December 30, 2008

Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
(New Yorker Video - new on DVD)
Order at CD Universe
1976 Brasilian film that was the basis for the musical Sarava!. Sonia Braga, Jose Wilker, Mauro Mendonca.

Second Star to the Right: Peter Pan in the Popular Imagination
(Rutgers Univ Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By Editors Allison B. Kavey and Lester D. Friedman. Various essays approach Peter Pan from literary, dramatic, film, television, and sociological perspectives and, in the process, analyze his emergence and preservation in the cultural imagination.

Tickety Tock
(Balzar & Bray - Hardcover Book)
Children's book by Jason Robert Brown; illustrated by Mary Grandpore. Tells the story of Schmuel, "in a little gray town called Klimovich." Ages 4-8. 32 pages.

Todd Almond: Mexico City
(on mp3) 
Recording of 10 original songs. Performed at the Zipper Theatre in 2008. Released October 2008.

December 23, 2008

Black Watch
(John Williams Ltd - new on DVD)
BBC TV production of Gregory Burke's play about the Scottish regiment. Also included: BBC Scotland documentary Black Watch: A Soldiers Story. Released in October 2008. Region 2 format. Available at Amazon UK.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
(Mutant Enemy - new on DVD-R)
Amazon exclusive DVD release of Josh Whedon's Internet musical with Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day. Includes Commentary! The Musical, commentary by the cast and crew, Evil League of Evil application videos, making-of featurettes. 43 minutes.

2009 Dramatists Guild Resource Directory
(Focus Publishing -Paperback Book)
Official annual reference for playwrights put out by the Dramatists Guild, the authoritative reference for any serious or casual playwright. Contains a number of useful resources for playwrights, including comprehensive listings of submission opportunities, conferences and festivals, annual submission calendar, listings of commercial producer, publishers and theaters, agents, attorneys, colonies and residencies, fellowships, grants & emergency funds, membership and service organizations, workshops. 2009 edition also includes many new features not previously published in past years, such as the new Dramatists Guild format standard for plays and musicals, Dramatist Bill of Rights, colleges, universities and training programs for dramatic writing, discounted hotels in the New York City area, Dramatists Guild Ten City report.

Hamlet 2
(Universal - new on DVD)
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2008 feature film with Todd Anderson, David Arquette, Marshall Bell, Catherine Keener, Marco Rodriguez.

Leo Andrew - Sweet Dreams
(Dress Circle - new on CD)
West End musical theatre performer (Chess, The Phantom of the Opera, Kiss of the Spider Woman, On Your Toes, Poppy (RSC), Which Witch, Underneath the Arches, Joseph solo album. "Sweet Dreams," "Cy Coleman Medley," "Playbill," "This Nearly was Mine," "You Got the Right Key But the Wrong Keyhole / Longtime Daddy," "Errol Flynn," "The Windmills of Your Mind," "Wheels of a Dream with Claire Moore," "For Good," "Too Many Mornings with Claire Moore," "The Rose," "Cole Porter Medley," "Unexpressed," "Being Alive," "What I Did for Love," "Goodnight My Someone." Available at Dress Circle.

Pushing Daisies Soundtrack
(Varese - new on CD)
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Jim Dooley TV soundtrack. Includes "Morning Has Broken" (performed by Ellen Greene), "Hopelessly Devoted To You" (performed by Kristin Chenoweth), "Birdhouse In Your Soul" (Kristin Chenoweth and Ellen Greene). 35 tracks.

Steve Tyrell - Back To Bacharach Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Vocal/piano original keys for singers. Actual vocal transcriptions of the original recording of Tyrell's tribute to Burt Bacharach —created with Bacharach's participation. 14 classics, including: Alfie," "Always Something There to Remind Me," "Close to You," "I Say a Little Prayer," "The Look of Love," "One Less Bell to Answer," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," "This Guy's in Love with You," "Walk on By," "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and more. 96 pages.

tick, tick ... BOOM!: The Complete Book and Lyrics
(Applause - Paperback Book)
Libretto of Off-Broadway show based on the work of Jonathan Larson. 176 pages.

The Top Job
( BJF & RMC Music - new on CD-R)
Brian Feinstein (Mimi Le Duck, Big Fat Cat) and Robin Moyer Chung (Big Fat Cat) musical based on the popular children's book. Produced at the prestigious Vital Theatre in NYC with Julie Goldin, Rob Morrison, Andy Lindberg, Mychal Phillips, Roderick Justice, Tom Waltz, and Natalie Bird. Available at CD Baby.

War Horse Soundtrack
(National Theatre - new on CD)
Music and songs from London production. Available at National Theatre website.

December 16, 2008

Aoife Mulholland - Live From Galway
(new on CD)
West End actress (Chicago, The Sound of Music). "Caledonia," "Annie Get Your Gun Medley," "Not While I`m Around," "When You Come Home To Me," "Andrew Lloyd Webber Medley," "Chicago Medley," "If I Ain`t Got You," "Ironic," "Runaway," "All The Love," "Someone Else`s Story," "Jazz Medley," "Sway." Available at Dress Circle.

Anne of Green Gables
(JAY - new on CD)
Off-Broadway cast recording of Gretchen Cryer, Nancy Ford musical. Bethe Austin, Erick Devine, Alison Faircloth, Andrew Gehling, Piper Goodeve, Jessica Grove, Heather Mac Rae, Michael Mendiola. Released 12/9.

Casey Erin Clark: The Song Begins
(new on CD)
Musical theatre performer Case Erin Clark (Shout! The Mod Musical, Frankenstein, The Hatpin) sings musical theatre songs including selections from Jason Robert Brown, Frank Wildhorn, Frank Loesser and new writers Ken Clifton, John McMahon, Jay Jeffries, Peter Rutherford and James Millar. "Real New Yorker Now," "It's Magic," "To Sir With Love," "Gotta Have Me Go With You," "In His Eyes," "A Rock," "Goodbye Until Tomorrow," "Since I Met You," "Murder! He Says," "Astonishing" (Little Women), "Love, Bring Me Some Water." Available at CD Baby.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Soundtrack
(Mutant Enemy - new on CD-R)
Amazon exclusive release. Soundtrack for web musical series featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day. Music and lyrics by Joss and Jed Whedon, and additional lyrics by Maurissa Tancharoen. Previously available in digital download format.

Dramatists Sourcebook 25th Edition (Dramatists Sourcebook)
(TCG - Paperback Book)
Called "the essential guide to professional opportunities and playscript procedures" by The Dramatists Guild of America, the Dramatists Sourcebook contains more than nine hundred opportunities for playwrights, translators, composers, lyricists, and librettists, including script-submission procedures for hundreds of professional theaters, more than one hundred prizes, and scores of publishers, fellowships, residencies, developmental programs, agents, service organizations, state arts agencies, and reference publications. This fully revised twenty-fifth edition is thoroughly indexed and contains an invaluable calendar of submission guidelines, as well as the "Simple Working Guide for Playwrights" by Tony Kushner.

Little Women, A Little Musical by Jay Richards
(new on CD/mp3)
Jay Richards' (Tangelwood Records) new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott classic novel. premiered Jan 12, 2006 at the Ellen Eccles Theatre. Available at CD Baby.

Mamma Mia!
(Universal - new on DVD)
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2008 musical film adaptation with Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Stellan Skarsgaard, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper. Additional Material: audio commentary by Director Phyllida Lloyd; deleted musical number "The Name of the Game."

Mamma Mia!
(Universal - new on Blu-Ray)
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2008 musical film adaptation with Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Stellan Skarsgaard, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper. Disc One: commentary with director Phyllida LLoyd; Sing-Along (with on-screen lyrics to 22 musical numbers); deleted scenes; outtakes; deleted musical number: "The Name of the Game"; Anatomy of a Musical Number: "Lay All Your Love on Me"; featurettes The Making of Mamma Mia! (from Broadway to Hollywood, Becoming a Singer (see how Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and the rest of the stars brought the ABBA songs to life on the screen), A Look Inside Mamma Mia!; "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" Music Video (new rendition by actress Amanda Seyfried); Bjorn Ulvaeus cameo; U Control Picture-in-Picture and Behind the Hits ; BD Live My Scenes Sharing, Downloadable Content, My Chat and My Mamma Mia! Commentary. Disc Two: digital copy of Mamma Mia!.

Mamma Mia! Special Edition
(Universal - new on 2 DVDs)
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2008 musical film adaptation with Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep, Stellan Skarsgaard, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper. Disc 1 additional material: audio commentary by Director Phyllida Lloyd; deleted musical number "The Name of the Game"; interactive feature Sing-Along. Disc 2: Behind the Scenes With Amanda; deleted scenes; outtakes; "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" Music Video; featurettes Anatomy of a Musical Number: 'Lay All Your Love on Me', Becoming a Singer, On Location in Greece, A Look Inside Mamma Mia!, Bjorn Ulvaeus Cameo, The Making of Mamma Mia!; digital copy - Mamma Mia!.

Meet me at Paddington
(new songbook/CD)
New musical by Mike Hume and Christiane Bjorg Nielsen. Available at Dress Circle.

Stomp Live
(Well Go USA - new on DVD)
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Brand new stage performance filmed in HD this past summer in Brighton England, the birthplace of Stomp. Filmed before a sell out crowd, with 11 hi definition cameras with an all digital 7.1 surround sound mix.

Wizard of Oz Paper Dolls
(Dover Publications - Paperback Book)

December 9, 2008

Auntie Mame/Rome Adventure
(Film Score Monthly - new on CD)
Twofer soundtrack issue featuring the work of Bronislau Kaper and Max Steiner scores. Newly remastered from the original 1/4' and 1/2' stereo album tapes, respectively. Liner notes are by James Lochner. Available at www.screenarchives.com.

The Glorious Ones
(JAY Records - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording. Ahrens and Flaherty musical. Natalie Venetia Belcon, Erin Davie, John Kassir, David Patrick Kelly, Marc Kudisch, Julyana Soelistyo, Jeremy Webb. Recorded January 8, 2008. Available at JAYRecords.com.

Hair - Let The Sun Shine In
(Koch - new on DVD)
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New documentary about the musical. Archival footage from U.S. and international productions; interviews with authors James Rado and Gerome Ragni, composer Galt MacDermot and Broadway director Tom O'Horgan and Milos Forman; footage of James Rado rehearsing Hair with various companies; interviews with original cast members Keith Carradine, Ben Vereen and Melba Moore; television appearances by Rado and Ragni, both of whom starred in the original Broadway company. 55-minute documentary with an hour of additional footage. Also available at Alivemindmedia.

A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe
(Speckulation Entertainment - new on CD)
Live highlights recording of songs by composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe from Honk!, Just So, Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, as well as previously unrecorded material and six exclusive tracks from their upcoming show, Soho Cinders, an alternative gay fairytale based on the Cinderella story. Joanna Riding, Clive Rowe and Leanne Jones, pop star Gareth Gates and musical theatre stars Julie Atherton, Helena Blackman, Daniel Boys, Richard Dempsey, James Gillan, Alison Jiear, Shona Lindsay, Lisa O'Hare, Caroline Sheen, Scarlett Strallen, Rebecca Thornhill and Oliver Tompsett. Available for pre-order at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

December 2, 2008

Act One - Songs From the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange
(new on CD)
26 leading ladies and men from West End sing songs from all of Bermange's shows. Notes by Tim Rice. Produced by Mike Dixon. 20 tracks. Available at Dress Circle.

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
(Comedy Central - new digital download at iTunes)
 
2008 holiday musical-comedy special. Includes original songs by Adam Schlesinger and David Javerbaum (Cry-Baby). Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Elvis Costello, Feist, John Legend, Toby Keith, and Willie Nelson. Aired November 23.

A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All
(Comedy Central - new on DVD)
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2008 holiday musical-comedy special. Includes original songs by Adam Schlesinger and David Javerbaum (Cry-Baby). Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Elvis Costello, Feist, John Legend, Toby Keith, and Willie Nelson. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the DVD will go to the charity Feeding America. Aired November 23.

Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews
(Lionsgate - new on DVD)
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Originally broadcast in May of 1977. Also contains new footage with Sir David Frost shot in 2007 discussing the historical impact of the interview along with his reactions of their famous encounter. Frost also discusses his views on Peter Morgan's interpretation and screenplay adaptation of this historical event.

It's Only Life: A New Musical Revue Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
14 songs from the 2006 musical revue featuring the songs of John Bucchino, including: "The Artist at 40," "I'm Not Waiting," "It's Only Life," "Love Will Find You in Its Time," "On My Bedside Table," "Painting My Kitchen," "Playbill," "What You Need," "When You're Here," "and more, plus an intro by Bucchino and foreword by Sheldon Harnick.

Jill O'Hara - Alone Together
(new on CD)
New album from stage actress/singer (Promises, Promises). "A Lover's Prayer," "Ten Cents a Dance," "Rollin'," "Dayton Ohio - 1903," "Alone Together," "'Til I Get It Right," "Dreaming," "The Other Woman," "Marie," "Kitchen Man," "Old Man," "Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father," "Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies," "This Song Is For Me." Currently available by mail order.

John Barrowman - Music Music Music
(Epic - new Import CD)
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"What About Us," "From A Distance," "You`ll Think Of Me," "I Made It Through The Rain," "You Don`t Have To Say," "Right Here Waiting For You," "Uptown Girl," "Both Sides Now," "Angel," "I Know Him So Well," "I Am What I Am," "Cant Take My Eyes Off You." Also available at Dress Circle and Amazon UK.

Let's Make A Date
(new iTunes digital and Amazon mp3)

Johnny Rodgers and Liza Minnelli two-song EP. Includes Rodgers and Minnelli singing the title song, and Rodgers' cover of Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On." With the Johnny Rodgers Band. Release coincides with Minnelli's new show at The Palace Theatre (Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers)

Nancy Stearns: This Moment
(new on CD)
Based on a cabaret show that Nancy Stearns performed at Don't Tell Mama in 2008 with music director, Gregory Toroian, on piano, and David Finck, on bass. Songs from the Great American Songbook, American musical theatre, film, pop, folk, and jazz —all performed in a cabaret style. Available at CD Baby.

The Rob Landes Trio plays Richard Rodgers
(new on CD)
Live performance at the Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston, Texas. Available at CD Baby.

Song of the Living Dead
(new on CD)
Cast recording of new zombie musical by Matt Horgan, Travis Sharp and Eric Frampton. Played in June 2008 at Dad's Garage Theatre, Atlanta GA. Available at CD Baby.

Three Plays: Dividing the Estate, the Trip to Bountiful, and The Young Man from Atlanta
(Northwestern Univ Press - Paperback Book)
New collection of three Horton Foote plays.

November 25, 2008

13
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Original Broadway cast recording of Jason Robert Brown score. "13/Perfect Party," "The Lamest Place in the World," "Hey Kendra," "Get Me What I Need," "What It Means to be a Friend," "All Hail the Brain/Terminal Illness," "Getting Ready," "Any Minute," "Good Enough," "Here I Come," "Opportunity," "Bad Bad News," "Tell Her," "It Can't Be True," "If That's What It Is," "A Little More Homework," "Brand New You."

Andrew Lloyd Webber: 60
(Universal Classics - on 3 CDs)
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U.S. release of compilation set. See track list.

The Complete Gilbert and Sullivan (Paperback)
(Penguin - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2006 book.Ed Glinert (Editor), Mike Leigh (Introduction). Annotated edition of all fourteen of their operas. Libretti, commentary, background its performance history, plot summaries and original cast lists. Previously available as hardcover import. 912 pages.

The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II
(Knopf - Hardcover Book)
Amy Asch, Editor (The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin, the expanded The Complete Lyrics of Lorenz Hart, Playbill Broadway Yearbook). Introduction by Ted Chapin. Sixth volume in Knopf's Complete Lyrics series. Contains the text to more than 850 songs by the preeminent musical dramatist of the twentieth century, whose body of work ranged from the operettas of the twenties and thirties through the golden era of the Broadway and Hollywood musicals of the forties and fifties.

Doris Day: Complete Christmas Collection
(Collector's Choice - on CD)
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22 tracks - the first 12 are from Day's 1964 The Doris Day Christmas Album, issued in its entirety on CD for the first time in the U.S. with "Silver Bells," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Snowfall," "Toyland," "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!," "Be a Child at Christmas Time," "Winter Wonderland," "The Christmas Song," "Christmas Present," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "The Christmas Waltz," and "White Christmas"; "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" comes from the 1959 Hooray for Hollywood double album with Frank DeVol, "Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly" (first U.S. release, the only finished song from a shelved holiday album Doris began with DeVol that same year); "Here Comes Santa Claus," "Ol' Saint Nicholas," "Christmas Story," "Silver Bells" and "The Christmas Song" (with Les Brown & His Orchestra) are all single sides she cut for Columbia from 1946 to 1950; "Silent Night" and "Christmas Greeting from Doris" are unreleased tracks, the first from her early-1950s radio show, the second from her late-1960s CBS-TV show; and a reading of "Let No Walls Divide" from the all-star 1961 Columbia Christmas album We Wish You the Merriest.

In Color
(Electric Fountain Records - new iTunes download) 
Michael Cavanaugh (Movin' Out. Nine songs from rock legends who have influenced him through the years: Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Michael Stanley Band, Joe Cocker/Dave Mason, Led Zeppelin and Big Joe Turner. Also, four new songs, of which "Miles Away" and "Give It Time" were written by Michael. Produced by Rob Mathes. CD to be n stores 1/20/09.

Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings
(Collector's Choice - on 2 CDs)
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Restored and remastered directly from the original master tapes. From four albums originally released from 1968 through 1972. Also features an informative essay from Scott Schechter, inside a full-color booklet with rare photos, and includes the studio albums Liza Minnelli (1968), Come Saturday Morning (1969) and New Feelin' (1970), along with her first in-person solo recording Live at the Olympia in Paris (1972) - discs that have never appeared on CD in the U.S. Also, unreleased outtakes of "I'm Looking over a Four-Leaf Clover," "Alicinha," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," "This Girl's in Love with You," "Snow; Tell Me That You Love Me Junie Moon," "Old Friend" (a.k.a 'Hey Friend') and "For Once in My Lifetime." 51 tracks in all.

Mamma Mia!: The Deluxe Edition
(Decca - on CD/DVD/book)
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Includes the soundtrack CD (no added music), a DVD featuring 30 minutes of recording session footage, interviews with the cast and composers, and the music video of "Gimme, Gimme Gimme" by Amanda Seyfried, plus a hardcover booklet with essays and photos.

Natalie Toro
(new on CD-R)Album of showtunes; includes a duet with Sutton Foster "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again." Available at CD Baby.

Norm Lewis: This Is the Life
(new on CD-R/mp3) 
Available at CD Baby. "This Is the Life," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?," "No One Is Alone," "Before the Parade Passes By," "Moon River," "We Live On Borrowed Time," "It's Not Unusual," "Misty," "All the Things You Are," "Di Provenza," "Go the Distance." Available at CD Baby.

Once: Music from the Motion Picture
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
13 songs from the Irish film with songs by Czech Republic-born Marketa Irglova and Frames front man Glen Hansard. Songs include: "The Hill," "If You Want Me," "Say It to Me," "When Your Mind's Made Up" and more.

Pulitzer Prize Plays: The First 50 Years 1917-1967, A Dramatic Reflection of American Life
(Limelight - Paperback Book)
By Dr. Paul Firestone. An analysis of the 42 plays that were awarded the Prize during the first 50 years of the Pulitzer's existence (1917-1967). Firestone sets out to examine the reason behind newspaper-owner Joseph Pulitzer's establishment of a Prize for Drama and search out why these 42 plays were honored with that award. In a series of informal essays, Dr. Firestone analyzes more than the dramatic action or the character development in these plays, providing insight into how they reflect America's cultural values and mores, organizing them by their major themes: Themes of Family Life; Themes of Social Protest; Themes of Political Heroes; Themes of the Spiritual Condition of Man; and Themes of Morality in a Materialistic Society.

Some Men
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Terrence McNally play.

November 18, 2008

Broadway Musicals Show by Show 6th Edition
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Updated to include more than 300 of the most important and memorable productions of the American musical theatre. Chronologically arranged beginning with The Black Crook in 1866, the sixth edition adds entries on musicals from recent years, including The Lion King, Hairspray, The Producers, Wicked, The Boy from Oz, Mamma Mia!, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Avenue Q, and others. Statistics, inside information, critical reception, cast lists, and commentary about each show.

Broadway Unplugged 4
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Original 2007 concert cast recording starring Sarah Uriarte Berry, David Burnham, Bill Daugherty, Darius De Haas, Max Von Essen, Marc Kudisch, Aaron Lazar, Beth Leavel, Lorinda Lisitza, Andrea McArdle, Michael McElroy, Sarah Jane McMahon, William Michals, Paul Schoeffler, Emily Skinner, Martin Vidnovic and Barbara Walsh. Recorded live at Town Hall. 18 tracks. Currently available at Footlight.

