks; six Jane Powell tracks, including "True Love"; and June Hutton/Gordon MacRae on "Coney Island Boat."

November 7, 2006

Cabaret
(JAY Records - on CD)
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Remastered 1993 studio cast recording. Kander & Ebb score. Jonathan Price, Judi Dench, Fred Ebb, Gregg Edelman, Maria Friedman, John Mark Ainsley. National Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Owen Edwards. Available at Footlight.com Note: the reissue is in a slim-case and the cover is square; the word "remastered" appears on both sides.

Carols for a Cure - Vol. 8
(new on 2 CDs)
Holiday cheer provided by members of the companies of Jersey Boys, The Color Purple, Tarzan, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Producers, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Wicked, A Chorus Line, The Lion King, Sweeney Todd, Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Altar Boyz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Wedding Singer, Kiki and Herb, [title of show] and Spamalot. Special appearances include the Broadway stars Christian Borle, Ashley Brown, Raul Esparza, Eden Espinosa, Felicia Fields, Alexander Gemignani, Christian Hoff, Norm Lewis, Ryan Lowe, Howard McGillin, Barbara Walsh, American Idol's Constantine Maroulis, and Josh Strickland, among others. Two CDs, 27 tracks. Benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Available now at bcefa.org.

Carousel 50th Anniversary Edition
(Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Remastered 1956 film of Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae, Audrey Christie, John Dehner, Gene Lockhart, Susan Luckey, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Rounseville, Barbara Ruick, Claramae Turner. Widescreen. Extras (to be confirmed): additional audio track - isolated score; audio commentary including Shirley Jones; Liliom (full frame); additional audio tracks: "You're A Queer One Julie Jordan" (Clayton, Raitt), "If I Loved You" (Clayton, Raitt), "You're A Queer One Julie Jordan" (Ruick, Jones), "Blow High, Blow Low" (Michael, Chorus); additional footage: vintage stage excerpt; Movietone News: "Carousel Opens at NY and Hollywood in Cinemascope 55"; featurette: "Turns On The Carousel"; theatrical trailer; photo galleries.

Cranks/Wild Grows the Heather
(Must Close Saturday Records - new on CD)
U.K. release of Cranks revue with Anthony Newley (his recording debut), Annie Ross and Hugh Bryant. Score by John Addison and John Cranko. UK cast transferred to Broadway in 1956. Also 1956 UK cast recording of flop Wild Grows The Heather, based on J. M. Barrie's The Little Minister. William Henry Music by Robert Lindon score. Bill O'Connor, Valerie Miller, Eira Heath, Madeleine Christie, Peter Dimuantes, Ann Giles, Richard Golding, Peter Sinclair. Available at Amazon UK. To be released in US in January 2007.

Flower Drum Song Special Edition
(Universal - on DVD)
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1961 Rodgers & Hammerstein musical film with Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Jack Soo, Juanita Hall. Bonuses: featurettes "A Classic Evolves from Print to Screen, "Faces of the East: Casting the movie," "The Songs of Flower Drum Song," a look at the sets and costumes, "The Legacy of Rodgers and Hammerstein"; commentary with actress Nancy Kwan and film historian Nick Redman. Widescreen.

Inside the Actors Studio: Icons
(Sony - new on 3 DVDs)
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Includes James Lipton's interviews with Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Clint Eastwood. Also: "James Lipton: Flashbacks" (new introductions with James Lipton) "Great Moments That Didn't Make The Cut" (previously unseen portions of the original interviews).

The King and I 50th Anniversary Edition
(Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Remastered 1956 film of Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Yul Brynner, Deborah Kerr, Patrick Adiarte, Martin Benson, Rita Moreno, Carlos Rivas, Terry Saunders, Rex Thompson. Extras (to be confirmed): additional audio tracks; audio commentary: Richard Barrios, Michael Portantiere (theater historians); additional footage: "Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You" (song), Movietone News: Charity Premieres of The King and I musical milestone; Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner Oscar winners; Australians from Yul Brynner Club; Behind the Scenes: "Restoring Cinescope 55"; "Anna and the King" pilot (including audio commentary); "Getting To Know You" (Morison, Brynner); "A Puzzlement" (Morison, Brynner); documentaries: "Something Wonderful: The Story of The King and I", "The Kings of Broadway," "The King and I" stage version, "The King of the Big Screen," "A Royal Production."

The Making of Miss Saigon
(New Video Group - new on DVD)
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1991 A&E documentary, previously on VHS only. No new material. Released 10/31/06.

March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland)
(Genius Productions - new on DVD)
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1934 Laurel & Hardy comedy/fantasy film version of Victor Herbert operetta. Also features Frank Churchill and Ann Ronell's "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf." Black and white. Full frame.

Miss Witherspoon and Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge : Two Plays
(Grove Press - Paperback Book)
Two plays by Christopher Durang.

Oh! What A Lovely War (Special Collector's Edition)
(Paramount Home Entertainment - new on DVD)
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Region 1 release of Academy Award®-winner Richard Attenborough's directorial debut. Based on the stage musical. Features a stellar cast Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, John Mills, John Gielgud, Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave, Ian Holm, Dirk Bogarde and Susannah York. Extras expected: commentary by director Richard Attenborough (his first ever DVD commentary); three-part documentary featuring interviews with Lord Attenborough, Corin Redgrave, Ann Skinner, Angela Thorne, Edward Fox, Susannah York; footage from the movie, and stills from the Paramount archive: 1. Welcome To World War One (dur: 26:50), 2. The Smith Family Album (dur: 23:27), 3. Keep The Home Fires Burning (dur: 22:57).

Pete's Dragon
(EMI - on CD)
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Import re-release of 1965 animated film musical with a score by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschorn. Helen Reddy, Red Buttons, Mickey Rooney, Jim Dale.

The Radio City Rockettes: A Dance Through Time
(HarperCollins - Paperback Book)
"Explore the glamour, hard work and legendary events that made and make the Rockette the dance troupe they are today. From the magnificent Radio Music Hall to the dane routines, costumes, sets, and movie premieres - here are the makings of an American icon..."

Rodgers and Hammerstein Collection
(Fox - on 12 DVDs)
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Film collection includes Carousel - 50th Anniversary Collection, The King And I - 50th Anniversary Collection, South Pacific - Collector's Edition, The Sound Of Music - 40th Anniversary Edition, State Fair - 60th Anniversary Edition, Oklahoma! - 50th Anniversary Edition.

Shout! The Mod Musical
(WEA/Rhino - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast album of 1960s pop songs. Produced by Emanuel "Manny" Kallins and Steve Skinner. Marie-France Arcilla, Erin Crosby, Julie Dingman Evans, Erica Schroeder, and Denise Summerford.

Singin' in the Rain
(JAY Records - on CD)
Remastered 1996 Wichita studio cast Recording. Nacio Herb Brown /Arthur Freed score. Christina Saffran Ashford, Matt Ashford, Craig Barna, Marcus Allen Cooper, Michael Gruber, Paul Manuel, Teri Ralston, Nancy Ringham, Randy Rogel. National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Craig Barna. Note: the remastered version includes the word "remastered" and more information on the front, including the names of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Available at Footlight.com.

South Pacific
(Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Remastered Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, Russ Brown, Juanita Hall, John Kerr, Tom Laughlin, France Nuyen, Ray Walston. Extras (to be confirmed): audio commentary - Ted Chapin, Gerard Alessandrini; South Pacific - Road Show Version (Widescreen); additional footage; "I'm Going To Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" (Martin, Pinza), "Finale" (Martin, Pinza), "Some Enchanted Evening" (Martin, Pinza), "A Wonderful Guy" (Martin, Pinza), "South Pacific" On The Screen - A Perfect Hit, State Department Confers High Honor on South Pacific; audio commentary - Richard Barrios (Film Historian); behind the scenes - "Making of," Screen Test: Mitzi Gaynor; documentaries - "60 Minutes: The Tales of The South Pacific"; theatrical trailer; photo galleries. Widescreen.

Summer Song/Plain and Fancy
(Must Close Saturday Records - new on CD)
1956 OLC recording of Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt Plain and Fancy score. Jack Drummond, Joan Hovis, Malcolm Keen, Grace O'Connor Virginia Somers. Also 1956 OLC recording of Summer Song, adapted from Antonin Dvorak/Eric Maschwitz. Van Atkins, Edric Connor, Sally Ann Howes, David Hughes, Laurence Naismith, Bonita Primrose. Available at Amazon UK. To be released in US in January 2007.

Tomfoolery
(JAY Records - new on CDR/digital at iTunes)
1980 OLC recording. CD-R (Footlight exclusive) includes front and back covers (no booklet), track and performer lists, and were copied directly from the original master and not from the compressed version available on Itunes.

Under the Desert Sky
(Decca/Sugar - CD/DVD)
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Andrea Bocelli package featuring live songs from his platinum-selling album, Amore, recorded at the Lake Las Vegas resort and also broadcast as part of PBS' Great Performance Series. The package also has bonus tracks including Neil Diamond's "September Morn" and a duet with Tony Award®-winner Heather Headley on "The Prayer."

October 31, 2006

Bat Out of Hell III
(Virgin Records - new on CD)
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Meat Loaf album. Songs by Jim Steinman and others, produced by Desmond Child. Includes two songs from unproduced Batman musical ("In The Land Of The Pigs (The Butcher Is King)" and "Cry to Heaven" (remake of "Angel's Arise" from Dance of the Vampires)), "Seize the Night" from Tanz der Vampire. "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be" (with music from Confidence Man's "New Orleans Is Coming To Me") features Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls film).

Carols for a Cure - Vol. 8
(new on 2 CDs)
Holiday cheer provided by members of the companies of Jersey Boys, The Color Purple, Tarzan, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Producers, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, Beauty and the Beast, Rent, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Wicked, A Chorus Line, The Lion King, Sweeney Todd, Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Altar Boyz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Wedding Singer, Kiki and Herb, [title of show] and Spamalot. Special appearances include the Broadway stars Christian Borle, Ashley Brown, Raul Esparza, Eden Espinosa, Felicia Fields, Alexander Gemignani, Christian Hoff, Norm Lewis, Ryan Lowe, Howard McGillin, Barbara Walsh, American Idol's Constantine Maroulis, and Josh Strickland, among others. Two CDs, 27 tracks. Benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Available now at bcefa.org.

Classic Christmas Collection (It's a Wonderful Life / White Christmas)
(Paramount - on 2 DVDs)
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Holiday films White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life.

The Color Purple : A Memory Book
(Carroll & Graf - Hardcover Book)
By Lise Funderberg; foreword by Oprah Winfrey. Has the look and feel of an antique scrapbook, a keepsake companion book to the Broadway musical. From Alice Walker's memories to sketches for the costumes and sets, cast experiences, and the entire libretto. 176 pages.

Confessions of a Mormon Boy : Inside the Off-Broadway Smash Hit
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
By Steven Fales.

Dreamgirls
(HarperEntertainment - Paperback Book)
Novelization by Denene Millner.

A Ford Family Christmas
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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Excerpts from six Tennessee Ernie's TV series from 1956 to 1960, featuring guests Kate Smith, Gordon MacRae and others.

George Burns - The TV Specials Collection
(Kultur - new on 4 DVDs)
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Boxed set: "George Burns Specials" (1976), with Johnny Carson, Madeline Kahn, Chita Rivera, Walter Matthau, The Osmonds; "... One Man Show" (1977), with Ann-Margret, Gladys Knight & The Pips, John Denver, Bob Hope, Captain & Tennille); "... In Nashville" (1980), W/Larry Gatlin, Minnie Pearl, Loretta Lynn; "... Early, Early, Early Christmas Show" (1981), with Ann-Margret, Bob Hope, Hans Conried; "... 100th Birthday Party" (1982), with Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Jimmy & Gloria Stewart, Dean Martin; "... & Other Sex Symbols" (1982), with Linda Evans, Bernadette Peters, John Schneider, John Forsythe; "... Celebrates 80 Years In Show Business" (1983); with Milton Berle, Don Rickles, Kenny Rogers, Bernadette Peters, Phyllis Diller, Red Buttons; "... How To Live To Be 100" (1984), with Catherine Bach, Diahann Carroll, Bob Hope, Arte Johnson; " ... 90th Birthday Party" (1986), with John Forsythe, Billy Crystal, Walter Matthau, John Denver, Ann-Margret, Carol Channing.

Lincoln Center: A Promise Realized, 1979-2006
(Wiley - Hardcover Book)
Authors Stephen Stamas and Sharon Zane chronicle the major milestones in the artistic, physical, and administrative history of Lincoln Center's last two-and-a-half decades. Over sixty black-and-white photographs.

Music of Leroy Anderson: Once Upon a Sleigh Ride
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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PBS documentary, narrated by Dick Cavett. Over two hours of bonus footage, including performances of Anderson's famous melodies by the Boston Pops and others.

No Applause - Just Throw Money : The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2005 issue by Trav S. D. "A seriously funny look at the roots of American Entertainment." Author chronicles vaudeville's far-reaching impact, exploring the many ways in which vaudeville's story is the story of show business in America and documenting the rich history and cultural legacy of our country's only purely indigenous theatrical form.

One Voice
(UMTV - new on CD)
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New Michael Ball solo album, released in the UK. Import. "One Voice," "Hero," "The Living Years," "Where Do I Begin," "Since You've Been Gone," "I Don't Wanna Talk About It," "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," "If You're Not The One," "Lyin' Eyes," "Everybody Hurts," "Home." Available at non-import price at Amazon UK.

Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends : My Life
(Ecco - Hardcover Book)
By John Leguizamo.

Tomfoolery
(JAY Records - new on CDR/digital at iTunes)
1980 OLC recording. CD-R (Footlight exclusive) includes front and back covers (no booklet), track and performer lists, and were copied directly from the original master and not from the compressed version available on Itunes.

October 24, 2006

Astaire & Rogers Collection Volume 2
(Warner - new on 7 DVDs)
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With Volume 1, completes the collection of remastered editions of the legendary dance couple's 10 films. The Barkleys of Broadway (1949), Carefree (1938), Shall We Dance? (1937), The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939), and Swing Time (1936).

Astaire & Rogers Partial Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Warner - on 6 DVDs)
Five-film remastered set. Amazon.com Exclusive, which is the same set as Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition but minus the discs of the five films released in 2005.

Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Warner - on 11 DVDs)
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Remastered editions of all 10 of the dance duo's films along with the documentary "Astaire and Rogers: Partners in Rhythm"; with candid photos, behind-the-scene tidbits and sidelights about collaborators Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George Gershwin, among others. This edition includes an exclusive bonus audio CD with 10 soundtrack songs from the team's movies, set of collectible behind-the-scenes photo cards, reproductions of the Shall We Dance and Roberta press books and a mail-in offer for four Astaire and Rogers movie posters. [For consumers who already own Volume One, a *special* Ultimate Collector's Edition will be available which will contain empty sleeves for the five remastered and restored films released last year].

Avenue Q
(Hyperion Books - Hardcover Book)
Companion book for Broadway/touring show. In addition to the Complete libretto and songs plus exclusive interviews with cast and creatures, plus puzzles, connect-the-dots, and other "educational" activities to prepare readers for life after college. Photographs and original illustrations.

Carefree
(Warner - on DVD)
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Remastered 1938 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film. With Ralph Bellamy, Jack Carson, Kay Sutton. Extras: "Starlit Days at the Lido" (1935) short, "The Calico Dragon" (1935) short; radio spots; theatrical trailer.

Century Girl: 100 Years in the Life of Doris Eaton Travis, Last Living Star of the Ziegfeld Follies
(Regan Books - Hardcover Book)
By Lauren Redniss. Account of life/career of Doris Eaton Travis, Ziegfeld Follies girl at age 14, who has performed for presidents and princesses, entertained Gershwin, Lindbergh, and Astaire, starred in silent and talking pictures, bantered with Babe Ruth, offended Henry Ford, outlived six siblings, written a newspaper column, hosted a television show, earned a Phi Beta Kappa degree in history, raised turkeys, and raced horses. Told through drawings, narrative, and photo collage.

Dracula
(new on CD)
2006 London concept album for Christopher J. Orton/Gareth Evans musical score. Michael McCarthy (Dracula), Stephanie Benavente (Mina), Robert Fardell, Kit Orton, Alison Guill, John Barr, Christian Jon Billett, Alex Sangster and Steven Sparling. Available at Footlight.com.

Dramatists Sourcebook 24th Edition
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Completely revised, with more than nine hundred opportunities for playwrights, translators, composers, lyricists, and librettists, as well as opportunities for screen, radio, and television writers. Thoroughly indexed, and with an invaluable calendar of deadlines, script-submission procedures for more than 350 theaters seeking new plays, guidelines for more than 150 prizes, and sections on agents, fellowships, and residencies.

Essential Musicals - Elaine Paige
(Universal/UK - new on CD)
Includes "Where Is Love?," "Edelweiss," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "You Must Love Me," "Bring Him Home," "Something's Coming," "If I Loved You," "All I Ask Of You," "Someone Else's Story," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair," "Aquarius," "Surrender," "Broadway Baby." Available at Dress Circle and soon at Amazon UK.

Evita 2006 London Cast Recording
(Polydor - new on CD)
US release of London revival cast recording with identical packaging. Elena Roger, Philip Quast and Matt Rawle.

Flying Down To Rio
(Warner - on DVD)
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First of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films, remastered, 1933. Extras: bonus shorts "Beer and Pretzels" (1933) short, "I Like Mountain Music" (1933) short; theatrical trailer.

The Gay Divorcee
(Warner - on DVD)
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Remastered 1934 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film. With Alice Brady, Betty Grable, Edward Everett Horton. Extras: "Show Kids" (1934) short, "Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove" (1934) short, "Shake Your Powder Puff" (1934) short; radio spots; theatrical trailer.

Journey Back to Oz
(BCI/Brentwood - new on DVD)
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Animated Filmation film (released in 1974, vocals recorded in 1962) with songs by James Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn. Voices of Liza Minnelli (as Dorothy), Ethel Merman, Milton Berle, Mickey Rooney, Margaret Hamilton (as Aunt Em), Rise Stevens, Herschel Bernardi, Paul Ford, Paul Lynde, Danny Thomas, and Larry Storch.

Lessons in Becoming Myself
(Riverhead Hardcover - Hardcover Book)
Ellen Burstyn memoir.

Nightmare Before Christmas: Special Edition
(Disney - new on 2 CDs)
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Disc One: original soundtrack. Disc Two: "This Is Halloween" - Marilyn Manson, "Sally's Song" - Fiona Apple, "What's This?" - Fall Out Boy, "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" - She Wants Revenge, "This Is Halloween" - Panic! At the Disco, "Making Christmas" (Demo) - Danny Elfman, "Oogie Boogie's Song" (Demo) - Danny Elfman, "This Is Halloween" (Demo) - Danny Elfman, "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" (Demo) - Danny Elfman."

Nunsense A-Men!
(Nunsense Inc - new on CD)
Dan Goggin musical. John Hensley, Shawn Kilgore, Dan Foss, Rodd Bayston and Reggie Whitehead. Available at CDBaby.com.

Roberta
(Warner - new on DVD)
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Remastered 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film. With Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott. Extras: "Starlit Days at the Lido" (1935) short, "The Calico Dragon" (1935) short; radio spots; theatrical trailer.

South Side Stories
(new on CD)
Capathia Jenkins (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me) and Louis Rosen (the two presented Twelve Songs On Poems By Maya Angelou in 2005). Based on their show about Rosen growing up in Chicago. Presented at Steppenwolf in December 2005. Available at CDBaby.com.

Stingiest Man In Town
(Jasmine - new import CD)
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1956 television musical based on Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Vic Damone, The Four Lads, Johnny Desmond, Basil Rathbone, Patrice Munsel and Betty Madigan. Bonus tracks.

The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
(Warner - on DVD)
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Remastered 1939 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film. With Walter Brennan, Leonid Kinskey, Edna May Oliver.

Trixie True Teen Detective
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
2006 Pennsylvania Cast Recording featuring Wendi L. Stolzfus, Ben Fried, Susan Blair and Neal Newman. Score by Kelly Hamilton. Also available at Footlight.com.

Virgins - A Musical Threesome
(Middle Eight - new on CD)
Australian cast recording of Dean Bryant and Mathew Frank musical. Amanda Levy, Esther Hannaford, Rosemarie Harris, Verity Hunt-Ballard and Kellie Rode. Available at Footlight.com.

Without You : A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent
(Simon & Schuster - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2006 Anthony Rapp book. Rapp recounts his life-changing experience in the original cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent, the exhilarating journey with the cast and crew as well as the intimacies of his personal life behind the curtain. Even as friends and family were celebrating the show's success, they were also mourning Jonathan Larson's sudden death from an aortic aneurysm. When Anthony's mom began to lose her battle with cancer, he struggled to balance the demands of life in the theatre with his responsibility to his family. Rapp recounts the show's magnificent success, his overwhelming loss, and also shares his first experiences discovering his sexuality, the tension it created with his mother, and his struggle into adulthood to gain her acceptance.

October 17, 2006

At Home With Kate : Growing Up in Katharine Hepburn's Household
(Wiley - Hardcover Book)
A visit into the everyday life of an American icon, by Eileen Considine-Meara, the daughter of Hepburn's longtime cook and housekeeper. Photographs, letters.

Cool Yule - Bette Midler
(Columbia - new on CD)
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Merry Christmas," "Cool Yule," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (with Johnny Mathis), "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel," "Mele Kalikimaka," "From a Distance" (Christmas Edition), "White Christmas. Target store version has extra track: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

Eartha Kitt: Live at the Cafe Carlyle
(Koch/DRG - new on CD)
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2006 appearance. Songs to include "Sell Me," "An Englishman Needs Time," "Come On-A My House," "Hate/Love New York," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Yuska Dara," "Waray, Waray," "La Vie En Rose," "Darling, Je Vous Aime," "What Is This Thing Called Love," "How Insensitive," "All My Life," "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm," "C'est Ci Bon," "September Song," "It Was a Very Good Year" and "Here's to Life."

Favourite Things - Connie Fisher
(Universal/Polydor - new on CD)
Debut album from the winner of the BBC's How to Solve a Problem Like Maria reality show to cast the lead in London's The Sound of Music revival. Maybe This Time," "A Natural Woman," "Dance the Dance," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "No Matter What," "Shout," "All the Love I Have," "All That Jazz," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," "As Long As He Needs Me," "Entr'acte," "My Favourite Things," "Something Good." UK release, also available through Amazon UK.

Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
(Ten Speed Press - Paperback Book)
By Dean Jensen. Story of conjoined twins (subjects of musical Sideshow) from freak-show notoriety to vaudeville stardom to movie celebrity, then back into poverty. Account of the romantic adventures of the young women who were at the epicenter of one of the most celebrated sex scandals of 1930. Rare black-and-white photographs.

Murder She Wrote - The Complete Fourth Season
(Universal - 5 DVDs)
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Angela Lansbury TV series, with William Windom and Tom Bosley. 22 episodes. 1987-88. Guests stars include Juliet Prowse, Barbara Rush, Dack Rambo, John Glover, Patrick McGoohan, Juliet Mills, Claire Trevor, Eileen Brennan, Jane Powell, Nancy Dussault,Cornel Wilde, Anthony Newley, Kathryn Grayson, Gloria DeHaven, Ruth Gordon, Bradford Dillman, Doug McClure, Gail Strickland, MacDonald Carey, Joan Cauldfield, Betty Garrett, Stuart Whitman, Theodore Bikel, Gary Lockwood, Janet Leigh, Charlotte Rae, Henry Gibson, Anne Meara, Guy Stockwell, Dean Jones, Frank Gorshin, Barry Nelson, Lois Nettleton, Rene Auberjonois, Linda Purl, Cliff DeYoung, Karen Valentine, John Saxon, Eli Wallach, Billy Zane, Brian Bedford, Sonny Bono, Jack Carter, Brenda Vaccaro, Paul LeMat, Kristy McNichol, Larry Wilcox, Cassie Yates, Lloyd Bochner, Rich Little, Dean Stockwell, Eddie Albert, Robert Fuller, Shirley Jones.

Redemption Songs - Daphne Rubin-Vega
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Album featuring original songs. "Mental Tenant," "Bumpy Ride," "Redemption Song," "Angel Now," "En Estos Dias," "Luca Ariel," "Artstrings," "Hold On," "The Rainbow Connection," "Citizens of the World."

Irving Berlin's White Christmas
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Cast recording of new stage musical with Irving Berlin score. Brian d'Arcy James, Anastasia Barzee, Jeffry Denman, Meredith Patterson, Karen Morrow. "Sisters," "White Christmas," "Blue Skies," "Let Yourself Go," "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing," "How Deep Is the Ocean," "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me," "Snow," "I Love a Piano," "Count Your Blessings" and more. Recorded in the UK. Conductor Rob Berman. Orchestrations by Larry Blank.

Mamma Mia!: 5th Anniversary Edition
(Decca Broadway - CD/DVD)
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Special package to coincide with 5th anniversary of Broadway production includes the OLC cast recording with three finale bonus tracks: "Mamma Mia", "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo"; a deluxe booklet with an extensive photo gallery. DVD includes behind the scenes documentary hosted Joe Machota and Tina Maddigan; Broadway and West End opening night footage; interviews with producer Judy Craymer, director Phyllida Lloyd, librettist Catherine Johnson and original ABBA band members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus; ABBA concert clips and performance footage of different productions of Mamma Mia! from around the world (in English, German, Dutch, Korean, Spanish and Flemish); video clips of the West End cast performing "Money, Money, Money" and "Dancing Queen."

Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures
(Chronicle Books - Hardcover Book)
Authorized volume of hundreds of rare and never-before-seen photographs from Newman's career and personal life, and a detailed biography. Editors Pierre-Henri Verlhac and Yann-Brice Dherbier.

Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Singles Collection
(Angel/EMI - on CD)
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Compilation CD. "Phantom of the Opera," "The Music of the Night," "Pie Jesu," "Who Wants to Live Forever," "Tu Quieres Volver," "Just Show Me How to Love You," "Deliver Me," "Nella Fantasia," "Scarborough Fair," "Whiter Shade of Pale," "It's a Beautiful Day," "What You Never Know," "A Question of Honour," "Time to Say Goodbye."

Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Video Collection
(Angel/EMI - new on DVD)
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Pie Jesu," "Phantom of the Opera," "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," "Amigos Para Siempre," "Captain Nemo," "A Question of Honour," "How Can Heaven Love Me," "Time to Say Goodbye," "Just Show Me How to Love You," "Eden," "Who Wants to Live Forever," "Deliver Me," "Anytime, Anywhere," "Nella Fantasia," "Whiter Shade of Pale," "Ave Maria," "Kama Sutra," "Harem," "Free," "Starship Troopers," "ENCORE: Music of The Night (Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Celebration)."

October 10, 2006

A Chorus Line
(Sony BMG - new on CD)
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2006 Broadway revival cast recording. Recorded on August 14 at Skywalker Sound Studio in Marin County, CA. Bonus karaoke tracks of "What I Did For Love" and "One (reprise) / Finale" are available with the album download at iTunes. Previously unrecorded "And" by the new Broadway cast available at Rhapsody [if it is not listed as a single download, Sony says it will be soon].

Composers on Broadway
(Universal Classics/Decca Broadway - on 6 CDs)
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Boxed set of previously released compilation CDs. (Rodgers and Hart and Hammerstein, Bernstein, Berlin, Porter and Gershwin), with a new over-view booklet.

Discovering Magenta
(new on CD)
Studio cast recording of musical with book and lyrics by James Corey Kaufman and music by Michael Bitterman.

Holiday Inn Special Edition
(Universal - on DVD)
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1942 Irving Berlin musical film with Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Walter Abel, Louise Beavers, Virginia Dale, Marjorie Reynolds (dubbed by Martha Mears). Extras: Ava Astaire-MacKenzie interview; "making of..." feature; commentary track.

The Musical as Drama
(Princeton Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By Scott McMillin. Discussing composers and writers such as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Kander and Ebb, Leonard Bernstein, and Jerome Kern, The Musical as Drama describes the continuity of this distinctively American dramatic genre, from the shows of the 1920s and 1930s to the musicals of today.

A Prairie Home Companion
(New Line - new on DVD)
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2006 film directed by Robert Altman. Tommy Lee Jones, Garrison Keillor, Kevin Kline, Virginia Madsen, Maya Rudolph, Meryl Streep, Robin Williams. Bonuses: commentary by Altman and Kevin Kline; deleted scenes with optional commentary; "Come Play With Us: A Feature Companion" featurette; "Onstage at the Fitzgerald: A Music Companion" - extended musical performances and advertisement segments; soundtrack preview; trailer.

Reds: 25th Anniversary Edition
(Paramount - new on DVD)
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1980 film with Stephen Sondheim score. Bonuses expected: additional footage; soundtrack in English and French; director/cast commentary. 195 minutes. Widescreen.

700 Sundays
(Warner Books - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2005 book by Billy Crystal, based on his Broadway play. Crystal's own story of family, heroes, and a life led in celebration of both.

Sculpting Space in the Theater: Conversations with the top set, light and costume designers
(Focal Press - Paperback Book)
By Babak Ebrahimian. Interviews with 12 leading American theater designers, many of whom have produced work internationally—in Canada, Russia, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Italy, France, Belgium, and the UK. The chapters, each devoted to a single designer, are arranged chronologically by dates of professional career. This organization allows readers to follow the development of theater design from the 1950s. Each chapter will include biographical information about the designer, along with sketches and photos of their work. Designers: John Lee Beatty (set design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), John Conklin (set and costume design), Beverly Emmons (lighting design), Susan Hilferty (costume design), Constance Hoffman (costume design), Ming Cho Lee (set design), Adrianne Lobel (set design), Santo Loquasto (set and costume design), Jennifer Tipton (lighting design), George Tsypin (set design), Robert Wilson (set and lighting design). Work chronologies for each designer serve as a key reference source for all aspects of theater design.

Winter Tracks
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Holiday album from Susan Egan. "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "The Turkey and the Stuffing," "'ll Be Home For Christmas," "All Those Christmas Cliches," "Cold Enough to Snow," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Little Colored Lights," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "We Are Lights/Shalom Alaychem," "Silent Night/Greensleeves," "At Christmas," "New Years Baby (First Lullaby)," "Peace On Earth/God Bless Us Everyone."

October 3, 2006

The Actor's Other Career Book: Using Your Chops to Survive And Thrive
(Allworth Press - Paperback Book)
By Lisa Mucahy. Includes profiles of more than fifty jobs for which acting is a valuable skill; ten interviews reveal challenges and successes outside traditional acting; comprehensive list of helpful resources.

Blues for Breakfast - Mary Foster Conklin
(Rhombus - new on CD)
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Subtitled "Remembering Matt Dennis."

Chicago 10th Anniversary CD/DVD Box Set
(Masterworks Broadway - 2 CDs/DVD)
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First CD is the complete Broadway revival cast recording (Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking, James Naughton, Joel Grey, Marcia Lewis and D. Sabella); second CD is performances of Chicago tunes by a mix of U.S. and international stars, including Liza Minnelli, Jerry Orbach, Melanie Griffith, Brooke Shields, Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Ute Lemper as well as demos of two cut songs ("Looping the Loop" and "Ten Percent"); DVD features interviews with Chicago stars and creators, including actors Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reinking, director Walter Bobbie, composer John Kander, musical director Rob Fisher and producers Barry and Fran Weissler plus footage from international productions and The Story of "Ten Percent." Also included is a 68-page booklet with essays by Kander, Bobbie, Reinking, Fisher and Barry Weissler and images from the Chicago advertising campaign.

How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years: A Memoir
(Back Stage Books - Hardcover Book)
Official release of Kaye Ballard's memoir (with Jim Hesselman). Includes anecdotes about hanging out at the Actors Studio with Marlon Brando, playing Greenwich Village cabarets in the 1950s, performing with Lenny Bruce at the Hungry I, doing television in the 1950s and 1960s, stories of Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Rogers and Hammerstein, Paul Lynde, Jimmy Durante, Bert Lahr, and more through the eyes and voice of Kaye Ballard.

I Love You Because
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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2006 Off Broadway cast recording of Ryan Cunningham and music by Joshua Salzman score. Farah Alvin, David A. Austin, Tony Award nominee Stephanie D'Abruzzo and Colin Hanlon, with Jordan Leeds and Courtney Balan. Recorded June 26, 2006. [our review of this recording.]

The Little Mermaid - Special Edition
(Disney - on 2 CDs)
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Soundtrack with second disc including "Kiss the Girl" (performed by Ashley Tisdale, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (Jonas Brothers), "Part of Your World" (Jessica Simpson), "Under the Sea" (Raven-Symone), "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (music video performed by Jonas Brothers), "Kiss The Girl" ('making of' music video performed by Ashley Tisdale).

The Little Mermaid (Two-Disc Special Edition)
(Disney - on 2 DVDs)
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Animated musical film with new extras: additional footage - exclusive animated short, "The Little Match Girl"; never-before-seen deleted scenes; featurette - Treasures Untold: The Making Of Disney's The Little Mermaid; trailer for The Little Mermaid III musical sneak peek; interactive features - "Under The Sea" Adventure: A Virtual Ride Inspired By Disney Imagineering -- Experience The Theme Park Ride That Was Almost Built, DisneyPedia: Life Under The Sea -- Learn About The Real-Life Animals That Inspired The Movie Characters.

Mamma Mia! How Can I Resist You? : The Inside Story of Mamma Mia! and the Songs of ABBA
(WN - Hardcover Book)
By Judy Craymer, Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus. Officially sanctioned book tells the double story of the band and the musical, by those know it best: two of the group's singer/songwriters and producer Judy Craymer. Includes illustrations from the group's own archives, first-person recollections from ABBA members intertwined with commentary from the Mamma Mia! team reveal what actually happened.

Mary Poppins, She Wrote : The Life of P. L. Travers
(Simon & Schuster - Hardcover Book)
Valerie Lawson's biography, provides the first and only glimpse into the mind of a writer who fervently believed that "Everyday life is the miracle." Australian Pamela Lyndon Travers in 1924 came to London from Sydney as a journalist. She became involved with theosophy and traveled in the literary circles of W. B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot. Most famously, she clashed with "the great convincer" Walt Disney over the adaptation of the Mary Poppins books into film.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Extraordinarily Deluxe Edition DVD
(Sony - on DVD - 2 discs)
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Digitally remastered. New extras include "A Taste of Spamalot"; all-new "Spamalot Medley" featuring "Python" animations; Da Vinci Code spoof trailer; third disc with the complete original soundtrack CD.

Scenic Design and Lighting Techniques: A Basic Guide for Theatre
(Focal Press - Paperback Book)
Written by two seasoned professionals with over twenty years of experience, Rob Napoli and Chuck Gloman. Designed to show how to turn a bare stage into a basic set design. From materials and construction to basic props and lighting, this book explains all you will need to know to build your set and light it. Images of real productions and learn from the instructional images; designers' concepts and drawings from actual professional and university productions.

Simply Sondheim - A 75th Birthday Salute
(Kritzerland - new on 2 CDs)
Live recording from the December 2005 San Francisco tribute concert in honor of Stephen Sondheim's 75th birthday. To include the world premiere recording of "Farewell," written for the 1971 revival of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Cast includes James Brewer, Amy Dondy, Kelly Ground, Hannah Rose Kornfeld, Kim Larsen, Tom Orr, Shay Oglesby-Smith, Steve Rhyne, Stephanie Rhoads, Lisa Vroman, "Guy Haines" and Judy Butterfield. Also available at Kritzerland.com, Footlight.com and CDBaby.com.

Theodore Bikel In My Own Lifetime: 12 Musical Theater Classics
(Jewish Music Group - New on CD)
Theodore Bikel's first new studio album in years featuring all brand new recordings of theatre classics. Produced by Craig Taubman. At CDBaby.com.

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Divas
(Universal - new on CD)
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Compilation CD featuring Elaine Paige, Katherine Jenkins, Denise Van Outen, Shirley Bassey, Sarah Brightman, Glenn Close, Minnie Driver, Diahann Carroll, Yvonne Elliman, Tina Arena, Julie Covington, Petula Clark, Bonnie Tyler, Marti Webb, Barbara Dickson, Kiri Te Kanawa. U.S. release date.

Build a Bridge - Audra McDonald
(Nonesuch - new on CD)
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New solo album. Songs include "God Give Me Strength" (by Burt Bacharach/Elvis Costello), "My Stupid Mouth" (John Mayer), "Build a Bridge" (Adam Guettel), "Cradle and All" (Jessica Molasky/Ricky Ian Gordon), "I Wanna Get Married" (Nellie McKay), "Dividing Day" (Adam Guettel, The Light in the Piazza), "My Heart" (Neil Young), "Damned Ladies" (Rufus Wainwright), "Wonderful You" (Jane Kelly Williams), "To a Child" (Laura Nyro), "Bein' Green" (Joe Raposo), "Tom Cat Goodbye" (Laura Nyro), "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (Randy Newman). Doug Petty arrangements.

Dinah Sings, Previn Plays
(Blue Note - on CD)
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Reissue of Dinah Shore, Andrew Previn recording with bonus tracks "Like Someone in Love," "Stars Fell on Alabama," "While We're Young," and a duet version of "The Man I Love."

Duets: An American Classic
(Sony - new on CD)
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Tony Bennett duets with Bono, Elton John, Paul Mc Cartney, John Legend, Sting, Billy Joel, Michael Buble, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and others. A Target exclusive version is expected with additional tracks and a DVD.

Famous Fantasy Character Monologs: Starring the Not-so-wicked Witch And More
(Meriwether Publishing - Paperback Book)
By Rebecca Young. One hundred fantasy monologs reveal what characters like Cinderella and Captain Hook might really say if given the chance. Wide selection of monologs for classroom use, contests or as part of a variety show. Sample monologs: Shopping-Compulsive Cinderella, Desperate Housewife: Mrs. Clause, The Forgetful Fairy Godmother, Waterlogged Little Mermaid, Arachrophobic Spiderman, Humpty Dumpty: Assassinated, The Not-So Prince Charming, Hunchback of a Picky Dame.

The Intimate Miss Christy
(Blue Note - on CD)
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Reissue with bonus tracks "Sometimes I'm Happy" and "Tommy, Tommy," a single with Jonah Jones.

The Lady In Question Is Charles Busch
(New Video - new on DVD)
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Documentary tribute to Charles Busch. Includes performance clips, interviews, and Busch's original short film. Extras: featurettes: "1980s East Village Scene" and "Taboo Broadway Opening"; photo galleries: Fabulous Fashions & Set Design, East Village Stage & Streets; Theatre-in-Limbo clips; short film "Her Royal Escape to Love" (2005); In the Life Backstory; filmmaker biographies; Charles Busch biography & filmography.

Maurice Chevalier: A Song in My Heart
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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Documentary tribute with song and performance clips.

Stage Combat: Fisticuffs, Stunts, and Swordplay for Theater and Film
(Allworth Press - Paperback Book)
By Jenn Zuko Boughn. Basics and more advanced techniques for the beginner and beyond; emphasis on personal safety; step-by-step directions and 200 illustrations for combat with and without weapons. Everything performers, directors, theater teachers, fight choreographers, and others need to know to stage believable, safe action for theater and other performing arts. Basic falls, rolls, and tumbling to punches, kicks, hair pulls, and head slams, to advanced handling of weapons. Basic drills for the quarterstaff, European rapier, and Japanese katana-style swordplay, and much more. Complete with illustrations and step-by-step directions.

Will Power : How to Act Shakespeare in 21 Days
(Applause - Paperback Book)
By John Basil, Stephanie Gunning. Quotes professional actors and aspirants through a 21-day rehearsal process leading up to the day of an actual audition or performance. Clear stepping stones have been laid out by Shakespeare himself. Practical guide to develop the 7 Cs of acting: commitment, concentration, conditioning, control, confidence, courage, and clarity while also demystifying how to perform these these magnificently crafted plays.

September 19, 2006

The American Musical and the Performance of Personal Identity
(Princeton Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Raymon Knapp. Second in two-volume series (with the earlier The American Musical and the Formation of National Identity). Addresses a variety of specific themes in musicals that serve this general function: fairy tale and fantasy, idealism and inspiration, gender and sexuality, and relationships, among others. Considers three overlapping genres that are central, in quite different ways, to the projection of personal identity: operetta, movie musicals, and operatic musicals. Includes discussion of Camelot, Candide, Chicago, Company, Evita, Gypsy, Into the Woods, Kiss Me, Kate, A Little Night Music, Man of La Mancha, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Merry Widow, Moulin Rouge, My Fair Lady, Passion, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Singin' in the Rain, Stormy Weather, Sweeney Todd and others.

Eurobeat - Almost Eurovision
(new on CD)
Original 2006 Australian cast of musical with music, lyrics and book by Craig Christie and Andrew Patterson. Available at Footlight.com.

Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition)
(Paramount - on DVD)
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1978 musical film with John Travolta, Olivia Newton John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Didi Conn, Dinah Manoff, Eve Arden, Frankie Avalon.. Extras: Rydell Sing-Along; 11 deleted, extended, alternate scenes with introduction by director Randal Kleiser; Grease memories from John & Olivia; collection of memorable moments from the 25th anniversary DVD launch party; moves behind the music; Thunder roadsters.

Scene Painting Projects for Theatre
(Focal Press - Spiral-bound Book)
By Stephen G. Sherwin. Step-by-step instructions on individual scene painting projects. Each project is commonly used in theatrical productions and each project builds upon the skills learned in the previous lesson. From wood and marble, to foliage and drapery, etc.

September 12, 2006

Bertice
(Jay Records - iTunes digital download)
Never released on CD. Bertice Reading solo album.

Complete Kathy & Mo Show - Parallel & The Dark Side
(Image - new on 2 DVDs)
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Kathy Najimi and Mo Gaffney. Features both award-winning specials, The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives and The Kathy & Mo Show: The Dark Side. Also, 20 years worth of never-before-seen film clips culled from Kathy's & Mo's private collections, newly filmed footage and audio commentaries including "Old Town Theatre 1983," "Don't Tell Mama Cabaret 1985," "Westside Arts Theatre 1989," "Henry Fonda Theatre 1994," "LAGLC 2005." 230 minutes.

The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats
(Shout Factory - new on 4 DVDs)
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12 interviews from television show include Katharine Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Bette Davis, Groucho Marx, Debbie Reynolds, Kirk Douglas, Alfred Hitchcock, Marlon Brando, Mel Brooks, Frank Capra, Robert Altman, Peter Bogdanovich, Robert Mitchum, John Huston and Orson Welles. Also: new Cavett interview conducted by Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, outtakes featuring Katharine Hepburn, new episode introductions by Dick Cavett, original promos for The Dick Cavett Show.

Don't Look Down
(on CD)
2005 original review by University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music grad Adam Wagner. Available at CDBaby.com.

The Favourite Songs of Ethel Waters
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Songs from Cabin in the Sky stage musical and film, and selections from other recordings sessions.

Forever Mame: The Life of Rosalind Russell
(Univ. Press of Mississippi - Hardcover)
First full-length biography. Bernard F. Dick draws on personal interviews and information from the archives of Russell and her producer-husband Frederick Brisson. From her childhood in Waterbury, Connecticut, to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, work on Broadway and in Hollywood, to her battle against rheumatoid arthritis and cancer (including her campaign for arthritis research). Over 25 photographs. Part of Hollywood Legends Series

Here's Dorothy Shay
(Sepia - new on CD)
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1940s "The Park Avenue Hillbilly" known for her recording of "Feudin' And Fightin'". Selections include a number of showtunes.

I Am Still
(LML Music - new on CD)
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New solo album from D.C. Anderson. On 15 new Anderson originals. D.C. collaborates with The Foremen's Roy Zimmerman, Broadway's Steven Landau, Chicago favorite Elizabeth Doyle, Ritt Henn (of television's A Man, a Bass and A Box of Stuff), Geoff Packard and David Robison.

Jerome Kern (Yale Broadway Masters Series)
(Yale Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Stephen Banfield. Critical overview of Kern's musical accomplishments throughout his career; Broadway, to Hollywood, and to London's West End, drawing on unpublished manuscripts and scores; Kern's life, personality, working methods and the development of his work from the early musical comedies through the collaborations with Hammerstein and P. G. Wodehouse up to the later film scores. Focus on the musical and lyrical structures of Kern's compositions.

Jordan Bluth
(new on CD)
Solo album with songs from Les Miserables, The Secret Garden, West Side Story and more. Available at CDBaby.com.

Judy Garland : The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend
(Taylor Trade - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of Scott Schecter's 2002 illustrated account of Garland's life. Performance dates, concert set lists, and recording session schedules; the evolving critical reception to her work; the celebrities that came into contact with and adored Judy, from the Beatles to Elvis to Sinatra; filming itineraries and guest appearances; excerpts from rare interviews and press conferences; and much more.

Laurence Olivier Presents
(Acorn Media - on 3 DVDs)
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TV adaptations of plays from the '70s-'80s, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1976; directed by Robert Moore, with Olivier, Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood, Maureen Stapleton); The Collection (1976; Michael Apted, w/Olivier, Alan Bates, Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell); Hindle Wakes (1976; June Howson and Olivier, w/Donald Pleasance, Rosemary Leach, Jack Hedley, Pat Heywood, Roy Dotrice); Come Back. Little Sheba (1977; Silvio Narizzano, w/Olivier, Joanne Woodward, Carrie Fisher, Nicholas Campbell); Saturday Sunday Monday (1978; Alan Bridges, w/Olivier, Joan Plowright, Edward Woodward, Frank Finlay); and The Ebony Tower (1987; Robert Knights, w/Olivier, Roger Rees, Greta Scacchi, Toyah Willcox, Georgina Melville). Includes play information, Laurence Olivier biography, cast filmographies.

Liza Minnelli: Live From Radio City Music Hall
(Sony - new on DVD)
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1993 record-breaking appearance. Songs include "Quiet Love," "Some People," "Live Alone and Like It," "Imagine," "Men's Medley," "Theme From 'New York, New York' ," "Teach Me Tonight," "Sorry I Asked" (Kander & Ebb song, which won an Emmy) and more. 94 minutes.

London Town
(Sepia Records - new on CD)
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1946 musical soundtrack of UK film (US title My Heart Goes Crazy) with Sid Field, 14-year-old Petula Clark, Greta Gynt, Tessie O'Shea, and newcomer Kay Kendall (dubbed by Beryl Davis). Score by Burke and Van Heusen. First British soundtrack album was originally released on five 78rpm gramophone records. Bonus tracks include Greta Gynt performing "Lady Spiv" (written by Vivian Ellis) which she sang in the 1948 British film Easy Money, Petula Clark performing her first ever commercial recordings on the Columbia label in 1949 ("Put Your Shoes On, Lucy," "House In The Sky," "Clancy Lowered The Boom," "I'll Always Love You") and Tessie O'Shea's commercial recording of "The 'Ampstead Way."

The Lyric
(O Plus - new on CD)
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Jazz saxophonist Jim Tomlinson with wife, vocalist Stacey Kent. US release date.

One Voice
(Rhino - new on DVD)
Pre-order at CD Universe
Barbra Streisand's 1986 benefit concert, taped at her Malibu Ranch.

Porgy and Bess
(Decca/Universal - new on 2 CDs)
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World premiere recording of Gershwin-revised version. Features Alvy Powell and Marquita Lister. Recorded in Nashville with the Nashville Symphony and Chorus following the first performances of Gershwin's revised version for more than half a century. Conductor: John Mauceri.

Singing the Blues with Connee Boswell
(Sepia Records - new on CD)
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Singer named by Ella Fitzgerald as her biggest musical influence. Many of the selections on CD for the first time.

Tulsa Is Just A Slut Spelled Backwards
(new on CD)
New collection of songs by Michael Garin (Song of Singapore). Available at CDBaby.com

What I Want for Christmas
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Russ Lorenson holiday album. My Favorite Time of Year," "I Guess There Ain't No Santa Claus," "Christmas Waltz," "If I Hear Another Song About Christmas," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "That's What I Want for Christmas," "Medley: Looks Like a Cold, Cold Winter / Little Jack Frost, Get Lost / I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm / Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," "My Grown-Up Christmas List," "Snow," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," "Christmas in San Francisco."

September 5, 2006

The Alchemy of Theatre - The Divine Science : Essays on Theatre and the Art of Collaboration
(Applause - Hardcover Book)
By Robert Viagas. Lets the top talents in every theatrical field, from producing and writing to publicity and makeup, share their hard-earned wisdom. They speak on how to achieve success in an environment where giant egos are locked up together under mounting financial and emotional pressure, and are expected to deliver greatness. Including directors Harold Prince, Susan Stroman, and George C. Wolfe; playwrights Wendy Wasserstein, and Edward Albee; stars Chita Rivera and Brian Stokes Mitchell; set designer Robin Wagner; songwriter Cy Coleman; costume designer William Ivey Long; producer Rocco Landesman; theatre operator Gerald Schoenfeld, chairman of The Shubert Organization; playwright and librettist Terrence McNally; lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer; Musical Director Paul Gemignani; and more than a dozen more.

Broadway, the Golden Years: Jerome Robbins And the Great Choreographer-directors, 1940 to the Present
(Continuum - Paperback Book)
By Robert Emmet Long. Paperback release of 2001 edition. Series of biographies as well as historical overview, of the great Broadway choreographers, from the World War II era to our own time: Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille, Gower Champion, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune, Graciela Daniele, Susan Stroman, and others. Research includes dozens of interviews with his subjects themselves as well as those who worked with them, first hand report of rehearsals and performances.

Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals
(Alpha - Paperback Book)
By John Kenrick. Picking the right show; licensing, casting, and budgeting; organizing a schedule; costumes, makeup, staging, lighting, and music; tickets, fundraising, programs, cast parties, and more. Extensive resource section, help plans and photos from actual productions.

Creating Life on Stage: A Director's Approach to Working with Actors
(Heineman Publishing - Paperback Book)
Director Marshall W. Mason (Burn This, Passion, Fifth of July, Talley's Folly explores the process that takes a play from script to performance.

Dirty Story and Other Plays
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Plays by John Patrick Shanley.

Living Justice: Love, Freedom and the Making of The Exonerated
(Atria - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's 2005 release. Explains how Blank and Jensen researched the work on their play and concurrently tells the story of how their own relationship blossomed in the process.

Look For Me - Jenny Giering
(Dagny's - new on CD)
Solo album of her own work by Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award winning songwriter (The Mistress Cycle). Available at CDBaby.com

Off Stage : 100 Portraits Celebrating the RADA Centenary
(Dewi Lewis Media - Hardcover Book)
Photographer Cambridge Jones. Foreword by Sir Richard Attenborough. Introduction by Miranda Sawyer. Portraits featured include John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Sheila Hancock, Edward Woodward, Sir Ian Holm, Robert Lindsay, Joan Collins, Tom Courtenay, Warren Mitchell, Imelda Staunton, June Whitfield, Richard Briers, Jane Horricks, Glenda Jackson, Juliet Stevenson, Jonathan Pryce, Kenneth Branagh, Ioan Gruffudd, Susannah York, Timothy Spall, Liza Tarbuck, Michael Kitchen amongst many others.

The Other
(Fox - new on DVD)
Order at CD Universe
1972 film with Robert Mulligan, w/Uta Hagen, Portia Nelson, John Ritter, Diana Muldaur, Victor French. [Amazon is showing 10/17 date, but CDU seems to be shipping.]

Pinter in the Theatre
(Nick Hern Books - Paperback Book)
By Ian Smith. New edition. Focuses on Pinter's theatre work - through six interviews with Pinter, 1960 to 1996, and with eight actors and directors who have worked with him (Katie Mitchell, Sam Mendes, Barry Foster, Susan Engel, Roger Lloyd Pack, Roger Davidson, Douglas Hodge and Harry Burton). Also included is an interview with Peter Hall.

The Q Guide to Broadway
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
Subtitle: Stuff You Didn't Even Know You Wanted to Know ... about the bars, hot spots, and theatres on The Great White Way. By Seth Rudetsky. In this Q Guide, a true Broadway expert takes theater fans on the ultimate insider's tour.

Rebecca Single "The Power of a Woman in Love"
(new on CD)
Ballad sung by Gloria Gaynor, from Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay musical. Full Vereinigte Bühnen Wien cast recording expected in October. Pre-order at SoundofMusicShop.de.