Cannibal! The Musical: 13th Anniversary Edition
(Troma - on 2 DVDs)
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Trey Parker and Matt Stone's film musical comedy with new commentary track by them, never-before-seen outtakes reel, feature-length drunken commentary with the cast, a look at Cannibal stage revivals from all over the world, and much more.

Further Adventures Of Hedda Gabler
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Jeff Whitty. [our review of LA production of this play]

The Gospel at Colonus
(New Video Group - new on DVD)
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Filmed version of 1985 Philadelphia production. Bob Telson musical adaptation of Oedipus at Colonus. Jevetta Steele, Isabell Monk, Robert Earl Jones, Carl Lumbly, Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama (who collectively play Oedipus) and Morgan Freeman. 90 minutes.

The Great American Book Musical: A Manifesto, Monograph, and Manual
(Limelight Editions - Paperback Book)
By analyzing the scores, lyrics, librettos, and choreography of such innovative and revolutionary shows such as Oklahoma!, On the Town, A Chorus Line, and Dreamgirls, as well as looking at which factors propelled certain shows to success (and which factors caused them to flop), author Denny Martin Flinn provides a history and practical guide to the creation of Great American Book Musicals for the current generation.

Keys: The Music of Scott Alan
(new on CD)
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New album of songs by Scott Alan. Performers include Marcus Paul James, Julia Murney, Tituss Burgess, Jenn Colella, Lisa Brescia, Randy Graff, Heidi Blickenstaff, Kerry Ellis, Norm Lewis, Kate Wetherhead, Megan Hilty, Hadley Fraser, Natalie Weiss, Sutton Foster. Currently available at CD Baby.

Lord Let the Angels Sing
(new digital download)
Johnny Rodgers Band holiday single. With Ben Taylor. At iTunes.

Razzle Dazzle - Mitzi Gaynor
(City Lights - new on DVD)
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All new documentary about Gaynor's annual television specials, to be aired on PBS this fall. Includes excerpts from Gaynor's 1968-78 TV specials choreographed by Peter Gennaro, Danny Daniels, Tony Charmoli, and Robert Sidney; interviews with Gaynor, Bob Mackie, Kristin Chenoweth, Tony Charmoli, Carl Reiner, Rex Reed, and Kelli O'Hara. Extra 60 minutes on the DVD include musical performances; "Mitzi and Mackie: Look Back in Fashion!" featurette; "Uncensored and Unseen": Mitzi's Egyptian Dance; Mitzi is "The Kid"; 2 full-length performances; Mitzi and Friends Salute Sondheim's "Company"; "Mitzi & George Hamilton at the Movies"; full-length comedy sequence from Mitzi's 1968 Special Razzle Dazzle; photo gallery; Mitzi and Bruce Vilanch Live in San Francisco 2008.

Spider Saloff: Cole Porter Live at Maxim's
(new on CD)
30 tracks. Released July 29, 2008. Available at CD Baby.

Wall-E: Collector's Edition
(Buena Vista - new on 3 DVDs)
2008 animated film (which features clips from the Hello, Dolly! film). Includes deleted scenes, digital copy and many extras. Also available in Single Disc and Blu-Ray versions.

What We Do - Working in the Theatre
(Paperback Book)
By Bo Metzler. Available at Buy Books.

November 11, 2008

Annie Ross Sings A Song With Gerry Mulligan
(DRG - on CD)
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1957 album. "I Feel Pretty," "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face," "All Of You," "Give Me The Simple Life," "This Is Always," "My Old Flame," "This Time The Dream's On Me," "Let There Be Love," "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea," "How About You," "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan," "This Is Always," "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Lady's In Love With You, The," "You Turned The Tables On Me," "I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face" - (alternate take).

Burt Bacharach Live at the Sydney Opera House
(Verve - new on CD)
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Live performance recording. 32 tracks. Released October 28, 2008.

Boys in the Band
(CBS/Paramount - new on DVD)
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Restored under supervision of director William Friedkin. Cast includes Kenneth Nelson, Peter White, Laurence Luckinbill, Leonard Frey and Cliff Gorman. Will include interviews with Art Crowley and cast members. Bonuses: "The Boys in the Band": The Play (the genesis of Mart Crowley's play); "The Boys in the Band": The Movie (William Friedkin and the making of the film); "The Boys in the Band": Today (On the 40th anniversary of the play, those who made and lived it discuss how the stage and film versions became cult classics).

Dear Edwina
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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2008 world premiere recording of Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich's first musical, starring Kerry Butler as Edwina, and featuring Jeff Blumenkrantz, Andrea Burns, Danny Burstein, Rebecca Luker, Telly Leung, Terrence Mann and Kate Shindle.

Edith Bouvier Beale Of Grey Gardens: A Life in Pictures
(Verlhac Editions - Hardcover Book)
Edited by Peter Beard with introduction by Bouvier Beale Jr. In-depth look at the life of Little Edie. Conceived by members of the Beale family, the book traces a line from Edie's childhood through her heady days as a young socialite and her later years at Grey Gardens. Featuring over 150 newly uncovered photographs and letters. 192 pages.

Evening with Beatrice Lillie
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Broadway production ran for 275 performances, played London and toured the US and the UK. This recording was made after the tour. Beatrice Lillie, Reginald Gardiner (Leslie Bricusse performed in the UK) and Eadie and Rack at the pianos. Overture (Eadie And Rack ), "Rhythm," "Nanette," "Folk Song Cycle," "Weary Of It All Listen, "Piccolo Marina," "There Are Times," "Paint," "Maud," "There Are Fairies At The Bottom Of Our Garden Listen, "The Party's Over Now," "I Apologise Listen, "The Fan Listen, "Three Little Fishies / Hold Tight, Hold Tight," Medley: "I Want To Go Back To Michigan / Where The Black-Eyed Susans Grow / Lazy / Susanna's Squeaking Shoes," "Wind Round My Heart," "He Was A Gentleman," "Trains" (Reginald Gardiner), Listen, "Trains (Continued)" (Reginald Gardiner), "The Party's Over Now Listen."

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
(Sepia - new on CD)
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1958 Dot Records TV cast, with songs by Hugh Martin. Tab Hunter, Peggy King and and opera star Jarmila Novotna perform the show's nine tracks. Bonus: four songs performed by Hunter including his chart-topper "Young Love" and "I'm A Runaway" from Gunman's Walk, and sixteen songs by Peggy King, most of which are appearing on CD for the first time. 16 page booklet includes a forward by Hunter and rare production photographs from "Hans Brinker" from his private collection.

Hollywood Musicals Collection
(Fox/MGM - on 61 DVDs)
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50-film collection from Fox and MGM studios. Including The Goldwyn Follies and the Eddie Cantor films Whoopee! and Kid Millions, with have not been released on DVD before. Click here for list of films.

Howard Sings Ashman
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Newest in Songwriter Series. Prepared with the assistance and cooperation of Howard Ashman's sister, Sarah Ashman Gillespie, and his life partner, Bill Lauch. To include selections from Ashman's most famous scores (Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), his lesser-known shows (including God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and Smile), as well as several unknown songs from unproduced works.

Irma La Douce
(Sepia - new on CD)
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OLC, including Elizabeth Seal, Clive Nevill, Keith Mitchell. All 15 tracks plus bonus tracks: original Paris cast Irma Colette Renard and international star Zizi Jeanmaire performing songs from the musical in French. 16-page booklet includes an interview with Elizabeth Seal and photographs from the London production supplied by Elizabeth and Michael Ward who took them.

Jackie Hoffman: Live At Joe's Pub
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Jackie Hoffman album, recorded live onstage at Joe's Pub.

Manhattan Transfer - 35th Anniversary Great American Songbook
(Time Life - on DVD)
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Marks Manhattan Transfer's 35th anniversary. Exclusive, intimate performances featuring their trademark vocal harmonies with piano accompaniment. Recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles. Includes interviews behind-the-scenes footage from Time-Life's "Great American Songbook" infomercial shoot, photo galleries. 45 minutes.

A Marshmallow World - Jessica Martin & Mark Steyn
(new single CD)
Holiday song from UK performer Jessica Martin (Marguerite, "Dr. Who") and author (Mark Steyn's American Songbook) and online host of "Song of the Week" Mark Steyn. CD available at CD Baby, Amazon; mp3 available at The Steyn Line.

Marguerite Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for UK musical with score by Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Michel Legrand, Herbert Kretzmer.

The Marvelous Wonderettes
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording for show featuring 1950s-60s pop tunes. Farah Alvin, Bets Malone, Victoria Matlock. Jeffrey Lesser produces.

Paramount Centennial Collection
(Paramount - each on 2 DVDs)
2-disc re-releases (slightly upgraded quality plus some extras) of Sunset Boulevard, Roman Holiday, Sabrina.

Patti LuPone at Les Mouches
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Digitally restored recording from her 1980 solo show performances at Les Mouches in New York City. Songs include "Because The Night," "Mr. Tambourine Man," "Evita," "Rainbow High," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Come Rain Or Come Shine," "Not While I'm Around," "Meadowlark."

The Railway Children
(TER - new on CD)
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British cast recording of new Richard John/Julian Woolford musical based on Nesbit novel. Paul Henry, Susannah Fellows. Import. Available now at Footlight.com and Dress Circle.

Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder
(DRG - new on CD)
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New Barbara Cook CD. "Cookin Breakfast for the One I Love" (William Rose-Henry Tobias), "For All We Know" (J. Fred Coots-Sam Lewis), "Hallelujah, I Love Him So" (Ray Charles), "Harbour" (Peter Allen), "He Loves and She Loves" (George Gershwin-Ira Gershwin), "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"/"I Wish I Could Forget You" (Fred Ahlert-Joe Young/Stephen Sondheim), "I'm Through with Love"/"Smile" (Matty Malneck-Ray Livingston/David Raksin-Charles Chaplin), "If I Ever Say I'm Over You" (John Bucchino), "Lost in the Stars"/"No More" (Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson/Stephen Sondheim), "Love Is Good for Anything That Ails You" (Cliff Friend-Matty Melneck), "Old Devil Moon" (Burton Lane-E.Y. Harburg), "Sooner or Later" (Charles Wolcott-Ray Gilbert), "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder" (Al Jolson-Billy Rose-Dave Dreyer), "Where or When (Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart), "Lucky to Be Me" (Leonard Bernstein-Betty Comden-Adolph Green). Produced by Hugh Fordin with arrangements by Lee Musike, who also conducts the band.

Rudolf Friml (American Composers)
(Univ of Illinois Press -Hardcover Book)
Author William Everett discusses composer Rudolf Friml in the larger historical contexts of the American operetta, the Indianist movement, Francophilia, Orientalism, and romantic nostalgia.

Studio One Anthology
(Koch - new on 6 DVDs)
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The Archive of American Television presents 17 restored/re-mastered episodes, plus bonus material. Twelve Angry Men, Wuthering Heights, 1984, The Arena, June Moon, Dino, Julius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, The Storm, Confessions of a Nervous Man, The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners, Dark Possession, The Death and Life of Larry Benson, The Strike, The Medium, An Almanac on Liberty, Summer Pavilion. Bonuses: footage from the Archive of American Television utilizing interview excerpts about Studio One; excerpts from The Paley Center's Studio One Seminar; interview with Director Paul Nickell; collectible 52-page booklet with detailed information about each episode. Stars include Charlton Heston, Art Carney, Jack Lemmon, Leslie Nielsen, Norman Fell, Sal Mineo, Elizabeth Montgomery, Vaughn Taylor, Lorne Greene and Lee Remick. 850 minutes.

Theatre of the Real: Yeats, Beckett, and Sondheim
(Ohio State University Press - Hardcover Book/CD-ROM)
By Gina Masucci MacKenzie. "Traces the thread of jouissance (the simultaneous experience of radical pleasure and pain) through three major theatre figures of the twentieth century ... engages theatrical text and performance in dialogue with the Lacanian Real, so as to re-envision modern theatre as the cultural site where author, actor, and audience come into direct contact with personal and collective traumas. By showing how a transgressively free subject may be formed through theatrical experience, MacKenzie concludes that modern theatre can liberate the individual from the socially constructed self. The Theatre of the Real revises views of modern theatre by demonstrating how it can lead to a collaborative effort required for innovative theatrical work. By foregrounding Yeats's "dancer" plays, the author shows how these intimate pieces contribute to the historical development of musical as well as modern theatre. Beckett's universal dramas then pave the way for Sondheim's postmodern cacophonies of idea and spirit as they introduce comic abjection into modernism's tragic mode."

Tony Palmer's Film About The Fantastic World Of Michael Crawford
(Koch Entertainment - new on DVD)
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Documentary made during Crawford's mid-1990s run in FX in Las Vegas. Includes archival clips and (then-) new footage. Premiered at the MGM Grand in 1996. 91 minutes.

Tyran Parke: Sunday in the Parke
(on CD/mp3)

Debut album by Australian music theatre performer, recently seen as Georges Seurat in Sunday In The Park With George and in The Hatpin. Songs from two new Australian musicals, The Hatpin and Metro Street plus one song ("I Was Here") from Ahrens and Flaherty's The Glorious Ones, as well as songs by Stephen Sondheim, John Bucchino, David Friedman, Michel Legrand, Jim Morrison and Tim Finn. Had been only available as an import. Now at CD Baby.

Warner Bros. Classic Holiday Collection, Vol. 2
(WHV - on 4 DVDs)
1947 It Happened on 5th Avenue (Gale Storm, Don DeFore, Ann Harding, Victor Moore, Charles Ruggles), 1949 Holiday Affair (Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey), 1957 All Mine to Give (Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, Patty McCormack), plus exclusive to this set 1941 Blossoms in the Dust (Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Marsha Hunt).

Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection
(WHV - on 3 DVDs)
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Irving Berlin's This Is the Army (1943; Ronald Reagan, George Murphy) with commentary by Joan Leslie, Dr. Drew Casper; "Edge of Darkness" trailer; Newsreel; 1943 WB short "The United States Army Band," 1943 WB cartoon "Confusions of a Nutsy Spy"; all new WHV Documentary: "Warner at War"; original theatrical trailer. Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943; Humphrey Bogart, Eddie Cantor, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, Dinah Shore in her film debut, John Garfield, Errol Flynn, Ann Sheridan, Hattie McDaniel, Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis) with songs by Frank Loesser and Arthur Schwartz, plus "Watch on the Rhine" trailer; Newsreel; 1943 WB shorts "Food and Magic," "Three Cheers for the Girls," "The United States Navy Band"; 1943 WB cartoon: "Falling Hare"; theatrical trailer. Hollywood Canteen (1944; Joan Crawford, John Garfield, The Andrews Sisters, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Barbara Stanwyck, Roy Rogers and Trigger and more) with "The Conspirators trailer"; 1944 WB shorts "Proudly We Serve," "Report from the Front," "I am an American"; 1940s WB cartoons "Stage Door Cartoon," "Herr Meets Hare," "Hollywood Canine Canteen"; theatrical trailer.

Were the World Mine
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Soundtrack of 2008 musical comedy film inspired by A Midsummer's Night Dream . riginal music by Jessica Fogle and score by Tim Sandusky. Cast includes Tanner Cohen, Judy McLane, Zelda Williams, Nathaniel David Becker, Jill Larson, Ricky Goldman, Wendy Robie.

When the Wind Blows South
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Philip Chaffin's third solo album takes its cue from Chaffin's Southern roots, and includes songs by Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Frank Loesser and Jerry Herman, among others, with new orchestrations by Larry Hochman, Michael Starobin, John McDaniel and Jeff Blumenkrantz.

Ziegfeld: The Man Who Invented Show Business
(St. Martin's Press -Hardcover Book)
By Ethan Mordden.

Zorro
(First Night - new on CD - Import)
OLC of Gipsy Kings musical. Nick Cavaliere, Lesli Margherita, Jonathan Newth, Matt Rawle, Emma Williams. Available at Footlight.com, Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

November 4, 2008

Blue Man Group How To Be A Megastar Live!
(Rhino - Blu-Ray)
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"How-to-manual," which expands on the "Rock Concert Manual" concept from The Complex Rock Tour, will take you through the steps of the show. Regular CD/DVD was released in April.

Broadway's Greatest Gifts: Carols For A Cure 2008: 2-CDs
(new on 2 CDs)
10th annual holiday collection. Original songs and holiday standards are performed by the companies of In the Heights, Xanadu, South Pacific and Spring Awakening, to name just a few. This edition also includes some classic tracks from past volumes featuring Hugh Jackman, Harvey Fierstein, David Hyde Pierce, Idina Menzel, Antonio Banderas and Bernadette Peters. Visit broadwaycares.org for track list. Can be ordered for only $20 through BC/EFA at broadwaycares.org or by calling (212) 840-0770 x250 Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST.  Additionally, the CDs are sold during a six-week "Gypsy-of-the-Year" fundraising period from mid-October through mid-December at participating Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York.  The CDs also are available at select venues throughout the U.S., including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC; The LA Phil Store in Disney Hall; and The Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities in Colorado.

Hermione Gingold Live at the Cafe De Paris (With Bonus Tracks)
(Stage Door Records - new on D)
Previously unreleased live cabaret performance with bonus tracks from "La Gingold" album. "Men Are Exactly the Same," "Venice," "Which Witch?," "In Lisle Street," "You've Got to Have a Photograph," "His Highness," "I Wish to Thank," "Spin," "Only a Medium Medium," "Mme. La Cava, the Snake Charmer," "Queen of Song," "Talk on Bucolosi's Music." Bonus Tracks: "Takes Two to Tango" (with Gilbert Harding), "Oh, Grandma" (with Gilbert Harding. Selections From La Gingold: "Introductions," "Flowers," "Which Witch," "The Borgias are Having an Orgy," "Tit for Tat," "But the People Were Nice," "Cocaine," "Queen of Song," "Robert the Robot," "Nobody Ever Asked Me," "Thanks, Yanks." 4 Bit Cedar Mastering. Order from the UK at StageDoorRecords.com.

In Spite of Myself: A Memoir
(Knopf - Hardcover Book)
By Christopher Plummer. Plummer writes of his theatre work in the Golden Age; the actors, writers and producers he worked with; his affairs and marriages; the Royal Shakespeare Theatre; The Sound of Music; Inside Daisy Clover; The Man Who Would Be King; the National Theatre Company. 660 pages.

Magical Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber - Import
(Union Square Music - on 3 CDs)
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Boxed set in a limited edition collectors 'tin box.' 60 fabulous Andrew Lloyd Webber recordings. See track list.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular Featuring The Rockettes
(Time-Life - new on DVD)
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Primetime TV special, filmed in 2007, and produced by Don Hewitt. 90-minute live show.

Sammy Goldstein: Songs from the Movies, Broadway & Beyond
(new on 2 CDs)
Includes both studio and live recordings from MAC Award-winning New York entertainer/singer/pianist. Classic standards, Broadway showstoppers and comedy songs - a total of 37 songs and medleys. Available at CD Baby.

Songwriters: A Biographical Dictionary with Discographies
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
By Nigel Harrison. Comprehensive guide to 1,054 composers and lyricists from all the popular genres, including Tin Pan Alley, rhythm & blues, country & western, jazz, rap, and film and show tunes. Each artist's entry includes biographical information, a list of compositions, a list of long playing albums or CDs (with year of release, record label and peak chart position) and any noteworthy compilation albums. Artists are cross-referenced with musical group and co-writers, when applicable, and the final section of most entries is an alphabetical list of every known chart version of any song written by that particular artist since 1890 (when Billboard first compiled a pop chart).

Todd Murray: Stardust & Swing
(new on CD-R)
"It Might As Well Be Spring," "Dream A Little Dream Of Me," "Moonlight Becomes You," "Patricia," "The Girl From Waco," "If I Ruled The World (with Douglas Sills)," "Time," "I Wanna Be Around," "Stardust," "I Fall In Love Too Easily," "Teach Me Tonight (with Marilyn Maye)," "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams." Available at CD Baby.

Una Evay Dos Patanes (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
(TIDAVI - new on CD)
2008 Mexican Cast Recording of the David Yazbek musical. Starring Eugenio Montessoro, Alessandra Rosaldo, Eugenio Derbez and Dario Ripoll. 18 tracks total, sung in Spanish. Available at Footlight.

What A Night! A Christmas Album
(Sony - new on CD)
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Harry Connick, Jr. holiday album. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "What A Night!," "Christmas Day," "Holly Jolly Christmas," "Please Come Home For Christmas," "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairies," "Let There Be Peace On Earth," "Winter Wonderland," "It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas," "Santariffic," "Jingle Bells," "Zat You Santa Claus," "We Three Kings," "Song For The Hopeful," "Auld Lang Syne."