Rocky Horror Picture Show & Shock Treatment Giftset
(20th Century Fox - new on 3 DVDs)
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Rocky Horror Picture Show 25th Anniversary Edition, plus Shock Treatment.

Rodney's Wife
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Play by Richard Nelson. Produced by Playwrights Horizons in 2004. [our review of this production.]

Shock Treatment
(20th Century Fox - new on DVD)
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Richard O'Brien's 1981 follow-up to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Cliff De Young, Jessica Harper, Richard O'Brien, Barry Humphries.

Unreleased Rare & Essential - Yves Montand
(DRG - new on CD)
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Compilation.

Victory Gardens Theater Presents Seven New Plays from the Playwrights Ensemble
(Northwestern Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
Features seven plays by talented authors from the twelve-member Playwrights Ensemble at Victory Gardens (2001 Regional Theatre Tony recipient), Chicago: Pecong by Steve Carter, Flyovers by Jeffrey Sweet, Voice of Good Hope by Dean Corrin, Affluenza by James Sherman, Free Man of Color by Charles Smith, Hanging Fire by Claudia Allen.

August 29, 2006

Barbra Streisand ... and Other Musical Instruments
(WSM/Rhino - on DVD)
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Individual release of 1973 Barbra Streisand special, previously released in boxed set. Guest Ray Charles.

Broadway Musicals of 1963
(Bayview - new on CD)
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Recording of June 14, 2004 Town Hall concert. Julia Murney, Nancy Anderson, Euan Morton, Sara Brians, Stephen Bogardus, Liz Callaway, George Dvorsky. Ross Patterson Little Big Band. Songs from Oliver, 110 in the Shade, She Loves Me, The Girl Who Came to Supper, Tovarich, Hot Spot, The Student Gypsy, Here's Love. Includes four unplugged performances. Available at Footlight and BayviewRecords.com.

Candide
(Sony/BMG - new on 2 CDs)
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Columbia's 1974 Broadway revival cast recording of revised version of Bernstein/Wilbur score. Mark Baker, Maureen Brennan, June Gable, Lewis J. Stadlen. Recording session photos included.

Enter the Playmakers : Directors and Choreographers on the New York Stage
(Scarecrow Press - Paperback Book)
By Thomas Hischak. Companion volume to Enter the Players New York Stage Actors in the 20th Century explores the careers of over three hundred directors and choreographers who have worked in New York City, giving biographical sketches and listing directing and choreography credits through the year 2005.

The Entertainment Sourcebook 2007
(Applause - Paperback Book)
From the ATAC (The Association of Theatrical Artists and Craftspeople). Guide to "finding any item imaginable," lists more than 5000 company entries from across the country. Hundreds of pages of products and services listings organized by category, this edition features a company index, a product index, and appendices that include Web resources, support services, professional organizations, and more. Known in the industry simply as "The Green Book."

A Happening In Central Park
(WSM/Rhino - on DVD)
Order at CD Universe
Individual release of 1967 Barbra Streisand special, previously released in boxed set.

Honky Tonk Parade: New Yorker Profiles of Show People
(Overlook TP - Paperback Book )
Paperback version of John Lahr's 2005 collection of essays.

The King and I
(Sony/BMG - new on CD)
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RCA's 1964 Music Theater of Lincoln Center cast album of Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Risë Stevens and Darren McGavin. Includes previously unissued "Western People Funny." Recording session photos included.

Leading Ladies of the Studio Era Collection Box Set
(Warner - on 5 DVDs)
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Includes For Me And My Gal (Judy Garland), Father Of The Bride (Elizabeth Taylor), Now, Voyager (Bette Davis), Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford), and Dial "M" For Murder (Grace Kelly).

Lost Empires : The Phenomenon of Theatres Past, Present & Future
(Cassell Illustrated - Hardcover Book)
By Nigel Fountain. Fond look back at the music halls and vaudeville houses that were symbols of local and national pride, as well as the diehard survivors that were either converted to other uses or saved by activists. Abundantly illustrated.

My Fair Lady
(Sony/BMG - new on CD)
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Remastered Columbia 1976 Broadway revival cast recording of Lerner & Loewe musical. Ian Richardson, Christine Andreas, George Rose, and Robert Coote. Recording session photos included.

Off Stage : 100 Portraits Celebrating the RADA Centenary
(Dewi Lewis Media - Hardcover Book)
Photographer Cambridge Jones. Foreword by Sir Richard Attenborough. Introduction by Miranda Sawyer. Portraits featured include John Hurt, Alan Rickman, Sheila Hancock, Edward Woodward, Sir Ian Holm, Robert Lindsay, Joan Collins, Tom Courtenay, Warren Mitchell, Imelda Staunton, June Whitfield, Richard Briers, Jane Horricks, Glenda Jackson, Juliet Stevenson, Jonathan Pryce, Kenneth Branagh, Ioan Gruffudd, Susannah York, Timothy Spall, Liza Tarbuck, Michael Kitchen amongst many others.

Shockheaded Peter and Other Songs from the Tiger Lillies
(Kultur Video - new on DVD)
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Tiger Lillies concert from the PS122 theatre in New York features a selection of songs, including some from their theatre production Shockheaded Peter. Narrator:Joe Morton. The Tiger Lillies:: Martyn Jacques, Composer, Voice, Accordion & Piano; Adrian Stout, Double Bass; Adrian Huge, Percussion. Music Composed By Martyn Jacques. 47 minutes.

South Pacific
(Sony/BMG - new on CD)
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Remastered Columbia 1967 Music Theater of Lincoln Center cast album of Rodgers & Hammerstein musical. Florence Henderson and Giorgio Tozzi.

The Sunny Side of the Street
(Razor & Tie - new on CD)Order at CD Universe | download at iTunes
John Lithgow sings songs for children. Getting To Know You," "On The Sunny Side - (with Madeleine Peyroux)," "Pick Yourself Up," "Baby - (with Maude Maggart)," "Be Human," "You Got To Have A Pep," "Everyone Says I Love You," "Inka Dinka Doo - (with Wayne Knight)," "I Always Say Hello To A Flower," "Laughing Policeman, The," "Song Of The Sewer - (with Wayne Knight)," "Manatee," "Lullaby In Ragtime - (with Sherie Rene Scott)

August 22, 2006

American Presidents Attend the Theatre: The Playgoing Experiences of Each Chief Executive
(McFarland - Hardcover Book)
By Thomas A. Bolgar. Surveying 255 years, this volume examines presidential theatre-going as it reflects shifting popular tastes in America. It provides a chronology of theatre attendance throughout the lives of all 43 American presidents, detailing the attendance habits and theatrical tastes of each chief executive as well as the ways in which his choices reflected the mores and tastes of his contemporary American public. An afterword provides a summary of presidential theatre-going preferences. Published May 2006.

The Belle of New York
(TCM - digital download at iTunes)
1952 film soundtrack with Harry Warren/Johnny Mercer score. Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Alice Pearce, Anita Ellis. With unused music, including a different version of the title song. Not new, but newly listed. [It is unknown whether or not a CD/traditional packaging issue is forthcoming.]

Blues in the Night
(Telarc - new on CD/SACD)
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Ann Hampton Callaway solo album. Expected to include classic standards like "The Glory of Love," "Time After Time," "Lover, Come Back to Me"; original tunes such as "Swinging Away the Blues"; and songs she sings in two major upcoming movies: "Isn't It Romantic," "The Nearness of You" (Last Holiday) and "Come Rain or Come Shine" (The Good Shepherd).

Songs from Carmen Cubana
(new on CD)
World premiere recording of Amstetten, Austria cast musical by Martin Gellner, Werner Stranka, Kim Duddy. Starring Lana Gordon, Gino Emnes, Ruben Heerenveen, Walter Reynolds, Kudra Owens, Dennis Le Gree, Steven Seale. A "Latin Pop Opera" based on the novel Carmen by Prosper Merimée and the opera by George Bizet.

Carmen Cubana
(new on Region 2 DVD)
Amstetten, Austria production of musical by Martin Gellner, Werner Stranka, Kim Duddy. Starring Lana Gordon, Gino Emnes, Ruben Heerenveen, Walter Reynolds, Kudra Owens, Dennis Le Gree, Steven Seale. A "Latin Pop Opera" based on the novel Carmen by Prosper Merimée and the opera by George Bizet.

Grey Gardens
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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2006 Off Broadway cast recording. Music by Scott Frankel; Lyrics by Michael Korie. Matt Cavenaugh, Christine Ebersole, Sara Gettelfinger, Sarah Hyland, John McMartin, Michael Potts, Bob Stillman, Audrey Twitchell, Mary Louise Wilson. Recorded April 27.

Ian McKellen : A Biography
(Virgin Books - Paperback Book)
Unofficial Ian McKellen biography, by Mark Barratt. His childhood, education, stage and film career, as well as his views on gay rights and his anti-war stance.

I Could Have Sung All Night: My Story - Marni Nixon
(Billboard Books - Hardcover Book)
Marni Nixon (Cabaret, My Fair Lady, Opal, Taking My Turn, and James Joyce's The Dead) autobiography co-authored by Stephen Cole. Behind-the-scenes celebrity stories from six decades of performing. Foreword by Marilyn Horne. Official release date September 6.

Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection
(GlobalVision/Koch - new on CD)
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Studio recording of Frank Wildorn musical. Rob Evan, Kate Shindle as Lucy and Brandi Burkhardt as Emma. [date may be delayed]

Julie Andrews at Her Very Best
(Universal Classics - on 2 CDs)
Collection of film and Broadway favorites recorded by Julie Andrews. Available at Amazon UK and Dress Circle and at import prices at Amazon and CD Universe. A U.S. release is not planned.

Kismet
(Koch/DRG - new on CD)
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1964 studio cast recording with Gordon MacRae.

Kevin Spirtas - Night and Days
(Kritzerland - new on DVD)
Live recording of singer-actor's 2006 concert at El Portal Theatre.

Momma Don't Hurt Me So Bad A Musical Comedy
(Rainey Day Music & Theater - new on CD)
Music and lyrics by Tod Rainey.

Remaking American Theatre : Charles Mee, Anne Bogart and the SITI Company
(Cambridge Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Scott T. Cummings, Don B. Wilmeth (Series Editor). This study provides both a general introduction to Mee's unorthodox playwriting, Bogart's innovative directing, and the ensemble work of the SITI Company and an in-depth case study of their work together on bobrauschenbergamerica, a piece inspired by the art of Robert Rauschenberg.

Salvation
(Koch/DRG - on CD)
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Reissue of 1969 OBC recording of C.C. Courtney/Peter Link score.

Stage Fright, Animals, and Other Theatrical Problems
(Cambridge University Press - Paperback Book)
By Nicholas Ridout (Lecturer in Performance at the School of English and Drama, Queen Mary, University of London), Tracy C. Davis (Series Editor) Answers questions about stage fright, working with animals and children, and more. Focuses on the theatrical encounter, arguing that the modern theatre has become a place where we entertain ourselves by experimenting with our feelings about work, social relations and about feelings themselves.

State of the Union
(Universal - new on DVD)
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Frank Capra's 1948 film version of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse hit play, with Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Angela Lansbury, Van Johnson, Adolphe Menjou, and Margaret Hamilton.

Stop the Show! : A History of Insane Incidents and Absurd Accidents in the Theater
(Thunder's Mouth Press - Paperback Book)
By Brad Schreiber. Humorous, frightening and bizarre anecdotes about the history of all that went wrong during live theatrical productions in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Stories from top directors, actors, playwrights and technicians from New York, Los Angeles, and points in between, to the United Kingdom, from the 19th century to today.

Three Wishes For Jamie
(Koch/DRG - on CD)
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Reissue of 1952 OBC recording of Ralph Blane score. John Raitt, Anne Jeffreys.

Time Steps: My Musical Comedy Life
(Simon & Schuster - Hardcover Book)
Memoir by Donna McKechnie and Greg Lawrence.

Turned to Blue - Nancy Wilson
(MCG Jazz - new on CD)
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Nancy Wilson with Bob Mintzer, Sean Jones and Llew Matthews, Jimmy Heath, Hubert Laws, James Moody, Billy Taylor.

We Bombed in New London
(BearManor Media - Paperback Book)
Brian Gari tells the story of his plight to get his musical (Late Nite Comic) mounted. From inception to its demise and then the score's resurrection in cabarets and recordings, this book takes you on a journey through the ups and downs of the theatrical world with all its excitement, disappointment, laughter and hope. Photos and interviews.

August 15, 2006

The Belle of New York
(TCM - digital download at iTunes)
1952 film soundtrack with Harry Warren/Johnny Mercer score. Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Alice Pearce, Anita Ellis. With unused music, including a different version of the title song. Not new, but newly listed. [It is unknown whether or not a CD/traditional packaging issue is forthcoming.]

The Boy Friend
(TCM - digital download at iTunes)
Film soundtrack. Sandy Wilson score. Features Twiggy. Not new, but newly listed. [It is unknown whether or not a CD/traditional packaging issue is forthcoming.]

Broadway Musicals of 1949
(Bayview - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
Original cast recording of April 2004 installment of "Broadway by the Year" concert series at Town Hall. Created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel. Karen Ziemba, Martin Vidnovic, Cady Huffman, Noah Racey, Nancy Lemenager, Marla Schaffel, Lennie Watts, Robert Westenberg and Scott Coulter. Songs from Texas, Li'l Darlin', South Pacific, Along Fifth Avenue, Regina, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Miss Liberty, Lost In The Stars, Touch And Go, All For Love. Store date.

Deep in My Heart
(TCM - digital download at iTunes)
1954 film soundtrack. Sigmund Romberg score. Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, Jose Ferrer, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Tony Martin, Ann Miller, Jane Powell. First time in stereo, with outtakes. Not new, but newly listed. [It is unknown whether or not a CD/traditional packaging issue is forthcoming.]

Evita 2006 London Cast Recording
(Polydor - new on CD)
Elena Roger, Philip Quast and Matt Rawle. Will be released in the U.S. on October 26. Order at Amazon.co.uk or Dress Circle.

On the Line - The Story of A Chorus Line
(Limelight Editions - Paperback Book)
New issue of 1990 book by Robert Viagas, Baayork Lee, Thomas Walsh. In this collective oral history, the 19 original cast members tell how they got involved with the project, how they labored through the months of workshops that shaped it, and what its success has meant for their lives and careers. Original cast member updates. New preface by Robert Viagas and new appendix.

The Playbill Broadway Yearbook: June 1, 2005 - May 31, 2006
(Playbill Books - Hardcover Book)
2nd edition by Robert Viagas. Includes chapter for each of the 71 Broadway shows that were running between June 2005 and May 2006, including "alumni" pages for shows held over from previous seasons. Show correspondents record the special moments and relationships that develop during rehearsals and the run. Actor hangouts, most memorable ad-lib, celebrity visitors, and the record number of cell phone rings during a performance are among the information recorded. Reports on such annual milestones as The Tony Awards, Gypsy of the Year, Broadway Bares, and the annual Broadway softball championship in Central Park. Headshots of all the actors who appeared in Playbill and photos of producers, writers, designers, stage managers, stagehands and musicians. Photos of opening night curtain calls from many shows.

We Bombed in New London
(BearManor Media - Paperback Book)
Brian Gari tells the story of his plight to get his musical (Late Nite Comic) mounted. From inception to its demise and then the score's resurrection in cabarets and recordings, this book takes you on a journey through the ups and downs of the theatrical world with all its excitement, disappointment, laughter and hope. Photos and interviews.

August 8, 2006

Bobby Short Live at the Café Carlyle
(Collectables - on CD)
Order at CD Universe
Reissue of 1973 Atlantic album, previously available on CD via Mobile Fidelity and long out of print.

Cabin In The Sky
(Koch/DRG - on CD)
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Reissue of 1964 Capitol Off-Broadway cast album. Helen Ferguson, Bernard Johnson, Sam Laws, Rosetta LeNoire, Kitty Lester, Tony Middleton, Harold Pierson, Morton Winston.

Dorothy Dandridge In Concert
(Koch/Passport Video - on DVD)
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Dorothy Dandridge Singing at Her Best plus bonus biography featurette Dorothy Dandridge: An American Beauty. 60 minutes.

Jayne Mansfield Collection
(Fox - new on 3 DVDs)
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Includes The Girl Can't Help It (1956; directed by Frank Tashlin, with Tom Ewell, Edmund O'Brien, Julie London, and a host of mid-'50s rock'n'roll singers), Will Success Spiil Rock Hunter (1957; based on Broadway play, with Frank Tashlin, w/Tony Randall, Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell; Frank Tashlin, w/Tony Randall, Betsy Drake, Joan Blondell) and The Sherrif of Fractured Jaw (1959; Raoul Walsh, w/Kenneth More, Robert Morley). Extras: commentary by Toby Miller on The Girl Can't Help It; commentary by film historian Dana Polan on Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?; A&E Biography episode "Jayne Mansfield: Blonde Ambition; Fox Movietone News footage "Nation's Capital Scene of Texan Get-Together"; stills and trailers; exclusive collection of postcard-size lobby card reproductions. These films only available as a set.

The "Lord of the Rings": The Official Stage Companion
(Harper Collins - Hardcover Book)
By Gary Russell. Fully illustrated celebration of the The Lord of the Rings stage production. It reveals how the world's most famous book was transformed into a stage show.

On Broadway! Theater Posters from the Library of Congress 2007 Calendar
(Pomegranate - Wall Calendar)
Reproductions of theatrical posters from the archives of the Library of Congress, including Mame and West Side Story to Paint Your Wagon and Purlie. The calendar also includes a concise synopsis of each featured play; a list of Tony winners since the award's inception, in 1949, and notes concerning memorable Broadway people and events.

Rabbit Hole
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Recently Broadway production featured Tyne Daly, John Gallagher Jr., Mary Catherine Garrison, Cynthia Nixon, John Slattery. [our review of this production]

Shinbone Alley
(Image Entertainment - on DVD)
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Re-release of 1971 animated film story of Archy the cockroach and Mehitabel the Cat, with voices of Carol Channing and Eddie Bracken. Written by Mel Brooks and Joe Darion. Bonus featurette: "The Art of Animation." 85 minutes.

Steppin' 'Round The Yellow Brick Road
(new on CD)
Steve Kirwan tribute to Harold Arlen. Produced by Denny Diante.

Suzan Lori-Parks; A Casebook
(Routledge - Hardcover Book)
First critical volume dedicated to the works of award-winning playwright and screenwriter, Parks. Group of sixteen writers supply commentary (dramatic and literary scholars and theorists, as well as historians of African-American culture and popular culture).

August 1, 2006

Esther the Musical
(Reel Melodies - new on CD)
Book, music and lyrics by J. David Crosby. Based on and adapted from the Bible's Old Testament story. The 1999 recording was originally released in 2003; this re-release contains ten newly remastered tracks and new material including the song "You'll Not Remember" from the 1995 demo. The show continues to be in development and is still a work in progress. Studio cast features Randy Brooks (The Promise), Stephanie Holderman (Les Miserables), Kathie Lactis, Bill Brooks, Terrie Carter and Jonathan Brooks.

Hazel - Complete First Season
(Sony - new on 4 DVDs)
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Early 1960s TV series with Tony-winner Shirley Booth, Don DeFore, Whitney Blake. Thirty-five episodes. Black & white; one episode in color.

High Love
(new on CD)
Two tracks now available for download at iTunes
Chester Gregory II solo album. Single also available at CDBaby.com. Album release date unknown.

Into the Woods Karaoke Version
(Stage Stars - new on DVD-Audio disc)
18 songs from the Broadway musical, both in background track/guide vocal form and background tracks alone. A re-recording in the original show key and show tempo. Playable on most DVD/CD players as well as all DVD-Audio players.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Produced at the Public Theatre in 2005 by LAByrinth Theatre Company. [see our review of this production.]

Olivier's Shakespeare
(Criterion - new on 3 DVDs)
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Lawrence Olivier's Henry V, Hamlet and Richard III plus of extra material.

Play It Cool
(new on CD)
"Jazz Noir" musical with music by David Benoit, Dan Siegel and Phillip Swann (among others) and lyrics by Mark Winkler (Naked Boys Singing!, Bark! and Too Old for the Chorus). L.A. cast features Jessica Sheridan, Katie Campbell, Steven Janji, Andrew Pandaleon, Michael Craig Shapiro, Limited edition of 1,000 copies.

On Broadway! Theater Posters from the Library of Congress 2007 Calendar
(Pomegranate - Wall Calendar)
Reproductions of theatrical posters from the archives of the Library of Congress, including Mame and West Side Story to Paint Your Wagon and Purlie. The calendar also includes a concise synopsis of each featured play; a list of Tony winners since the award's inception, in 1949, and notes concerning memorable Broadway people and events.

The Richard Rodgers Reader
(Oxford Univ. Press - Paperback Book)
By Geoffrey Block. Paperback version of 2002 issue. Arranged in four sections: Rodgers and Hart (1929-1943), Rodgers and Hammerstein (1943-1960), Rodgers After Hammerstein (1960-1979), and The Composer Speaks (1939-1971). Biographical and critical overviews; selection of Rodgers's letters to his wife Dorothy in the 1920s; the 1938 Time magazine cover story and New Yorker profiles in 1938 and 1961; essays and reviews; personal accounts by Richard Adler, Agnes de Mille, Joshua Logan, Mary Martin, and Diahann Carroll. Also includes complete selections from more than thirty years of Rodgers's own writings on topics ranging from the creative process, the state of the Broadway theater, and his own bout with cancer, plus candid and previously unpublished Columbia University interviews.

Roaring Boys : Shakespeare's Rat Pack
(Sutton Publishing - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of Judith Cook's book of anecdotes about Marlowe, Shakespeare and others, who behaved with excess and wild abandonment like some media celebrities of today.

Writing: American Theatre Wing (Working in the Theatre Seminars)
(Continuum Int'l Publishing Group - Hardcover Book)
Part of series - inside, behind-the-scenes words of the actors, writers, directors, and producers who make Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theatre, and London's West End - in book form. By Robert Emmet Long. Index and photographs. 176 pages.

July 25, 2006

Acting for Young Actors: : for Money or Just for Fun
(Back Stage Books - Paperback Book)
By Mary Lou Belli and Dinah Lenney. Information on unions, recommended classes, a glossary of terminology, bibliography, recommended plays, online resources. Chapters on auditioning, rehearsal, improvisation and primer on how young actors can break into film, theater, and television.

The Belle of 14th Street
(WSM/Rhino - on DVD)
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Individual release of 1967 Barbra Streisand special, previously released in boxed set. Guests include Jason Robards.

La Boheme
(Kultur - reissue on DVD)
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Cheryl Barker Mimì; David Hobson Rodolfo; Roger Lemke Marcello; Christine Douglas Musetta; Gary Rowley Collin; David Lemke Schaunard. Conductor Julian Smith, Director Baz Luhrmann, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House, February 25, 1993.

A Canterbury Tale
(Criterion - new on DVD)
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Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1944 updating of classic with Eric Portman, Dennis Price and Sheila Sim.

Color Me Barbra
(WSM/Rhino - on DVD)
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Individual release of 1966 Barbra Streisand special, previously released in boxed set.

Leonard Bernstein's New York
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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1997 documentary filmed in the very New York locations celebrated by his songs - Coney Island, Central Park, Times Square. Mandy Patinkin, Dawn Upshaw, Judith Blazer, Audra McDonald, Richard Muenz, Donna Murphy, Eric Stern. Directed by Hart Perry.

Liza Minnelli: The Complete Capitol Collection
(Koch/DRG - new on 2 CDs)
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Three '60s Capitol albums: Liza! Liza!, It Amazes Me and There Is a Time plus 21 single and previously unissued tracks. 55 tracks on 2 CDs.

My Name Is Barbra
(WSM/Rhino - on DVD)
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Individual release of 1965 Barbra Streisand special, previously released in boxed set.

The Pirates of Penzance
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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Featuring Jon English, Simon Gallaher, Toni Lamond, Derek Metzger, Tim Tyler, The Fabulous Singlettes and Helen Donaldson. Recorded live at the Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Australia, November 5, 1994.

Second Chorus
(Image Entertainment - on DVD)
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1940 musical comedy film with Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, and bandleader Artie Shaw, in a new "best available elements" transfer from The Hal Roach Studio.

Shirley Temple Collection - Volume 4
(Fox Home - on 3 DVDs)
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Captain January (1936; directed by David Butler, with Buddy Ebsen, George S. Irving, Guy Kibbee, Jane Darwell); Just Around the Corner (1938; Irving Cummings, w/Bert Lahr, Bill Robinson, Joan Davis, Charles Farrell); and Susannah Of The Mounties (1939; William A. Seiter, w/Randolph Scott, Margaret Lockwood, Victor Jory), each title available individually. Extras: MovieTone Newsreel Footage (2); "Hollywood Spotlight by Jimmie Fidler"; trailers - product trailers - Shirley Temple Theatre (3).

[title of show]
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe | Download at iTunes
2006 Off-Broadway cast recording of Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell show starring the creators plus Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff. Musical arrangements and direction by Larry Pressgrove. [see our interview with Bowen and Bell]

July 18, 2006

Brooklyn the Musical Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Features 13 songs from the Broadway musical now touring the US, including: Christmas Makes Me Cry," "Heart Behind These Hands," "I Never Knew His Name," "Love Fell like Rain," "Love Me Where I Live," "Love Was a Song," "Magic Man," "Once upon a Time," "Raven," "Sometimes," "Streetsinger," "Superlover," "The Truth."

Deceit
(Kritzerland - new on DVD)
New thriller play by Bruce Kimmel. Features "Days Of Our Lives" Matthew Ashford, Tammy Minoff, Bruce Kimmel, and Anthony Cooper. Taped live in performance at the El Portal Theater.  The DVD features a letterboxed presentation of the show, and a commentary track by star Matthew Ashford and writer/director Bruce Kimmel. The first 100 copies preordered at Kritzerland will be signed by Mr. Ashford and Mr. Kimmel.  Available at Kritzerland.com and Footlight.com.