A Winter Symphony
(Manhattan - new on CD)
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Sarah Brightman holiday album. CD/DVD version (with 3 bonus tracks) is available in the U.S. exclusively through Barnes & Noble (Use Coupon Code A3X3A9B for 10% off at Barnes & Noble through November 16.)

October 28, 2008

Beautiful People
(Virgin TV - new on Import CD)
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Soundtrack for 2008 BBC television series. Features some of the best tracks from Kylie Minogue, Kelly Rowland and M People, along with some specially recorded tracks from The Feeling, Sophie Ellis Bextor and many more, plus the theme tune recorded by Dan Gillespie Sells [The Feeling] with The BBC Concert Orchestra and the exclusive cover version of Abba's 'The Winner Takes It All' by Kylie and Dannii Minogue. Available directly at Amazon UK.

Cinderella International Tour Cast Album
(Lakeshore Records - Import CD) 
Recorded in the Philippines at Carmel House Studios. The cast of 26 includes Lea Salonga, Peter Saide, Julia Cook, Jen Bechter, Brandy Zarle, Charlie Parker, Aaron Galligan-Stierle, Jefferson Slinkard, Janna Cardia, Steve Gagliastro and Richard Cerato. Includes new renditions of "In My Own Little Corner," "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" and "Ten Minutes Ago" as well as several new orchestrations by Larry Blank and two songs from the R&H catalogue rarely performed in the stage version: "The Sweetest Sounds" and "There's Music in You." Accompanied by the studio's in-house orchestra, the FILharminoKA, under the direction of resident conductor Gerard Salonga.

Doris Day - Christmas Memories
(MPI - new on DVD)
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Three holiday episodes from "The Doris Day Show" ("A Two Family Christmas," "It's Christmas Time In The City," "Whodunnit, Doris?"), plus a newly recorded commentary track by Doris Day; bonus newsreel/promo footage from the '50s-'60s; holiday episodes from her early '50s radio series; original network promos; and more.

Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch have mined the Carmichael catalogue to unearth lesser known gems as well as beloved treasures: "One Morning in May," "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief," "Heart and Soul," "Lazy River," "Come Easy, Go Easy Love," "Georgia on My Mind," "Skylark," "I Walk with Music," "How Little We Know," "When Love Goes Wrong," "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?," "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Two Sleepy People," "Star Dust," "The Old Music Master," "Billy-a-Dick," "The Nearness of You," "My Resistance Is Low," "Walk It Off." CD release; had been digital only.

Ethel Merman: A Life
(Viking Adult - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of 2007 biography by Brian Kellow. [our review of the hardcover version]

High School Musical 3 Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Big screen follow-up to the first two movies. Features 11 songs from the soundtrack, including: "The Boys Are Back," "Can I Have This Dance," "High School Musical," "I Want It All," "Just Wanna Be with You," "Last Chance," "A Night to Remember," "Now or Never," "Right Here Right Now," "Scream," "Walk Away."

Marcus Goldhaber: Take Me Anywhere
(new on CD)
Seven of the seventeen tracks feature songs written by the singer and Jon Davis. Available at CDBaby.com.

The Music Teacher
(Bridge - new on CD)
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Opera by Allen Shawn with libretto by Wallace Shawn. Sarah Wolfson, Jason Forbach, Jeffrey Picon, Parker Posey, Wallace Shawn, Rebecca Robbins, Halley Wegryn Gross, Elizabeth Berkley. Chamber ensemble conducted by Timothy G. Long. 51 tracks. The play was presented Off-Broadway in March 2006. CD released March 2008.

Reefer Madness Collector's Edition
(Ghostlight - new on 2 CDs)
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Musical by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney. Includes previously released LA cast recording and movie soundtrack (Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Ana Gasteyer, John Kassir, Amy Spangler, Robert Torti, Steven Weber). Also includes new author notes, written by Murphy & Studney, and a "flipover booklet," which contains artwork and lyrics for both CDs.

Roger Schmelzer: About Now
(new on CD)
Debut CD. "Concentrate on One Thing at a Time," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Old Friend," "Bring My Love Back to Me/A Kiss For Each Moment," "Old Movies," "You're an Education," "Those Who Want the Best," "You'll Never Know," "My Dreams of You Keep Me Awake," "Nice 'n' Easy," "Only One Person's Opinion," "Sweet Words Don't Scare My Lady," "Someone There," "This Guy's in Love With You," "Fallin'." At CDBaby.com.

Songs of South Pacific - Karaoke
(Stage Stars - new on 2 CDs)
Accompaniment CD set.

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors - A Subway Musical (And Romance)
(StandClear Productions - new on CD)
musical/operetta in which two strangers, a man and a woman, stuck on a subway train, consider their lives, where they've been and where they're going, with the help of an all too willing train conductor. Conceived and written by R.S. Rose. Includes all dialogue. Complete pdf lyric booklet available to cd purchasers. Cheyenne Dianne, Radford Newman and Bart Simmons. Available at CDBaby.com.

Tinker Bell
(Buena Vista - new on DVD)
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Straight-to-DVD animated film. Voices include Mae Whitman, Kristin Chenoweth, Jane Horrocks, Anjelica Huston, Kathy Najimy, America Ferrera, Raven-Symoné, Lucy Liu, Jesse McCartney. Extras: deleted scenes; Featurettes "Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow," "Ever Wonder."

Wicked 5th Anniversary Edition
(Universal/Decca Broadway - new on 2 CDs)
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Deluxe packaging, additional booklet with an essay by Stephen Schwartz and "unseen" photos. CD #1 will be the OCR. CD #2 has tracks "For Good" (Leann Rimes/Delta Goodrem), "Defying Gravity" (Idina Menzel, live recording), "Making Good" (Stephanie J. Block, Vocal / Stephen Schwartz, Piano, first release), "I'm Not That Girl" (Kerry Ellis/Brian May, first release), "Solang Ich Dich Hab (As Long As You're Mine)" and "Gutes Tun (No Good Deed)" (German Cast Recording), "Jinnsei Wo Odori-Akase (Dancing Through Life)" and "Popyuraa (Popular)" (Japanese Cast Recording).

October 21, 2008

Disney on Broadway Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Collection features over 20 songs from six Disney musicals on Broadway: AIDA, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Beauty & the Beast, Tarzan, and The Lion King. Selections include: Be Our Guest," "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "Written in the Stars," "Part of Your World," "Practically Perfect," "You'll Be in My Heart," "and more. 192 pages.

The Entertainment Sourcebook 2009
(Limelight Editions - Paperback Book)
Biannual book featuring more than 5,000 company entries from across the country. Hundreds of pages of products and services listings organized by category, plus a company index, a product index, and appendices that include Web resources, support services, professional organizations, and more.

High School Musical 3: Senior Year Soundtrack Premiere Edition
(Disney - new on CD/DVD)
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Soundtrack for new Disney musical feature film. New songs and performances by the original cast, including Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale. Special set includes the original soundtrack, plus a DVD of behind the scenes footage, the movie trailer, music video, three ringtones, a voicetone, mobile game and mobile wallpaper plus digital downloadables. Also available in a single-disc package.

How Does the Show Go On: An Introduction to the Theater (Updated)
(Disney - Hardcover Book)
By Thomas Schumacher with Jeff Kurtti. Gives readers the opportunity to meet the casts of characters who work onstage and behind the scenes ... and explore the inner workings of the theater building itself.  Filled with artifacts you can pull out and hold in your hand, it is a totally unique guide to what goes on behind the curtain.   Features include: a costume designer's sketchbook; an authentic Playbill program; "Front of House: From the Street to the Stage Apron; "Back of House: From the Stage Apron to the Stage Door"; "A Day in the Life of a Child Performer"; theater-speak glossary. Updated to include Broadway's The Little Mermaid and the touring production of the mega-hit High School Musical.

More of the Best Broadway Songs Ever
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
84 more Broadway favorites, with no duplication from the original volume. Songs include "And All That Jazz," "Any Dream Will Do, "The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Bring Him Home," "Brotherhood of Man," "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "Consider Yourself," "Dancing Queen," "Goodnight, My Someone," "I Can Hear the Bells," "It Only Takes a Moment," "Love Changes Everything," "Satin Doll," "Shall We Dance?," "Summer Nights," "Tradition" and more.

Shirley Jones: Then And Now
(Stage Door Records - new on CD)
Combination of public domain recordings and newly recorded numbers. Then: "Many A New Day" (Oklahoma!), "People Will Say We're In Love" (With Gordon Macrae, Oklahoma!), "Out Of My Dreams" (Oklahoma!), "If I Loved You" (Carousel), "What's The Use Of Wonderin'" (Carousel), "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel), "April Love" (With Pat Boone), "Clover In The Meadow" (April Love), "Give Me A Gentle Girl" (April Love), "Waitin' For My Dearie" (Brigadoon), "Almost Like Being In Love" (With Jack Cassidy, Brigadoon), "A Kiss In The Dark" (Live), "I'll See You Again" (With Jack Cassidy - Live), "I'll Follow My Secret Heart" (with Jack Cassidy). Now: "Beauty And The Beast," "If I Loved You," "Memory," "Music Man Introduction," "'Till There Was You / Goodnight My Someone," Movie Medley: "As Time Goes By / Bill / You Made Me Love You," "Oklahoma! ," "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning," "People Will Say We're In Love / Out Of My Dreams You'll Never Walk Alone." Preparation assisted by Shirley Jones and Marty Ingles. Mastered using 24 bit CEDAR process. Available at www.stagedoorrecords.com and from Footlight.com.

Spalding Gray's America
(Limelight Editions - Paperback book)
By William Demastes. Preface by Richard Schlechner.

Sweeney Todd
(Dreamworks - new Blu-Ray)
Order at CD/DVD Universe
2007 film starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter,Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jayne Wisener, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ed Sanders, Anthony Head, Peter Bowles singing the Stephen Sondheim score. Directed by Tim Burton. 116 minutes.

They'd None of 'em Be Missed
(Pallas Athene Arts - Import Paperback Book)
By Richard Suart (Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, in English National Opera The Mikado) and A. S. H. Smyth. British publication. Collection of reworkings of the "Little List" song from The Mikado, illustrated and supplemented by fascinating versions from earlier times and from overseas. 192 pages; 107 illustrations.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
(new on CD)
Three-track holiday CD. "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," "The Christmas Waltz," "It's Just Another New Year's Eve." Available at CD Baby.

October 14, 2008

The Edwardians
(Warner/BBC - new on 4 DVDs)
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All eight episodes of 1972 UK series: Mr. Rolls And Mr. Royce (Michael Jayston and Robert Powell), Horatio Bottomly (Timothy West), E. Nesbitt (Judy Parfitt), Conan Doyle, (Nigel Davenport), Boden Powell (Robert Moody), The Reluctant Juggler, Daisy (Virginia McKenna), Lloyd George (Anthony Hopkins).

Gay Marshall Sings Piaf
(Grand Fromage - new on CD)
Sung in French. "Padam," "La Belle Histoire D'amour," "Enfin Le Printemps," "Les Amants D'un Jour," "L'accordeoniste," "Avec Ce Soleil," "La Vie En Rose," "Les Blouses," "La Foule," "Elle Frequentait La Rue Pigalle," "L'hymne A L'amour," "Le Droit D'aimer," "Les Momes De La Cloche," "Milord," "Non," "Je Ne Regrette Rien." Bonus Tracks in English: "The Lady From Pigalle," "The Carnival Crowd," "Lost And Lonely Souls," "All In White." Arrangements by Mark Hartman, Gay Marshall, Paul Bevin. Available at CD Baby.

The Jazz Singers: The Top 500
(Backbeat Books - Paperback Book)
By Scott Yanow. Overview of the great vocalists who have sung jazz. Draws on original interviews conducted exclusively for this book. Fresh and insightful information in its 521 main entries. Other features include a historical overview, a section on jazz vocal groups, and a comprehensive survey of jazz in film. 224 pages.

Hollywood Singing And Dancing
(Koch - new on 2 DVDs)
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Celebration of song and dance hosted by Shirley Jones. From Busby Berkeley extravaganzas through the wartime songfests, into the heyday of the great MGM spectaculars, and to the present day hits like Chicago and Dreamgirls. Clips and interviews with Liza Minnelli, Shirley Maclaine, Mickey Rooney, Rita Moreno, Debbie Reynolds, Leslie Caron, Jane Russell, Tab Hunter, Joel Grey, Bill Condon, Rob Marshall, plus rarely seen behind the scenes footage and interviews with legends Busby Berkeley, Vincente Minnelli, Fred Astaire And Gene Kelly. The documentary was seen on PBS stations earlier this year and at film festivals, where it won several awards. 150 minutes.

It's a Small Town
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Stacy Sullivan's contemporary treatment of mostly standards. "Blue Skies," "Lazy Afternoon," "So In Love," "It's A Small Town," "Two For The Road," "In My Arms," "My Funny Valentine," "I Can See Clearly Now," "New Words," "What Good Would The Moon Be?," "My Little World," "Another Tuesday," "My Romance," "Young At Heart."

James Crowley - Being Alive!
(new on CD)
Singer/composer (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) James Crowleg sings "Somebody Bigger Than You and I," "If I Can Dream," "Six O'clock Tonight," "When You're Smiling," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," "Bring Him Home," "Cry," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Cobblestone Ballroom," "How Are Things in Gloccamorra?," "What'll I Do?," "Anyone Can Whistle," "Just One Person," "Being Alive." Available at www.crowleyentertainment.com.

A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years
(William Morrow - Hardcover Book/Audio Book)
New novel by Gregory Maguire. A return to Oz, seen through the eyes of the Cowardly Lion. 336 pages. Audiobook is read by John McDonough.

Songs of The Little Mermaid (karaoke)
(Stage Stars - new on 2 CDs)
Pre-order at CD Universe
Karaoke version of Broadway musical score. 38 tracks: tracks 1-19 contain the background tracks and guide vocals; tracks 20-38 contain the accompaniment tracks alone. This album is a re-recording in the original show key and show tempo. There are no on-screen lyrics or lyric booklet provided.

A Lovely Way to Spend Christmas
(Sony - new on CD)
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Kristin Chenoweth holiday album. "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Christmas Island," "The Christmas Waltz," "Do You Hear What I Hear?," "Marshmallow Ride / Sleigh Ride," "Sing," "Silver Bells," "Come On Ring Those Bells," "What Child Is This?," "Home On Christmas Day" (Walter Afanasieff and Jay Landers), "Born On Christmas Day" (Peabo Bryson), "Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World."

One Touch of Venus
(Lionsgate - new on DVD)
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1948 film with Ava Gardner (dubbed by Eileen Wilson), Dick Haymes, Olga San Juan and Eve Arden.

Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Tribute Show
(Kultur Films - new on DVD)
Pre-order at CD Universe
2006 version of the cult classic with new narration and performances by a cast including Richard O'Brien ( book, music and lyrics), Michael Ball, Anthony Head, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Rayner Bourton as well as original Transylvanians from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Song list: "Science Fiction": Usherette (Patricia Quinn) "Damn it, Janet" (Adrian Edmondson, Sophie Lawrence), "Over at the Frankenstein Place" (Adrian Edmondson, Sophie Lawrence, Kraig Thornber), "Time Warp" (Kraig Thornber, Amy Field, Toyah Wilcox), "Sweet Transvestite" (Anthony Head, Adrian Edmondson, Toyah Wilcox, Amy Field, Kraig Thornber), "The Sword of Damocles" (Gary Amers), "Hot Patootie Bless My Soul" (Ben Richards), "Touch-a touch-a touch me" (Jo Farrell, Toyah Wilcox, Amy Field), "Once in a While" (Stephen Gately), "Eddie's Teddy" (Julian Littman, Anthony Head, Amy Field), "Planet Schmanet": Frank (Anthony Head, Jo Farrell), "Floor Show" (Amy Field, Gary Amers, Adrian Edmondson, Jo Farrell), Frank (Michael Ball, Julian Littman, Toyah Wilcox, Kraig Thornber), "I'm Going Home" (Michael Ball), "Super Heroes" (Adrian Edmondson, Jo Farrell), "Time Warp reprise" (full company with Richard O'Brien, Little Nell, Patricia Campbell). 65 minutes.

October 7, 2008

60 Box Set
(Polydor - on 3 CDs)
Celebrating the 60th birthday of Andrew Lloyd Webber, this 3 CD, 60 track set spans the whole of Andrew's illustrious career and includes hits from all of his most famous musicals: Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Starlight Express, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, The Phantom Of The Opera. Hit recordings, hits from cast albums sung by a diverse range of superstar and original artists. U.S. Release expected on November 18. Available next week at Amazon US as an import, and now at Amazon UK.

Alice Fay Collection 2
(Fox - on 5 DVDs)
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Hollywood Cavalcade (1939 with Don Ameche), extras: featurettes Hollywood Cavalcade: The Silent Dream, Buster Keaton: Head Over Heels In Hollywood, Hello Roscoe: The Fate Of Fatty Arbuckle, outtakes, Fox Movietonenews: The Hollywood Cavalcade Premiere. Rose Of Washington Square (1939 with Tyrone Power), extras: isolated score track, featurettes Funny Girl, Funny Man, deleted scene, restoration comparison, trailer, advertising gallery, still gallery. The Great American Broadcast (1941 with John Payne, Jack Oakie, extras: featurette Radio Waves: The Real History of The Great American Broadcast. Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943 with Jack Oakie and June Havoc), extras: isolated score track, Hello Again: The Re-Making Of Alice Faye. Four Jills In A Jeep (1944 with Kay Francis, Carol Landis, Martha Raye, Mitzi Mayfair, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda), extras: isolated score track, deleted scenes, The Real Four Jills featurette. Plus restoration comparisons, advertising galleries, still galleries.

Arias with a Twist
(new on CD)
Current Off Broadway collaboration of drag artist Joey Arias and theatrical puppet creator Basil Twist. Recording of live performance. "Dream Music," "Yarumi," "Za," "Goddess Introduction," "Kashmir," "Jungle of Eden," "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Within You Without You," "Clair de Lune," "I'll Take it to My Baby," "All By Myself," "Lately," "You've Changed," "Twisted," "You Gotta Pull Strings," "Ooh, What a Feelin'." Bonus Tracks: "Use Me, Abuse Me," "Harmonics Mood in Jazz Blue," "Making Out," "All By Myself." Available at www.ariaswithatwiststore.com.

The Attic
(new on CD)
Original concept album for score of Mark Carroll show "about a group of Victorian dolls who suddenly have their world turned upside down by the arrival of Barbie and Action Man." Ruthie Henshall, Julian Ovenden, Alexander Hanson, Jessica Martin and Annalene Beechey. Available at Dress Circle.

Bernstein: The Best of All Possible Worlds
(Deutsche Grammophon - on 2 CDs and as mp3s) 
New compilation featuring Leonard Bernstein as both composer and conductor, drawn from his extensive Deutsche Grammophon discography. Features performances by Leonard Bernstein and also highlights many of his collaborations. Included are numerous performances with the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic as well as performances by Mstislav Rostropovich, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Hampson and others.

College Guide for Performing Arts Majors 2009: Real-World Admission Guide for All Dance, Music, and Theater Majors
(Peterson's - Paperback Book)
Carole J. Everett, Editor. Helps students find the perfect college program for studying dance, music, or theater. Comprehensive profiles detail hundreds of professional baccalaureate and graduate programs, with annually updated information on costs, deadlines, enrollment, faculty, financial aid, and more. Added features include in-depth guidance and advice from a former Juilliard admissions director on choosing a program, applying, and auditioning, as well as articles by current students about what its really like to major in dance, music, and theater.

The Gang's All Here
(Fox - on DVD)
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1943 Busby Berkeley musical, remastered. Alice Faye, Carmen Miranda, Phil Baker, Benny Goodman and Orchestra. Includes additional footage.

Mister Roberts
(Acorn Media - new on DVD)
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1984 TV version, filmed live in a studio with an audience. Robert Hays, Charles Durning, Kevin Bacon, Howard Hesseman, and Marilu Henner, with director Josh Logan as its "creative consultant." 113 minutes.

On The Avenue
(Fox - on DVD)
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1937 Irving Berlin film musical with Dick Powell, Madeline Carroll and Alice Faye. Additional footage included.

The Picture of Dorian Gray
(Warner - on DVD)
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Remastered 1944 classic film with Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, Donna Reed, Oscar-nominee Angela Lansbury (singing "Goodbye, Little Yellow Bird"), Peter Lawford, and Moyna MacGill (Lansbury's mother). Extras: commentary by Angela Lansbury and historian Steve Haberman; short Stairway to Light; cartoon Quiet Please!.

Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition
(Disney - on 2 DVDs and Blu-Ray with Bonus DVD)
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1959 animated film. Extras: never-before-seen alternate opening; deleted songs; all-new featurette "Making of Sleeping Beauty"; all-new music video; all-new game: Briar Rose's Waltz; song selection.

South Pacific: Souvenir Folio Edition
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Deluxe souvenir songbook showcases the 2008 revival, with 11 full-color pages —including seven pages of production photos —plus an article by Ted Chapin. Features piano/vocal arrangements of 13 songs from the beloved musical: "Bali Ha'i," "Bloody Mary," "A Cockeyed Optimist," "Happy Talk," "Honey Bun," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "My Girl Back Home," "Some Enchanted Evening," "There Is Nothin' like a Dame," "This Nearly Was Mine," "A Wonderful Guy," "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught," "Younger Than Springtime."

That's Another Story
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson - Hardcover Book/Audio Book)
Julie Walters autobiography.

Voices from the Wings: A Connoisseur's Collection of Great Theatrical & Showbiz Anecdotes
(Aurum Press - Hardcover Book)
"Thousands of anecdotal gems, witty or malicious putdowns, potted biographies or caustic one-liners collected and collated by that master of the revealing anecdote and connoisseur of theatrical lore in all its forms, Ned Sherrin." New edition, extensively revised and enlarged.

White Christmas the Musical Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Piano/vocal arrangements of 17 Irving Berlin from the new stage musical: "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing," "Blue Skies," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Falling Out of Love Can Be Fun," "Happy Holiday," "How Deep Is the Ocean (How High Is the Sky)," "I Love a Piano," "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," "Let Me Sing and I'm Happy," "Let Yourself Go," "Love and the Weather," "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me," "The Old Man," "Sisters," "Snow," "What Can You Do with a General," "White Christmas."

September 30, 2008

13
(Ghostlight - new digital download) 
Original all-teen cast recording of Jason Robert Brown score of Broadway show. "13/Perfect Party," "The Lamest Place in the World," "Hey Kendra," "Get Me What I Need," "What It Means to be a Friend," "All Hail the Brain/Terminal Illness," "Getting Ready," "Any Minute," "Good Enough," "Here I Come," "Opportunity," "Bad Bad News," "Tell Her," "It Can't Be True," "If That's What It Is," "A Little More Homework," "Brand New You." CD to be released November 25. Also available at Amazon MP3.

Dirty Dancing
(BMG/RCA - on CD)
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London cast album, minus the original hit singles. Sarah Bowden, Billy Boyle, Ben Mingay, Melissa Keyes, Chris Holland. "This Magic Moment (inc. Baby Monologue), "Merengue" (inc. Tito and Penny Lines), "Johnny's Mambo, "Do You Love Me?" (including Billy/Baby Dialogue), "This Land Is Your Land / We Shall Overcome," "De Todo Un Poco," "Dawn Interlude," "Besame Mucho" (including Stan's Announcement), "If You Were The Only Girl, "Lisa's Hula" (including Cousin Brucie Voiceover)," "Yes!," "In The Still Of The Night" (I'll Remember)," "Someone Like You" (including Johnny/Baby Dialogue)," "She's Like The Wind," "Kellerman's Anthem," "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" (including Jake's Speech).

Frankenstein, a New Musical
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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2007 Off Broadway cast recording of Mark Baron/Jeffrey Jackson score. Hunter Foster, Christiane Noll, Steve Blanchard, Jim Stanek and Mandy Bruno. Store date. Also available at emusic.com.

Fred Astaire (Icons of America)
(Yale Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
Joseph Epstein investigates the great dancer's magical talent, taking up the story of his life, his personality, his work habits, his modest pretensions, and above all his accomplishments. A key chapter of the book devoted to Astaires somewhat unwilling partnership with Ginger Rogers.

Hair - Let The Sun Shine In
(Koch - new on DVD)
New documentary about the musical. Archival footage from U.S. and international productions; interviews with authors James Rado and Gerome Ragni, composer Galt MacDermot and Broadway director Tom O'Horgan and Milos Forman; footage of James Rado rehearsing Hair with various companies; interviews with original cast members Keith Carradine, Ben Vereen and Melba Moore; television appearances by Rado and Ragni, both of whom starred in the original Broadway company. 55-minute documentary with an hour of additional footage. Available now from Alivemedia. In stores December 9.

Hamlet 2
(Verve - new on CD)
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Film soundtrack. "Rock Me Sexy Jesus," "You're as Gay as the Day Is Long," "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," "Raped in the Face," "Maniac," "Curtain Falls," "I See a World - All Too Much," "Guitar Sweet!," "What It's Like," "Sleep," "Gone," "Move Your Groove," "Look of Love, Pt 1." The Ralph Sall Experience, Steve Coogan, Phoebe Strole, Skylar Astin, All Too Much, Everlast, Interstellar Force, ABC.

In the Heights Piano/Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
14 songs from new Broadway musical, with a score by Lin-Manuel Miranda. 14 tunes from the production, including Breathe," "Enough," "Everything I Know," "Hundreds of Stories," "In the Heights," "Inutil," "It Won't Be Long Now," "96,000," "No Me "Diga," "Paciencia Y Fe," "Piragua," "Sunrise," "When the Sun Goes Down," "When You're Home."

Jennifer Hudson
(Sony BMG Arista - new on CD)
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Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) solo album. "Spotlight," "If This Isn't Love," "Pocketbook" (featuring Ludacris), "Giving Myself," "What's Wrong (Go Away)" (featuring T-Pain), "My Heart," "You Pulled Me Through," "I'm His Only Woman" (featuring Fantasia), "Can't Stop the Rain," "We Gon' Fight," "Invisible," "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going (Highlights Version," Dreamgirls Soundtrack), "Jesus Promised Me A Home Over There." Single track "Spotlight" available at iTunes and as mp3.

The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying, Mothering, and Everything Else I Learned Along the Way
(Amistad/Harper - new Hardcover/Audiobook)
By Diahann Carroll.

The Other Side of Me
(Verve - new on CD)
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Linda Eder country-pop CD. "Pieces" (Shaun Barker), "If You Believe" (The Way I Do)" (Robin Lerner, Ken Hirsch), "Lifted" (Greg Wells, Cathy Dennis), "If I Could" (Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron), "Back to Life" (Kara DioGuardi), "The Other Side of Me" (Billy Jay Stein, Shaun Barker, Bill Grainer), "Waiting For the Fall" (Linda Eder), "Prayer for Love" (Shaun Barker, Benjy King), "Both Sides Now" (Joni Mitchell), "They Are the Roses" (Paul Jenkins, Timothy Schoepf, Randall Van Warmer), "Ghost" (Emily Saliers), "Make Today Beautiful" (Billy Jay Stein, Shaun Barker, Bill Grainer).

Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid
(Purple Rose Theatre Company - new on CD)
Cast album of Jeff Daniels comedy. Features cast performances of six original songs and one traditional hymn, plus demo recordings (performed by Daniels), and "Making Of" commentary by Daniels and PRTC artistic director Guy Sanville. Jessica Garrett, Phil Powers, John Seibert, Tom Whalen. Guitar accompaniment by Daniels and John Seibert. Available at www.purplerosetheatre.org.

Richard Rodgers Command Performance
(Harbinger - new on CD)
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Recordings of Rodgers playing piano and sometimes singing. Included are piano rolls Rodgers made in 1926 of songs he and Larry Hart had written for various Broadway shows. Also, the demo to the Rodgers and Hart film Mississippi with Rodgers singing (and Hart on one cut). Available now at Footlight.com.

Sandy the Bluenosed Reindeer
(Lil Fish - new on CD-R)
Concept album for musical by Scott Fagan. Available at Footlight.com.

Sicks! Sicks! Sicks! Full Frontal New Ditties
(new on CD)
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Kinsey Sicks. 17 tracks. Also available at Footlight.com.

Songs From The Hit Broadway Musical Mamma Mia (karaoke)
(Stage Stars - on 2 CDs)
Pre-order at CD Universe
2-Disc Set, 23 Songs with & without guide vocals.

Stage Door Johnny: John Miller Takes on Broadway
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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"Unconventional song interpretations for those who do - or don't - love Broadway music." Music Coordinator and Bass Player John Miller's interpretations of familiar Broadway songs. "Hernando's Hideaway," "Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Won't Grow Up," "Why Can't You Behave," "Hey There," "Fugue For Tinhorns," "Old Man River," "I Can't Say No," "Real Live Girl," "We Kiss In The Shadow," "Oh What A Beautiful Morning," "Secret Love."

Stephen Sondheim: The Story So Far
(Sony/BMG - new 4-CD set)
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Box set of cast recordings covering Stephen Sondheim's career to date, with 28 previously unreleased tracks. See track list. Sony is also providing a podcast series at iTunes.

Trouble In Tahiti
(Kultur Video - on DVD)
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Tom Cairns' 2001 film made for BBC Wales. Leonard Bernstein score. Stephanie Novacek and Karl Daymond. Includes introduction and featurettes.

What Do You Want From Me
(Sh-K-Boom - new on CD)
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Orfeh collection of pop song takes. "What Do You Want From Me," "Look At Me Now," "Last Time I Cry," "Love Me Today," "Dirt," "Tell That To My Heart" (featuring Andrew Logan), "Fallin' In Love," "Sing You To Sleep," "Don't Wanna Do Wrong," "Fall," "Just Don't Talk About Love," "Uptempo Pop Song," bonus track.

With a Smile and a Song/You'll Never Walk Alone
(Collector's Choice - on CD)
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Doris Day 1962/1964 twofer. 24 tracks.

September 23, 2008

1918: A House Divided
(new on CD)
Original cast recording of Theater for the New City production of Barbara Kahn and Allison Tartalia musical. Robert Gonzales Jr., Victoria Lavington, Dan Leeds, Victoria Levin, Kyle J. Martin, Matthew Naclerio, Rick Redondo, Kelly Scanlon, Erin Leigh Schmoyer, Laura Jean Smith, Jeanie Tse, Tina Ward, Faith Wu. Available at CDBaby.com.

An Affair in Trinidad
(Sony - new on DVD)
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1952 film directed by Vincent Sherman. Rita Hayworth (vocals dubbed by Jo Ann Greer), Glenn Ford, Alexander Scourby, Valerie Bettis. Part of Sony's "Martini Series" which also includes The Garment Jungle, The New Centurians, The Anderson Tapes and $ (Dollars).

High School Musical 2 Deluxe Dance Edition
(Disney - on 2 DVDs)
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2007 film plus interactive dance-along version. New bonuses: deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes special and a first look at the feature film High School Musical 3.

Jackpot - The Best Bette
(Rhino - on CD)
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19-song retrospective spans the Bette Midler's career, and features her biggest hits with an unreleased demo, "Something Your Heart Has Been Telling Me." 19 tracks. Amazon has an exclusive bonus track "One True Friend."

Ken Russell at the BBC
Order at CD Universe
(Warner Home Video - on 3 DVDs)
Director collection includes 1965 The Debussy Film and 1967 Dante's Inferno about Dante Gabriel Rossetti (both with Oliver Reed); 1965 Always on Sunday about Henri Rousseau (James Lloyd), 1966Isadora: The Biggest Dancer in the World (Vivian Pickles), 1968 A Song of Summer about Frederick Delius (Max Adrian) and 1970 Dance of the Seven Veils about Richard Strauss (Christopher Gable).

September 16, 2008

An American in Paris (Special Edition)
(Warner - new on 2 DVDs)
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Ultra-resolution transfer of Vincente Minnelli-directed, Arthur Freed-produced 1952 film, with Alan Jay Lerner screenplay and the songs of George and Ira Gershwin. Stars (and choreographed by) Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron. Bonuses: Disc 1: 1938 MGM short "Paris on Parade," 1951 MGM cartoon "Symphony in Slang," theatrical trailer; Disc 2: 2002 American Masters Documentary "Gene Kelly: Anatomy of a Dancer," 'S Wonderful: The Making of An American in Paris" (all new documentary produced especially for this release with ten new interviews, including Leslie Caron and Nina Foch), outtakes of Georges Guetary performing "Love Walked In" and Gene Kelly performing "I Got a Crush on You" (audio only), Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron promotional radio interview with Dick Simmons, audio outtakes alternate main title, "But Not for Me" Georges Guetary, "But Not for Me" Levant piano solo, Gershwin Prelude #3, and more; radio interviews with Johnny Green, Gene Kelly, Kelly and Leslie Caron.

Blinding Light: Adam Pascal and Larry Edoff
(new on CD)
Collaboration of songwriter and singer. "... jazz and rock meet touches of world music twinged with classical." Daphne Rubin-Vega accompanies one of the 12 tracks. Album and clips available at CDBaby.

The Body Beautiful
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Musicals in Mufti cast recording of 1958 Sheldon Harnick-Jerry Bock musical. Cady Huffman, Brad Oscar, Stephen Bienskie, Laura Marie Duncan, Ryan Duncan, Capathia Jenkins, Jonathan Kay, Megan Lawrence, Mike McGowan, John Eric Parker, Patrick Richwood, Angie Schworer, Jim Sorensen and Kerry Conte. Musical direction by John Bell with Damien Bassman on drums and Jordan Jancz on bass. Bruce Yeko producing. Available at Footlight.

Broadway Piano Songs for Dummies
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
By Greg Herriges. 50 theatre favorites including: "All I Ask of You," "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," "Cabaret," "Camelot," "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Hello, Dolly!," "I Could Write a Book," "Mamma Mia," "Memory," "Seasons of Love," "The Sound of Music," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Tomorrow."

Busby Berkeley Collection Volume 2
(Warner - on 4 DVDs)
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Also available separately: Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936, Dick Powell, Joan Blondell) with extras 1997 documentary "Busby Berkeley: Going Through the Roof," Technicolor historical short "The Romance of Louisiana," classic cartoons "Plenty of Money and You" and "Speaking of the Weather," two excerpts from 1929's Gold Diggers of Broadway. Gold Diggers in Paris (1938, Rudy Vallee) with extras Broadway Brevities musical shorts "The Candid Kid" and "Little Me," classic cartoon "Love and Curses." Hollywood Hotel(1937, Dick Powell, Lola Lane) with extras Technicolor historical short "The Romance of Robert Burns," Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short "Double Talk," classic cartoon "Porky's Five & Ten." Varsity Show (1937, Dick Powell, Priscilla and Rosemary Lane, Sterling Holloway) with extras musical short "Flowers from the Sky," Edgar Bergen/Charlie McCarthy comedy short "A Neckin' Party," classic cartoon "Have You Got Any Castles." Theatrical trailers in all, and all are B&W and not rated.

The Cole Porter Mix
(Blue Note - new on CD)
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Chicago-based singer/pianist/composer Patricia Barber. "Easy to Love," "I Wait for Late Afternoon and You," "I Get a Kick out of You," "You're the Top," "Just One of Those Things," "Snow," "C'est Magnifique," "Get out of Town," "I Concentrate on You," "In the Still of the Night," "What Is This Thing Called Love?," "Miss Otis Regrets," "New Year's Eve Song."

Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked
(Applause Books - Paperback Book)
First authorized career biography of composer Stephen Schwartz, by Carol de Giere. Drawn from 80 hours of interviews with Schwartz and over 100 interviews with his colleagues, friends, and family members. Reveals many never-before-told stories and delves into the challenging issues of collaboration and the decisions that led to phenomenal hits as well as expensive flops. In a series of "Creativity Notes," the composer shares his insights on tapping the subconscious mind, overcoming creative blocks, writing for character detail, surviving countless rewrites, working with feedback, and other topics. The book also covers songwriting for film, including Enchanted, Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt. Over 200 photographs; 544 pages.

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
(digital download) 
Soundtrack for web musical series featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, Felecia Day. Music and lyrics by Joss and Jed Whedon, and additional lyrics by Maurissa Tancharoen. Available at iTunes.

Gigi
(Warner - new on 2 DVDs)
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Completely restored version of Arthur Freed-produced, Vincente Minnelli-directed 1958 film with score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe. Louis Jordan, Leslie Caron, Hermione Gingold, Maurice Chevalier. Includes 1949 French version and bonuses: Disc 1: "The Million Dollar Nickel" 1952 MGM short, "The Vanishing Duck" 1958 MGM cartoon, theatrical trailer; Disc 2: "Thank Heaven! The Making of Gigi" - background documentary with all-new interview with Leslie Caron, and a rare interview with Vincente Minnelli.

Jason Danieley and The Frontier Heroes
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Jason Danieley and folk-pop band The Frontier Heroes. Based on Birdland concert Love: A Work in Progress. New arrangements of familiar American songs. With Dan Lipton, Christian Hebel, Mark Vanderpoel, Michael Aarons, Damien Bassman and Theresa McCarthy. "Sold," "Be My Love," "As Long As She Needs Me," "Something to Save," "All Of Me," "Honey," "One Man Guy," "What Kind Of Fool Am I," "No One To Love," "I Believe," "This Moment," "Kick In The Head," "Spread A Little Love Around."

Pushing Daisies - The Complete First Season
(Warner - new on 3 DVDs/Blu-Ray)
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All nine episodes from 2007 television series featuring Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz, Kristin Chenoweth, Chi McBride. Bonus interactive featurette "Pie Time: Time For Pie."

September 9, 2008

The Chief
(Univ of Pittsburgh Press - Hardcover Book)
Rob Zellers one-man play about Pittsburgh icon, Steelers owner Art Rooney, Jr. Has played at Pittsburgh Public Theater featuring actor Tom Atkins.

Elizabeth Taylor: A Life in Pictures
(Pavilion - Hardcover Book)
Editors Pierre-Henri Verlhac and Yann-Brice Dherbier. 192 pages. A detailed biography accompanies the images.

Got The World on a String: Mike Gellar with Christina Drapkin
(new on CD)
"I've Got The World On A String," "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," "The Nearness Of You," "Laverne Walk," "Friends Again," "The Peacocks," "The Way You Look Tonight," "There's A Small Hotel," "Tennessee Waltz," "For Baden," "You're Looking At Me," "East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)," "You Stepped Out Of A Dream," "I'll Remember April." Available at CDBaby.com.

Jane Morgan Sings Showstoppers
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Jane Morgan sings Broadway showstoppers. 27 tracks.

How the West Was Won Ultimate Collector's Edition
(M-G-M and Cinerama - new on 2 DVDs)
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John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker. Direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall. 1963 Cinerama feature in a version using technology that has eliminated the 'join lines,' and unifies the images with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1. Unconfirmed extras: film historian commentary; Dave Strohmaier's feature-length documentary "Cinerama Adventure"; "The Making of How the West Was Won" (archival featurette); original Theatrical trailer. Ultimate version bonuses: 20-page theatrical press book reproduction, 10 behind-the-scenes photo cards and 10 postcards, and an exclusive movie poster offer.

How the West Was Won - Blu-Ray
(M-G-M and Cinerama - new on 2 DVDs)
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John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker. Direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall. 1963 Cinerama feature in a version using technology that has eliminated the 'join lines,' and unifies the images with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1. Unconfirmed extras: film historian commentary; Dave Strohmaier's feature-length documentary "Cinerama Adventure"; "The Making of How the West Was Won" (archival featurette); original Theatrical trailer. Bonuses for Blu-Ray edition: "SmileBox" version of the film which presents the image with a unique curvature that recreates the true Cinerama experience in a home theater; special Digi-book packaging featuring 32-pages of rare press materials and behind-the-scenes photos.

How the West Was Won
(M-G-M and Cinerama - new on 2 DVDs)
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John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Gregory Peck, Lee J. Cobb, Debbie Reynolds and Carroll Baker. Direction by Henry Hathaway, John Ford and George Marshall. 1963 Cinerama feature in a version using technology that has eliminated the 'join lines,' and unifies the images with an aspect ratio of 2.89:1. Unconfirmed extras: film historian commentary; Dave Strohmaier's feature-length documentary "Cinerama Adventure"; "The Making of How the West Was Won" (archival featurette); original Theatrical trailer.

I've Gotta Get Back To New York
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Teri Ralston (Company, A Little Night Music, The Baker's Wife). "I Love Being Here With You," "Adult Education," "Colored Lights," "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home/Glamorous Life/I've Got To Get Back To New York," "Lost In His Arms," "Old Friend," "The Man I Love/Another Mr. Right," "Buddies Eyes," "Make The Most Of The Music," "Chason," "Company Medley," "God Didn't Make Little Green Apples (with Pamela Myers)," "Another Hundred People (with Pamela Myers)," "Marieke," "No Fear," "The Road Not Taken," "Losing My Mind." Musical director Shelly Markham.

Little Fish
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Blank Theatre Company cast recording of Michael John LaChiusa score. Alice Ripley, Chad Kimball, Gregory Jbara, Brooke Tansley and Robert Torti. Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin. "Days," "Robert," "It's a Sign," "The Pool," "Winter Is Here," "Short Story," "Perfect," "John Paul," "Disco," "Cigarette Dream," "Flotsam," "I Ran," "Ninety-Year-Old Man," "By the Way," "Remember Me," "Anne," "Little Fish," "Poor Charlotte," "The Track," "Flotsam (reprise)," "Simple Creature," "Revelations," "In Twos and Threes."