Dear Mr. Sinatra
(Telarc - new on CD)
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John Pizzarelli and Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra present a Sinatra tribute. "Ring a Ding Ding," "You Make Me Feel So Young," "How About You," "If I Had You," "Witchcraft," "I've Got You," "Nice 'n' Easy," "I See Your Face Before Me/In the Wee Small Hours," "Can't We Be Friends," "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," "Last Dance."

Reduced Shakespeare : The Complete Guide for the Attention-Impaired
(Hyperion - Paperback Book)
From the theater troupe whose The Complete Works of William Shakespeare [Abridged] is the longest-running comedy in London's history comes an informative guide to everything you ever wanted to know about the Bard of Avon.

Shakespeare Behind Bars
(Shout Factory/Sony - new on DVD)
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Award-winning documentary film that follows an all-male Shakespearean theater company composed of convicted felons. For one year, while incarcerated at Kentucky's Luther Luckett prison, the cast rehearse and perform a full production of Shakespeare's great last play, The Tempest. Extras: prisoner commentaries; filmmaker commentary; deleted scenes; bonus performance footage; troupe update.

Some Like It Hot - Collector's Edition
(Sony/MGM - on 2 DVDs)
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2 disc set of 1959 film with Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe. New documentaries, commentary track featuring Tony Curtis and excerpts from Jack Lemmon interviews. Widescreen, black and white. Extras: Documentary "Nostalgic Look Back"; "The Making of Some Like it Hot"; "The Legacy of Some Like It Hot"; featurette "Memories From The Sweet Sues"; text/photo galleries: stills/photos "Virtual Hall Of Memories."

Sybil - 30th Anniversary Special Edition
(Warner Home Video - on 2 DVDs)
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1976 telefilm with Sally Field, Joanne Woodward. Includes new "Examining Sybil," featurette with interviews featuring Fields, Woodward, and friends of the real Sybil. Other extras: Paintings of Sybil - gallery of never-before-seen artwork by the real Sybil; Sybil Therapy Session. Full frame.

July 11, 2006

Bernarda Alba
(Ghostlight Records - new on CD)
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Original Off-Broadway cast recording. Produced by Joel Moss and Kurt Deutsch. Yolande Bavan, Judith Blazer, Candy Buckley, Nikki M. James, Sally Murphy, Phylicia Rashad, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Saundra Santiago, Laura Shoop and Nancy Ticotin. Orchestrations by Michael Starobin's; musical director Deborah Abramson. Recorded March 20.

The Best Plays Theater Yearbook 2004-2005
(Limelight - Hardcover Book)
By Jeffrey Eric Jenkins. Annual chronicle of United States theater continues its long tradition of preserving the history of theater in the United States. Essays written by noted theater critics and writers celebrate the season and the ten best plays of 2004-2005. The series also continues to track resident theater by honoring three regional plays cited by the American Theater Critics/Steinberg New Play Award and Citations, and provides historical perspectives. Includes a compendium of facts and figures on the theater season on Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, and in resident theaters throughout the country. Best Plays of 2004-2005: After Ashley by Gina Gionfriddo (Essay by Elizabeth Maupin), Brooklyn Boy by Donald Margulies (Essay by Michael Feingold, Democracy by Michael Frayn (Essay by Chris Jones), Doubt by John Patrick Shanley (Essay by Jeremy McCarter), Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson (Essay by Christopher Rawson), Guantanamo by Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo (Essay by Charles Wright), Hot 'n' Throbbing by Paula Vogel (Essay by David Savran), A Number by Caryl Churchill (Essay by Robert Hurwitt), The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh (Essay by John Istel), Romance by David Mamet (Essay by Robert Vorlicky).

Bing Crosby: Good and Rare
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Never before on CD songs from films (Riding High, Mr. Music, Just For You, Little Boy Lost, The Country Girl), and Broadway covers ( "So In Love," "The Yodel Blues," "The Best Thing For You," "Ohio.") and four French songs. 27 tracks.

Broadway Musicals 2007 Wall Calendar
(Black Dog & Leventhal - Wall Calendar)
by Ken Bloom. Each month features an unforgettable Broadway moment in a full-color, poster-quality photograph. Musicals featured include beloved classics and recent hits: Gypsy, Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, A Chorus Line, Damn Yankees, Rent, and others. Anecdotes, brief profiles, and production information enhance every page, along with significant theatrical birthdays, death dates, and show openings and closings.

The Fabulous Mae West and Other Wonderful Girls
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Mae West, April Stevens, Gloria Wood, Connie Russell, Betty Reilly, Georgia Carr, Trudy Richards, Damita Jo, Ella Mae Morse, Diana Dors. 30 tracks.

Felicia Sanders: The Song From Moulin Rouge/Felicia at the Blue Angel
(Sepia - new on CD)
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First time on CD. "The Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?)" would hold the number-one position for ten weeks and she introduced "Fly Me to the Moon" at the Blue Angel cabaret club. 28 tracks.

The Green Room - the Musical
(new on CD)
Music and Lyrics: Chuck Pelletier. Book by C. Stephen Foster and Rod Damer. Pop rock musical comedy. "It's All About Me" was the winner of the 2005 Songwriter's Guild of America Musical Song of the Year.

The Guthrie Theater: History, Images, And Inside Stories
(Nodin Press - Hardcover Book)
By Peg Guilfoyle. Guthrie (Minneapolis) veteran Peg Guilfoyle has assembled photos from every decade in the Guthrie's history, accompanied by anecdotes from the actors, directors, stage-hands, and designers who worked together to summon that elusive magic, night after night, through many seasons of laughter, music, and high drama.

Jack Smith Sings "Jack, Jack, Jack"
(Sepia - new on CD)
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"Smilin" Jack Smith (original soloist with The Three Ambassadors). Songs from Capitol recordings. 29 tracks.

Leslie Henstock Defying Gravity
(new on CD)
Theatre and pop songs by musical theatre actress (tour understudy The Light in the Piazza, Les Miserables).

Marie Dressler: A Biography, With a Listing of Major Stage Performances, a Filmography And a Discography
(McFarland & Co. - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of Matthew Kennedy's 1998 book.

Merry Andrew
(Koch/DRG - new on CD)
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Capitol soundtrack from 1958 Danny Kaye film. "The Pipes Of Pan," "Chin Up, Stout Fella," "Everything Is Ticketty Boo," "You Can't Always Have What You Want," "The Square Of The Hypotenuse," "Salud (Buona Fortuna)," "Medley: Thunder And Blazes / Billboard March," "Hippotamus Rag," "Circus Waltz," "Lassus Trombone," "Minor March," "Bozo's Song (March)." Original music by Saul Chaplin.

The Pajama Game
(Sepia - new on CD)
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OLC recording with Joy Nichols, Edmund Hockridge, Max Wall, Elizabeth Seal. 10 Joy Nichols bonus tracks. Available early at DressCircle.co.uk.

The View From Here - A Musical
(new on CD)
NYMF '04 Audience-Award-Winning Writer Timothy Huang's musical featuring Shonn Wiley.

July 4, 2006

Femmes Fatale
(Toucan Cover/Universal - re-release on CD)
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Compilation CD of "leading ladies of electronica and the burgeoning presence of women behind the turntables and on the mics," includes Andrea Burns (Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, Saturday Night, Parade) singing "100 Stories," in several mix versions.

Lost Boys
(Koch - new on 2 DVDs)
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Region 1 version of BBC's 1978 three-part biographical miniseries. The life of J.M. Barrie (Peter Pann). Starring Ian Homes. Also included: interview with Andrew writer Birkin and photo gallery.

June 27, 2006

The Capeman
(Universal Group - on iTunes)
Original Broadway cast recording of Paul Simon musical. Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades, Ednita Nazario, Natascia A. Díaz Philip Hernández. "El Coqui," "Handball Game," "Born In Puerto Rico," "In Mayaguez," "Carmen," "Santero," "Chimes," "Christmas In the Mountains," "Satin Summer Nights," "Bernadette," "The Vampires," "Shopliftin' Clothes," "Dance to a Dream," "Quality," "Manhunt," "TV Interview 1959," "Can I Forgive Him?," "Adios Hermanos," "Jesus Es Mi Senor," "Sunday Afternoon," "Time Is an Ocean," "Wahzinak's First Letter," "Killer Wants to Go to College," "Virgil," "Wahzinak's Duet," "TV Interview 1975," "My Only Defense," "Virgil & the Warden," "Trailways Bus," "El Malecon," "ExplicitYou F****d Up My Life," "Lazarus / Last Drop of Blood," "Wahzinak's Last Letter," "Puerto Rican Day Parade," "El Coqui (Reprise)," "Tony Hernandez," "Carlos & Yolanda," "Sal's Last Song," "Esmeralda's Dream."

The Essential Judy Garland
(EMI/Capitol - new on CD)
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Compilation of 20 tracks from Capitol catalog. To include unissued "It Never Was You," recorded for the soundtrack of I Could Go On Singing but unused when it was decided Judy would sing live-on-set during filming, and an alternate take of "Why Was I Born?"

Half A Sixpence
(Must Close Saturday - new on CD)
Decca's OLC recording of David Heneker's British musical of the 1960s. Tommy Steele, Marti Webb (first major leading role). Issued to celebrate the centenary of the birth of David Heneker, the composer of many British musicals including Expresso Bongo, Charlie Girl and Jorrocks.

H.M.S. Pinafore/Trial By Jury
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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"Live" Australian production with Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Colette Mann, Tiffany Speight, John Bolton Wood, Richard Alexander, the Opera Australia Melbourne Chorus, and Orchestra Victoria.

Just So
(First Night Records - new on CD)
U.K.'s Chichester Festival cast recording of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe musical. Cast includes Junix Inocian, Richard Dempsey, Julie Atherton, Ahmet Ahmet, Steve Elias, Nic Colicos, Dean Hussein, Simon Greiff, Alexis Owen Hobbs, Akiya Henry, Andrew Spillett, Danielle Coombe, Helen Goldwyn. Available for at Amazon UK.

The Opera of the Twentieth Century: A Passionate Art in Transition
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
By William Schoell . Beginning with a thorough introduction to the history of operatic forms and transformation, this book presents a comprehensive discussion of twentieth century opera. Includes such globally renowned composers as Strauss, Puccini, Prokofiev and Mascagni, as well as the esoteric works of less famous composers. Spanning as it does from Puccini's Tosca and Charpentier's Louise to Heggie's Dead Man Walking and Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles. Structured chronologically and directed at exploring this complex diversity and ingenuity of twentieth-century styles. Examples from across the globe and firsthand commentary from contemporary operatic professionals complement the discussion. Concluding chapters comment upon the operatic presence in the twenty-first century and the future of operatic forms.

Some Girl(s) : A Play
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Neil LaBute play, currently playing Off Broadway.

The Syringa Tree : A Novel
(Random House - Hardcover Book)
By Pamela Gien, based on her OBIE award winning play.

Tarzan: The Musical
(Disney - new on CD)
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2006 Broadway cast recording. Phil Collins score. Josh Strickland, Jenn Gambatese, Shuler Hensley. Bonus track: Phil Collins sings "Everything That I Am."

June 20, 2006

Blue - Diana Ross
(Motown Records - new on CD)
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Collection of songs recorded for a 1972 unreleased follow-up album to Lady Sings The Blues. Includes previously unissued alternate jazz takes of "Smile," "Little Girl Blue," "Love is Here to Stay," "My Man," T'ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do."

Composers on Broadway - Cole Porter
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation: "Do I Love You?", "You're the Top", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "All Through the Night", "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", "It's De-Lovely", "Blow Gabriel Blow", "So in Love", "Dream Ballet", "By the Mississinewah." Digipak.

Composers on Broadway - George Gershwin
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation: Oh, Kay!: Overture, "Someone to Watch Over Me", "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'", "Swanee", "Lorelei", "How Long Has This Been Going on", "I Got Rhythm", "Summertime", "Embraceable You", "Overture." Digipak.

Composers On Broadway - Irving Berlin
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation: Annie Get Your Gun Overture, "Hostess With the Mostes' on the Ball", "They Say It's Wonderful", "There's No Business Like Show Business", "I Got Lost in His Arms", "Heat Wave", "What the Well Dressed Man in Harlem Will Wear", "It's a Lovely Day Today", "I'm a Bad, Bad Man", "Patriotic Overture", "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning. Digipak.

Composers on Broadway - Leonard Bernstein
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation: Overture, "Little Bit in Love", "Trouble in Tahiti (Prelude)", "Lucky to Be Me", "To Make Us Proud", "Tonight - Balcony Scene", "I Can Cook Too", "Glitter and Be Gay", "America", "Ballet Sequence (With "Somewhere"). Digipak.

Composers on Broadway - Rodgers & Hammerstein
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation. Entr'acte, "Hello, Young Lovers," "I Enjoy Being a Girl," "It Might as Well Be Spring," "I Can't Say No," "Mister Snow," "People Will Say We're in Love," "Getting to Know You," "Don't Marry Me," "Carousel Waltz." Digipak.

Composers on Broadway - Rodgers & Hart
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation. Overture, "Bewitched," "This Can't Be Love," "There's a Small Hotel," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Nobody's Heart," "Sing for Your Supper," "You Took Advantage of Me," "Johnny One Note," "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue," "Jupiter Forbid." Digipak.

Female Brando: The Legend of Kim Stanley
(Back Stage Books - Hardcover Book)
Biography by Jon Krampner, who conducted more than 225 personal interviews for the project. 40 black-and-white photographs. [see our review of this book]

The Fever by Wallace Shawn
(Shout Factory - new on Audio CD)
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Wallace Shawn's Off-Broadway one-man play dealing with the issues of poverty, an unbalanced economy, and the class system.

Lingoland
(JAY Records - new on 2 CDs)
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Original Off Broadway cast recording of revue of librettist, author, lyricist, poet Kenward Elmslie. Complete recording, plus bonus tracks of previously unrecorded material. Music by Claibe Richardson, Ned Rorem, Jack Beeson, Steven Taylor and Doug Katsaros, Joshua Rosenblum, Andrew Gerle, and Stephen Dolginoff. Cast includes Kenward Elmslie, Jane Bodle, Jason Dula, Jeanne Lehman, Steve Routman, Lauren Shealy.

Piaf - Her Story, Her Songs
(Lion's Gate - new on DVD)
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The story of French chanteuse Edith Piaf through interviews with her friends and family, as well as her songs, sung by acclaimed interpreter Raquel Bitton. The 16 songs include "La Vie en Rose," "No Regrets," and "A Hymn to Love."

Rent - Piano Play-Along
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book/CD)
Book includes new engravings, with a separate vocal staff plus guitar frames, so players can sing or strum along. The CD features two tracks for each tune: a full performance for listening, and a separate backing track that lets players take the lead on keyboard. High-quality, sound-alike accompaniments exactly match the printed music. 8 songs, including: I'll Cover You, Light My Candle, One Song Glory, Out Tonight, Rent, Seasons of Love, What You Own, Without You.

The Two Svengalis
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Fred Barton's "two-person musical." Co-starring co-writer Toni DiBuono. "Be the Way You Used to Be," "I'd Love to Love Someone," "I Want a Great Big Beautiful Blonde," "Suffocated Lady," "Party Girl," "Don't Make Me Go Back to My Man," "Is There a Man in the House," "I Guess I'll Have to Go Back to My Men," "You Don't Have to Have Me," "Welcome to the Theatre," "Break My Heart," "I'm the Queen and You're Not," "Be the Way You Used to Be (reprise)," "Meet the Greatest Actress in the World," "There's a String Tied to a Good Time."

The Victor Borge Show Collection
(Koch - new on 3 DVDs)
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14 kinescoped episodes of the legendary comic's 1951 TV series, with added bonus appearances from television's early days.

June 13, 2006

Acting: American Theatre Wing (Working in the Theatre Seminars)
(Continuum - Paperback Book)
By Robert Emmet Long. Foreword by Cherry Jones. Working in the Theatre Seminars series in book form. Inside, behind-the-scenes words of the actors, writers, directors, and producers. Each volume features an original foreword by one of the participants and is like a master class on its subject. Each also has an index and 8 pages of unique or behind-the-scenes photographs. Participants include Edward Albee, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, Billy Crudup, Edie Falco, Harvey Fierstein, John Guare, Anne Heche, Arthur Kopit, Swoosie Kurtz, Tony Kushner, Nathan Lane, Jessica Lange, Frank Langella, Terrence McNally, Arthur Miller, Mike Ockrent, Estelle Parsons, Chita Rivera, Patrick Stewart, Susan Stroman, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein, August Wilson, Lanford Wilson, and many others.

At Play: Teaching Teenagers Theater
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
By Elizabeth Swados (Runaways). Textbook for teachers and directors who are working with young students (ages 9 to 20). Creatively written with biographical anecdotes and extremely helpful exercises.

Betty Grable Collection #1
(Fox - new on 4 DVDs)
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I Wake Up Screaming, The Dolly Sisters, Down Argentine Way, Moon Over Miami, My Blue Heaven.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls - Special Edition
(Fox - new on 2 DVDS)
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1970 Russ Meyer film sequel. Bonus features: audio commentary by Roger Ebert and cast; event footage; behind the scenes - five Screen Tests; documentary: "Sex, Drugs, Music & Murder - Signs of the Time, Baby"; featurettes "Above, Beneath and Beyond the Valley," "Look on Up at the Bottom," "The Best of Beyond: Psychedelic Scrapbook"; trailers; archival promotional piece.

Cast Out : Queer Lives in Theater
(University of Michigan Press - Hardcover Book)
Robin Bernstein, Editor (Assistant Director of the Committee on Degrees in Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University). Memoirs that explore the intertwined connections between theater and queer culture, sexuality, and history. Collection by leading theater performers, practitioners, critics, and passionate spectators. Edward Albee discusses the homophobic critical attacks he endured in the 50s and 60s; Cherry Jones talks about the first time she accepted a Tony Award—and her decision, in that moment, to come out; Peggy Shaw speaks of the drag queen who first inspired her stage career; Craig Lucas issues an impassioned call for theater practitioners and other artists to unite for the sake of art, creativity, and social change. Also Kate Bornstein, Lisa Kron, Tim Miller, and George C. Wolfe, among others.

The Dolly Sisters
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1945 musical film with Betty Grable, June Haver, John Payne.

Down Argentine Way
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1940 musical film with Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda, Charlotte Greenwood. Original music by Mack Gordon, plus songs by Harry Warren, Jaraca, Vicente Paiva.

George M. Cohan Tonight!
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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2006 Off-Broadway cast recording, featuring Jon Peterson.

The Importance of Being Barbra
(Thomas Dunne Books - Hardcover Book)
By theatre manager Tom Santopietro. Includes 21 b&w photos.

Kids Take the Stage: : Helping Young People Discover the Creative Outlet of Theater, 2nd Edition
(Back Stage Books - Paperback Book)
By Lenka Peterson & Dan O'Connor. Paul Newman (Foreword). Revised and updated second edition of guide to getting young people on stage and helping them create their own shows. Approach includes basic lessons in acting, relaxation and trust-building exercises, and improvisations.

Love Held Lightly: Rare Songs by Harold Arlen
(Harbinger Records - on CD)
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Re-issue of Peggy Lee album of rare Harold Arlen songs. With Keith Ingham and His Octet.

Moon Over Miami
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1941 musical film with Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley, Charlotte Greenwood.

Moss Hart: A Prince of the Theater
(Back Stage Books - Hardcover Book)
By Jared Brown. Biography of Moss Hart, written with the consent of Kitty Carlisle Hart. 30 black-and-white illustrations (dozens of photos never-before-published). Features interviews with dozens of Hart's colleagues, including Gregory Peck, Julie Andrews, Robert Goulet, and more. An assessment of Hart's career, and a personal portrait as well, with frank discussions of Hart's rumored bisexuality, battles with anxiety and depression, and his marriage.

My Blue Heaven
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1950 musical film with Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, David Wayne, Jane Wyatt, Mitzi Gaynor. Original music by Harold Arlen, plus Walter Donaldson/George Whiting's "My Blue Heaven."

Rita Gardner: Try to Remember, a Look Back at Off-Broadway
(Harbinger Records - new on CD)
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New studio album, recorded with a alive audience. Ms. Gardner will appear in the upcoming new musical The Wedding Singer.

Valley of the Dolls Special Edition
(Fox - new on 2 DVDs)
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1967 film based on Jacqueline Susann novel, with Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate. Bonus features: audio commentary by Film Critic Alonso Duralde and cast; "What's My Line?" episode; LACMA event; six screen tests; archival "Making of" Documentary - "The Divine Ms. Susann"; featurettes: "Gotta Get off this Merry-Go-Round: Sex, Dolls and Showtunes," "Doll-A-Palooza: Addicts Forum A Go-Go"; archival promotional featurette, Backstory: Valley of the Dolls; music videos and trailers; TV spots; Game - "Translate French Porn Movies"; karaoke - "Pill Pop-Up Karaoke: Follow the Bouncing Doll"; pop-ups - Trivia Track.

June 7, 2006

The Actor's Way: A Journey of Self-discovery in Letters
(Allworth Press - Paperback Book)
By Benjamin Lloyd. Series of fictional letters between a young actor and his grade-school acting teacher, telling of the struggles of an actor, the actor/director relationship, ageism, and the challenges of teaching art.

Barbara Cook at the Metropolitan Opera
(DRG - new on CD)
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(to be) Recorded live at Cook's January 20 Met concert debut, with guests Audra McDonald and Josh Groban.

Brian Stokes Mitchell
(Playbill/Sony - new on CD)
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Brian Stokes Mitchell solo CD. "Something's Coming" (L. Bernstein/S. Sondheim) "The Best Is Yet to Come" (C. Coleman/C. Leigh) "Pretty Women" (S. Sondheim) "Just in Time" (J. Styne/A. Green/B. Comden) "Lazy Afternoon" (J. Moross/J. Latouche) "Another Hundred People"/"Take the 'A' Train" (S. Sondheim)/(B. Strayhorn) "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (G. Gershwin/I. Gershwin) "Life Is Sweet" (M. Tavara/L. Feather) "Losing My Mind" (S. Sondheim) "Being Alive" (S. Sondheim) "How Glory Goes" (A. Guettel) "Grateful" (J. Bucchino). Some arrangements by Mitchell.

The Drowsy Chaperone
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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2006 Broadway cast recording of Lisa Lambert-Greg Morrison score. Danny Burstein, Georgia Engel, Sutton Foster, Edward Hibbert, Troy Britton Johnson, Beth Leavel, Bob Martin. Conductor and vocal arranger is Phil Reno, orchestrations by Larry Blank dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly. Some new will accompany the spoken tracks of Man in Chair (narration tracks will be separated). 22 tracks include bonuses: full version of "Message From a Nightingale" and cut song "I Remember Love," a duet Edward Hibbert Georgia Engel. Vinyl version is also expected for the collector's market, without the narration tracks. [The CD may roll out to retailers/etailers throughout the week].

Dumbo: The Big Top Special Edition
(Disney - new on DVD)
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Bonus material: "Elmer Elephant And The Flying Mouse" short; "Baby Mine" music video performed By Jim Brickman And Kassie DePaiva; games; read-a-long - DVD storybook: "Dumbo's Big Discovery"; sing-along "Look Out For Mr. Stork."

Gem of the Ocean
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Play by August Wilson.

Ghosts : Death's Double and the Phenomena of Theatre
(Univ of Minnesota Press - Paperback Book)
Author Alice Rayner examines theatre as a memorial practice that is haunted by the presence of loss, looking at how aspects of stagecraft turn familiar elements into something uncanny, citing examples from the works of Shakespeare, Beckett, and Suzan-Lori Parks as well as the films Vertigo, Gaslight, and The Sixth Sense. "Theatre is where ghosts best make their appearances and let communities and individuals know that we live amid secrets hiding in plain sight."

Great Day! Rare Recordings From The Judy Garland Show CD
(Savoy Jazz - new on CD)
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Third CD collection featuring songs from the 1963-64 TV series. Notes by Garland historian John Fricke. 27 numbers (most on CD for the first time), including "This Could Be the Start of Something", "I Love You", "Medley: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/The Whole World in His Hands", "Poor Butterfly", "Steppin' Out With My Baby", "When the Sun Comes Out", "Make Someone Happy", "Time After Time", "A Lot of Livin' to Do", "Don't Ever Leave Me", "Lorna", "It's a Good Day", "World War I Medley", "America the Beautiful", "Seventy-Six Trombones", "Suppertime", "I'm On My Way", "Great Day."

In Their Company: Portraits of American Playwrights
(Umbrage Editions - Hardcover Book)
By Victor Wishna, John Malkovitch (Introduction), Ken Collins (Photographer). Collins and Wishna photograph and interview accomplished American playwrights in an attempt to capture that beginning and the journey to the stage. Playwrights included: Edward Albee, Robert Anderson, Jon Robin Baitz, Eric Bentley, Eric Bogosian, Connie Congdon, Kia Corthron, Christopher Durang, Horton Foote, Richard Foreman, Maria Irene Fornes, Jack Gelbe, John Guare, A. R. Gurney, Jeffrey Hatcher, Israel Horovitz, Tina Howe, David Henry Hwang, David Ives, Corinne Jacker, Arthur Kopit, Howard Korder, Tony Kushner, Neil LaBute, Warren Leight, Romulus Linney, Kenneth Lonergan, Craig Lucas, Eduardo Machado, Wendy MacLeod, David Mamet, Emily Mann, Donald Margulies, Tim Mason, Terrance McNally, Marsha Norman, Lynn Nottage, Suzan-Lori Parks, Peter Parnell, David Rabe, Sam Shepard, John Patrick Shanley, Nikky Silver, Neil Simon, Alfred Uhry, Paula Vogel, Wendy Wasserstein, Mac Wellman, August Wilson, Lanford Wildon, George C. Wolfe, and Susan Yankowitz.

Intimate Nights: The Golden Age of New York Cabaret
(Back Stage Books - Paperback Book)
By James Gavin. Fully revised updated and expanded edition. Cultural history plus celebrity anecdotes. Up-to-the-minute look at the current New York cabaret scene. Definitive history of cabaret as it evolved in New York City in the years after World War II. Interviews with dozens of the people who lived it: Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Mabel Mercer, Bette Midler, and many more, plus rare, early stories about the legends who came out of New York nightclubs (Barbra Streisand, Woody Allen, Nichols and May, Johnny Mathis, Carol Burnett, Lenny Bruce, among others).