The Live Smoke Sessions - Lea Delaria
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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"Down with Love," "Why Don't You Do Right?," "Miss Otis Regrets," "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Love Me or Leave Me," "Love for Sale," "Night and Day," "Puff intro," "Puff," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid."

Mad About Music: Rarities & Gems
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Deanna Durbin. Many tracks are alternate takes from film versions. 23 tracks.

Together: Maxine Sullivan Sings Jule Styne
(Harbinger Records - on CD)
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New to Harbinger; had been out of print. "Sunday," "Just In Time," "Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week," "Dance Only With Me," "It's Been A Long, Long Time," "I Don't Want To Walk Without You," "Bye Bye Baby," "Killing Time," "Talking To Yourself," "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?," "Things We Did Last Summer," "Time After Time," "I've Heard That Song Before," "You Say You Care," "Distant Melody," "Together Wherever We Go." Includes photos of Sullivan & Styne.

Picture Incomplete
(Onemoe Music - new on CD/mp3)
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Trent Armand Kendell (The Color Purple tour). One-man musical by Michael Polese.

Pinocchio
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Soundtrack 1957 television feature. Mickey Rooney, Fran Allison, Stubby Kaye, and Martyn Green, Jerry Colonna, Walter Slezak, Sondra Lee. Score by Alec Wilder and William Engvick. 28 tracks.

Spotlight
(Sony - digital download single) 
Preview track release from Jennifer Hudson's (Dreamgirls) upcoming solo album. Available at iTunes and Amazon mp3. Album to be released September 30.

Still Unforgettable: Natalie Cole
(Rhino - new on CD)
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"Walkin' My Baby Back Home (w/Nat King Cole)," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "Coffee Time," "Somewhere Along the Way," "You Go to My Head," "Nice 'n' Easy," "Why Don't You Do Right?," "Here's That Rainy Day," "But Beautiful," "Lollipops and Roses," "The Best Is Yet to Come," "Something's Gotta Give," "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," "It's All Right with Me." "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" is an Amazon exclusive bonus track and iTunes album has a video bonus.

A World That Swings
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Andrew Suvalsky. Lover Come Back To Me," "Dat Dere," "I Feel The Earth Move," "Fool," "On A Hill," "All Of Me," "One Note Samba," "Corcovado," "Perdido," "When The Sun Comes Out," "We've Got A World That Swings," "Softly As In," "A Morning Sunrise," "How Deep Is The Ocean," "Night And Day."

September 2, 2008

The Best Plays Theater Yearbook 2006-2007
(Limelight - Hardcover Book)
Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Editor. Honors 10 new plays and musicals and three regional plays cited in the Harold and Mimi Steinberg New Play Awards and Citations competition. Includes a comprehensive collection of facts and figures about the year in United States theatre. The plays are: Blackbird, by David Harrower (essay by David Cote); The Clean House, by Sarah Ruhl (essay by Anne Marie Welsh); The Coast of Utopia, by Tom Stoppard (essay by Charles Wright); Dying City, by Christopher Shinn (essay by Charles Isherwood); Frost/Nixon, by Peter Morgan (essay by Charles McNulty); The Pain and the Itch, by Bruce Norris (essay by John Istel); Passing Strange, by Stew and Heidi Rodewald (essay by Alisa Solomon); Radio Golf, by August Wilson (essay by Christopher Rawson); The Scene, by Theresa Rebeck (essay by Chris Jones); and Spring Awakening, by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik (essay by Michael Feingold.)

Blue Moo: 17 Jukebox Hits from Way Back Never
(Rounder - new on CD)
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Sandra Boynton & Michael Ford collection of children's songs. Original songs that evoke the jukebox era. Singers include Christopher Kale Jones, Sha Na Na, Steve Lawrence ("Blue Moo"), Brian Wilson, Neil Sedaka, The Sparklets, John Ondrasik, B.B. King, Bobby Vee, Michael Ford, Patti LuPone ("Rabbit Tango"), The Uninvited Loud Precision Band, Keith Boynton, Davy Jones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Uninvited Loud Precision Band/Devin McEwan. Also available in mp3 format. Previously available in a book/CD package.

Frankenstein, a New Musical
(Ghostlight - new digital download)
2007 Off Broadway cast recording of Mark Baron/Jeffrey Jackson score. Hunter Foster, Christiane Noll, Steve Blanchard, Jim Stanek and Mandy Bruno. Released today at iTunes, Amazon MP3. Store date September 30.

It Happens in a Moment
(new mp3)
Second demo song from Long Story Short, new Groovelily 2-person musical. A new song will be available each Wednesday until the October 29 opening of the show in Pittsburgh.

Jekyll & Hyde Swedish Cast
(ARIETTA - new on CD)
Original Swedish Cast Recording starring Mikael Samuelson, Myrra Malmberg and Sarah Dawn Finer. Sung in Swedish. Available at Footlight.com.

A Kiss To Build A Dream On
(Arbors Records - new on CD)
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New Jessica Molaskey album. "Happy Habit," "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby/Baby Face," "Hello Sunshine Hello," "A Kiss To Build a Dream On," "Everybody Loves Louis," "Tea For Two," "Take Me To You," "Breezin´ Along With the Breeze," "Isn´t He Something," "Hidin' In Plain Sight," "I´m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover," "You´re Nobody ´Till Somebody Loves You," "Ain´t Misbehavin´," "Bye Bye Blue," "Heart´s Desire." With John Pizzarelli, Bucky Pizzarelli, Martin Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Larry Fuller. Available now at ArborsRecords.com

Charmed Life: Shaynee Rainbolt Sings Russell Garcia
(new on CD)
New York singer performs 16 Russ Garcia originals, featuring the Russ Garcia Four-Trombone Band, arranged and conducted by Garcia himself. Available at CDBaby.com.

Shine Through It - Terrence Howard
(Columbia - new on CD)
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Howard (Cat On a Hot Tin Roof) has written, arranged and produced 11 original songs for a collection heralded in the Los Angeles Times as a "stylish retro neo-soul album ... Howard and his backing outfit ... conjure up a smooth blend of flamenco guitars, swooning violins, hard drums and dazzling trumpet lines that recall an eclectic combination of John Legend, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and a dash of Cab Calloway."

The Sinatra Project
(Concord Records - new on CD)
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Michael Feinstein's interpretations of classic romantic songs of the legendary Frank Sinatra. "Exactly Like You," "There's a Small Hotel," "Fools Rush In," "The Song Is You," "The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye," "Begin The Beguine," "I've Got A Crush On You," "It's All Right With Me," "You Go To My Head," "How Long Will It Last (featuring Pink Martini)," "All My Tomorrows/ All The Way," "At Long Last Love."

Spring Awakening - Live from Soho
(iTunes exclusive digital download) 
Recorded live on August 8 at the Apple Store SoHo in Manhattan. First musical in Live at Soho series. Features Spring Awakening's Tony-winning composer Duncan Sheik, original stars John Gallagher, Jr. and Lauren Pritchard, as well as current cast members Hunter Parrish and Alexandra Socha. The six-track recording (priced at $5.94) includes "The Bitch of Living," "Don't Do Sadness"/"Blue Wind," "Left Behind," "The Guilty Ones," "And Then There Were None" and "Touch Me."

The Story of 42nd Street: The Theatres, Shows, Characters, and Scandals of the World's Most Notorious Street
(Back Stage Books - Hardcover Book)
By Mary C. Henderson and Alexis Greene. Theater historian Mary Henderson traces the rise and fall and rise of the street that symbolizes the Broadway experience. Captures the colorful characters, shows, scandals and stories of this uniquely American dreamscape, from the first theater in 1899 through the 1990s renovation to the present.

Vintage Musicals 2009 Calendar
(Graphique De France - Wall Calendar)

August 27, 2008

The Grapes of Wrath
(PS Classics - new on 3 CDs)
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Minnesota Opera's world premiere recording of Ricky Ian Gordon (music) and Michael Korle (libretto) opera in three acts, based on the Steinbeck novel. Cast includes Brian Leerhuber, Deanne Meek, Roger Honeywell, Andrew Wilkowske.

Gypsy
(Time-Life - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe / 2-disc version from Barnes & Noble 
2008 Broadway revival cast: Patti LuPone, Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti. Features cut songs with new orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, including "Three Wishes for Christmas," "Momma's Talking Soft," "Nice She Ain't," "This is Mother's Day," "Smile Girls," "Who Needs Him?," and an alternate version of "This is Mother's Day." Produced by Robert Sher. Overture, "May We Entertain You," "Some People," "Seattle to Los Angeles," "Small World," "Baby June and Her Newsboys/Let Me Entertain You," "Have an Eggroll, MrGoldstone," "Little Lamb," "You'll Never Get Away From Me," "Dainty June and Her Farmboys," "Broadway," "If Momma Was Married," "All I Need Is the Girl," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," Entr'acte, "Together Wherever We Go," "You Gotta Get A Gimmick," "The Strip," "Rose's Turn." Bonus tracks: "Tomorrow's Mother's Day," "Mother's Day" (alternative version), "Small World/Momma's Talkin' Soft," "Nice She Ain't," "Smile, Girls," "Who Needs Him?," "Three Wishes For Christmas." The Barnes & Noble version` is two CDs, and is reported to include brief dialogue tracks.

Jennie Mortimer: Reflection
(new on CD)
Australian cabaret and musical theatre performer sings "You Took Advantage of Me," "Angel," "Fever," "Not While I'm Around," "If I Aint Got You," "My Baby Just Cares for Me," "Losing My Mind," "Reflection," "Cry Me a River," "Luck Be a Lady," "Misty," "My Immortal." Available at CDBaby.com.

Kimilee Bryant: My Favorite Things
(new on CD)
The singer/actress (Phantom of the Opera, Pirate Queen) sings "My Favorite Things/I Loved You," "Over The Rainbow- Tomorrow," "Art Is Calling For Me," "One Is Alone," "Send In The Clowns," "Somewhere," "Glitter And Be Gay," "Someone Who'll Watch Over Me," "Always Through The Changing," "Thank You For The Music." Available at CDBaby.com.

Never Say Macbeth
(Vanguard Cinema - new on DVD)
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2007 comedy film about a science teacher who says "Macbeth" in a theater and unleashes mayhem upon a troupe of actors. More information at www.neversaymacbeth.com.

Rocking Chairs
(new mp3)
Demo song from Long Story Short, new Groovelily 2-person musical. A new song will be available each Wednesday until the October 29 opening of the show in Pittsburgh.

Seats - New York: 160 Seating Plans to New York Metro Area Theatres, Concert Halls and Sports Stadiums
(Limelight - Paperback Book)
Presented by Theatermania.com. Jode Susan Millman; introduction by Peter Filichia. New edition of guide to the most up-to-date NY/metro theatre seating. Detailed seating charts that each feature a Seats pricing guide; insider tips on locating the best seats at the best discount prices; maps of the Seats theatre districts in Manhattan; user-friendly directions and transportation information to get you to your seats; Information on handicapped accessible seats and parking locations convenient to your venue.

Spring Awakening: In the Flesh
(Simon Spotlight Entertainment - Hardcover Book)
Official companion to the Broadway musical. Designed to resemble a vandalized book, this volume offers more than one hundred photographs, handwritten drafts of hit songs, original sketches of costumes and sets, an annotated, unabridged libretto, and unprecedented access to the show.

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Collector's Edition - Ultimate Collector's DVD Set + Digital Copy
(Disney - on 3 DVDs)
1993 film digitally restored and remastered. Comes with DisneyFile Digital Copy, a full-length version of the movie you can transfer and watch on your PC, Mac, and video-enabled compatible portable players. Bonus features: What s This? Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour; Frankenweenie (Uncut Version) with new introduction by Tim Burton; Vincent short film; Tim Burton s original poem narrated by Christopher Lee; all-new audio commentary by Tim Burton, Director Henry Selick and Music Designer Danny Elfman; behind-the-scenes making of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas; The worlds of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Town, Christmas Town, The Real World; deleted scenes; Storyboard To Film Comparison; original theatrical trailers and posters. Limited Edition Jack Skellington DVD Bust Set includes completely restored original full-length feature; new and existing bonuses: third disc Disney File Digital Copy, compatible with Mac and PC (and an insert with more details); individually numbered, hand painted ultimate collector's bust plays sound bites from the movie; Sandy Claws hat and beard with matching disc case; booklet containing original poem; letter of authenticity. Also available in a 2-disc + digital version without ultimate extras.

You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story
(Running Press - Hardcover Book)
Richard Schickel and George Perry. Companion book to five-part PBS American Masters documentary (to air Fall 2008) celebrating Warner Brothers studio 85th anniversary. Comprehensive, photo-filled treasure trove ... ultimate guide to the greatest movie studio in history. 550 pages.

August 19, 2008

Future Idols
(Decca Broadway/Hip-O Records)
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For ages 5 and up. Part of "Universal Music Family" CD Collections (New Compilations of Hit Songs for Kids That Won't Drive Parents Crazy). From Decca Broadway cast albums: "Do-Re-Mi" (The Sound of Music), "Tomorrow" (Annie), "Popular" (Wicked), "Consider Yourself" (Oliver!), "A Day For The Cat In The Hat" (Seussical The Musical), "Getting To Know You" (The King & I), "Put On A Happy Face" (Bye Bye Birdie), "Closer And Closer And Closer" (The Little Prince), "Big Rock Candy Mountain" (not previously on CD, Sing Out, Sweet Land), "Anything You Can Do" (Annie Get Your Gun), "Seventy-Six Trombones" (The Music Man). Approximately 39 minutes.

I Want to Be in Musicals (Dream Jobs Set 2)
(Powerkids Press - Paperback Book)
By Mary R. Dunn. 8" x 8," 24 pages. Glossary, full-color photographs. For ages 4-8.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
(City Lights - on DVD/Blu-Ray)
1985 film featuring William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jose Lewgoy. Bonuses include 11-minute segment on the musical, with interview footage featuring John Kander and Fred Ebb, Terrence McNally, Hal Prince, and Chita Rivera. Amazon exclusive until October 21.

Leonard Bernstein: American Original
(Collins - Hardcover Book)
By Burton Bernstein (the conductor/composer's brother) and Barbara Haws (Archivist/Historian for the New York Philharmonic). Through the text of Burton Bernstein, as well as contributions from other prominent writers, historians, and journalists, Bernstein's remarkable career (spanning almost six decades) and his widespread impact in many areas is examined and celebrated. Includes over 100 photographs, excerpts from Bernstein's writings, reviews, posters, and other ephemera. The book will mark the 90th birthday of Bernstein, and the 50th anniversary of Bernstein's first season as Music Director of the Philharmonic. Additional essays from leading journalists, historians, and musicians - including Pulitzer Prize winners John Adams and Tim Page, Joseph Horowitz, and Ira Glazer - discuss Bernstein's impact on his times as well as the political and social climate in America that shaped Bernstein's activism (women's rights, civil rights, politics, etc.).

The Little Mermaid - A Broadway Musical
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for new Broadway musical, including new songs by Menken and Glenn Slater.

Les Miserables - 2008 Netherlands Cast
(Universal - new on CD)
Original 2008 Rotterdam Cast Recording starring René van Kooten, Wim van den Driessche, Jamai Loman, Suzan Seegers, Céline Purcell, Nurlaila Karim, Freek Bartels, Marjolein Algera and Carlo Boszhard. 21 tracks sung in Dutch. Available at Footlight.com.

The Playbill Broadway Yearbook: June 2007 to May 2008: Fourth Annual Edition
(Applause Books - Paperback Book)
Editor, Robert Viagas. Photos and memorabilia from the 2007-2008 Broadway season. Chapters on all the Broadway shows that ran during the season. Headshots of all the actors who appeared in Playbill, and photos of producers, writers, designers, stage managers, stagehands, musicians - even ushers. Information on opening-night gifts, who got the Gypsy Robe, daily rituals, celebrity visits, memorable ad-libs, and more.

Racing to the Moon
(JRockingR Company - new single CD)
Michael Rupert's debut single, recorded for his forthcoming CD. The song "Racing to the Moon" is from the new Matthew Riopelle/Michael Rupert musical, Streets of America. Three tracks: Michael's solo version; an instrumental version performed by producer & guitarist David Timmons; and a bonus track from the 2006 demo recording performed by Sebastian Arcelus (Jersey Boys) and Cullen R. Titmas (National Tour of Avenue Q). A portion of all proceeds will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in memory of Michael's father, Charles. Exclusive from Footlight.com.

A Sure Thing - Jerome Kern Tribute
(DRG Records - on CD)
Order at CD Universe
Barry Tuckwell, Richard Rodney Bennett.

Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman
(City Lights - on DVD)
"A strange odyssey from novel to film is chronicled in Tangled Web: Making Kiss of the Spider Woman. Creative team Manuel Puig, William Hurt, Hector Babenco, David Weisman, Leonard Schrader, and Raul Julia confess the daunting challenge and profound satisfaction of creating this watershed film - which almost never made it to the big screen. Burt Lancaster's mysterious obsession, director Babenco's epic struggle with author Puig, the birth of today's independent cinema - all play parts in the startling saga of this timeless gem. Filmmaker David Weisman's Tangled Web captures the many unique and emotional moments that serendipitously turned this courageous movie into a masterpiece."

With a Song in My Heart: John Pizzarelli Sings Richard Rodgers
(Telarc - new on CD)
12 songs, including "With a Song In My Heart," "It's Easy To Remember," "Happy Talk," "The Lady is a Tramp," "She Was Too Good To Me," "You've Got To Be Carefully Taught." Larry Fuller on piano; Martin Pizzarelli on bass; Tony Tedesco on drums; John Mosca on trombone and horn; Andy Fusco and Kenny Berger on saxophone and clarinet, and Tony Kadleck on trumpet and flugelhorn. Also appearing, Bucky Pizzarelli and Cesar Camargo Mariano. Produced by John Pizzarelli and Robert Friedrich.

August 12, 2008

The Anton Chekhov Collection
(BBC Warner - on 4 DVDs)
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TV productions of Platonov (Rex Harrison, Sian Phillips, Clive Revill), The Wood Demon (Ian Holm, Francesca Annis), The Proposal, The Wedding, The Seagull (Anthony Bate, Stephen Rea, Michael Gambon), An Artist's Story (Patrick Stewart), Uncle Vanya (Anthony Hopkins, Freddie Jones, Ann Bell), Uncle Vanya (1991, David Warner, Ian Bannen, Ian Holm, Rachel Kempson, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), The Three Sisters (Janet Suzman, Eileen Atkins, Michele Dotrice), The Cherry Orchard (1962, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Judi Dench), and The Cherry Orchard (1981, Judi Dench, Bill Paterson and Timothy Spall).

Caroline In The City: The Complete First Season
Paramount - new on 3 DVDs)
Order at CD Universe
First 24 episodes from the 1995 television series with Lea Thompson, Malcolm Gets.

The Gig
(JAY - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
2006 York Theatre concert cast recording of Douglas J. Cohen musical. Stephen Berger, Jill Paice, James Judy, Herndon Lackey, Michael James Leslie, Michael McCormick, William Parry, Michele Pawk, Charles Pistone, Steve Routman and Karen Ziemba. Available now at Footlight.com.

\I Want to Be in Musicals (Dream Jobs Set 2)
(Powerkids Press - Paperback Book)
By Mary R. Dunn. 8" x 8," 24 pages. Glossary, full-color photographs. For ages 4-8.

Kurt Weill Project
(LML Music - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
A.J. Teshin (vocals); Adit Rao (guitar); Rick Rossi (clarinet); Trissina Laube (piano). "Lonely House," "Nanna's Lied," "Alabama Song, The," "Complainte De La Seine," "Arbeiterlied," "The Ballad of the Soldier's Wife" "Je Ne T'aime Pas," "Le Train Du Ciel," "Ballad Tango 2008," "Speak Low," "It Never Was You."

My Personal Property
(JAY - new on CD)
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Christiane Noll, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra. "My Personal Property," "Phantom Of The Opera" (With Davis Gaines), "What I Did For Love," "Johnny One Note," "In His Eyes" (With Herself), "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Till There Was You," "And This Is My Beloved" (With Ron Raines), "Summertime," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Why Do I Love You? (With Doug Labrecque)," "Is It Really Me?," "Tonight" (With Max Von Essen), "With One Look," "Glitter and Be Gay." Also available at emusic.com and and Footlight.

Sheldon Harnick Collection
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
20 songs from the legendary lyricist. Collection includes: "Artificial Flowers," "Christmas Gifts," "If I Were a Rich Man," "Matchmaker," "Merry Little Minuet," "She Loves Me," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Where Do I Go from Here" and more.

The Song Is You
(LML Music - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
Tenor Paul Austin Kelly. "The Song is You," "The Folks Who Live on the Hill/Fool on the Hill," "Spring is Here/Rustles of Spring," "My Attorney Bernie," "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," "Settle Down with You," "Manhattan," "All the Things You Are," "New York State of Mind," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "The Memory of You," "This Nearly Was Mine," "Till There Was You."

Stage Mum: when showbiz happens to your child
(Hutchinson - Paperback Book)
By Lisa Gee, about the experiences of her six year old daughter, Dora, who has been playing one of the Gretls in the Connie Fisher production of The Sound of Music in the West End. The book is organized by the successive stages of Lisa and her daughter's initiations into the trade. "The thrills were all there, but there were some alarming moments as well." 352 pages. Available at Amazon UK.

Waiting
(Ghostlight - digital single)
Toby Lightman sings song from Paul Scott Goodman's musical Alive in the World. Available at Sh-K-Boom.com.

August 5, 2008

La Cage Aux Folles
(Masterworks/ArkivMusic - on CD/digital download)

OBC recording with George Hearn, Gene Barry, Jay Garner, Merle Louise, and John Weiner. Don Pippin, conductor. Recorded August 4, 1983. This digital release celebrating the show's 25th anniversary includes a bonus track of Jerry Herman at the piano describing the creation of "I Am What I Am." Physical CD with liner notes available only from ArkivMusic (CDs are pressed on demand).

Dear World
(Masterworks/ArkivMusic - on CD/digital download)

OBC recording with Angela Lansbury, Jane Connell, Carmen Mathews, Milo O'Shea, Kurt Peterson, and Pamela Hall. Don Pippin, conductor. Recorded February 9, 1969. This digital release includes a bonus track of Jerry Herman playing "And I Was Beautiful." Physical CD with liner notes available only from ArkivMusic (CDs are pressed on demand).

Ernie: The Autobiography
(Citadel - Hardcover Book)
Ernest Borgnine memoir.

Fred & Ethel - Great Songs of Astaire & Merman
(Oakton - new on CD)
Benjamin Sears and Bradford Conner with Valerie Anastasio and Tim Harbold. "Gee, But It's Good To Be Here," "I Got Rhythm," "Night And Day," "Put Me To The Test," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Please Don't Monkey With Broadway," "I'd Rather Charleston," "Cheek To Cheek," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," "The Animal In Me," "Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil," "This Is It," "You're The Top," "Dress Up Medley: Top Hat/My Walking Stick," "Pick Yourself Up," "A Couple Of Swells," "Triplets," "Dancing In The Dark," "Give Him The Oo-La-La," "Show Biz Medley: There's No Business Like Show Business/That's Entertainment," "Encore: They Can't Take That Away From Me." Available at Footlight.com.

Hello, Dolly! - Original London Cast
(ArkivMusic - new on CD/digital download) 
Never before released on CD or in any other digital format, the London Drury Lane cast recording of Hello, Dolly! has been unavailable since the LP era, when it was briefly released in the US in 1966. The recording, made on December 5, 1965 in London, features Mary Martin in the title role, with Loring Smith and other members of the original London cast, with Alyn Ainsworth conducting. The London production of Hello, Dolly! ran for 794 performances at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. Physical CD with liner notes available only from ArkivMusic.com (CDs are pressed on demand).

Marguerite
(First Night Records - new on import CD)
Order at CD Universe
Original West End cast recording of Michel Legrand/Herbert Kretzmer score. Ruthie Henshall, Alexander Hanson, Julian Ovenden, Annalene Beechey, Matt Cross and Simon Thomas. 2008 Original London Cast Recording. Book and concept by Alain Boublil and Claude - Michel Schonberg (with Jonathan Kent). "Come One, Come All," "Let The World Turn," "Jazz Time," "China Doll," "China Doll Reprise," "The Face I See," "Time Was When," "Waiting," "Day By Day" (Part 1), "Intoxication," "I Am Here," "Take Good Care Of Yourself," "Overture Act 2 / Day By Day" (Part 2), "Dream, Shining Dreams," "Take Good Care Of Yourself" (Reprise), "I Hate The Very Thought Of Women," "The Letter," "What´s Left Of Love," "Paris," "Day By Day" (Part 3), "How Did I Get To Where I Am," "Day By Day" (Part 4), "Come One, Come All" (Reprise), "Finale," "Paris Est Libere." Also available at Footlight.com, Dress Circle and Amazon UK.

The Pocket Guide to Musicals
(Remember When - Paperback Book)
By Maureen Hughes. 179 pages.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's The Best of Broadway: 2009 Wall Calendar
(Universe Publishing - Wall Calendar)
Includes photos, posters, sheet music and original set designs from such seminal shows as Oklahoma!, South Pacific, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Carousel, State Fair, Flower Drum Song, and Cinderella.

July 29, 2008

13: A Novel
(Laura Geringer/Harper Collins - Paperback Book)
By Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish. 13 Things to Know About 13: 1. This book is about a guy named Evan.; 2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton, Indiana,; 4. where nobody knows him.; 5. He's not very happy about it.; 6. His mom is kind of nuts.; 7. His dad is kind of nuts too.; 8. Evan's not nuts, but he keeps ending up in nutty situations.; 9. One of them involves a movie called The Bloodmaster.; 10. Another involves a girl named Patrice.; 11. But the nuttiest situation of all is his bar mitzvah—; 12. which it's possible no one will come to.; 13. Unless Evan can make some new friends really fast.Ages 9-12. 208 pages.

The 1952 Walden Sessions: Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
(Harbinger Records - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
Nancy Walker, David Craig, and Louise Carlyle and the arrangements of David Baker. "Blah, Blah, Blah" (David Craig), My One and Only" (Louise Carlyle), "I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today" (Nancy Walker, David Craig), "I Can't Get Started" (Nancy Walker), "The Saga of Jenny" (Nancy Walker), "Younger Generation"* (Patty Hope, Rocky Brynner (Yul's son), "Michael Martin), "Sing Me Not a Ballad"* (Louise Carlyle), "Put Me to the Test"* (David Craig), "Long Ago and Far Away" (Nancy Walker), "Don't Be a Woman If You Can"* (Nancy Walker, Louise Carlyle, Charlotte Foley). *=first recording. Plus eight bonus tracks of Walker, Craig and Baker singing and playing more Ira Gershwin songs: "Where's the Boy? Here's the Girl" (Nancy Walker), "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me" (Nancy Walker), "I Don't Think I'll Fall in Love Today" (Nancy Walker, David Craig), "The Half-of-It-Dearie Blues" (David Craig), "The Simple Life" (Nancy Walker), "Where Is She?" (David Craig), "Oh, So Nice!" (Nancy Walker), "My Cousin in Milwaukee" (Nancy Walker). Also available at Footlight.com.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger
(Simon & Schuster - Hardcover Book)
By Lee Israel. Her story memoir of life as an author and a forger of letters by Dorothy Parker, Noël Coward, Lillian Hellman and more.

How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes
(Hy-Fy - new on CD)
Original Off-Broadway Cast Recording starring Michael McEachran, Anika Larsen and Nicole Ruth Snelson. Score by Seth Weinstein and Jonathan Karp. Available at Footlight.com

Oh My Godmother!: A Fabulous Fairy Tale
(new on CD)
Original Zeum Theatre (San Francisco) cast recording. Overture, "Once Upon A Time/San Francisco, Home Sweet Home To Me," "CinderAlbert," "Look At The Way," "Where Did We Go Wrong?," "Who Am I?," "Bitch," "I Miss Him More Today," "I Must Be In Love," "There's Gonna Be A Ball," "You'll Know When You Know," "CinderAlbert (reprise)," "Fabulous!," "Tonight At The Ball," "Somebody For Everybody," "Somebody For Everybody (encore)," "I'd Like To Sing A Love Song," "It's A Boy!," "Midnight," "Go Find The Guy," "That's My Albert/Old-Fashioned Commitment Ceremony." Now available at Footlight.com and ohmygodmother.com.

Theatre World 2005-2006
(Applause - Hardcover Book)
Editors John Willis and Ben Hodges. 62nd annual edition features Jersey Boys, The History Boys, Rabbit Hole, Grey Gardens, The Drowsy Chaperone. Included are an expanded section of professional regional productions from across the U.S., expanded listing of all the major theatrical awards, longest running shows on and Off Broadway, biographical data, obituaries, and a comprehensive index.

July 22, 2008

Blues In The Night
(Warner - new on DVD)
Order at CD Universe
1941 film with Priscilla Lane, Betty Field, Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan, Jack Carson, Wallace Ford.

Evening With Harry Belafonte & Miriam Makeba
(DRG - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
"Train," "In The Land Of The Zulus," "Hush, Hush," "To Those We Love," "Give Us Our Land," "Beward, Verwoerd!," "Gone Are My Children," "Hurry, Mama, Hurry," "My Angel," "Cannon," "Lullaby," "Show Me The Way, My Brother."

Great Producers: Visionaries of American Theater
(Allworth Press - Paperback Book)
By Iris Dorbian. David Belasco, Florenz Ziegfeld, David Merrick, Joseph Papp, Cameron Mackintosh, Daryl Roth, Margo Lion, Roger Berlind, Roy Gabay, Andre Bishop, Thomas Schumacher, Jack Viertel, Michael David, Fran Weissler.

Mel Tormé Capitol Singles Collection
(DRG - new on CD)
Order at CD Universe
"The Piccolino," "Sail Away On the Henry Clay," "One For Me, The," "Love is Such a Cheat," "Bundle of Love," "You Locked Your Heart," "Foolish Rumors," "Queen of Hearts is Mussing, The," "X In the Middle of Texas," "Around the World," "Sidewalk Shuffle, The," "Who Sends You Orchids," "Take My Heart," "Black Moonlight," "Anywhere I Wonder," "Casualty," "It Made You Happy," "A Stranger In Town," "Don't Leave Me."

Pete Kelly's Blues
(Warner - new on DVD)
Order at CD Universe
1955 film about jazz musicians with Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Andy Devine, Lee Marvin, Martin Milner, Jayne Mansfield.

Sammy Davis, Jr. Capitol Years
(DRG - new on CD)
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"I Don't Care Who Knows It," "Way You Look Tonight," "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," "I'm Sorry Dear," "I Ain't Got Nobody," "Be-Bop the Beguine," "You Are My Lucky Star," "Can't You See I've Got the Blues," "Dreamy Blues," "What Can I Do," "Got a Great Big Shovel," "We're Gonna Roll," "Smile Darn Ya Smile," "Dedicated to You," "Azure," "Inka Dinka Doo," "Yours Is My Heart Alone," "Wagon Wheels," "Laura," "Here Lies Love."

So Much Better
(Sh-K-Boom - digital download single)

New version of Legally Blonde's first act finale, "So Much Better," featuring the MTV "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search For Elle Woods" winner Bailey Hanks. Also available at www.sh-k-boom.com.

The Unreachable Star: My Unauthorized Travels with Patti LuPone
(BookSurge - Paperback Book)
By Maile Hernandez.

July 15, 2008

Free
(Sam Harris Music - new on CD)
New Sam Harris CD. "Free," "Anchor Of Love," "I Love You More," "He Is," "Before You Go," "Thank You," "War On War," "Only Angels Know," "I Can't Make You Love Me," "When You Appear," "Change Is On The Way," "The Voice / Imagine."

Passing Strange
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Live cast recording. Recorded April 14 at the Belasco Theatre. Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. Cast: Stew, deAdre Aziza, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Daniel Breaker. Prologue ("We Might Play All Night"), "Baptist Fashion Show," "Church Blues Revelation/Freight Train," "Arlington Hill," "Sole Brother," "Must Have Been High," "Mom Song," "Merci Beaucoup, MGodard," "Amsterdam," "Keys (Marianna)," "Keys (It's Alright)," "We Just Had Sex," "Stoned," "Berlin: A Black Hole with Taxis," "May Day (There's a Riot Goin' Down)," "What's Inside Is Just a Lie/And Now I'm Ready to Explode," "Identity," "Black One," "Come Down Now," "Youth's Unfinished Song," "Work the Wound," "Passing Phase," "Cue Music," "Love Like That."

July 8, 2008

Arabian Nights
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Overture, "What A Pity," "It's Great To Be Alive," "Thousand And One Nights, A," "Grand Vizier's Lament, The," "Hail To The Sultan," "Hero Of All My Dreams, The," "Whale Of A Story, A," "Bath Parade, The," "How Long Has It Been?," "Teenie Weenie Genie," "Long Ago Love, A," "Marry The One You Love," "Finale," "Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians: It's Great To Be Alive," "Thousand And One Nights, A," "Hero Of All My Dreams, The," "Whale Of A Story, A," "How Long Has It Been," "Teenie Weenie Genie," "Long Ago Love, A," "Marry The One You Love," Gary Mann: "A Thousand And One Nights," Margaret Whiting: "How Long Has It Been."

Arthur Miller (Modern Dramatists)
(Palgrave Macmillan - Paperback Book)
By Neil Carson. Fully revised, expanded and updated new edition examines the playwright's career as a whole. All the plays are now discussed, along with his non-dramatic writings, and Carson explores the ways in which Miller's later work helps us to better understand the plays of his maturity.

Historic Photos of Broadway: New York Theater 1850-1970
(Turner Publishing - Hardcover Book)
By Leonard Jacobs. Coffee table book with photographs of many of Broadway's most captivating shows and casts from the days when live theatre was at its best. In addition to unusual streetscapes, and interior and exterior portraits of many of the most beautiful Broadway houses over the years, dynamic performers of the 1900s, 1910s, and 1920s are represented. Also represented are the plays of Eugene O'Neill and George Bernard Shaw, and the musicals of George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Cole Porter and more. Now in stock at Amazon.com.

Kerry Ellis - Wicked in Rock
(new on CD)
Three-track CD performed by stage performer Kerry Ellis. "Defying Gravity," "I'm Not That Girl" and "No One But You." Arranged and produced by Brian May. Taylor Hawkins on drums, Brian May on guitar, with a 60+ piece orchestra. Available exclusively at Dress Circle.

Main-Travelled Roads
(new on CD)
Musical based on the stories of Hamlin Garland. Music by Paul Libman, Book & Lyrics by Dave Hudson. Recorded live at American Folklore Theatre in 2007. Available at Folkloretheatre.com.

My Fair Lady 2008 Czech Cast
(UMO - new on CD)
Original 2008 Czech Cast Recording starring Jiøí Kalužný, Petr Dohnal, Petra Janeèková, Zdenìk Rumpík, Dagmar Novotná, Zdena Bittlová, Ludmila Mecerodová and Milan Nìmec. 17 tracks total, sung in Czech. Available at Footlight.com.

Warm And Sincere - Kitty Kallen
(Sepia - new on CD)
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"Milwaukee," "Choo 'n Gum," "Little Things Mean A Lot," "Honestly," "In The Chapel In The Moonlight," "By Bayou Bay," "If It's A Dream," "Let's Make The Most Of Tonight," "Come Spring," "Only Forever," "Sweet Kentucky Rose," "How Lonely Can I Get?," "Second Greatest Sex, The," "Go On With The Wedding," "Will I Always Be Your Sweetheart?," "True Love," "Ah Ah Ah Ah," "Star Bright," "Gently, Johnny," "Teen-age Heart," "Hideaway Heart," "Long Lonely Nights," "Lasting Love," "I Never Was The One," "Crying Roses," "East Of The Sun," "Good Intentions."

Mamma Mia! Soundtrack
(Universal/Decca Broadway - new on CD)
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Soundtrack for film musical (to be released in theaters July 18, 2008) based on the stage show. Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper. "Honey, Honey" (Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall), "Money, Money, Money" (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski), "Mamma Mia" (Meryl Streep), "Dancing Queen" (Meryl Streep ,Julie Walters & Christine Baranski), "Our Last Summer" (Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Amanda Seyfried & Meryl Streep), "Lay All Your Love On Me" (Dominic Cooper & Amanda Seyfried), "Super Trouper" (Meryl Streep, Julie Walters & Christine Baranski), "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! [A Man After Midnight]" (Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Lilley & Rachel McDowall), "The Name of the Game" (Amanda Seyfried & Stellan Skarsgård), "Voulez-Vous" (Full Cast, Philip Michael, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters & Stellan Skarsgård), "SOS" (Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep), "Does Your Mother Know" (Christine Baranski & Philip Michael), "Slipping Through My Fingers" (Meryl Streep & Amanda Seyfried), "The Winner Takes It All" (Meryl Streep), "When All Is Said And Done" (Pierce Brosnan & Meryl Streep), "Take a Chance on Me" (Julie Walters & Stellan Skarsgård), "I Have a Dream" (Amanda Seyfried).

The Man Who Would Be King
(Leftfield Productions Inc. - new on CD)
Fully orchestrated album of the new musical The Man Who Would Be King . Music by Neil Berg and Lyrics by DJ Salisbury. Featuring Brian D'Arcy James, Marc Kudisch, Mandy Gonzalez, Judy McLane, Don Richard and Paul Schoeffler. Orchestra conducted by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett. Orchestrations by Larry Hochman. Available at CD Baby.

On a Carousel - Sheera Ben-David
(Figaromusic - new on CD)
Recent Oak Room performer. Accompanied on piano by her brother Adam (Jersey Boys). "I Miss the Mountains," "If I Ever Say I'm Over You," "King of the World," "When I Look In Your Eyes," "Ne Me Quitte Pas," "Brussels," "Unexpressed," "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Send in the Clowns," "Here's To Life," "Carousel," "This Moment." Available at CD Baby.

She Isn't Me - Dee Shipman
(Stage Door Records - new on CD)
Lyricist Dee Shipman, who has written musicals with Charles Aznavour (Lautrec) and Petula Clark (Someone Like You) recorded this unreleased collection of songs in October 1970 at Chappell Studios, London, with all arrangements and musical direction by Roger Webb, produced by Norman Newell. Album concludes with "She Isn't Me," a new recording from the Dee Shipman / Roger Webb musical Emma based on the life of Lady Emma Hamilton. Completely mastered from the original studio master tapes. "You're Gonna Hear From Me" (Inside Daisy Clover), "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life" (The Happy Ending), "Watch What Happens" (The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg), "Dindi," "What Is a Youth" (Zeffirelli's Romeo & Juliet), "The Best Is Yet To Come," "The Way You Look Tonight" (Swing Time), "Love With All The Trimmings" (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever), "My Life Belongs Only To You" (The Dancing Years), "What Did I Have I Don't Have Now" (On A Clear Day You Can See Forever), "One Hand, One Heart" (West Side Story), "She Isn't Me" (Emma) - with Sadie Nine. Available at www.stagedoorrecords.com

July 1, 2008

American Film Theatre Complete 14 Film Collection
(Kino International - new on 15 DVDs)
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Repackaging of AFT series of films shown on a limited-run basis between 1973-75. The Iceman Cometh (1973, Lee Marvin, Fredric March, Robert Ryan, Jeff Bridges), A Delicate Balance (1973, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Scofield, Lee Remick, Joseph Cotten), The Man In The Glass Booth (1975, Maximilian Schell), Rhinoceros (1974, Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Karen Black), Butley (1974, Alan Bates, Jessica Tandy), The Maids (1975, Glenda Jackson, Susannah York, Vivien Merchant), Luther (1974, Stacy Keach, Judi Dench, Hugh Griffith, Patrick Magee), In Celebration (1975, Alan Bates, Brian Cox, Bill Owen, Constance Chapman), Three Sisters (1970, Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates, Joan Plowright, Derek Jacobi), The Homecoming (1973, Ian Holm, Vivien Merchant, Paul Rogers, Cyril Cusack), Galileo (1974, Topol, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Tom Conti), Lost In The Stars (1974, Brock Peters, Melba Moore, Raymond St. Jacques), Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1975, Siobhan McKenna, Donal McCann, Fidelma Murphy), Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1975, Jacques Brel, Elly Stone).

The Dancer Within: Intimate Conversations with Great Dancers
(Wesleyan Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By Rose Eichenbaum. Collection of photographic portraits and short essays based on confessional interviews with forty dancers and entertainers from the concert stage, on Broadway, in Hollywood musicals, and on television. Including Leslie Caron, Jacques d'Amboise, Donna McKechnie, Mitzi Gaynor, Chita Rivera, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, Shirley MacLaine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Ben Vereen, James Mitchell, Paula Kelly, Marge Champion. 264 pp. 40 illustrations.

Dracula - Das Musical
(HITSQUAD - new on CD)
Based on the Austrian premiere in Graz. Revised version of the original Broadway production including songs, which were not part of the Broadway show. 2008 Austrian Cast starring Thomas Borchert, Uwe Kröger, Jesper Tydén, Lyn Liechty and Caroline Vasicek. 25 tracks total, sung in German. Available at Footlight.com.

Late Nite Comic - Selections from 20th Anniversary Edition: Piano/Vocal/chords
(Alfred Publishing - Paperback Book)
Songbook from Brian Gari musical.