I Wake Up Screaming
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1941 dramatic film with Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis.

I Could Fall in Love - Bill Solly's Greatest Hits Vol. 4
(Bill Solly Music - new on CD)
Songs by author/composer/lyricist Bill Solly (Boy Meets Boy, The Great American Backstage Musical, The Cat in the Castle). Vocalists include Rachel Allen, Barbara Anselmi, Tovah Feldshuh, Bob Porter, Terry Richmond, Nada Rowland, Carl Anthony Tramon, John Wallowitch, Alex Wipf and Bill Solly.

Jack - The Musical: The Ripper Pursued
(Colorview - new on CD)
Erik Sitbon/Christopher T. George score. Original Actors Scene Unseen cast.

Like It Was
(DRG - new on CD)
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Karen Akers album. I Wish I Were In Love Again", "Just A Memory / They Can't Take That Away From Me", "You've Got Possibilities", "Falling In Love With Love / I Fall In Love Too Easily", "I Get Along Without You Very Well", "Comes Love", "Laziest Gal, The", "Loving You / Why Was I Born?", "Just One Of Those Things", "Like It Was", "Down With Love", "I Get Lost In His Arms", "I Wish You Love (Que Reste-II De Nos Amours?)", "Stormy Weather", "As Long As He Needs Me."

Science on Stage : From "Doctor Faustus" to "Copenhagen"
(Princeton Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Kirsten Shepherd-Barr. Full-length study of the phenomenon of "science plays" - theatrical events that weave scientific content into the plot lines of the drama, from the Renaissance to the present, focusing in particular on the current wave of science playwriting. Drawn from extensive interviews with playwrights and directors. Includes comprehensive annotated list of four centuries of science plays.

South Pacific Carnegie Hall Concert
(WMG/Rhino Entertainment - new on DVD)
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DVD version of Great Performances concert with Brian Reba McEntire, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jason Danieley, Lillias White, and Alec Baldwin. No additional material expected.

Stage Director's Handbook 2003-2004: Opportunities for Directors and Choreographers, 2nd Revised Edition
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
The second edition, completely revised and updated, of the comprehensive guide for theatre directors and choreographers. Information about organizations and opportunities available for theatre artists at any stage of their career. Chapters include training programs, grants and fellowships, service organizations, agents, theatres, working abroad and producing your own work. Publisher SDC Foundation is a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering, promoting and developing the artistry and craft of professional stage directors and choreographers.

Vincent
(Image Entertainment - new on DVD)
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Leonard Nimoy in one-man performance as Vincent van Gogh. Based on more than 500 letters exchanged between van Gogh and his brother Theo, Vincent examines the artist's life and death as seen through his brother's eyes. Nimoy created, produced, directed and performed in the production, taped in 1981 at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and broadcast on A&E. Bonus: feature-length commentary from Nimoy; "images only" play option featuring the paintings and drawings of Vincent van Gogh as featured in the production.

The Wedding Singer
(Masterworks Broadway - new on CD)
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2006 Broadway cast recording of Matthew Sklar/Chad Beguelin score. Stephen Lynch, Richard Blake, Kevin Cahoon, Felicia Finley, Rita Gardner, Matthew Saldivar and Amy Spanger. Song titles include "It's Your Wedding Day," "Right on Time," "Awesome," "A Note From Linda," "Pop," "Somebody Kill Me," "Rosie's Note," "Casualty of Love," "Come Out of the Dumpster," "Today You Are a Man," "George's Prayer," "Not That Kind of Thing," "Saturday Night in the City," "All About the Green," "Right in Front of Your Eyes," "Single," "If I Told You," "Let Me Come Home," "Move That Thang" and "Grow Old With You."

May 30, 2006

America's Songs: The Stories Behind the Songs of Broadway, Hollywood, and Tin Pan Alley
(Routledge - Hardcover Book)
By Philip Furia (biographies of Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, and Ira Gershwin, and Poets of Tin Pan Alley), Michael Lasser (host of NPR's "Fascinatin' Rhythm"). Tells the "stories behind" the most beloved popular songs of the last century and suggests what makes a song great. Also traces the process of collaboration of composer and a lyricist.

Billy Connolly - Live in New York
(Ryko - new on DVD)
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"Uncensored, uncut and unpredictable stand-up" act of Scottish comic-actor of Mrs. Brown and other films/TV, currently off-Broadway at 37 Arts.

The Doris Day Show: Season 3
(MPI Video - new on 4 DVDs)
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Guest stars include Larry Storch, James Sikking, Tony Bennett, Van Johnson, Edward Andrews, Dick Gautier, Billy de Wolfe, Ron Ely, Ricardo Montalban, Henry Fonda, John Gavin. Bonuses: blooper reel #2; cast commercials; cast interviews; previews; trailer; "Young Love" pilot; "Doris Day Special Prom."

The Doris Day Special
(MPI Video - new on DVD)
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On TV as "The Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff Special" in 1971. Guest Perry Como. Includes deleted scenes and never-before-seen outtakes. 120 minutes.

Dream True
(PS Classics Inc. - new on CD)
Ricky Ian Gordon score. Brian d'Arcy James, Jason Danieley, Kelli O'Hara, Jessica Molaskey, Jeff McCarthy and Victoria Clark, plus Harrison Chad, William Ullrich, Michael McElroy, James Moye and Clarke Thorell. Recorded at Avatar Studios in April of 2004. Available at PSClassics.org

It's Only Life: Songs of John Bucchino
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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John Bucchino musical revue (co-conceived and directed by Daisy Prince). Recorded January 27. Featuring Brooks Ashmanskas, Andrea Burns, Gavin Creel, Jessica Molaskey and Billy Porter. Tommy Krasker, producer.

Jerry Herman's Broadway: Live At The Hollywood Bowl
(Image Entertainment - on DVD)
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1994 musical tribute to Jerry Herman directed by Gary Halvorson. Bea Arthur, Carol Channing, Michael Feinstein, Davis Gaines, George Hearn, Florence Lacey, Angela Lansbury, Lorna Luft, Paul & Linda McCartney, Liza Minnelli, Rita Moreno, Karen Morrow, Lee Roy Reams, and Leslie Uggams. Featuring The Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Don Pippin. 133 minutes.

Oh, Calcutta!
(New Line Video - on DVD)
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Re-release of 1972 film, likely with additional material.

Sunday in the Park with George
(PS Classics - new on 2 CDs)
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The 2006 West End production, with Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell, which originated at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Expected to be the most comprehensive recording of the score to date, with 22 tracks, plus bonus material of cut songs, including "The One on the Left."

May 23, 2006

Aspects of Love
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
Remastered 1989 OLC recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Charles Hart score. Michael Ball, Kevin Colson, Kathleen Rowe McAllen, Paul Bentley, Diana Morrison, Sally Smith, Ann Crumb. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Beyond the Fringe
(DRG - on CD)
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Reissue of Capitol's OBC recording. Music and lyrics by Dudley Moore. Featuring Dudley Moore, Peter Cook, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller.

Cats - Broadway
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
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Remastered Broadway recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber score. Betty Buckley, Terrence Mann, Walter Charles, Ken Page. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Cats - OLC
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
Remastered OLC highlights recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber score. Sarah Brightman, Elaine Paige, Jeff Shankley, Trevor Nunn, Bonnie Langford, Myra Sands, Paul Nicholas. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

The Essential Hollywood
(Sony Classical - on 2 CDs)
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Compilation of Columbia and RCA Victor movie music.

High School Musical
(Disney - new on DVD)
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Popular Disney channel musical movie. Bonus features include alternate versions, original and sing-along; featurette - "Learning The Moves"; making of music videos.

Jesus Christ Superstar
(Polydor - on CD)
Remastered 1996 studio cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice score. Joanna Ampil, David Burt, Steve Balsamo, Zubin Varla. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(Decca - on CD)
Remastered London Paladium cast recording. Jason Donovan. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Jule Styne in Hollywood
(PS Classics Inc. - new on CD)
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Celebrating both standards and forgotten gems from Styne's illustrious film catalog, including his 10 Academy Award-nominated songs. Produced with the support and cooperation of Styne's widow, Margaret Styne. Performers to include Audra McDonald, Leslie Uggams, Brent Barrett, Norm Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Kelli O'Hara, Marin Mazzie & Jason Danieley, Sutton Foster, and Debbie Gravitte, with Aaron Gandy conducting the orchestra.

More Than Words Can Say
(150 Music - new on CD)
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Stevie Holland jazz standards and originals. Arranged and orchestrated by Gary William. Backed by a string orchestra and jazz musicians including pianists Martin Bejerano and Kris Davis.

Song and Dance
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
Remastered OLC recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black score. Marti Webb. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Starlight Express
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
Remastered OLC recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Richard Stilgoe score. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Sunset Boulevard LA Cast
(Polydor - on 2 CDs)
Remastered 1994 L.A. cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Don Black/Christopher Hampton score. Glenn Close, George Hearn, Judy Kuhn, Alan Campbell. Since the older versions have not been deleted from the catalog, be sure you are buying the new remaster: it will have a 2006 copyright date, and maybe a sticker. Online orders should show May 23 2006 release date.

Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Stephen Dolginoff.

Arms & The Man
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1989 BBC production of George Bernard Shaw play with Helena Bonham-Carter, Patsy Kensit. Bonus play: Simon Callow stars in Shaw's The Man of Destiny.

The Broadway Musicals of 1949
(Bayview Records - new on CD)
Original cast recording of April 2004 installment of "Broadway by the Year" concert series at Town Hall. Created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel. Karen Ziemba, Martin Vidnovic, Cady Huffman, Noah Racey, Nancy Lemenager, Marla Schaffel, Lennie Watts, Robert Westenberg and Scott Coulter. Songs from Texas, Lil' Darlin', South Pacific, Along Fifth Avenue, Regina, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Miss Liberty, Lost In The Stars, Touch And Go, All For Love. Available at Footlight.com and BayviewRecords.com. Store date will be later.

Devil's Disciple
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1987 BBC production of George Bernard Shaw play with Patrick Newell, Ian Richardson, Elizabeth Spriggs, Patrick Stewart. Bonus featurette: "The Wit and World of George Bernard Shaw: This 104-minute piece explores Shaw's life story, as told by Christopher Plummer."

Falling In Love Is Wonderful: Broadway's Greatest Love Duets
(Sony - on CD)
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Compilation, Performers include Franz Allers, Ethel Merman, Edward Strauss, Christine Andreas, Jay Blackton, Laurence Guittard, Richard Banke, Lee Venora, Franz Allers, Barbara Cook, Stephen Douglass, Eileen Christy, John Raitt, Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence, Daniel Ferro, Jeanette Scovotti, Eileen Brennan, Charles Nelson Reilly, John Lesko, Mary Martin, Robert Preston, Milton Greene, Maria Karnilova, Zero Mostel, Carolee Carmello, Brent Carver, Malcolm Gets, Norm Lewis, and Milton Rosenstock. Includes "We Kiss in a Shadow," from the Music Theatre of Lincoln Center The King and I recording not on CD.

The Good, the Bad, and Me : In My Anecdotage
(Harvest Books - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of May 2005 memoir by Eli Wallach.

Hearing Difference : The Third Ear in Experimental, Deaf, and Multicultural Theater
(Gallaudet Press - Hardcover Book)
By Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren. This study investigates the connections between hearing and deafness in experimental, Deaf, and multicultural theater. Author Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren focuses on how to articulate a Deaf aesthetic and how to grasp the meaning of moments of "deafness" in theater works that do not simply reinscribe a hearing bias back into one's analysis employing a model using a device for cross-sensory listening across domains of sound, silence, and the moving body in performance that she calls the "third ear." She then charts a genealogy of the theater of the third ear from the mid-1800s to the 1960s in examples ranging from Denis Diderot, the Symbolists, the Dadaists, Antonin Artaud, and others, and analyzes the work of playwright Robert Wilson, the National Theatre of the Deaf, and Asian American director Ping Chong. The shift in attention limned in Hearing Difference leads to a different understanding of the body, intersubjectivity, communication, and cross-cultural relations, confirming it as a critically important contribution to contemporary Deaf studies.

Heartbreak House
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1977 BBC Play of the Month production of George Bernard Shaw play with Lesley-Anne Down, John Gielgud, Daniel Massey, Siân Phillips. Bonuses: two radio addresses from George Bernard Shaw, and featurette: "George Bernard Shaw Lived Here" in which Bernard Levin explores the details of Shaw's life.

Jersey Boys Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
20 selections from the Broadway musical. Songs include: Big Girls Don't Cry", "Can't Take My Eyes off of You", "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)", "My Boyfriend's Back", "Rag Doll", "Walk like a Man", "Working My Way Back to You", "and more. Available at MusicDispatch.com

Millionairess
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1972 BBC production of George Bernard Shaw play with Tom Baker, Maggie Smith. Bonus play: Helen Mirren and Prunella Scales appear in the Shaw play The Applecart set forty years in the future, where the king must match wits with an unruly mistress and a cabinet seeking to transform the nation into a constitutional monarchy.

Mrs. Warren's Profession
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1972 BBC production of George Bernard Shaw play with Coral Browne, Derek Godfrey, Robert Powell, Penelope Wilton. Bonus play: 1977 You Never Can Tell with Cyril Cusack, Judy Parfitt and Patrick Magee.

The Producers
(MCA Home Video - new on DVD)
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2005 film of Mel Brooks musical. Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Roger Bart, Gary Beach. Widescreen and full screen editions expected. Bonuses: audio commentary with director Susan Stroman; deleted scenes: King of Broadway, Hide and Seek, "I Wanna Be a Producer," "In Old Bavaria," "Der Tugen Tag Hop-Clop," "Along Came Bialy" (with vignettes), "That Face" (reprise), Astor Bar; outtakes; analysis of a Scene: "I Wanna Be A Producer." Also available in full-screen.

Pygmalion
(BBC/Warner - new on DVD)
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1973 BBC production of George Bernard Shaw play with Lynn Redgrave, James Villiers, Ronald Fraser, Emrys James. Bonus play: Androcles and the Lion (I think in 1960).

Retromania: At the Jazz Bakery - David Frishberg
(Arbor - new on CD)
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A fresh presentation of classic Dave Frishberg songs along with songs never recorded before, including songs from his baseball musical. Released in February 2006.

Shaw Collection
(BBC/Warner - new on 6 DVDs)
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Collection of BBC Play of the Month features by George Bernard Shaw: Arms and the Man, The Devil's Disciple (1987), Heartbreak House (1977), The Millionairess (1972), Mrs. Warren's Profession (1972), and Pygmalion (1973). Bonuses included (see individual listings).

May 9, 2006

Awakening
(LML - on CD)
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Store release for Jennifer Paz' ten-track solo album. Speeding Time", "Awakening", "Christmas Lullaby", "Letting You Go", "In Whatever Time We Have", "Make You Feel My Love", "For Good", "Who Are You Now", "Infinite Joy", "When Will We Know." Store date.

Golden Girls - The Complete Fifth Season
(Buena Vista - new on 3 DVDs)
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Guest stars include Jeffrey Tambor, Richard Mulligan, Bibi Besch, Dick Van Dyke, Geraldine Fitzgerald, George Grizzard , Sheree North, Michele Pawk, Ronnie Schell, Robert Culp, Eddie Bracken, Jerry Orbach, Howard Duff, Jack Gilford.

Harry on Broadway, Act 1
(Sony - new on 2 CDs)
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Harry Connick Jr. release of two albums, including the new revival cast recording of Pajama Game. The second disc includes songs from Thou Shalt Not, some new with Kelli O'Hara.

I'm Not Waiting
(Sh-K-Boom - new on CD)
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Julia Murney solo CD, produced by Andrew Lippa. Songs to include "When I First Met Him," cut from Lippa's Wild Party; "Perfect" by Tom Kitt; and "A Case of You" by Joni Mitchell. Accompanying singers to include Mandy Gonzalez, Marcy Harriell, Julie Danao-Salkin, Michael Potts, Michael James Scott and Montego Glover.

The J.A.P. Chronicles
(Broadway - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2005 novel by Isabel Rose, which follows six women at a summer camp reunion.. Musical version, J.A.P. Chronicles, The Musical starts April 17 at Off-Broadway's Perry Street Theatre, starring Rose in all six roles.

Jo Stafford: Sincerely Yours
(Sepia - new on CD)
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30 tracks. Joined by Gordon MacRae, Tex Williams, Red Ingle, David Hughes, Norman Luboff Choir, Dave Brubeck Quartet. "Blue Moon," "Dancing on the Ceiling" and "Blue Skies" on CD for the first time.

The Judy Garland Show Vol 11
(Geneon - new on DVD)
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Featuring: Chita Rivera, Martha Rae, Peter Lawford and Rich Little. Digitally remastered and restored, including outtakes. 100 minutes. Previously available in set.

The Life of Dick Haymes: No More Little White Lies
(Univ. Press of Mississippi - Hardcover Book)
By Ruth Prigozy (professor of English at Hofstra University and the executive director of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society). "A biography of the superstar crooner, his rise, fall, and struggle for a second act." Includes 40 b&w photographs, discography, filmography.

Life Goes On - The Complete First Season
(Warner Home Video - new on 6 DVDs)
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1989 television series with Patti LuPone, Bill Smitrovich, Chris Burke, Kellie Martin. 22 episodes. Bonuses: commentary on the pilot episode by actor Chris Burke ("Corky") and series creator Michael Braverman; Bill Smitrovich and Patti Lupone's screen test; mini gag reel. Opening song, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Di," will not be included.

A Little Travelin' Music
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Singer Russ Lorenson solo album.

The Lucy & Desi Collection
(Warner Home Video - new on 3 DVDs)
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Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz films Too Many Girls, The Long Long Trailer, Forever, Darling. Extras: vintage musical short "Frances Carroll and the Coquettes"; classic cartoon "Shop, Look and Listen"; vintage Pete Smith Specialty short "Ain't It Aggravatin'?"; 1954 MGM cartoon "Dixieland Droopy"; bForever, Darling behind-the-scenes segment from the MGM Parade TV series, episode 22; trailers.

Melody Time With the Andrews Sisters
(Sepia - new on CD)
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28 tracks never before available on CD: ballads, big-band hits, Italian songs, country-western standards and even a classical piece. Joined by Red Foley on "Bury Me Beneath The Willow," Carmen Miranda on "Ca-Room-Pa-Pa," and Danny Kaye on "Ching-Ara-Sa-Sa." Includes Patty Andrews solos accompanied by Nelson Riddle, "Where to, My Love" and "Without Love."

Sisters: Rosemary & Betty Clooney
(Sepia - new on CD)
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13 tracks by Betty Clooney (two with Bill Darnell); the whole of the Rosemary Clooney live concert album at the London Palladium in 1955; Rosemary on "When You Love Someone," "Learnin' The Blues"; "Mr. And Mrs." with Rosemary and husband José Ferrer; and the sisters signing off "Sisters" together.

Starring Betty Rhodes
(Sepia - new on CD)
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1940s singer and film actress (initially known as Betty Jane Rhodes). 26 tracks, all on CD for the first time, include her hits "Rumors Are Flying" and "Buttons and Bows."

The Storm Inside
(EMI/Angel - new on CD)
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UK's Laura Michelle Kelly (Mary Poppins) solo album. Import. Also available at Amazon UK.

Til the Fat Girl Sings: From an Overweight Nobody to a Broadway Somebody - A Memoir
(Adams Publishing - Paperback Book)
By Sharon Wheatley(Cats, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and Avenue Q in Las Vegas). She also teaches nationwide seminars for high school and college students about body image and self-esteem.

The Toughest Show on Earth : My Rise and Reign at the Metropolitan Opera
(Knopf - Hardcover Book)
By Joseph Volpe. Story of the Met's outgoing general manger, his early theater work through the Met years.

May 2, 2006

The Art of the Dramatist: And Other Writings on Theatre
(Oberon Press - Paperback Book)
J. B. Priestley, Tom Priestley (Editor). Essays on the theatre by J B Priestley (An Inspector Calls) distil his experience as a playwright, producer, director and - just once - actor. Relishing the past, analysing the present, and predicting the future, he tells his own 'story of the theatre'.

Baby Doll
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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Tennessee Williams film drama with Carole Baker, Lonny Chapman, Mildred Dunnock, Karl Malden, Eli Wallach. Extras: new featurette Baby Doll: See No Evil.

Broadway's Lost Treasures Collection
(Acorn Media - new on 4 DVDs)
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Boxed set of PBS-aired Tony Awards show programs. Includes three musical programs and the previously unreleased "The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays" with James Earl Jones, Annette Benning, Joan Allen, Joe Mantegna, Gary Sinise and Maggie Smith, among others, performing works by such playwrights as August Wilson, David Mamet, Wendy Wasserstein and more.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Deluxe Edition
(Warner Home Video - on DVD)
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Tennessee Williams film drama with Elizabeth Taylor, Judith Anderson, Jack Carson, Larry Gates, Burl Ives, Paul Newman, Madeleine Sherwood, Vaughn Taylor. Extras: new featurette Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Playing Cat and Mouse; audio commentary by biographer Donald Spoto, author of The Kindness of Strangers: The Life of Tennessee Williams.

Gordon MacRae Sings, Vol. 2: Stranger in Paradise
(Vocalion - on CD)
Compilation of singles. U.K. release, available at Amazon UK.

The Great Waltz
(DRG - new on CD)
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CD premiere of Capitol's 1965 Los Angeles revival cast album. Musical based on the Life and Music of Johann Strauss, Jr. Lucy Andonian, Eric Brotherson, Fred Essler, Wilbur Evans, Jean Fenn, Lynn Fields, Leo Fuchs, Anita Gillette, Frank Porretta, Giorgio Tozzi.

I Love Lucy - Complete Sixth Season
(Paramount - new on 4 DVDs)
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Classic 1950s comedy series with Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. Guests include Bob Hope, Ellen Corby, Elsa Lanchester, Claude Akins, George Reeves, Barbara Eden. 27 episodes from the show's final season.

I Love Lucy Gift Set
(Paramount - on 30 DVDs)
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I Love Lucy - Seasons 1 through 6
(Paramount - on DVDs)
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Let's Put on a Show: A Guide to Fun and Fundraising for Your Community Organization
(Allworth Press - Paperback Book)
Step by step guide to securing rights, choosing material, finding a venue, budgeting, scheduling, working with children, using musicians, building sets, handling lights, publicizing, etc. Anecdotes from producers, directors, and others.

Night of the Iguana
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1964 Tennessee Williams dramatic film. Richard Burton, Ava Gardner. Bonuses: original theatrical trailer and short color film called "On the Trail of the Iguana" that documents the making of the feature.

Music From the Films of Marlon Brando
(Koch - on 2 CDs)
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Tracks from soundtracks of The Godfather, Syonara, The Wild One, Last Tango in Paris, The Young Lions, Mutiny on the Bounty, A Gathering of Forces, One-Eyed Jacks, The Men, The Ride of the Valkyries, On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Missouri Breaks, The Case, Superman, Caesar Now Be Still.

Now and Then
(Sony - new on CD)
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Maria Friedman solo album. Some tracks from 1995 album titled Maria Friedman (released in U.K.) plus two new ones: "Smile" and "Children and Art."

Oh What a Lovely War
(Methuen Publishing - Paperback Book)
By Joan Littlewood. Theatrical chronicle of the First World War told through the songs and documents of the period.

Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1961 Tennessee Williams dramatic film. Vivian Leigh, Warren Beatty, Lotte Lenya, Coral Browne, Jill St. John. Bonus: featurette: "Mrs. Stone: Looking for Love in All the Dark Corners."

Sail Away
(DRG - on 2 CDs)
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Reissue of original Broadway cast album of Noel Coward musical. Elaine Stritch. Second CD is "Noel Coward Sings Sail Away."

Shirley Bassey: The Complete EMI Columbia Singles Collection
(EMI - on 2 CDs)
Double CD, 50 tracks. U.K. release, available at Amazon UK.

Streetcar Named Desire: Special Edition
(Warner Home Video - on 2 DVDs)
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Tennessee Williams film drama with Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, Wright King, Karl Malden. Extras: audio commentary by Karl Malden, historians Rudy Behlmer and Jeff Young; audio outtakes; featurette "Marlon Brando Screen Test"; feature-length profile "Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey"; documentaries "A Streetcar on Broadway," "A Streetcar in Hollywood," "Censorship and Desire," "North and the Music of the South," "An Actor Named Brando."

Sweet Bird Of Youth
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1962 Tennessee Williams film drama with Paul Newman, Philip Abbott, Ed Begley, Shirley Knight, Geraldine Page, Rip Torn. Bonuses: new featurette "Sweet Bird of Youth: Chasing Time"; vintage Geraldine Page and Rip Torn screen test.

Tennessee Williams Film Collection
(Warner Home Video - on 7 DVDs)
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Includes films A Streetcar Named Desire, Baby Doll, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird Of Youth, The Night Of The Iguana, And The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone plus extra disc Tennessee Williams' South.

Theatre World Volume 60 : 2003-2004
(Applause Books - Paperback Book)
By John Willis, Ben Hodges. Authoritative and pictorial record of the Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off Broadway seasons and touring companies. Volume 60 features I Am My Own Wife, Avenue Q, Wicked, Bug, Sarah Jones' bridge and tunnel, Gem of the Ocean, Imaginary Friends. Expanded highlights section of professional regional productions from across the U.S., a listing of all the major theatrical awards, the longest running shows on and Off-Broadway, biographical data, obituaries, and a comprehensive index.

Tony & Newley Delivered
(Vocalion - on CD)
Twofer of Anthony Newley albums. U.K. release available at Amazon UK.

The Ultimate Audition Book: 221 One-minute Monologues For Men Vol. 1
(Smith & Kraus - Paperback Book)
Choices from contemporary and classic plays, novels, and stories. Shakespeare, Molière, and Chekhov are represented, along with contemporary writers such as Philip Roth and Steve Tesich and less well-known authors. Edited by John Capecci and Irene Ziegler Aston.

The Ultimate Audition Book: 221 One-minute Monologues For Women
(Smith & Kraus - Paperback Book)
Edited by John Capecci and Irene Ziegler Aston.

Women Vaudeville Stars: Eighty Biographical Profiles
(McFarland - Hardcover Book)
By Armond Fields (Maude Adams: Idol of American Theater).

April 25, 2006

Bell Telephone Hour: Dolores Gray
(VAI - new on DVD)
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With Backed by the Bell Telephone Hour Orchestra, Gray picks sings numbers from South Pacific, Annie Get Your Gun, and more.

Cabaret - Original Netherlands Cast
(new on CD)
2006 Netherlands cast recording of John Kander, Fred Ebb musical. Pia Douwes, Ara Halici, Anne-Wil Blankers, Chris Tates, Frédérique Sluyterman van Loo, Wim Bouwens, Bea Meulman. Sung in Dutch. Bonus DVD (probably Region 2) with making-of documentaries, backstage reports and a documentary of the premiere night. Available at www.soundofmusic.de

The Great American Mousical
(HarperCollins - Hardcover Book)
Children's book by Julie Andrews Edwards and Tony Walton.

Great Women Singers of the 20th Century - Rosemary Clooney
(Kultur Films - new on DVD)
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Live 2000 performance, backed by a five-piece band, at Chicago's Drury Lane Theatre, plus a bonus interview with Clooney at her home. Nine songs, including "Hey There," "Come On-A My House," "Thanks For The Memory," "The Secret Of Life."

Just Outside the Spotlight: : Growing Up With Eileen Heckart
(Back Stage Books - Hardcover Book)
By Luke Yankee (based on his one-main show, Diva Dish) with a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore. Chronicles the career Eileen Heckart, through the eyes of her youngest son. Part memoir, part scrapbook, and part "scandal sheet'. Delves into the golden days of Broadway and Hollywood. Includes over 75 photographs (many of which have never been seen before of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Lucille Ball, Sophia Loren and Lyndon Johnson) and funny, heartfelt stories of celebrities such as Paul Newman, Ellen Degeneres, Martha Stewart, Ronald Reagan, Marlene Dietrich, Mary Louise Parker, Ethel Merman, Arthur Miller, Mary Pickford. Yankee is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Los Angeles Writers Collective.

Guys & Dolls Deluxe Edition
(Sony/MGM - on DVD)
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1955 film version of Frank Loesser/Jo Swerling/Abe Burrows musical with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine. Widescreen anamorphic with 5.1 sound and three bonus featurettes.

The History Boys
(BBC Audiobooks - new on CD)
Alan Bennett's play (now on Broadway), from BBC Radio 3 radio broadcast with the Nation Theatre/Broadway cast, including Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison and Frances de la Tour. Released April 3 and available at Amazon UK.

It's Always Fair Weather
(MGM - new on DVD)
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1955 Comden & Green film musical film starring Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Michael Kidd, Cyd Charisse. New widescreen transfer. Extras: new featurette "It's Always Fair Weather: Going Out on a High Note"; three outtake musical numbers: "The Binge/Trashcan Dance" (alternate takes), "Jack and the Space Giants" (with Michael Kidd), "Love Is Nothing but a Racket" (with Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse); two segments from The MGM Parade featuring Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly; two classic MGM cartoons: "Deputy Droopy" and "Good Will to Men"; audio-only bonus "I Thought They'd Never Leave" outtake featuring Dolores Grey's unused vocal; trailer.

The Lady with the Torch
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Studio recording of Patti LuPone's solo show, which was Conceived and Directed by Scott Wittman (orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick and musical direction by Chris Fenwick). "Eclectic collection of torch songs by such composers and lyricists as Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn, Harold Arlen, Billy Barnes, Johnny Mercer, Jessie Mae Robinson, Cole Porter and George and Ira Gershwin."

My Name is Rachel Corrie
(Nick Hern Books - Paperback Book)
Stage play adapted by Alan Rickman, based on the writings of Rachel Corrie, who was killed in 2003 in Gaza by an Israeli Defence Force bulldozer. Presented at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London in 2005.

Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute To Cole Porter
(Sony BMG/Shout Factory - CD/DVD)
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Music special dedicated to dispelling the prejudices associated with the HIV infection and raising money for AIDS research and relief. Original 1990 album tracks (remastered) and as video (also remastered). "Don't Fence Me In" (David Byrne,) "I've Got You Under My Skin" (Neneh Cherry), "From This Moment On" (Jimmy Somerville), "After You, Who?" (Jody Watley), "Begin the Beguine" (Salif Keita), "Too Darn Hot" (Erasure,) "You Do Something to Me" (Sinead O'Connor), "I Get a Kick Out of You" (Jungle Brothers), "In the Still of the Night" (Neville Brothers), "So in Love" (k. d. lang), "I Love Paris" (Les Negresses Vertes), "Do I Love You" (Aztec Camera), "Well, Did You Evah!" (Deborah Harry/Iggy Pop), "Down in the Depths" (Lisa Stansfield), "Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things" (Kirsty MacColl and the Pogues), "Night and Day" (Wim Wenders), "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (Annie Lennox w/ Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter - bonus from VH1 Honors Awards), comedy sketches (Bill Irwin, Adelle Lutz and Sandy McLeod), interviews with Roland Gift, Richard Gere and John Malkovich from the special.

Summer Stock
(MGM - new on DVD)
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1950 musical film with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main. Songs by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon. Extras: new featurette "Summer Stock: Get Happy!"; classic MGM cartoon "The Cuckoo Clock"; vintage Pete Smith specialty short "Did'ja Know?"; audio-only bonus: outtake song "Fall in Love"; trailer.

That's Entertainment Box Set
(Rhino - new on 6 CDs)
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New and expanded version. Five discs include songs from the three films, with eight new selections (from Judy Garland, Ethel Waters, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Kay Thompson, Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Lena Horne, and others) and about two dozen others sonically upgraded from the previous set. The sixth disc comprises outtakes and additional selections, primarily previously unissued - including he first release of Judy Garland's complete version of "Buds Won't Bud," cut from Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, as well as Fanny Brice's full recording of "My Man" for The Great Ziegfeld, only heard briefly in the film.

Three Little Words
(MGM - new on DVD)
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1950 musical biopic of the lives of Bert Kalmar (Fred Astaire) and Harry Ruby (Red Skelton). Also features Vera-Ellen, Gloria DeHaven, Debbie Reynolds. Extras: new featurette "Three Little Words: It's All True"; vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalk short "Roaming Through Michigan"; classic MGM Tex Avery cartoon "Ventriloquist Cat"; audio-only bonus: Paula Stone's Hollywood USA radio promo featuring Fred Astaire & Harry Ruby; trailer.

Till the Clouds Roll By
(MGM - on DVD)
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1946 musical biopic about Jerome Kern (Robert Walker). New transfer directly from the original studio Technicolor camera negatives. Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, June Allyson, Lucille Bremer, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Tony Martin, Gower Champion, Cyd Charisse. Extras: new featurette "Till the Clouds Roll By: Real to Reel"; vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalk short "Glimpses of California"; classic MGM Tex Avery cartoon "Henpecked Hoboes"; two musical outtake sequences: Judy Garland performing "D'Ya Love Me?" and "Music in the Air (I've Told Ev'ry Little Star/The Song is You)" performed by Kathryn Grayson and Johnny Johnston; trailer.

A Twist of Lemmon
(Algonquin Books - Hardcover Book)
Christopher Lemmon's memoir about his father, legendary actor Jack Lemmon.

Unexpected Dreams: Songs From The Stars
(Rhino - new on CD)
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TV and film actors sing covers of night-themed songs and lullabies. Includes Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johansson ("Summertime"), Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Garner ("My Heart Is So Full of You"), Jeremy Irons, John Stamos, Lucy Lawless, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Eric McCormack, Victor Garber, ("No One is Alone"), Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John C. Reilly ("Lullabye in Ragtime"). Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Music Matters program.

The Wedding Singer - Totally Awesome Edition
(New Line - on DVD)
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1998 Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore film. Will include longer cut of the film, reinserting 5 minutes of footage; DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks including '80's Mix Tape ("Jump To A Song" navigation feature); trailer; and The Wedding Singer, a look behind the scenes at the Broadway musical based on the film.

Women in Theatre: Series I: Dialogues With Notable Women in American Theatre
(Theatre Communications Group - new on 4 DVDs)
13 interviews by Newsday Theatre Critic Linda Winer with distinguished playwrights, directors, designers, producers and actors including Suzan-Lori Parks, Anna Deavere Smith, Wendy Wasserstein, Ruby Dee, Rosemary Harris, Audra McDonald, Elizabeth McCann, Carey Perloff, Heidi Ettinger, Julie Taymor, Jennifer Tipton, and Graciela Daniele, and a panel with Martha Lavey, Lois Smith, and Joan Allen from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. League of Professional Theatre Women.

Ziegfeld Follies
(MGM - new on DVD)
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1946 musical film. Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Red Skelton, Lena Horne, Judy Garland, Fanny Brice. Extras: new featurette "Ziegfeld Follies: An Embarrassment of Riches"; vintage MGM "Crime Does Not Pay" short "The Luckiest Guy in the World"; two classic MGM cartoons: "The Hick Chick" and "Solid Serenade"; audio-only bonus: outtake songs "If Swing Goes, I Go Too," "This Heart of Mine," and "We Will Meet Again in Honolulu"; Ziegfeld movies trailer gallery.

April 18, 2006

Albert's Boy
(Methuen Pub. - Paperback Book)
Play by James Graham (Coal not Dole). Presented in 2005 at U.K.'s Finborough Theatre, where Grahama is writer in residence.

Broadway Musicals Show by Show 1989-2005
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook includes 30 songs from Aida, Aspects of Love, The Full Monty, The Lion King, The Producers, Rent, Sunset Boulevard:Beauty And The Beast, Dancing Queen, Don't Cry Out Loud, Elaborate Lives, Follow Your Heart, Godspeed Titanic (Sail On), Goodnight Saigon, Great Big Stuff, I Can Hear The Bells, I Want To Go To Hollywood, I'd Give My Life For You, Let It Go, Living In The Shadows, Love Changes Everything, Love To Me, Popular, Seasons Of Love, The Song That Goes Like This, Springtime For Hitler, There's A Fine, Fine Line, They Live In You, This Is The Moment, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Who Will Love Me As I Am?, With One Look. Available at MusicDispatch.com. Amazon should begin shipping any day.

GoodTimeNation - Gavin Creel
(new on CD)
Gavin Creel solo album; collaboration with producer/co-writer, Robbie Roth.

High School Musical - Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Original movie musical from the Disney Channel chronicles the story of two high schoolers who discover their love for singing and challenge their cliques in the process. Nine songs, including: Breaking Free, Get'cha Head in the Game, Start of Something New, Stick to the Status Quo, What I've Been Looking For, and more. Musical is to become available for school productions.

Jesus Christ Superstar
(new on CD)
2005 Vienna concert cast, with Drew Sarich (Lestat), Serkan Kaya, Claudia Stangl, André Bauer, Rob Fowler, Roman Straka, Dennis Kozeluh, Wietske van Tongeren. Sung in English. Available for at www.soundofmusic.de.

Mrs. Henderson Presents
(Wellspring - new on DVD)
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2005 stage comedy film. Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins. Widescreen. Also available in full screen.

My Life at Grey Gardens: Thirteen Months and Beyond
(Adobe Reader Digital Download)
By Andrew Mroczek with forewords by Lois Wright and Andrew Afram. In 1976, the release the documentary film "Grey Gardens" highlighted the unique lives of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie. In 1975, Lois Wright, a fellow artist and friend of the Beales, was invited to live with them in Grey Gardens. Wright kept a journal of her thirteen months with the Beales, and using those logs, has developed this book. "My Life at Grey Gardens" offers the reader an intimate look at the daily lives of the Beales, and chronicles the events from Lois's arrival at the house through the passing of Big Edith Bouvier Beale in 1977. Requires Adobe Reader 6.x or 7.0

Paris/Orleans/Paris the CBS Years V.1 - Petula Clark
(Zone Records - new on 2 CDs)
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35 tracks recorded in French by Petula Clark for CBS between 1977 and 1979, many of which have never been released before. Includes 'Je Reviens', Petula's 1977 album now released on CD for the very first time in its entirety. Rare photographs, memorabilia, essay and detailed liner notes, with booklets in both English and French.

South Pacific
(Universal/Decca - new on CD)
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Soundtrack for the concert version, with Reba McEntire, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jason Danieley, Lillias White, and Alec Baldwin, to be telecast on PBS Great Performances April 26. Directed by Walter Bobbie, with musical director Paul Gemignani conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's.

With You In Mind
(DRG - on CD)
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Jazz pianist Marian McPartland's Capitol LP.

April 11, 2006

Adverbs : A Novel
(Ecco - Hardcover Book)
Novel by Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket). Basis for San Francisco Word for Word company's March 2006 production.

Darkside
(new on CD)
Australian cabaret performer and musical theatre composer Tim Minchin. Recorded live at The Famous Spiegeltent in Melbourne (2005 Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Festival Directors' Award at the 2005 Melbourne International Comedy Festival). Available at Footlight.com and Middle8.com.

Genesis - The Musical
(Hed Arzi - new on CD)
Soundtrack of Israeli Abraham vs. Sarah, the Hebrew musical on the book of Genesis. Cast includes Shoshana Damari. Includes the bonus "Abraham and Sarah" in Yiddish and booklet with Hebrew lyrics and photos. Available at Footlight.com.

Genius Famous
(new on CD)
2005 Fringe cast album written by Jason Atkinson. Evan Alboum, Lara Jane Dunatov, Jesse Easley, Carson Hinners, Kat Ross, Matt Sigl.

Jamie Cullum - Catching Tales Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
15 songs from the 2005 release by this British pianist/vocalist. Includes covers of classic tunes Catch the Sun, I Only Have Eyes for You, Fascinating Rhythm) as well as originals: London Skies, Photograph, Nothing I Do, and more.

The Jason Robert Brown Collection
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
To include, from Wearing Someone Else's Clothes "Coming Together," "Getting Out," "Grow Old with Me," "I Could Be in Love With Someone (cut from The Last Five Years)," "Over," "Someone to Fall Back Upon"; from Songs of Jason Robert Brown (with Lauren Kennedy): "And I Will Follow," "Dreaming," "Wide Awake," "If I Told You Now, "Letting You Go"; from Urban Cowboy: "Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak," "It Don't Get Better Than This"; from Parade: "The Old Red Hills of Home," "The Picture Show," "It's Hard to Speak My Heart," "All the Wasted Time; from Songs for a New World: "Stars and the Moon," "Just One Step," "I'm Not Afraid of Anything," "Hear My Song"; from The Last Five Years: "Moving Too Fast," "A Summer in Ohio," "The Next Ten Minutes," "See I'm Smiling."

Keating: A Country Soul Opera
(Smart Artists - new on CD)
Casey Bennetto's award-winning musical about Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating; debuted at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Recorded Live at the Sydney Opera House, 13 August 2005. Featuring Mike McLeish as Paul Keating and Casey Bennetto as Bob Hawke, John Hewson and John Howard, with Enio Pozzebon (Gareth Evans), Cam Rogers (Alexander Downer), Justin Ludowyk (Cheryl Kernot) and Jason Cleeland (The Messenger). (Packaged in a clear plastic sleeve with a four-page insert.) Available at Middle8.com.

Kevin Spirtas: Night and Days
(Kritzerland - new on CD)
Kevin Spirtas' one-man show recorded live at El Portal Theater in L.A. Available at Kritzerland.com.
and CDBaby.com

Love! At the Cafe!
(new on CD)
Musical with Karen Sokolof Javitch score. The book for the "1950's comedy" was written by James Conant.

Monty Python's Spamalot - Karaoke
(Stage Star Records - new on CD+G)
13 songs from Spamalotwith fully-orchestrated accompaniment tracks. Tracks 1-13 contain the complete recording with background tracks and guide vocals; tracks 14-26 contain the accompaniment tracks alone. Recorded in the original show key and show tempo. Plays in CD and CDG players (on-screen lyrics will appear when played in a CDG player). Lyric booklet is provided.

Shiny and New
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Jonathan Rayson (Little Shop of Horrors, A Year with Frog and Toad) solo album of '70s pop songs.

Shaynee Rainbolt At Home
(33 Jazz Records - new on CD)
Vocalist solo album.

Spread A Little Happiness
(Avid - 2 CDs)
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Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth. 52 tracks. Includes previously unissued broadcast material. Import.

Strouse, Schwartz, and Schwartz The 16th Annual STAGE Benefit Concert
(Kritzerland - new on 2 CDs)
Live recording of the annual STAGE benefit concert from 2000, featuring the music of Charles Strouse, Arthur Schwartz, and Stephen Schwartz. Andrea Martin, Polly Bergen, Betty Garrett, Carole Cook, David Burnham, Tyne Daly, Robert Cuccioli, Penny Fuller, Bonnie Franklin, Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker, Billy Porter, Lauren Kennedy, Pamela Myers, Christopher Seiber and others. Available at Kritzerland.com and CDBaby.com.

Tony Kushner: New Essays on the Art And Politics of the Plays
(McFarland & Co. - Paperback Book)
James Fisher, Editor (professor of Theater at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana). 11 scholars explore the works of Tony Kushner across his career.

Vintage Pop and the Jazz Sides
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Vocalist Andrew Suvalsky.

April 4, 2006

The Actor Takes a Meeting: How to Interview Successfully with Agents, Producers, and Casting Directors
(Silman-James Press - Paperback Book)
By Stephen Book.

The Boys From Syracuse
(DRG - on CD)
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Reissue of Capitol's 1963 Off-Broadway cast album. Danny Carroll, Cathryn Damon, Stuart Damon, Clifford David, Ellen Hanley, Julienne Marie, Karen Morrow, Matthew Tobin, Rudy Tronto.

Carole Lombard: The Glamour Collection
(Universal - new on 3 DVDs)
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Includes Man of the World, We're Not Dressing, Hands Across the Table, Love Before Breakfast, The Princess Comes Across, True Confession. Not to be released individually.

The History Boys : A Play
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
By Alan Bennett. On Broadway in 2006. "An unruly bunch of bright, funny sixth-form (or senior) boys in a British boys' school are, as such boys will be, in pursuit of sex, sport, and a place at a good university, generally in that order. In all their efforts, they are helped and hindered, enlightened and bemused, by a maverick English teacher who seeks to broaden their horizons in sometimes undefined ways, and a young history teacher who questions the methods, as well as the aim, of their schooling."

Jekyll & Hyde - Original Czech Cast
(new on CD)
2005 Czech cast recording of Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse musical. Dan Hulka, Michaela Nosková, Katerina Brozová, Marian Vojtko, Tereza Ducková - 16 tracks in Czech language. Available at www.soundofmusic.de.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(RUG - new on CD)
2006 US Tour cast recording with Patrick Cassidy and Amy Adams. Previously sold at tour venues. Available at Footlight.com.

Lado a Lado com Sondheim (Side by Side by Sondheim)
(Axion - new on CD)
Original 2005 Brazilian Cast Recording. Claudio Botelho, Ester Elias, Ivana Domenico, Marya Bravo and Sabrina Korgut. 21 tracks. Sung mostly in Portuguese. Available at Footlight.com.

Liza With A 'Z'
(Showtime - new on DVD/CD)
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Emmy Award winning 1972 Liza Minnelli television special, directed by Bob Fosse. To air on Showtime on April 1, 2006. Bonus CD includes soundtrack. Bonuses: commentary by Liza Minnelli; fan Q&A with Liza at 2005 Toronto Film Festival; 2005 GLAAD Awards performance; Liza interviews John Kander; A&E "Biography: Liza Minnelli"; biographies of Liza Minnelli and Bob Fosse; unaired "Mein Herr" segment from the Cabaret medley.

Mae West - The Glamour Collection
(Universal - new on 2 DVDs)
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Night After Night, I'm No Angel, Goin' to Town, Go West Young Man, My Little Chickadee, plus trailers. Not to be released individually.

Marlene Dietrich: The Glamour Collection
(Universal - new on 2 DVDs)
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Includes Morocco, Blonde Venus, The Devil Is A Woman, Flame Of New Orleans, Golden Earrings. Not to be released individually.

Marlene Dietrich Sings Berlin
(DRG - new on CD)
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CD issue of Capitol's Marlene Dietrich's Berlin (... her nostalgic songs about the grand old city, recorded in Berlin, sung in German.

Musicals Facts, Figures & Fun
(Facts, Figures & Fun - Hardcover Book)
By Mike Evans. From stage to screen, operettas to rock operas, the golden age to a new era. Covers the first-night flops and long-running successes; Broadway's best and Hollywood highs; classic tunes and genius songwriters—along with profiles of the famous (like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly) and ten best lists. Old favorites, such as Gilbert and Sullivan's greatest hits; musicals with a social edge, like Chicago; Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbusters; and much more.

The Paris Letter
(Grove Press - Paperback Book)
Jon Robin Baitz play. At the Laura Pels Theatre in 2005 with Ron Rifkin, John Glover, Michelle Pawk.

The Performing Set: The Broadway Designs of William And Jean Eckart
(Univ. of North Texas Press - Hardcover Book)
By Andrew B. Harris. Book about legendary set designers (Damn Yankees, Once Upon a Mattress, Mame). Production stills and the Eckarts' sketches from every show they worked on to illustrate the magic behind an Eckart design. More than 500 full-color illustrations. Foreword by Carol Burnett, Preface by Sheldon Harnick.

Stardust: The Complete Capitol Recordings 1955 - 1959: Nat King Cole
(Bear Family - new on 11 CDs)
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Digitally remastered versions Cole's Capital recordings; 293 tracks from 16 albums.

Thank God It's Friday
(Sony - new on DVD)
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1978 disco themed film. Donna Summer, Debra Winger, Jeff Goldblum, Paul Jabara, and the Commodores.

There are Worse Things I Could Do
(Carroll & Graf - Hardcover Book)
By Adrienne Barbeau (The Property Known as GARLAND). Covers her early years in New York Grease, Maude, film and singing career, and personal life.

Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Off Broadway cast recording of Stephen Dolginoff musical, featuring Doug Kreeger and Stephen Dolginoff. Available now at www.thrillmethemusical.com and Footlight.com.

Today in History: Musicals
(Emmis Books - Paperback Book)
By Joe Stollenwek. Day-by-day account of the shows, the stars, and the gossip that shaped the history of Broadway and screen musicals. Notable dates include January 25, 1996, when Jonathan Larson, creator of mega-musical Rent, died suddenly of an aneurysm the night of its first preview performance; May 12, 1988, when the ill-fated musical Carrie opened with such ditties as "Out for Blood"; and March 2, 1956, when the famous shot of Julie Andrews on a hillside in The Sound of Music almost didn't happen.

Vaudeville Wars : How the Keith-Albee and Orpheum Circuits Controlled the Big-Time and Its Performers
(Palgrave MacMillan - Hardcover Book)
By Frank Arthur Wertheim. Story of two vaudeville circuit giants jockeying for national dominance from the late nineteenth century through the early decades of the twentieth century.

The World According to Me
(JMG - CD)
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CD release of Jackie Mason 1987 show.

March 28, 2006

Arizona Lady
(new on CD)
Double CD recording, the first-ever of Emmerich Kalman's last operetta, taken complete from Bavarian radio broadcast on New Years Eve 1954. Features some to the top German singers of the day, including Herbery Ernst Groh, dubbed as Richard Tauber's rightful successor. Sung in German. Available at DressCircle.co.uk. Also available at Footlight.com

Barry Manilow: Music And Passion - Live From Las Vegas
(Rhino - new on 2 DVDs)
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Live show recently shown on PBS; recorded December 12, 2005. Second disc bonuses: "Inside Manilow: Music And Passion" (behind-the-scenes look at Manilow's Las Vegas show, complete with an interview with Barry Manilow), "Making the PBS Special" (video diary with Barry's narration - includes bonus song "The Best Seat In The House," bloopers and outtakes), "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again," "Even Now" - performed on December 17, 2005, Unchained Melody music video.

Dance Anecdotes: Stories from the Worlds of Ballet, Broadway, the Ballroom, And Modern Dance
(Oxford Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Mindy Aloff, dance critic who has written for The Nation, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. Stories and anecdotes about those in the world of dance, including George Balanchine, Fred Astaire, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, Savion Glover, Martha Graham, Lola Montez, Akira Kurosawa, Irene and Vernon Castle, Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Paul Taylor and Mark Morris.

Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams : A New Play
(Grove Press - Paperback Book)
Terrence McNally play. At Primary Stages with Marian Seldes, Nathan Lane, Alison Fraser in 2005.

Glorious
(Methuen Pub - Paperback Book)
Peter Quilter's play about Florence Foster Jenkins. Running in London, starring Maureen Lipman. U.S. release. U.K. release available now at Amazon UK.

Golden Years Of Hollywood
(new on 2 CDs)
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Boxset of restored original recordings. Classic film musical performances. Import.

The Likes of Us
(Universal Classics/Decca Broadway/Really Useful - new on 2 CDs)
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice (original book by Leslie Thomas) musical, the story of the life of Dr Thomas Barnardo. Recorded Live At The Mermaid Theatre, London. Starring Stephen Fry. U.S. release. Available now at Amazon UK or Amazon.com as an import.

Open House
(Bugeater Films - new on CD)
Soundtrack for real estate musical film Open House, directed by Slamdance Film Festival co-founder Dan Mirvish, and starring Anthony Rapp, Sally Kellerman, Kellie Martin, James Duval, Ann Magnuson, Jerry Doyle, Jenna Leigh Green, and more.

Thousand Beautiful Things
(Telarc - new on CD)
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Janis Siegel album.