On Broadway 2009
(Pomegranate Press - Wall Calendar)
Reproductions of original posters drawn from the Library of Congress archives, celebrating a dozen comedies, dramas and musicals that have lit up the New York stage, including Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Glass Menagerie, Show Boat, Camelot, and other classics. The calendar also includes a list of Tony Award–winning plays and musicals, informative text, and trivia on Broadway people, places, and events. 12 x 13 in.; opens to 12 x 26 in.

Respect for Acting
(John Wiley & Sons - Hardcover Book)
By Uta Hagen. The classic book on acting, first published in 1973, now with a new foreword and a fresh package.

Young Frankenstein Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for new Broadway musical with Mel Brooks score.

June 24, 2008

Back to Bacharach
(Koch - new on CD)
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Steve Tyrell sings with guest singers. "Walk On By," "The Look Of Love," "This Guy's In Love (with Herb Alpert)," "What The World Needs Now (with Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Martina McBride, Dionne Warwick, and Burt Bacharach)," "Reach Out For Me," "One Less Bell To Answer," "I Say A Little Prayer (with Patti Austin)," "I Just Don't know What To Do With Myself (with Burt Bacharach)," "Always Something There To Remind Me," "Don't Make Me Over (with Patti Austin)," "Close To You," "A House Is Not A Home," "Alfie," "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head."

Before Love Has Gone - Stevie Holland
(150 Music - new on CD)
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"Carioca," "Before Love Has Gone," "Where Or When," "Lazy Afternoon," "The Music In Me That Plays," "Make Our Garden Grow," "Daybreak," "How Deep Is The Ocean," "Riverboat Gambler," "Here's To Your Illusions."

The Hatpin - 2008 Original Australian Cast
(new on CD)
New Australian Musical (music by Peter Rutherford and book & lyrics by James Millar) based on a true Australian story. World Premiere was in Sydney in February 2008 starring Caroline O'Connor, Melle Stewart, Peter Cousens and Barry Crocker. Available at Middle Eight Music.

The Hired Man
(new on CD)
Music and Lyrics by Howard Goodall. UK tour cast recording of Howard Goodall score, recorded as-live in studio. Richard Colvin, Lee Foster, Katie Howell, Simon Pontin, Claire Sundin, David Stothard, Stuart Ward and Andrew Wheaton. 2008 UK Tour Cast Recording. New Perspectives Theatre Company. Cast includes 1,000 copies to be sold at 9E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues) beginning today. Also available at Dress Circle.

Is Paris Burning?
(DRG - new on CD)
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Maurice Jarre soundtrack.

Marinka
(Operetta Archives - new on CD)
2006 Los Angeles recording of Emmerich Kalman show, starring Robin Farnsley, Peter Halverson, Julie Wright, Peter Nathan Foltz, Patrick Howe, Jesse Wright Martin, Brian Tanner, Ina Woods and Zale Kessler. Recorded at the University of Judaism, Los Angeles in November 2006. Available at Footlight.

Me & Juliet
(DRG - on CD)
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OBC recording of Rodgers & Hammerstein score. Isabel Bigley, Joan McCracken, Ray Walston, Mark Dawson, and Jackie Kelk. Bonuses: two tracks by Perry Como plus a Goddard Lieberson interview with Richard Rodgers.

Milk & Honey
(DRG - on CD)
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OBC recording of Jerry Herman score. Robert Weede, Mimi Benzell, Molly Picon, Tommy Rall. Bonus: Robert Goulet, "Shalom."

November
(Vintage - Paperback Book)
New David Mamet play, on Broadway through July 13.

Put on a Happy Face: A Broadway Memoir
(Union Square Press - Hardcover Book)
By Charles Strouse. Timed to coincide with public celebrations of his 80th birthday, Put on a Happy Face grants an insider's glimpse of Broadway, Hollywood, and beyond. Strouse relates the behind-the-curtain stories of his remarkable achievements, and tells fascinating tales about the people he's worked with along the way, including Butterfly McQueen, Gower Champion, Sammy Davis Jr., Lauren Bacall, Mel Brooks, Clifford Odets, Warren Beatty, Hal Prince and Carol Burnett; Dick Van Dyke, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Edward Albee.

Reasons to Be Pretty
(Faber & Faber - Paperback Book)
New play by Neil Labute, now at the Lucille Lortel Theater.

Sunday In The Park - Tyran Parke
(new on CD)
Debut album by Australian music theatre performer, recently seen as Georges Seurat in Sunday In The Park With George and in The Hatpin. Songs from two new Australian musicals, The Hatpin and Metro Street plus one song ("I Was Here") from Ahrens and Flaherty's The Glorious Ones, as well as songs by Stephen Sondheim, John Bucchino, David Friedman, Michel Legrand, Jim Morrison and Tim Finn. Available at Middle Eight Music.

Then & Now: Very Best of Petula Clark
(Universal TV UK - new on import CD)
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2008 collection spans 50 years and features all of the singer's hits, four newly recorded tracks and previously unreleased material. "Downtown," "Sailor," "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love," "This Is My Song," "Don't Sleep In The Subway," "I Know A Place," "Call Me," "With All My Heart," "Romeo," "You're The One," "My Love," "Who Am I," "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener," "Kiss Me Goodbye," "People Get Ready," "Maybe I'm Amazed," "When You Get Right Down To It," "These Are The Days Of Our Lives," "Memories Of Love," "La Vie En Rose," "Come Along With Me," "Heaven's Door," "It's OK (I Believe In You)," "To Memphis," "Corner Of The Sky" (Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield). Also available at Amazon UK.

Tom Herman/Music for Voice - with Rebecca Luker
(new on CD)
Eight songs with Tom Herman's music and lyrics by diverse poets including Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussy-Cat," Conrad Aiken's "Music I Heard with You," Daniel Ladinsky's "There Is a Wonderful Game." Vocals by Rebecca Luker. 17 tracks. Available at CD Baby.

Xanadu: Magical Music Edition
(Universal - on DVD/CD)
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1980 film with Electric Light Orchestra songs, basis for current Broadway musical. Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, Dimitra Arliss, Cherise Bate, Michael Beck, Teri Beckerman, Sandahl Bergman. Directed by Robert Greenwald. Extras: "Going Back to Xanadu" featurette; theatrical trailer; complete soundtrack on CD.

June 17, 2008

American Women Stage Directors of the Twentieth Century
(Univ of Illinois Press - Hardcover Book)
Anne Fliotsos and Wendy Vierow. Historical overview of female stage directors in the United States; fifty women who have made significant contributions to professional directing during the twentieth century.

Boulevard!
(Stage Door Records - new on 2 CDs)
Remastered demo recordings of original concept musical based on Sunset Boulevard film. Music and lyrics by Dickson Hughes and Richard Stapley under the direction of Gloria Swanson. Features the entire production; act two has never before been issued. Six bonus tracks consist of Swanson's first recordings. To be be available in the U.S. exclusively through Footlight.com. Also available at Dress Circle and Middle Eight Music.

The Carmen Miranda Collection
(Fox - on 5 DVDs)
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Greenwich Village, 1944 (with Don Ameche, Vivian Blaine, The DeMarcos, The Revuersm, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Judy Holliday, briefly seen); Something For The Boys, 1944 (with Michael O'Shea, Vivian Blaine, Phil Silvers, Peggy Ryan, Perry Como, Judy Holliday, briefly seen as a defense plant welder); Doll Face, based on the play The Naked Genius by Gypsy Rose Lee, 1946 (with Vivian Blaine, Dennis O'Keefe, Perry Como); If I'm Lucky, 1946 (with Vivian Blaine, Perry Como, Harry James, Phil Silvers); and a remastered The Gang's All Here. Also available separately.

Dead Man's Cell Phone
(TCG - Paperback Book)
Sarah Ruhl play.

Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael
(Ghostlight Records - new mp3 download)
Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch have mined the Carmichael catalogue to unearth lesser known gems as well as beloved treasures: "One Morning in May," "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief," "Heart and Soul," "Lazy River," "Come Easy, Go Easy Love," "Georgia on My Mind," "Skylark," "I Walk with Music," "How Little We Know," "When Love Goes Wrong," "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?," "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Two Sleepy People," "Star Dust," "The Old Music Master," "Billy-a-Dick," "The Nearness of You," "My Resistance Is Low," "Walk It Off." Now available for download.

Fanny
(Image - new on DVD)
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1961 Josh Logan directed film with Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer, Lionel Jeffries. 135 minutes. Color.

Grey Gardens
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Libretto for the show written by Doug Wright, Scott Frankel and Michael Korie.

Understanding Tony Kushner
(Univ of South Carolina Press - Hardcover Book)
James Fisher surveys the acclaimed writings of Tony Kushner, his original plays, adaptations and screenplays.

June 10, 2008

La Cage Aux Folles/The Birdcage
(Fox - on 2 DVDs)
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Theatrical twofer of 1978 original French La Cage aux Folles (Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault) and remake 1996 Mike Nichols remake (Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Christine Baranski, Hank Azaria). New packaging.

The Cambridge Companion to the Musical: 2nd Edition
(Cambridge Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
New edition. Ordered chronologically, essays cover from the American musical of the nineteenth century through to the most recent productions. Key information on singers, audience, critical reception, and traditions. All of the chapters from the first edition —several in substantially updated forms —and five completely new chapters have been added, covering: ethnic musicals in the United States; the European musical; Broadway musicals in revival and on television; the most recent shows; and a case study of the creation of Wicked based on interviews with its creators. The Companion also includes an extensive bibliography and photographs from key productions.

Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door
(Virgin Books - Hardcover Book)
David Kaufman biography of actress/singer Doris Day. "Scintillating tales of fame, beauty, money, tragedy, sexual ambiguity, and sexual conquests. Anecdotes about a vast array of major subsidiary players in Day's life, including Ronald Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Charles Manson, Mickey Mantle, Candice Bergen, and Rock Hudson. Kaufman reveals Day's demons while emphasizing the extraordinary credit she deserves as an artist." 512 pages. Two eight-page black-and-white photo inserts.

Meet the Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway, and Beyond
(Henry Holt & Co - Hardcover Book)
By Amy Nathan. Dancers from many backgrounds talk about their different paths to success in ballet, modern, jazz, Broadway, and hiphop ... and share advice and helpful tips. Gillian Murphy (ABT), Clifton Brown & Glenn Allen Sims (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), Teresa Reichlen & Amar Ramasar (New York City Ballet), Lauren Grant & David Leventhal (Mark Morris Dance Group), Julie Tice (Paul Taylor Dance Company), Aesha Ash (New York City Ballet (LINES (& Morphoses), Lauren Anderson (Houston Ballet), John Selya (ABT & Broadway), Elizabeth Parkinson (Joffrey & Broadway), Jamal Story (Broadway (Superstar Tours (& Donald Byrd/The Group), Sarah Wroth (Boston Ballet), Nick Florez (L.A. dancer), Nancy Lemenager (Broadway).

True Love
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
Pre-order at CD Universe
A collection of personal and family favorites by the late Daniel McDonald (Steel Pier), joined by his wife Mujah and children Fosco and Ondina. "Wonderful World," "You Got That Thing," "Fly Me To The Moon," "Second Chance," "Top Hat," "Blue Moon," "True Love," "Smile," "First You Dream," "Dreamland," "They Can't Take That Away From Me."

Truman Capote, Enfant Terrible
(Continuum International Publishing Group - Hardcover Book)
By Robert Emmet Long.

Women In American Musical Theatre: Essays on Composers, Lyricists, Librettists, Arrangers, Choreographers, Designers, Directors, Producers and Performance Artists
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
Edited by Bud Coleman and Judith A. Sebesta. Topics include the similarities among the careers of successful but neglected lyricists Rida Johnson Young, Anne Caldwell, and Dorothy Donnelly; the Depression-era productions of Hallie Flanagan and Cheryl Crawford; the transformation of the classic "showgirl" image through the dances and stage movement created by prominent female choreographers; and a survey of numerical data highlighting the discrepancy between the number of men versus the number of women hired to direct professional musical productions in various venues across the United States.

June 3, 2008

Actors Speaking
(Oberon Books - Paperback Book)
Lynn Hail, editor. Foreword by Peter Gill. "In 1986, Peter Gill, the then director of the National Theatre Studio, sent a group of young actors to interview their seniors about speaking on stage. Actors interviewed include Alec Guinness, Rex Harrison, Robert Stephens, Harry Andrews, and Margaret Tyzack, with notes from John Gielgud and an introduction by Peter Gill himself."

Adding Machine
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Original Off Broadway cast recording. Features a score by Joshua Schmidt and a libretto by Jason Loewith and Mr. Schmidt. Cyrilla Baer, Joel Hatch, Amy Warren, Joe Farrell, Jeff Still, Adinah Alexander, Niffer Clarke, Roger E. DeWitt and Daniel Marcus. Prelude, "Something to Be Proud Of," "Office Reverie," "In Numbers," "I'd Rather Watch You," "The Party," "Zero's Confession," "Once More/Ham and Eggs," "Didn't We?," "The Gospel According to Shrdlu," "A Pleasant Place," "Shrdlu's Blues," "Daisy's Confession/I'd Rather Watch You" (reprise), "Freedom!/The Flinch ," "In Numbers" (reprise), "Freedom!" (reprise), "The Music of the Machine." Recorded April 14.

Annie 30th Anniversary Recording
(Time-Life - new on 2 CDs)
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Disc one: complete Annie score with Marissa O'Donnell as Annie. Disc two: Songs written for but dropped from Annie, plus those written for subsequent productions (including Annie 2 songs that weren't recycled into Annie Warbucks, with linking narration by Carol Burnett). More details to come. Andrea McArdle, Amanda Balon, Kathryn Zaremba and Marissa O'Donnell ("It's Christmas"), Carol Burnett (provides commentary), Shelly Burch ("He Doesn't Know I'm Alive"), Conrad John Schuck, Kathie Lee Gifford, Sally Struthers ("How Could I Say No?"), Gary Beach (Lionel). Music director Keith Levenson. Robert Sher, producer.

Backstage Pass: Broadway Bares
(Universe - Hardcover Book)
By Jerry Mitchell. Behind the scenes photo look at Broadway Bares, BC/EFA benefit. Spans ten different themes from "New York Strip" to "Comic Strip." Behind-the-scene photos, performance shots, and studio stills of men and women from the Broadway stage who have been a part of this event over the years. Proceeds are donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 160 pages. Available at the BC/EFA Store.

Coral Browne: This Effing Lady
(Oberon Books - Hardcover Book)
By Rose Collis. Biography of the larger-than-life London stage actress.

Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael
(Ghostlight Records - new on CD)
Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch have mined the Carmichael catalogue to unearth lesser known gems as well as beloved treasures: "One Morning in May," "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief," "Heart and Soul," "Lazy River," "Come Easy, Go Easy Love," "Georgia on My Mind," "Skylark," "I Walk with Music," "How Little We Know," "When Love Goes Wrong," "Ain't There Anyone Here for Love?," "I Get Along Without You Very Well," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," "Two Sleepy People," "Star Dust," "The Old Music Master," "Billy-a-Dick," "The Nearness of You," "My Resistance Is Low," "Walk It Off." Available now in mp3 format.

In the Heights
(Ghostlight - new on 2 CDs)
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2008 OBC recording; Lin-Manuel Miranda score. Andrea Burns, Janet Dacal, Robin DeJesus, Carlos Gomez, Mandy Gonzalez, Christopher Jackson, Priscilla Lopez, Olga Merediz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Karen Olivo, Seth Stewart. "In the Heights," "Breathe," "Benny's Dispatch," "It Won't Be Long Now," "Inutil," "No Me Diga," "96,000," "Paciencia y Fe," "When You're Home," "Piragua," "Siempre," "Medley: The Club/Fireworks," "Sunrise," "Hundreds of Stories," "Enough," "Carnaval del Barrio," "Atencion," "Albanza," "Everything I Know," "No Me Diga" (Reprise). Available now at www.sh-k-boom.com.

In the Wings: The New Romantic Comedy About Show Business
(Applause - Paperback Book)
Stewart F. Lane's play.

The Many Faces of Love: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.
(BillMar Productions - new on CD)
Singing duo (Fifth Dimension) presents a collection of '60s and '70s love songs from their cabaret act.

Royal Court Theatre Inside Out
(Oberon Books - Paperback Book)
Ruth Little and Emily McLaughlin, editors. Considers the most notable productions from the tenure of each successive artistic director since the Royal Court Theatre opened, and includes interviews with actors, writers, designers, technicians, and directors themselves. Illustrated throughout with photographs from the plays, and with reproduced documents and rehearsal notes from the original productions.

May 27, 2008

Band Fags!
(Kensington - Paperback Book)
Novel by Frank Anthony Polito (Another Day on Willow St.) based on his play John R., which played at the Kraine Theatre in 2001, starring John Tartaglia.

A Catered Affair
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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2008 original Broadway cast recording. Faith Prince, Tom Wopat, Harvey Fierstein, Leslie Kritzer, Matt Cavenaugh. John Bucchino score. "Prologue," "Partners," "Ralph and Me," "Married," "Women Chatter," "No Fuss," "Your Children's Happiness," "Immediate Family," "Our Only Daughter ," "Bridal Scene," "One White Dress," "Vision," "Don't Ever Stop Saying "I Love You"," "I Stayed," "Married (reprise)," "Coney Island," "Don't Ever Stop Saying "I Love You" (reprise), "Coney Island" (reprise). Album produced by Tommy Krasker.

The Hollywood Collection - Audrey Hepburn Remembered
(Janson Media - new to DVD)
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Biography narrated by Roger Moore features interviews with family members and directors Billy Wilder, Stanley Donen, and Blake Edwards, as well as Henry Mancini and Gregory Peck. Clips from Audrey Hepburn's most memorable films: Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, My Fair Lady, and more. Released April 22.

Karen Mason - Right Here Right Now
(Zevely Records - new on CD)
"All That Jazz," "Secret Love," "Like the Heaven Hold the Stars," "Help/Being Alive," "Hurry! It's Lovely Here," "Make Someone Happy," "Right Here, Right Now," "Get Happy," "As If We Never Said Goodbye," "Everything Old is New Again," "Look for the Silver Lining." Produced by Paul Rolnick. Wider release, now at CD Baby.

Mel Tormé: A Chronicle of His Recordings, Books and Films
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
By George Hulme. Comprehensive discography. Included are a selective chronology providing the highlights of Tormé's career as an entertainer; notes on record issues, recording dates, session numbers, takes, musicians and arrangers; lists of all musical releases by label and category; "hits" and awards; and indexes of song titles and musicians. Films, short subjects, stage appearances, and television work (recorded on video) in which he acted, performed musically, or served as a contributor are noted, as are books that Tormé wrote, or to which he contributed.

Messiahs of 1933: How American Yiddish Theatre Survived Adversity through Satire
(Temple Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By Joel Shechter. Celebrates the funny and often politically-charged plays of the American Yiddish theatre of the 1930s, their satire, their radical imagination, and their commitment to social change. Introduces readers to the once-famous writers and actors—Moishe Nadir, David Pinski, Yosl Cutler, and others — who brought into artistic form their visions of peace, social justice, and satire for all. Examines the innovative stage performances created by the Artef collective, the Modicut puppeteers, and the Yiddish Unit of the Federal Theatre Project. Introduces contemporary readers to some of the most popular theatre actors of the 30s, including Leo Fuchs, Menasha Skulnik, and Yetta Zwerling. Includes relevant photographs and contemporary comic strips, along with the first English-language publication of excerpts from the featured plays.

Noel Coward Trilogy
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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1998 BBC2 Coward documentary series in three one-hour parts: The Boy Actor, Captain Coward and Sail Away. These entertaining and informative programs celebrate the life, career and legacy of Noël Coward, Britain's beloved actor, playwright, and composer. Rare footage and photographs. Richard Attenborough, Judy Campbell, John Gielgud, John Mills appear. Available at Kultur.

Passing Strange
(Ghostlight - new digital download)
itunes exclusive until July CD release. Live cast recording. Recorded April 14 at the Belasco Theatre. Music by Stew and Heidi Rodewald. Cast: Stew, de'Adre Aziza, Eisa Davis, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Daniel Breaker. Available at

Sex And The City Soundtrack
(New Line - new on CD)
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Soundtrack for new film. Includes Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson track "All Dressed In Love."

South Pacific
(Sony/BMG - new on CD/mp3)
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2008 Broadway revival production. Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Matthew Morrison, Danny Burstein, Loretta Ables Sayre, Sean Cullen, Victor Hawks, Luka Kain, Li Jun Li, Laurissa Romain, Skipp Sudduth, Noah Weisberg. Special edition from Barnes & Noble includes exclusive bonus tracks: "Billis Bali Ha'i," "Cable Hears Bali Ha'i," "Company Street," "I'm Gonna Wash That," "Wonderful Guy" Orchestral, "Some Enchanted Evening" Orchestral.