March 21, 2006

The Busby Berkeley Collection
(Warner Home Video - new on 6 DVDs)
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Will include 42nd Street plus new-to-DVD (and not individually available) issues of Gold Diggers of 1933, Gold Diggers of 1935, Footlight Parade and Dames. Sixth disc to include three hours of highlights of Berkeley's production numbers from the films featured in the set and others, which was originally compiled for laserdisc. The newly restored films will also air on Turner Classic Movies around the release date. Bonuses: 42nd Street - three vintage featurettes: "Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer," Hollywood newsreel, A Trip Through a Hollywood Studio, Notes on Busby Berkeley; Gold Diggers of 1933 - new featurette: Good Diggers: FDR's New Deal Broadway Bound, two vintage featurettes: Rambling 'Round Radio Row #2, Seasoned Greetings, 3 vintage cartoons: I've Got to Sing a Torch Song, Pettin' in the Park, We're in the Money, new featurette: 42nd Street: From Book to Stage to Screen, vintage featurette: The 42nd Street Special, Busby Berkeley Musicals Trailer Gallery; Footlight Parade - new featurette: Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades, 2 vintage featurettes: Rambling 'Round Radio Row #8, Vaudeville Reel #1, 2 vintage cartoons: Honeymoon Hotel, Young and Healthy; Theatrical Trailer; Dames - new featurette: Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes, 3 Vintage Featurettes: And She Learned About Dames, Good Morning, Eve, Melody Master: Don Redman and His Orchestra, 2 Vintage Cartoons: I Only Have Eyes for You, Those Beautiful Dames, audio-only bonus: Direct from Hollywood Radio Promo; Theatrical Trailer; Gold Diggers of 1935 - new featurette: (buz'be bur'kle) n. A Study in Style, vintage featurette: Double Exposure, 2 Vintage Cartoons: Gold Diggers of '49, Shuffle Off to Buffalo, Direct from Hollywood Radio promo, Gold Diggers Trailer Gallery; Busby Berkeley Disc #6 - Critically-acclaimed compilation, originally conceived as a laserdisc release in 1992, is an exclusive to the set with more than 20 complete musical numbers from nine Warner Bros. films of the 1930s. Some of the rarities included here are "The Lady in Red" from In Caliente (1935), and "All is Fair in Love and War," the amazing flag-waving finale from Gold Diggers of 1937

Fever : The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee
(Henry Holt and Co. - Hardcover Book)
First major biography of legend. Drawing on exclusive interviews and new information, Peter Richmond delivers a portrait of an artist and an era that begins with a girl plagued by loss, her father's alcoholism, and her stepmother's abuse. On to a new town and a new name; to cities and clubs where a gallery of brilliant innovators are ushering in a brand-new beat; to four marriages, a daughter, Broadway, Vegas, and finally Hollywood. Richmond traces how Peggy rose, right along with jazz itself, becoming an unstoppable hit-maker ("Fever," "Mañana," "Is That All There Is?"). We see not only how Peggy Lee changed the rhythms of music, and, with her drive to create, compose, and perform, became an artist whose style influenced k.d. lang, Nora Jones, and Diana Krall.

For the Good Times
(DRG - new on CD)
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Dinah Shore album with previously unknown Capitol recordings from the '70s.

Goodbye Mr. Chips
(Film Score Monthly - new on 3 CDs)
Film score, songs and music by Leslie Bricusse, conducted and supervised by John Williams. Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark. Disc one features the complete score as it was intended for the finished film (including several unused Williams score cues); Disc two features an "alternate narrative" of the story through different versions of the songs (many of which were included on a "demo" LP of the soundtrack), source cues, score alternates, and promotional interviews given by the film's stars; Disc three features the original 1969 soundtrack album, followed by yet more demo and alternate versions of songs, including "Tomorrow With Me," sung by Petula Clark and orchestrated by Williams and one of Bricusse's favorite unused songs. 48-page booklet. Recorded in stereo, with interview tracks and a few source and demo cues in mono.

NewClear
(Lyric Partners - new on CD)
Euan Morton solo album. 10 tracks consisting of both new songs and covers of some of Euan's favorite tunes. [see our interview with Euan.] Also available at CDBaby.com.

Porgy & Bess
(DRG - new on CD)
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Re-release of 1959 Diahann Carroll album, with Andre Previn.

Shirley Temple Collection Vol. 3
(Fox - new on 3 DVDs)
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Dimples, The Little Colonel and The Littlest Rebel, also available individually: Dimples, Little Colonl, The Littlest Rebel.

Showtunes
(Nonesuch - new on CD)
Selections from three theater collaborations of Magnetic Fields songwriter Stephin Merritt's and director Chen Shi-Zheng featuring members of the original casts and ensembles: The Orphan of Zhao, My Life as a Fairy Tale, and Peach Blossom Fan. David Patrick Kelly, William Yeomans, Mary Lou Rosato, Blair Brown, Fiona Shaw.

Songs from an Unmade Bed
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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NYTW production cast recording. Mark Campbell lyrics, with composers Debra Barsha, Mark Bennett, Peter Foley, Jenny Giering, Peter Golub, Jake Heggie, Stephen Hoffman, Lance Horne, Gihieh Lee, Steve Marzullo, Brendan Milburn, Chris Miller, Greg Pliska, Duncan Sheik, Jeffrey Stock, and Joseph Thalken. Starring Michael Winther.

Sophie Milman
(Koch - new on CD)
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Debut album from Russian born Israeli Canadian jazz singer. Appearing at Joe's Pub February 22. U.S. release date.

Theatre : Collaborative Acts (2nd Edition)
(Allyn & Bacon - Paperback Book)
New edition includes: new information about important professional productions, updated text with text with examples from current Broadway and off-Broadway productions, new "Artists of the Theatre" feature boxes about actor James Earl Jones, playwright Michael Frayn, director George C. Wolfe, and more, increases focus on race and gender diversity in contemporary and period theatre, updated "Key Theatrical Events" timeline showing important events in theatre, new comprehensive bibliography, larger photographs.

March 14, 2006

Anastasia - Family Fun Edition
(20th Century Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Reissue of 1997 animated film with songs by Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens. Disc 1: Anastasia (widescreen); director/producer commentary by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman; interactive features "Learn to Draw Anastasia," "Anya," "Learn to Draw Dimitri," "Learn to Draw Rasputin," "Learn to Draw Bartok"; Anastasia music box favorites. Disc 2: Bartok the Magnificent (full screen); The Making of Anastasia: Creating the Story, Defining Characters, Creating of Animation, Music in the Air; singalong: Once Upon a December; singalong: Learn to Do It; interactive feature "Learn to Sing it in a Different Language: Once Upon a December"; set top games; Explore the Palace (3D Walk Through); Becoming a Princess (Interactive Paper Doll); Putting Rasputin Back Together Again (timed puzzle game); Ink and Paint to Help Anya Remember her Past (Interactive coloring book); Aaliyah: Journey to the Past music video/Making of.

Bingo
(new on CD)
Off Broadway cast recording. Michael Heitzman, Ilene Reid and David Holcenberg score. Features Klea Blackhurst, Chevi Colton as Minnie, Liz Larsen, Liz McCartney, Janet Metz, Patrick Ryan Sullivan and Jessica-Snow Wilson. Also available at CDBaby.com.

Camelot
(JAY Records - on CD)
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Newly re-mixed and remastered version of 1982 London cast recording, with Richard Harris, Fiona Fullerton.

A Centenary Tribute - Josephine Baker
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Celebrates the centenary of the extraordinary Josephine Baker. 27 tracks span the years 1930-1953, including five numbers that are appearing on CD for the first time. CD booklet includes French lyrics translated into English and rare photos. U.S. import date.

Conversations with August Wilson
(Univ. Press of Mississippi - Hardcover Book)
Jackson R. Bryer (Editor), Mary C. Hartig (Editor). Selection of the many interviews Wilson gave from 1984 to 2004. In the interviews, the playwright covers at length and in detail his plays and his background; comments on such subjects as the differences between African Americans and whites, his call for more black theater companies, and his belief that African Americans made a mistake in assimilating themselves into the white mainstream; talks about his major influences, what he calls his "four B's" — the blues, writers James Baldwin and Amiri Baraka, and painter Romare Bearden. Wilson also discusses his writing process and his multiple collaborations with director Lloyd Richards.

Entrancing Music - Hildegarde
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Legendary U.K. singer, ""The Incomparable Hildegarde". In honor of her centenary. Recorded in NY in 1941, on CD for the first time. Includes her best-known song, est-known song "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup." U.S. import date.

Fair Warning
(LML Music - new on CD)
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New CD from Backstage Bistro Award-winner Rebecca Spencer (going into the Las Vegas Phantom as Madame Giry).

The Judy Garland Show - #10 & #12
(Geneon - new on DVD)
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Guests Ray Bolger, Jane Powell, Vic Damone, and Zina Bethune. Previously released in box set.

The Judy Garland Show - #21 & #22
(Geneon - new on DVD)
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1963 CBS show with guests Mel Torme, Diahann Carroll, Jack Jones, and Ken Murray. Previously released in box set. 100 minutes.

Liza with a Z
(Sony Legacy - on CD)
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Remastered soundtrack from 1972 TV special. Remastered. Released March 7.

Murder, She Wrote - The Complete Third Season
(MCA Home Video - new on 3 DVDs)
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Angela Lansbury TV show. 1986-1987 episodes, #45 - #65. Guests include Jackie Cooper, Lloyd Bochner, Don DeFore, Pat Hingle, Hayley Mills, Len Cariou, Bill Macy, Leslie Nielsen, Tom Selleck, John Hillerman, Jessica Walter, Dorothy Loudon, Abby Dalton, Chad Everett, Edward Mulhare, Eleanor Parker, Judy Landers, Guy Stockwell, Fritz Weaver, Barry Williams, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Walker, Tony Dow, Giselle MacKenzie, Shaun Cassidy, Dinah Manoff, Adrienne Barbeau,, John Amos, Ernest Borgnine, Bradford Dillman, Le Var Burton, Adam West, Diane Baker, George Clooney, Buddy Hackett, Arte Johnson, Steve Lawrence, Dorothy Lamour, Richard Beymer, June Havoc, Susan Strasberg, Gloria Stewart, Michael Callan, Michael Cole. Bonus Episode: Magnum P.I. "Novel Connection."

The Prince of Melody - Leslie A. Hutchinson
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Singer and pianist Leslie A. Hutchinson ("Hutch") recordings of the 1950s. Most are appearing on CD for the first time. U.S. import date.

Remember Me & Other Intimate Songs - Greta Keller
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Viennese cabaret singer and stage actress. Album includes 25 songs Greta recorded in the 1950s, almost all on CD for the first time. Some she introduced from an earlier period which she re-recorded and some from Broadway shows. U.S. import date.

Show Boat
(JAY Records - on 2 CDs)
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Remastered 1993 TER release. First complete recording of the 1946 edition featuring original casts from the RSC/Opera North production that played at the London Palladium and Opera North Leeds Theatre. Sally Burgess, Jason Howard, Janis Kelly, Frank Landesman, Caroline O'Connor, Shezwae Powell, Willard White. First US release.

Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim
(Symphony Space - new on CD)
Highlights from all-day concert at Peter Norton Symphony Space on March 19, 2005. Recorded live. The American Theatre Orchestra directed by Paul Gemignani, Gregg Edelman, Kate Baldwin, Michael Arden, Sheldon Harnick, Judy Kaye, Chip Zien, Carolee Carmello, Laura Benanti, John Dossett, Danny Gurwin, Neil Patrick Harris, Emily Skinner, Michael Cerveris, Alexander Gemignani, Annie Golden, Liz Callaway, Donna Murphy, Telly Leung, Heidi Grant Murphy, Juilliard Choral Union. Available at Symphony Space Store and at the their box office.

March 7, 2006

Acorn Antiques - The Musical
(new on Region 2 DVD)
Stage musical version of Victoria Wood's spoof soap opera based in the busy antiques shop in Manchesterford. Recorded live at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Starring Victoria Wood, Julie Walters, Neil Morrissey and Josie Lawrence. Featuring the full length show as well as bonus content (e.g. cast auditions, backstage interviews, opening night party footage and more). Available at Amazon UK and Dress Circle

Annie Get Your Gun
(Bayview - new on CD)
Original London, Paris and Australian Cast Recordings with Dolores Gray, Bill Johnson, Wendy Toye, Irving Davies, Lily Fayol, Evie Hayes and Webb Tilton. Third in Bayview's Classic Series. Available at Footlight.com and BayviewRecords.com

The Broadway Ingenue : 37 Theatre Songs for Soprano
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook collection that represents repertoire from famous soprano ingénues such as Julie Andrews, Barbara Cook, Shirley Jones, and many others, with songs from Camelot, My Fair Lady, Show Boat, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, and 18 other shows.

Broadway for Teens : Young Men's Edition
(Hal Leonard - Book & CD)
25 songs especially chosen for young singers with a CD of accompaniments. The Young Men's edition includes: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, Beauty School Dropout, Beethoven Day, Comedy Tonight, Consider Yourself, Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?, Edelweiss, From This Moment On, Get Me To The Church On Time, I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise, I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today, I've Never Been In Love Before, Isn't This A Lovely Day (To Be Caught In The Rain?), It Only Takes A Moment, Never The Luck, Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin', Old Devil Moon, On This Night Of A Thousand Stars, Put On A Happy Face, Stars, The Girl That I Marry, There Is Nothin' Like A Dame, This Can't Be Love, This Is The Moment.

Broadway for Teens : Young Women's Edition
(Hal Leonard - Book & CD)
25 more great songs for young singers, with no song duplication from The Teen's Musical Theatre Collection or Musical Theatre Anthology for Teens. The CD includes piano accompaniments for each song. Includes: A New Life, A Wonderful Guy, Ain't Misbehavin', Always True To You In My Fashion, Cabaret, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, Freddy, My Love, He Touched Me, Hello, Young Lovers, How Lovely To Be A Woman, I Cain't Say No, I Can Hear The Bells, I Don't Know How To Love Him, If I Were A Bell, It's A Grand Night For Singing, Let Me Entertain You, Look For The Silver Lining, Look To The Rainbow, Love, Look Away, Make Believe, Popular, Sally's Song, Take Back Your Mink, Thoroughly Modern Millie, What I Did For Love.

Broadway Musicals of 1935
(Bayview - new on CD)
Recording of March 15, 2004 Town Hall concert. Gretha Boston, Chuck Cooper, Darius DeHaas, Todd Murray, Douglas Sills, Emily Skinner, Lumiri Tubo, Barbara Walsh, Laurie Williamson and Karen Akers. Recorded live at New York Town Hall Monday March 15, 2004. Available at Footlight.com and BayviewRecords.com

The Complete Follies Collection : Composer's Edition
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook with 34 songs: Ah, but Underneath, Ah, Paris!, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Beautiful Girls, Bring on the Girls, Broadway Baby, Buddy's Blues (The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues), Can That Boy Foxtrot!, Could I Leave You?, Country House (1987), Don't Look at Me, I'm Still Here, In Buddy's Eyes, It Wasn't Meant to Happen, Little White House/Who Could Be Blue?, Live, Laugh, Love, Losing My Mind, Loveland, Loveland (1987), Make the Most of Your Music (1987), One More Kiss, Pleasant Little Kingdom, Rain on the Roof, The Right Girl, The Road You Didn't Take, The Story of Lucy and Jessie, That Old Piano Roll, Too Many Mornings, Uptown, Downtown, Waiting for the Girls Upstairs, Who's That Woman?, The World's Full of Girls, You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through.

December Songs
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Studio recording of Maury Yeston's retelling of Schubert's Winterreise: part song-cycle, part cabaret piece, part music theatre showstopper. Performed by French-born Isabelle Georges, who performed the work at the Theatre du Renard in Paris during the winter of 2004-2005. The new recording is drawn and expanded from those Paris performances, with new orchestration by Larry Hochman, plus a world premiere recording of a new Yeston song, "Strange."

Disney Standards
(Disney - new on CD)
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Steve Tyrell presents songs from the Disney songbook in the "standards" style. Released 2/28/06.

The Producers : Movie Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Piano/Vocal/Guitar songbook of 20 songs from the silver screen version of the Mel Brooks Broadway classic starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman. # Til Him, Along Came Bialy, Betrayed, Der Guten Tag Hop-Clop, Goodbye!, Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band? (Have You Ever Heard The German Band?), Heil Myself, I Wanna Be A Producer, Keep It Gay, Opening Night, Prisoners Of Love (Leo & Max), Springtime For Hitler, That Face, The Hop Clop Goes On, The King Of Broadway, There's Nothing Like A Show On Broadway, We Can Do It, When You Got It, Flaunt It, You Never Say Good Luck On Opening Night, You'll Find Your Happiness In Rio.

See What I Wanna See
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording of new Michael John LaChiusa score. Show debuted at Public Theatre; suggested by the stories of Ryunosuke Akutagawa as translated by Takashi Kojima. Marc Kudisch, Aaron Lohr, Idina Menzel, Henry Stram, Mary Testa.

Streetcar Named Desire/Music by Max Steiner
(DRG Records - new on CD)
Max Steiner's soundtrack for Streetcar Named Desire film, plus his scores for The Informer, Now Voyager, Since You Went Away.

A Talent to Amuse
(new on CD)
James Hay in the one man tribute show (currently at Clarendon Hotel, Blackbheath, U.K.) to the legend Noel Coward. CD includes many of his popular songs, witty anecdotes and stories. Available at DressCircle.co.uk

February 28, 2006

Africa Plumbridge
(new on 2 CDs)
Cast recording from new musical based on a true story, starring Janeece Aisha Freeman, Linda Mugleston, William Michals, Jenny Burton and Julia Wade. Music & Lyrics by Karena Mendoza. Performed at the Theatre Building Chicago and the New York Fringe Festival in 2004. Available at Footlight.com.

Dialects For The Stage - 2nd Edition
(Routledge - Paperback Book/CD)
By Evangeline Machlin. Based on a method of dialect acquisition Machlin developed during her years working with students at Boston University's Division of Theatre.

Dramaturgy : A Revolution in Theatre
(Cambridge Univ. Press - Hardcover Book)
By Mary Luckhurst. History of the origins of dramaturgs and literary managers - people who act as advisers and play-doctors at today's theatres. Examines the major theorists and practitioners, arguing that Brecht, Granville Barker and Tynan have central roles in this history. This study inquires as to the political and cultural agendas behind this revolution, and whether dramaturgs are mentors or censors.

Franc d'Ambrosio's Broadway
(LML Music - new on DVD)
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Live concert DVD from the world's longest running Phantom. Released 2/14/2006.

I Enjoy Being a Girl
(Collectables - new on CD)
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1966 Barbara McNair album. 12 tracks.

Jamie deRoy & friends - Vol 7: The Real Thing
(Harbinger - new on CD)
7th Jamie deRoy & Friends CD, about the search for true love. Features Baby Jane Dexter, Rebecca Luker, Billy Stritch, Penny Fuller, Euan Morton, Karen Mason, Kane Alexander, Marcus Simeone, Kim Cea and Jerry Dixon. Includes songs by George and Ira Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin, John Bucchino, Cole Porter, Michele Brourman and Karen Gottlieb. Artistic Director is Barry Kleinbort. Available at CDBaby.com.

Kind Hearts and Coronets - Criterion Collection
(Criterion - new on DVD)
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Black comedy with Dennis Price and Alec Guinness (playing eight roles). Bonuses: feature-length BBC documentary on the history of Ealing Studios; rare, 70-minute talk show appearance by Alec Guinness, from 1977; American ending; gallery of archival production and publicity photographs; original theatrical trailer; booklet with a new essay by film critic and historian Philip Kempnew. Restored high-definition digital transfer. Robert Hamer director.

Lady and the Tramp (Platinum Edition)
(Buena Vista - new on 2 DVDs)
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1955 Disney animated film. Voices include Peggy Lee. Extras: deleted scenes - 1. "Turning The Tables" - Tramp describes what it would be like if dogs were the masters and people were their pets and "La La Loo" - alternate concept for the arrival of the baby; making of "Lady's Pedigree: The Making Of Lady And The Tramp"; featurette - "Finding Lady: The Art Of The Storyboard"; Music Video; Interactive Features; "Disney Dog Trivia" - virtual board game; text/photo galleries: 1943 Original Storyboard Version Of The Film; Puppypedia. DVD-ROM: Disney Virtual Pet.

The Livin' End
(Collectables - new on CD)
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Barbara McNair 1964 album. 10 tracks.

Love Me Tender - Special Edition
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1956 Elvis Presley film. Bonuses: audio commentary by Elvis historian Jerry Schilling; featurettes "Love Me Tender: The Birth and Boom of the Elvis Hit," "The King and the Colonel," "Elvis Hits Hollywood"; trailers (Flaming Star, Love Me Tender, Wild in the Country); lobby cards and photos.

The Magic of Musicals
(new on Region 2 DVD)
Selection of the best-loved songs from the most successful West End musicals, including Les Miserables, Blood Brothers, Chess, A Chorus Line, Five Guys Named Moe, Follies, La Cage Aux Folles, A Little Night Music, Miss Saigon, Buddy, West Side Story and many more. Marti Webb and Mark Rattray. Available at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

Peter Karrie: The Impossible Dream
(new on CD)
Third album from theatre and concert performer (The Phantom of the Opera in London, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bradford, and Manchester). Show tunes plus full company numbers from Rasputin The Musical a new production for 2008. Available at Dress Circle.

Rhapsody in Blue
(Telarc - new on CD)
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Pianist Michel Camilo tribute to George Gershwin, accompanied by the 95-piece Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. In addition to "Rhapsody in Blue," includes Concerto in F and Prelude No. 2 for solo piano, with a touch of improvised blues. Super Audio CD.

Second Act Trouble: Behind the Scenes at Broadway's Big Musical Bombs
(Applause - Paperback Book)
Steven Suskin has compiled and annotated long-forgotten, first-person accounts of 25 Broadway musicals that stubbornly went awry. Contributions come from such respected writers as Patricia Bosworth, Mel Gussow, Lehman Engel, William Gibson, Lewis H. Lapham, and John Gruen. Caught in the stranglehold of tryout turmoil are Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, Jerry Herman, Cy Coleman, Charles Strouse, John Kander, Mel Brooks, and even Edward Albee. The infamous shows featured include Mack and Mabel; Breakfast at Tiffany's; The Act; Dude; Golden Boy; Hellzapoppin'; Nick and Nora; Seesaw; Kelly; and How Now, Dow Jones. [see our review of this book]

Songs of Innocence and of Experience Songbook
(E.B. Marks Music - Paperback Book)
William Bolcom's oratorio based on writings of William Blake.

Thalidomide!!
(Phocomedia - new on CD)
Original 2005 London Cast Recording starring Anna Winslet and Mat Fraser. 19 Tracks. Available at Footlight.com.

With Ossie and Ruby : In This Life Together
(Warner - new on 5 CDs)
Audio book version of actors Ossie and Ruby Davis memoir, read by the authors. Released February 1, 2006.

February 21, 2006

Daddy Long Legs
(Fox - new DVD)
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1955 musical film with Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Thelma Ritter, and Fred Clark. Songs by Johnny Mercer.

Dick Cavett Show - Comic Legends
(Shout Factory - new on 4 DVDs)
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1960s and early 1070s talk show. Episodes showcases the array of comic talent, including Woody Allen, Carol Burnett, Ruth Gordon, Groucho Marx, Jerry Lewis, Mel Brooks, Lucille Ball. Bonuses: Dick Cavett on Ed Sullivan Show; featurette "Cavett Remembers The Comic Legends"; introductions and interview with Dick Cavett.

Golden Boy
(DRG/Koch - new on CD)
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Re-reissue Capitol's OBC recording. Billy Daniels, Sammy Davis, Jr., Louis Gossett, Kenneth Tobey, Paula Wayne. Charles Strouse and Lee Adams score. [This is a re-release of the second version for which Davis re-recorded his solos.] No additional tracks.

Hoagy Carmichael: His Life And Music
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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Previously on VHS, a look at the life and times of one of the America's greatest musical talents in the twentieth century and composer of such songs as "Georgia on My Mind" and "Stardust."

Pin Up Girl
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1944 musical film with Betty Grable, John Harvey, Martha Raye, Joe E. Brown. Songs by James V. Monaco and Mack Gordon

Playing the Field/ Hip Parade
(DRG - new on CD)
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Vocalist Mark Murphy 1960 Capitol twofer of pop tunes and standards.

Robert Benchley and the Knights of the Algonquin
(Kino - new on DVD)
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"The joys and perils of Modern Life Through the Eyes of a Legendary American Humorist." Fourteen complete classic comedy films shorts, 1928-1941. Previous VHS-issued piece; no additional material.

Rent Special Edition
(Sony - new on DVD)
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Widescreen version of 2005 film. Extras: five deleted scenes and musical performances; director and cast commentary; "No Day But Today," a five-part feature-length documentary which includes a biography of composer Larson, the creation of the musical and its journey to Broadway, and the making of the movie; two public service announcements, one for the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation and another for the National Marfan Foundation. Also available in full screen.

Rent UMD
(Sony - new on UMD)
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2005 film in UMD video format ("Universal media disc" for Playstation).

Rent/Godspell
(Sony - new on 2 DVD)
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2005 Rent film, packaged with 1973 film version of Godspell. Widescreen. Also available in full screen.

Rent/Tommy
(Sony - new on 2 DVDs)
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Tony And Me: A Story of Friendship
(Goodhill Press - Hardcover Book/DVD)
By Jack Klugman and Burton Rocks. Memoir of Klugman's friendship with Tony Randall. 141 pages; DVD includes outtakes from Odd Couple TV show. Released in 2005.

Week-End In Havana
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1941 musical film with Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, John Payne, Cesar Romero. Songs by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon.

February 14, 2006

Better Two-gether
(BeMe Music - new on CD)
Vocalists Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael. Includes songs from their cabaret show "Two for the Road."

A Centenary Tribute: Josephine Baker
(Sepia - new on CD)
Tribute CD with 27 tracks spanning the years 1930-1953, Baker's most prolific period of recording. Five of the numbers appear for the first time on CD. U.K. release, available at Amazon UK.

Doll
(new on CD)
Kevin Cahoon and band Ghetto Cowboy. Glam rock/pop album of original tunes by Cahoon, David Nehls, Jan Tilley. Includes a punk rock version of "Could I Have This Dance?". Guest performers include Shoshana Bean, Denise Summerford, Robb Sapp. Also available at CDBaby.com.

Entrancing Music: Hildegarde
(Sepia - new on CD)
Includes "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" recorded in New York in 1941 and, with others, appearing for the first time on CD. 26 tracks. UK release available at Amazon UK.

Life
(Lmgkidsource Music - new on EP CD)
Tyler Stephenson solo album. A portion of the sale of "LIFE" will be donated to Season of Concern, located in Chicago, IL

The Love Album - Doris Day
(Concord Feinery - new on CD)
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Day's last official studio sessions, after her Columbia Records contract ended, from 1968. Has been available in the UK.

Love That Broadway Music
(Alfred Publishing - Paperback Book)
Songbook, includes 45 Broadway hits, including Almost Like Being in Love, Anything Goes, Bewitched, Big Spender, But Not for Me, Camelot, Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, Don't Rain on My Parade, Ease on Down the Road, Easy to Be Hard, Fiddler on the Roof, Gigi, Grease, Hey Look Me Over, I Didn't Know What Time It Was, I Got Plenty o' Nuttin', I'm Not At All in Love, If I Had My Druthers, Le Jazz Hot!, Let Me Entertain You, Look to the Rainbow, Love for Sale, Love Is Sweeping the Country, Lullaby of Broadway, Mack the Knife, Make Someone Happy, Mamma Mia, My Heart Stood Still, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Not While I'm Around, Once Before I Go, Ragtime, Send in the Clowns, Suddenly, Seymour, Try to Remember, Two Lost Souls, Well, Did You Evah?, and more.

Mario! Lanza at his Best
(BMG/RCA - new on CD)
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remastered "Living Stereo" reissue of 1958 album, and including the tenor's 1959 studio cast album of The Vagabond King. A 1995 CD contained only the eight VAGABOND tracks on which Lanza sang - this has 11 tracks from the original album, excluding "Overture/Opening Chorus" but adding the previously unreleased "Interlude and Nocturne (reprise)."

The Prince Of Melody: Leslie Hutchinson
(Sepia - new on CD)
Songs from a protégé of Cole Porter, the very last 78s he made in the 1950s. Most are appearing on CD for the first time. UK release available at Amazon UK.

Proof
(Miramax - new on DVD)
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Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Hope Davis, and Jake Gyllenhaal in 2005 film version of David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Bonuses: commentary by director John Madden; deleted scenes with optional commentary; "From Stage to Screen: The Making of Proof."

Red Light Winter : A Play
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
Play by Adam Rapp. Produced at Barrow Street Theater. [see our review of this production.]

Remember Me & Other Intimate Songs: Greta Keller
(Sepia - new on CD)
25 songs the Viennese singer recorded in the 1950s, almost all appearing on CD for the first time. Songs she introduced from an earlier period which she re-recorded, and some from Broadway shows that have since become standards forming part of the Great American Songbook. UK release available at Amazon UK.

Young Mr. Lincoln
(Criterion - on DVD)
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1939 fictionalized account of the early life of the American president starring Henry Fonda. Includes interviews with director John Ford and Henry Fonda, essay by film critic Geoffrey O'Brien, mp3 of Academy Award Theatre Radio Dramatization.

February 7, 2006

Audrey Hepburn Collection Anniversary Edition
(Paramount Home Video - on 3 DVDs)
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Includes anniversary edition of Breakfast at Tiffany's, Roman Holiday, and Sabrina. Extras.

Billy Elliot the Musical - Special Edition
(Universal/Decca - new on 2 CDs)
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Original London Cast Recording of Elton John/Lee Hall score. James Lomas, George Maguire, Liam Mower, Haydn Gwynn and Tim Healy. Second CD includes three bonus songs performed by Elton John ("The Letter," "Merry Christmas, Mrs Thatcher," "Electricity."). U.S. Release.

Breakfast at Tiffany's (Anniversary Edition)
(Paramount Home Video - on DVD)
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Remastered 45th anniversary release of the 1961 Blake Edwards film based on Truman Capote novel, with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Extras: commentary by producer Richard Shepherd; featurettes: "The Making of a Classic," "It's So Audrey: A Style Icon," "Brilliance in a Blue Box," "Audrey's Letter to Tiffany" and original theatrical trailer.

Cary Grant Box Set
(Sony - on 5 DVDs)
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Includes previously available The Awful Truth, Only Angels Have Wings, The Talk Of The Town, and His Girl Friday plus not previously released Holiday, 1938 George Cukor film based on Philip Barry play, with Katharine Hepburn. Features and commentaries included.

Clean House And Other Plays
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Plays by Sarah Ruhl.

Clippings
(new on CD)
Studio cast recording of Harvey, White and Saunders musical, set set in and around a barbershop from 1968 - 1971. Features Tony Bright, Becky Jenner, Antony Reed and Jackie Watts. Available at DressCircle.co.uk.

Cool School/Do Re Mi - June Christy
(EMI - new on CD)
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June Christy twofer. "Cool School" songs sung by children the world over but here with a big band backing, plus songs from Styne/Comden/Green Broadway score. Bob Cooper musical director. Give tracks are instrumental.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Vocal selections from Broadway musical. 16 vocal selections from David Yazbek's score. Songs include: Give Them What They Want, Great Big Stuff, Love Is My Legs, Love Sneaks In, Nothing Is Too Wonderful to Be True, What Was a Woman to Do, and more. Includes bio and four pages of photos.

Doll
(new on CD)
Kevin Cahoon and band Ghetto Cowboy. Glam rock/pop album of original tunes by Cahoon, David Nehls, Jan Tilley. Includes a punk rock version of "Could I Have This Dance?". Guest performers include Shoshana Bean, Denise Summerford, Robb Sapp. Also available at CDBaby.com.

Dracula Opera Rock
(Sony - on CD)
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Import. Rock opera produced by David Zard. Music is written and performed by PFM (Franco Mussida, Franz Di Cioccio, Flavio Premoli and Patrick Djivas). The opera debuts Spring 2006 near the GranTeatro of Rome. The work contains a song featuring Italian pop singer Dolcenera.

From Broadway With Love / Tender Loving Care - Nancy Wilson
(EMI - new on CD)
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Twofer from vocalist: "From Broadway with Love" album of 12 classic Broadway songs; "Tender Loving Care" album of love songs, some in a more jazzy style.

Julie/Love On The Rocks
(EMI - new on CD)
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Julie London twofer. 1958 "Julie" with jazz standards, and "LOVe on the Rocks" with songs of spurned love.

Just Plain Country/Tears & Heartaches Old Records - Kay Starr
(EMI - new on CD)
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Twofer CD release of country songs by vocalist Starr.

Kennedy Center Presents: Award-winning Plays from the American College Theater Festival
(Back Stage Books - Paperback Book)
By Gary Garrison, national chair for playwriting at the KC and professor at NYU, playwright, author. Foreword by Neil La Bute.

Mario! Lanza at his Best
(BMG/RCA - new on CD)
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remastered "Living Stereo" reissue of 1958 album, and including the tenor's 1959 studio cast album of The Vagabond King. A 1995 CD contained only the eight VAGABOND tracks on which Lanza sang - this has 11 tracks from the original album, excluding "Overture/Opening Chorus" but adding the previously unreleased "Interlude and Nocturne (reprise)."

On the Town : One Hundred Years of Spectacle in Times Square
(Random House - Hardcover Book)
By Marshall Berman. Interleafing his own recollections with astute social commentary, Berman reveals how movies, graphic arts, literature, popular music, television, and, of course, the Broadway theater have reflected Times Square's voluminous light to illuminate a vast spectrum of themes and vignettes. Berman shows us Times Square as it is seen in Alfred Eisenstadt's iconic photography, the movies of Busby Berkeley, John Schlesinger, and Martin Scorsese, and the stage choreography of Jerome Robbins.

Peter Allen - The Boy from Oz
(Acorn - new on DVD)
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Documentary from Ben Gannon about the songwriter, featuring his performance of some of his songs, and interviews with friends, colleagues, family, and Allen himself.

Rain Dance
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Lanford Wilson. Produced Off Broadway in 2003 at Peter Norton Space with Randolph Mantooth, Suzanne Regan, James Van Der Beek, Harris Yulin.

Resurrection Blues
(Penguin - Paperback Book)
New Arthur Miller play. Debuted at Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in 2002. [Our review of this production]

Seasons of Love - Michael Ball
(new on 2 CDs)
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Released January 17, 2006; import. Compilation CD with tracks taken from previous albums. Also available at Amazon UK.

Strangers
(Dress Circle - new on CD)
New studio cast recording of Vallier and Lindfield musical. Brighton Theatre Group Studio Cast. Available at DressCircle.co.uk

This Time Around
(new on CD)
U.K.'s Nikki Gerrard (Side by Side by Sondheim, Into the Woods, Victor Victoria) solo album. Available for Order at DressCircle.co.uk

We Could / Think I'll Go Somewhere & Cry Myself to Sleep - Al Martino
(EMI - new on CD)
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Twofer from vocalist Al Martino. Ballads and other standards.

Without You : A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent
(Simon & Schuster - Hardcover Book)
By Anthony Rapp. Rapp recounts his life-changing experience in the original cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Rent, the exhilarating journey with the cast and crew as well as the intimacies of his personal life behind the curtain. Even as friends and family were celebrating the show's success, they were also mourning Jonathan Larson's sudden death from an aortic aneurysm. When Anthony's mom began to lose her battle with cancer, he struggled to balance the demands of life in the theatre with his responsibility to his family. Rapp recounts the show's magnificent success, his overwhelming loss, and also shares his first experiences discovering his sexuality, the tension it created with his mother, and his struggle into adulthood to gain her acceptance.

Writing Musical Theater
(Palgrave Macmillan - Hardcover Book)
By Steven L. Rosenhaus and Allen Cohen. Complete guide to writing the modern musical covers the entire process of creating a show, from finding and working out the initial idea, through the writing of both songs and libretto, to the ways in which writers can market a finished show and get it produced.

January 31, 2006

Baker Street
(Universal/Decca Broadway - new on CD)
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OBC cast recording. Fritz Weaver, Inga Swenson, Martin Gabel. Will include Richard Burton's single of "A Married Man" and the instrumental "Baker Street Mystery" (a.k.a. "London Underworld") by Kai Wilding as bonus tracks.

Best of Ann Hampton Callaway
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
16 songs from this pop/jazz singer/songwriter, including: At the Same Time," "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)," "I Gaze in Your Eyes," "I've Dreamed of You," "The Nanny Named Fran," "Perfect," "Where Does Love Go?," and more.

Clarence Darrow
(Kultur Video - new on DVD)
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Filmed version of David W. Rintels' Broadway play based on "Irving Stone's Clarence Darrow for the Defense." Henry Fonda one-man show. Aired on the NBC Television Network September 4, 1974.

Bell Telephone Hour: Tribute To Harold Arlen
(VAI - new on DVD)
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1965 television show. Featuring Gretchen Wyler, Gordon MacRae, Dinah Shore, Leslie Uggams, and Duke Ellington's band. Available now at Footlight.com.

Hetty Wainthropp Investigates - The Complete Third Series
(Acorn Media - new on 3 DVDs)
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UK television series, featuring Patricia Routledge.

In My Mind
(RCA - new on CD and DualDisc)
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Heather Headley solo album. Single "In My Mind" available at iTunes.com.

Kitty Foyle
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1940 film based on Christopher Morley novel, with Ginger Rogers and Dennis Morgan. Other classic films released by Warners this week: 1937 Captains Courageous, 1937 The Good Earth, 1948 Johnny Belinda, 1956 Lust For Life, and a 2-disc "movie only" Gone With The Wind.

Purlie Victorious
(MPI Home Video - new on DVD)
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1963 film of Ossie Davis play (aka Gone Are the Days and The Man from C.O.T.T.O.N.). Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda and Sorrell Booke.

Sweeney Todd
(Nonesuch - new on CD)
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2005 Broadway revival cast recording. Patti LuPone, Michael Cerveris, John Arbo, Donna Lynne Champlin, Manoel Felciano, Alexander Gemignani, Diane DiMarzio, Benjamin Magnuson, Lauren Molina, Mark Jacoby. Recorded 11/14/05.

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
(Warner - new on DVD)
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Music by Danny Elfman

Trouble in Tahiti
(Kultur Video - new on DVD)
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1973 London Weekend Television production of Bernstein piece. Previously available in Bernstein boxed set. Nancy Williams, Mark Brown, Antonia Butler, Michael Clarke, Julian Patrick. 45 minutes.

Two's Company - Complete Series 4
(Acorn Media - new on DVD)
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UK television series with Elaine Stritch and Donald Sinden.

January 24, 2006

Anne & Gilbert
(Campbell Webster Entertainment - new on CD)
Original 2005 Canadian Cast Recording starring Marla McLean and Peter Deiwick. Score by Bob Johnston, Nancy White, Jeff Hochhauser. Based on the novels Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island. Available at Footlight.com.

Breathe
(new on CD)
By Dan Martin and Michael Bello. Award-winning collection of 7 short musical stories that celebrate gay and lesbian life. Breathe officially premiered in 1999 at the Bailiwick Rep in Chicago where it ran for 10 weeks and won the After Dark Award for Outstanding New Work. In March 2003 Breathe was produced by SNAP! Productions in Omaha where it received 8 TAG Award nominations. Available at CDBaby.com

The Color Purple
(EMI/Broadway Angel - new on CD)
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2005 Broadway cast recording with Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray score. Cast includes LaChanze, Elisabeth Withers, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Felicia P. Fields, and Kingsley Leggs. Lyrics can be downloaded at angelrecords.com/colorpurple/lyrics.pdf.

Dancing Revelations: Alvin Ailey's Embodiment of African American Culture
(Oxford Univ. Press - Paperback Book)
By Thomas F. DeFrantz. About the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and its influence. Information from video recordings, interviews, and oral histories.

Don't Play Us Cheap
(Xemon - new on DVD)
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Melvin Van Peebles' 1973 musical film adaptation of 1972 Broadway musical based on his novel The Party in Harlem, set in a boisterous Harlem party that is crashed by a pair of very unwelcome guests —two devilish minions sent up from the underworld to spoil everyone's fun. Esther Rolle, Mabel King, Avon Long.

Educating Rita
(Sony - new on DVD)
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1983 film adaptation of Willy Russel play. Julie Walters, Michael Caine, Michael Williams, Maureen Lipman, Jeananne Crowley, Malcolm Douglas.

An Evening With Lena Horne DVD
(Blue Note - new on DVD)
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Lena Horne performs with the Lena Horne Band and the Count Basie Orchestra at The Supper Club in New York on September 19, 1994. Selections include "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Just One of Those Things," "Old Friend," "Mood Indigo" and more than a dozen additional favorites. 72 minutes.

A Fine Romance: A Dorothy Fields Songbook
(DRG - new on CD)
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KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler album tribute to Dorothy Fields.

Flower Drum Songs: The Story Of Two Musicals
(McFarland & Co. - Paperback Book)
David H. Lewis draws upon fresh interviews with members of both the original and 2002 revival casts to chart in detail the difficult production history of Flower Drum Song. He explores the forces that turned against the original show; the movie version; rising criticism from within the Asian American community; and the indifference of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Photographs.

High School Musical
(Disney - new on CD+G)
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Soundtrack from 2006 Disney original musical film for TV. Released January 10, 2006. Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale. Original music by Andrew Seeley. Bonuses: B5's rendition of "Get'cha Head in the Game"; karaoke tracks of "Start of Something New" and "Breaking Free."

Letters to a Young Artist : Straight-up Advice on Making a Life in the Arts-For Actors, Performers, Writers, and Artists of Every Kind
(Anchor - Paperback Book)
By Anna Deavere Smith. Reflections on the creative process, the artist's life and the acting profession as a series of brief letters addressed to a fictitious teenager, with advice not only from painters, dancers, writers and actors but from a bull rider, a boxer and a dentist. Advice is often directly practical: how to deal with stage fright, face an audition, even keep well ("Stay hydrated"). Smith treats concerns of the spirit as well: how to cope with disappointment, depression and feeling alienated.

A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan
(Oxford University Press - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2001 hardcover issue. Gayden Wren's detailed examination of all fourteen Gilbert & Sullivan operas, with with a thesis thought to be controversial.

Seasons of a Life - Lena Horne
(Blue Note - new on CD)
New Lena Horne album. 10 tracks: "Black Is," "Maybe," "I've Got To Have You," "I'll Always Leave The Door A Little Open," "You're The One," "Something To Live For," "Chelsea Bridge," "Singin' In The Rain," "Willow Weep For Me," "Stormy Weather."

The St. Louis Woman/Arlen and His Songs
(Koch/DRG - new on CD)
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1946 Capitol OBC recording (Pearl Bailey, June Hawkins, Ruby Hill, Robert Pope) twofered with Harold Arlen and His Songs with Arlen singing.

Suburb
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Robert Cohen and David Javerbaum score. 2001 York Theatre cast (Adinah Alexander, Ron Butler, Jennie Eisenhower, James Ludwig, Jacqueline Piro, James Sasser). Available at Footlight.com.

The Woman in White
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for Andrew Lloyd Webber/David Zippel musical. Features nine vocal selections, including: All for Laura, Evermore Without You, I Believe My Heart, If I Could Only Dream This World Away, Lost Souls, The Seduction, Trying Not to Notice, You Can Get Away with Anything, You See I Am No Ghost.

January 17, 2006

Blood Brothers
(Essential Records U.K. - on CD)
Reissue of 1983 OLC album, with Barbara Dickson. [no extras expected.]. Available for at Amazon UK.

The Great American Trailer Park Musical
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording of David Nehls score. Show is currently running at Dodger Stages. Marya Grandy, Linda Hart, Shuler Hensley, Kaitlin Hopkins, Leslie Kritzer, Orfeh, Wayne Wilcox.

I Love Musicals
(Virgin - on 2 CDs)
Compilation album featuring mostly UK recorded tracks from stage and film musicals. Ruthie Henshall, Michael Crawford, Barbara Bonney, Julia McKenzie, Elaine Page, Jane Horrocks, Frances Ruffell, Joanna Ampil, and more. Henshall has recorded six new tracks for this CD. Available for Order at Amazon UK.

The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Rolin Jones. Presented by Atlantic Theatre Company in October 2005. [Our review of this production.]

Ivor Novello
(Haus - Hardcover Book)
By Paul Webb. Biography of Ivor Novello (The Dancing Years), accomplished popular actor, playwright and silent movie star.

Kay Francis: A Passionate Life And Career
(McFarland - Hardcover Book)
Biography by Lynn Kear and John Rossman. Kay Francis' family background and upbringing by a vaudevillian actress mother. Covers her extensive career and romantic pursuits, with comments from the media and her own diaries, and supplemented with ample photographs. A chronology gives dates of theater openings, film releases, marriages, television and radio appearances, births and deaths. A filmography includes complete cast and credit lists.

Moonlight and Magnolias
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Ron Hutchinson. Presented by Manhattan Theatre Club in March 2005.

Woman Before a Glass
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Lanie Robertson about Peggy Guggenheim. Presented in March 2005 at Promenade Theatre, starring Mercedes Ruehl. [Our review of this production.]

January 10, 2006

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Songbook
(Alfred Publishing - Paperback Book)
Arranged for piano/guitar with lyrics. Contains all of the songs from the musical plus full color photographs of the cast. "The I Love You Song," "I Speak Six Languages," "I'm Not That Smart," "Magic Foot," "My Friend, The Dictionary," "My Unfortunate Erection," "Pandemonium," "Prayer of the Comfort Counselor," "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," "Woe is Me."

The Buccaneer & Bonuses
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Sandy Wilson musical. 1955 London cast recording, with Kenneth Williams. Bonus tracks: selections from two other West End shows: four songs recorded from the short-lived Romance in Candlelight starring Sally Ann Howes, Patricia Burke and Jacques Pils; and Patricia Burke's three major solos from The Lisbon Story, which ran for over 500 performances in London during the war. 16-page CD booklet contains production shots and photos of some cast members from the three shows. Released 12/5/05 in UK.

Cabin in the Sky
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1943 classic film adaptation of Vernon Duke/John La Touche musical (book by Lynn Root). Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. First film directed by Vincente Minnelli. Music by Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, John LaTouche, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Extras/commentary tracks.

Debbie Gravitte - Defying Gravity
(JAY Records - new on CD)
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New solo album of show tunes with accompaniment by with the National Symphony Orchestra. Also available at Gravitte concerts.

The Green Pastures
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1936 film based on Marc Connelly's Pulitzer Prize winning play. Rex Ingram, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Oscar Polk. Extras/commentary tracks.

Get Over Yourself: How to Drop The Drama And Claim The Life You Deserve
(Hyperion Publishing - Hardcover Book)
By Tonya Pinkins, who shows readers techniques and exercises that help them develop their own processes for obtaining their goals. In addition to being an actress and singer, Pinkins has helped hundreds of people with her catalytic motivational seminars. She herself has seen the heights and the depths: from teen star to Tony Award winner to divorced mother on welfare to spiritual student to soaring success and unstoppable celebrity. Here, she takes the principles that helped her to succeed and puts them into a book that reaches out and grabs readers searching for a better way of life.

Hallelujah!
(Warner Home Video - new on DVD)
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1929 musical film with Daniel Haines, Nina Mae McKinney. Includes songs by Irving Berlin (written for the film), Stephen Foster, W.C. Handy, Richard Wagner. Directed by King Vidor. Extras/commentary tracks.

Judy Garland Shows #5 & #6
(Geneon Entertainment - on DVD)
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Judy Garland television shows with guests Tony Bennett, Dick Shawn, Steve Lawrence, and June Allyson. Previously available in boxed set - first time for sale individually.

Judy Garland Shows #13 & #16
(Geneon Entertainment - on DVD)
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Judy Garland television shows with guests Peggy Lee, Jack Carter, Ethel Merman, and Shelley Berman. Previously available in boxed set - first time for sale individually.

Hugh Sings Martin
(PS Classics, Inc. - new on CD)
Part of Songwriter Series. Devoted to theatre and film composer Hugh Martin and to include selections from each facet of his career. Produced by Steve Nelson, with Hugh Martin's full cooperation, and supervised by Elizabeth Auman and Mark Horowitz of the Music Division of the Library of Congress. Available at psclassics.org and at specialty stores, including Footlight.com.

The Jazz Train & Bonuses
(Sepia - new on CD)
Order at CD UniverseLondon cast recording, including Bertice Reading. Known as "A Musical Dedicated To The Negro People" - depicting different periods or stages in the evolution of black American popular music as seen through the eyes of Mervyn Nelson, the director and devisor of the show. Bonus tracks: Bertice Reading songs and performances by other black singers, who, like Bertice, found their careers blossomed in Britain; tracks recorded in London in the 1950s by Elisabeth Welch and Marie Bryant; selection of Peters Sisters' songs recorded in Paris while they were head-lining at the Folies Bergère. The 16 page CD booklet contains production shots and photos of some of the performers featured here. Released 12/5/05 in UK.

Lilith - The Rock Opera
(new on 2 CDs)
Musical retelling of the creation story by Thomas Krugler (Eveningsong - A Vampire Rock Opera). Features 30 musicians and singers, including members of Fang Of Love, W.A.C.O., Pigmy Love Circus, Listing Ship, and Soho Vamp. Includes a 28-page booklet with original artwork, photos, lyrics, and credits.

Lone Star Love
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording, with Clarke Thorell, Julie Tolivar, Beth Leavel, and the Red Clay Ramblers. Available now at PSClassics.com.

Salad Days & Bonuses
(Sepia - new on CD)
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OLC recording from Julian Slade and Dorothy Reynolds show. John Warner, Eleanor Drew, James Cairncross, Michael Meachum, Patricia Clark, Charles Granville, John Neville, Jane Wenham, Harry Dawson. Bonus tracks: material from The Duenna, another Julian Slade show; and his own recording of a medley from Salad Days. Released 12/5/05 in UK.

Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Volume 4 : Baritone/Bass
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book
37 songs, including: Along Came Bialy, Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Edelweiss, A Fellow Needs a Girl, Get Me to the Church on Time, Greased Lightnin', I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today, In Old Bavaria, A Lot of Livin' to Do, Masculinity, Put on a Happy Face, Sometimes a Day Goes By, Those Canaan Days, What Do You Do with a B.A. in English, Wonderful, Ya Got Trouble, and more. Also available: Baritone/Bass Accompaniment 2-CD sets: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3.

Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Volume 4 : Belter/Mezzo-Soprano
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
38 songs, including: Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, Anything but Lonely, Heaven Help My Heart, How Did We Come to This?, I Can Hear the Bells, I Don't Know How to Love Him, I Want to Go to Hollywood, I'm Not That Girl, Just One Step, Life with Harold, The Man That Got Away, Popular, Roxie, Shadowland, Still Hurting, There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Who Are You Now?, The Wizard and I, and more. Also available: Belter/Mezzo-Soprano Accompaniment 2-CD sets: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3.

Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Duets Vol. 2
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
31 duets from 27 classic to contemporary shows, for various voice combinations. Songs from Aida, Cabaret, Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Hairspray, The Last Five Years, The Phantom of the Opera, The Producers, Show Boat, Spamalot, Wicked, and other shows. Also available: Duets Accompaniment 2-CD set

Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology Volume 4: Soprano
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
37 songs, including: Bewitched, Children Will Listen, He Plays the Violin, He Was Too Good to Me, Home, I Could Be Happy with You, I Have Dreamed, I like Him, I Wonder What Became of Me, It's a Most Unusual Day, A Lovely Night, On the Steps of the Palace, One Boy (Girl), The Song Is You, Speak Low, We Kiss in a Shadow, Why Do I Love You?, Why Was I Born?, and more. Also available: Soprano Accompaniment 2-CD sets: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3.

Stormy Weather
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1943 film with Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway, "Fats" Waller.

The Trap-Door Maker: A Prequel to the Phantom of the Opera, Book 1
(Treehouse Animation Comics - Paperback Book)
By Peter Bregman. New backstory to the classic tale. First in a series of three, in comic book format.

The Water Gipsies & Bonuses
(Sepia - new on CD)
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195 OLC recording of Vivian Ellis/A.P. Herbert score. Dora Bryan, Laurie Payne, Roy Godfrey, Pamela Charles, Peter Graves, Ernest Butcher, Doris Hare, Jerry Verno, Joan Sims. Bonus tracks: very rare Ellis compositions recorded in the 1920s and 1930s, and tracks performed on the piano by Vivian Ellis. The 16 page CD booklet contains production shots and photos of some cast members. Released 12/5/05 in UK.

January 3, 2006

Broadway's Bravest Woman: Selected Writings of Sophie Treadwell
(Southern Illinois Press - Hardcover Book)
Editor, Jerry Dickey. Collection of plays, fiction, and journalistic essays by playwright Sophie Treadwell, one of America's most innovative yet neglected feminists.