May 20, 2008

Company
(PBS - new on DVD/Blu-Ray)
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Broadway production. Raul Esparza, Elizabeth Stanley, Keith Buterbaugh, Matt Castle, Robert Cunningham, Kelly Jeanne Grant, Kristin Huffman, Amy Justman, Heather Laws, Leenya Rideout, Fred Rose. Directed by John Doyle. Extras: "An Audience with Stephan Sondheim," interviews with Director John Doyle and Raul Esparza. 131 minutes. Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1. Telecast on PBS in February 2008.

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
(Fox - new on DVD)
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1969 comedy film with Suzanne Pleshette, Ian McShane, Mildred Natwick, Peggy Cass, Pamela Britton, Reva Rose, Patricia Routledge. Full frame and widescreen versions included.

Judy Takes Broadway! With Friends
(Savoy Jazz - new on CD)
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Sixth collection from the soundtracks of Garland's early-'60s TV series. "Sail Away," "Get Me to the Church on Time," Sophie Medley: I Love You Today/When I'm in Love/I'll Show Them All" (with Steve Allen), "Hey, Look Me Over!," Never Will I Marry," Why Can't I?," Kismet Medley:"Night of My Nights/He's in Love/This Is My Beloved" (with Vic Damone), "Joey, Joey, Joey," Some People," The Party's Over" (with Mel Torme), "Encore: Here's to Us."

Maggie Smith at the BBC
(Warner - new on DVD)
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The Merchant Of Venice (1972, Frank Finlay, Christopher Gable, Richard Harris), The Millionairess (1972, Tom Baker), Talking Heads: Bed Among The Lentils (1988), Suddenly, Last Summer (1993, Natasha Richardson, Rob Lowe), 1973 interview, "A New Tribute Featurette," and the BBC Radio play The Country Wife.

Mamma Mia! 4 Kids
(Water Music Records - new on CD)
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Digipak.

The Muppet Show - The Complete Third Season
(Disney - new on 4 DVDs)
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Guests include Danny Kaye, Harry Belafonte, Gilda Radner, Helen Reddy, Jean Stapleton, James Coco, Loretto Lynn, Alice Cooper, Cheryl Ladd, Pearl Bailey, Raquel Welch, Spike Milligan, Elke Sommer, Lesley Ann Warren, Roger Miller, Lynn Redgrave, Leslie Uggams.

The Night They Raided Minsky's
(MGM/UA - new on DVD)
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1969 film with Jason Robards, Elliot Gould, Britt Ekland, Norman Wisdom, and Lillian Heyman. Songs by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams.

May 13, 2008

37 Notebooks
(new on CD)
Singer-songwriter Jeremy Schonfeld with guest singers. "Storyteller" (Jeremy Schonfeld), "Try" (Jarrod Emick), "Greta" (Amy Spanger), "Never the Bride" (Julie Danao-Salkin), "My My" (Donnie Kehr), "Falling Apart" (Tracie Thoms), "Rock and Roll Fag" (Luther Creek), "Sarah-Jane" (Jeremy Schonfeld), "Do You Want My Life?" (Julia Murney), "I Was Meant for You" (Lauren Kennedy & Jeremy Schonfeld), "A Simple Plan" (Kate Shindle), "Song for New Orleans" (Adam Pascal), "House of Love" (Shoshana Bean (with the Broadway Dreams Gospel Choir), "37 Notebooks" (Jeremy Schonfeld). Also available at CDBaby.com.

Adrift in Macao
(LML - new on CD)
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Cast recording of Peter Melnick-Christopher Durang musical that played Off Broadway. Alan Campbell, Will Swenson, Rachel deBenedet, Orville Mendoza, Michele Ragusa, Jonathan Rayson and Elisa Van Duyne. Prologue, "In a Foreign City," "Grumpy Mood," "Tempura's Song," "Mister McGuffin," "Pretty Moon Over Macao," "Mambo Malaysian," "Sparks," "Adrift in Macao" (full song), "Rick's Song," "The Chase," "I'm Actually Irish," "Ticky Ticky Tock."

Broadway Musicals of 1962
(Original Cast Records - new on CD)
Liz Callaway, Scott Coulter, Felicia Finley, Danny Gurwin, Brad Oscar and Christine Pedi. Songs from All American, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Mr. President, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, Stop The World - I Want To Get Off, New Faces of 1962, Bravo Giovanni and Little Me. Created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel. Recorded live at Town Hall, New York, June 13, 2005. Available at Footlight.com.

Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars
(Lyons Press - Paperback Book)
By William Berloni and James Hanrahan. William Berloni and his company have spent the past thirty years training dogs and cats for Broadway productions, primarily using animals rescued from shelters. They rescued an Airedale mixed breed hours before it was slated for euthanasia - the terrier was cast as Sandy in the Annie and performed there for seven years. The bulldog currently starring in Legally Blonde and her bulldog understudy were rescued from Newark and from North Carolina. With photos throughout, we learn details about how his dogs are trained, how they react to Broadway life, and his own personal rise to fame.

The Daydreamer
(Anchor Bay - new on DVD)
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1966 Jules Bass part-animated film about the young Hans Christian Andersen. Ray Bolger, Jack Gilford, Margaret Hamilton, the voices of Tallulah Bankhead, Boris Karloff, and others. 99 minutes. Theatrical trailer, text/photo galleries, commemorative booklet and poster.

Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Kerry Butler Disney-themed album. "This Only Happens in the Movies" (from unreleased Who Discovered Roger Rabbit?), "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Pinocchio), "I'll Try" by Jonatha Brooke (Return to Never Land), "Call Me a Princess" (cut from Aladdin), "Colors of the Wind" (Pocahontas), "It's a Small World"/"God Help the Outcasts" (Disneyland's It's a Small World/ The Hunchback of Notre Dame), "Baby Mine" (Dumbo), "Minnie's Yoo Hoo" (Mickey's Follies), "Second Star to the Right" (Peter Pan), "The Bare Necessities" (The Jungle Book), "When She Loved Me" (Toy Story 2), "Disneyland" (Smile). Music director and producer Michael Kosarin. Michael Starobin and Larry Hochman arrangements.

Frank Sinatra: The Early Years
(Warner - DVD set)
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Double Dynamite, Higher and Higher, Step Lively, It Happened in Brooklyn and The Kissing Bandit. Also for sale separately.

The Frank Sinatra & Gene Kelly Collection
(Warner - DVD set)
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Newly designed box set with On the Town, Take Me Out To The Ballgame and Anchors Aweigh. Extras: interviews with William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, outtakes and excerpt from When the Lion Roars documentary; deleted musical numbers from Take Me Out...: "Baby Doll" and "Boys and Girls Like You and Me." Also for sale separately.

Frank Sinatra: The Golden Years
(Warner - DVD set)
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Sinatra films The Man with the Golden Arm, None But the Brave, Some Came Running, The Tender Trap and Marriage on the Rocks. New featurettes "Shoot Up/Shoot Out: The Story Behind The Man with the Golden Arm," "The Story of Some Came Running" - an exclusive 'making-of' retrospective, "Frank's Way" (including an interview with Debbie Reynolds). Also for sale separately.

The House That George Built: With a Little Help from Irving, Cole, and a Crew of About Fifty
(Random House - Paperback Book)
Paperback version of Wilfrid Sheed's celebration of America's most prominent and dazzling songwriters during the Golden Age of popular music. Each story is told from a personal viewpoint, producing an in-depth look.

Mel Tormé Meets The British: The London Recordings 1950/1957
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(Sepia - new on CD)
Remastered tracks recorded in the U.K. in 1956-57.

Nothing But The Best
(Reprise - on CD)
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Collection from Frank Sinatra's Reprise Years that contains 21 classic cuts remastered for the first time in 15 years, and a previously unreleased recording of "Body and Soul" featuring new arrangements.

One Ounce of Truth: The Nikki Giovanni Songs
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Collaboration of Broadway vocalist Capathia Jenkins (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Caroline or Change, The Civil War, The Look of Love and (mis)Understanding Mammy: The Hattie McDaniel Story) and composer-performer Louis Rosen (South Side Stories). Collection of pieces based on the words of Grammy-nominated writer Nikki Giovanni.

Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television
(Oxford Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
Authoritative reference that covers stage, film, and television musicals in one volume. More than two thousand entries; musicals, performers, composers, lyricists, producers, choreographers, and more.

A Raisin in the Sun
(Sony - new on DVD)
At CD Universe
2008 television adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's play. Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald, Sean Combs, Sanaa Lathan, John Stamos. Directed by Kenny Leon. Extras: audio commentary with director Kenny Leon; featurette "Dreams Worth While: The Journey of a Raisin in The Sun."

The Rat Pack Ultimate Collector's Edition
(Warner - on 3 DVDs)
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Robin and the Seven Hoods, Ocean's Eleven, 4 For Texas and first ever home video release of MGM's Sergeants 3. Exclusive behind-the-scenes photo cards; rare correspondence from the Warner Bros. Archives; Rat Pack playing cards available only in the collection; 24-page reproduction of the original 1960's Ocean's Eleven press book. Free movie poster offer for all four films.

Rhonda Fleming Sings Just For You
(Sepia - new on CD)
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The actress/singer's late 1950s Columbia LP and additional tracks. Ms. Fleming provided been photos from her personal collection and some rare private recordings.

Sinatra
(Warner - on 2 DVDs)
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CBS-TV Golden Globe-winning mini-series. Executive produced by Tina Sinatra and starring Phillip Casnoff with Frank's original tracks. Covers 20 years of Sinatra's life.

Sunday in New York
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch live performance. "Haven't Got a Worry In the World," "Sunday In New York," "My Favorite Things," "The Surrey With The Fringe on Top," "So Many People," "Give Me the Simple Life," "Hit That Jive, Jack," "Walking In New York," "Walking My Baby Back Home," "What'll I Do?," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Not While I'm Around," "Will You."

Through The Years, Vol. 1: 1950-1951 - Bing Crosby
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Sepia continues the series of remastered Bing Crosby albums. With The Andrews Sisters, Vic Schoen, John Scott Trotter & His Orchestra, Lee Gordon Singers, Ken Darby Singers, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. Booklet contains comprehensive recording details and liner notes are from the pen of Malcolm Macfarlane, Editor of the International Club Crosby magazine.

May 6, 2008

Aida Hungarian Cast
(new on CD)
Elton John/Tim Rice score. Original 2007 Hungarian Cast Recording starring Xantus Barbara, Nelly Fésûs, Szomor György, Debreczeni Márta, Szurdi Miklós, Feke Pál and Gulyás Hermann Sándor. 21 tracks total, sung in Hungarian. Available at Footlight.com.

The Glorious Ones Vocal Selections
(Alfred Publishing - Paperback Book)
Songs from Ahrens & Flaherty musical. Arranged for piano & guitar with lyrics, chords & Chord Frames. Includes color photographs of the original theater cast."The Glorious Ones," "Making Love," "The Comedy of Love," "Madness to Act," "Absalom," "Improvisation," "The World She Writes," "Opposite You," "My Body Wasn't Why," "Rise and Fall," "I Was Here," "Armanda's Sack." 84 pages.

Grace
(Oberon Books -Paperback Book)
Mick Gordon and A.C. Grayling play, currently at the Lucille Lortel Theatre with Lynn Redgrave.

Selections from The Simpsons: Testify Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Features 27 songs songs in all, from seasons 11 to 18, including five fun medleys and three previously unaired bonus tracks. Selected by Composer Alf Clausen. From the 2007 CD of the same name.

Wonder in the World - Kelli O'Hara
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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New solo album by Kelli O'Hara (Light in the Piazza). Includes two songs written by the singer. "The Sun Went Out," Wonder in the World" (with Harry Connick, Jr.), "And So It Goes," "Here Now," "And I Love You So," "Spooky," "All You Get Is Me," "All the Way," "Fable," "Slowly," "Fire and rain," "I Love You the World," "I Have Dreamed" and "Make Someone Happy." Arrangements by Harry Connick, Jr. produced by Tracey Freeman. Recorded in NYC June 19-22, 2006.

April 29, 2008

The Big Gay Sketch Show: The Complete Unrated Second Season
(Paramount - new on 2 DVDs)
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Eight uncensored episodes of the half-hour Logo comedy show. Special guests include Elaine Stritch, Christine Ebersole, Paul Vogt, Rosie O'Donnell and others. Never-before-seen bonus sketches, cast and crew interviews, behind-the-scenes sizzle reels and more.

Dark, No Sugar: Twelve Angry One Acts
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
By Warren Leight.

Jack - An Opera About the Life of John F. Kennedy
(Original Cast Records - new on 2 CDs)
2008 studio cast recording starring Michael Brian Dunn, Claudia Rose Golde, Rita Gardner, David Chaney and Frank Anderson. Music by Will Holt, libretto and lyrics by Will Holt and Tom Sawyer. Based on an original concept by Tom Sawyer. Premiered on May 7, 1993. Available at Footlight.com and OriginalCastRecords.com.

Happy Hunting
(DRG - on CD)
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1956 OBC recording of Harold Karr/Matt Dubey score. Ethel Merman, Fernando Lamas.

Kevin Gray - It's My Time To Shine
(new on CD)
Kevin Gray (The Phantom of the Opera,Miss Saigon, The King and I) sings Broadway songs. "It's My Time To Shine," "Guido's Song," "Music of the Night," "The American Dream," "Hammerstein Medley," "The Impossible Dream," "Tiny Feet," "A Puzzlement," "Eternity," "Why." Available at CD Baby.

Kiss Me Kate/South Pacific
(DRG - on CD)
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Twofer of Capitol albums of songs from the two musicals, featuring vocals by Jo Stafford, Gordon MacRae, Peggy Lee, and Margaret Whiting.

Lullabies & Wildflowers
(Velour Recordings - new on CD)
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Melissa Errico solo album. Eclectic group of songs that reflect the journey of a new mother, from contemporary composers Lennon/McCartney, Tom Petty and Judy Collins as well as classics by Sammy Cahn and the Gershwins, plus several. Produced and arranged by Rob Mathes (also musical director and pianist). "Mockingbird," "Hushabye," "Since You Asked," "The Wind Says Shhh," "Gentle Child," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Garten Mother's Lullaby," "Rockabye Baby," "Wildflowers," "A Child Is Born," "Tiny Sparrow," "Goodnight," "Walking Happy."

Make Me a Song
(Ghostlight - new on 2 CDs)
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2007 William Finn revue. Original Off-Broadway cast. Sandy Binion, D.B. Bonds, Adam Heller Sally Wilfert, Darren R. Cohen. "Mister Make Me A Song," "Heart And Music," "Hitchhiking Across America," "Billy's Law Of Genetics," "Passover," "Only One," "Medley: I'd Rather Be Sailing/Set Those Sails," "Change," "I Have Found," "You're Even Better Than You Think You Are," "Falsettos Suite, The," "All Fall Down," "Stupid Things I Won't Do," "That's Enough For Me," "I Went Fishing With My Dad," "When The Earth Stopped Turning," "Anytime (I Am There)," "Song Of Innocence And Experience."

Maureen McGovern: A Long and Winding Road
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Drawn from her 2008 show at The Metropolitan Room. Songs that inspired her beginnings as a folk singer in the late 1960s. An eclectic mix of classic and evocative tunes from such singer-songwriters as Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Webb, Paul Simon, Carole King, James Taylor, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Laura Nyro.

Musical Theatre: A History
(Continuum - Hardcover Book)
By John Kenrick. Comprehensive history of stage musicals from the earliest accounts of the ancient Greeks and Romans, for whom songs were common elements in staging, to Jacques Offenbach in Paris during the 1840s, to Gilbert and Sullivan in England, to the rise of music halls and vaudeville traditions in America, and eventually to Broadway's Golden Age and the 21st century. Illustrated with anecdotes of shows and show people.

New Playwrights: The Best Plays of 2007
(Smith & Kraus - Paperback Book)
Lawrence Harbison, Editor. Introduction by David Epstein. Contains: BFF by Anna Ziegler, Dark Play or Stories For Boys by Carlos Murillo, Intellectuals by Scott Sickles, Living Room in Africa by Bathsheba Doran, No Child by Nilaja Sun, The Pain and the Itch by Bruce Norris, Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen by Kathryn Walat.

Rent: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical
(Applause - Paperback Book)
First authorized libretto to this modern day classic. Includes 15 color photographs in a glossy insert of productions of Rent from around the world. Introduction by Victoria Leacock Hoffman.

Romantic Songs Of Love
(Collectables - new on CD)
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Charles Boyer recites love song lyrics. "What Now, My Love?," "When the World Was Young," "Autumn Leaves," "Gigi," "La vie en rose," "Once Upon a Time," "All the Things You Are," "Where Does Love Go?"

Saludos Amigos / Three Caballeros: Classic Collection
(Buena Vista Video - on DVD)
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Disney animated double-feature on a single disc (previously released individually). "Walt and his team of artists musicians writers and animators say 'Adios!' to the U.S. to explore the heart and soul of Latin America." Bonuses - "Don Donald & Contrary Condor," "South of the Border with Disney"; Walt Disney CBC Interview. 113 minutes.

Selections From Cole Porter's Anything Goes
(Stage Door Records - new on CD)
24 Bit Cedar Mastering, liner notes. Zizi Jeanmaire, Bing Crosby & Mitzi Gaynor, Liane with the Boheme Bar Trio, Judy Garland & Johnny Mercer, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Cole Porter, The Anything Goes Foursome, original 1935 London Cast, plus bonus tracks by Frances Day, June Clyde, Mary Martin, Ethel Merman with Al Goodman's Orchestra. U.S. Available at Footlight.com and Dress Circle.

April 22, 2008

Attack of the Theater People
(Broadway - Paperback Book)
Marc Acito's sequel to his first novel, How I Paid for College : A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater.

Broadway Musicals: The 101 Greatest Shows of All Time - Revised & Updated
(Black Dog & Leventhal - Paperback Book)
Updated paperback version (newly included shows are Avenue Q, The Drowsy Chaperone, Grease, Grey Gardens, Sunday in the Park with George, Wicked) of Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik's thorough book on some of the greatest musicals of all time, including new features on revues, flops and some of the great Broadway stars. New preface by Broadway's leading ladies Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera, Florence Henderson, Donna McKechnie, Leslie Uggams, and Sandy Duncan. 336 pages. 850 color and black-and-white photos. Official release day May 6, 2008.

A Date With Judy
(Warner - on DVD)
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Previously a Collector's Choice exclusive. Jane Powell, Elizabeth Taylor and Carmen Miranda. Trailers and bonus shorts Bonus Martin Block's Musical Merry-go-Round #3, Professor Tom.

Evening Primrose
(Kritzerland - new on CD)
Limited Edition release of ABC Stage 67 original television soundtrack. Stephen Sondheim score. Anthony Perkins, Charmian Carr. Fourteen tracks. 3000 copies only. Shipping now from Kritzerland.com. Store release date late May.

Face the Music Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Piano/vocal arrangements of 18 songs from this 1932 Broadway musical revue, Irving Berlin's first collaboration with Moss Hart. Includes: Crinoline Days," "If You Believe," "Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee," "Lunching at the Automat," "Manhattan Madness," "Soft Lights and Sweet Music," "A Toast to Prohibition," "Two Cheers Instead of Three," more.

The South Pacific Companion
(Fireside - Hardcover Book)
By Laurence Maslon. 192 pages. Foreword by Adam Guettel. The evolution of the musical through its four creators: James Michener, upon whose Pulitzer Prize-winning short stories the musical was based; Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II; and the musical's co-writer and director Joshua Logan. Also detailed are the historical background of the battles and islands of the South Pacific through World War II and the unique translation of that "theater of war." Complete lyrics to all the major songs, rare photos, never-before-seen archival material, maps of the plot's war-torn locales, historical documents, and other insider information from every major theatrical, film, concert, and television production of the musical.

Star is Born/Gypsy
(Warner - on 2 DVDs)
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Twofer packaging of musical films: 1976 A Star is Born with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson; 1962 Gypsy with Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood.

Walnut Street Theatre
(Arcadia - Paperback Book)
By Bernard Havard and Mark D. Sylvester. Photo history book of America's Oldest Theatre, Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre.

April 15, 2008

Fame - 2008 Netherlands Tour
(CMM - new on CD)
Original 2008 Netherlands Touring Cast Recording starring Jim Bakkum, Kim-Lian van der Meij, William Spaaji, Talita Angwarmasse and Doris Baaten. 19 tracks total, sung in Dutch. Available at Footlight.com.

Lord of the Rings - Original London Cast Recording
(Domestic Release CD/DVD)
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Deluxe two disc set includes a 52 page illustrated booklet. The first disc is an 18 track CD with stereo mix. The second disc is a 19 track audio DVD with 5.1 surround sound and bonus features. London cast: 52 members and 65 musicians. AR Rahman and Varttina with Christopher Nightingale, and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus. James Loye, Malcolm Storry, Michael Therriault, Peter Howe, Richard Henders, Owen Sharpe, Michael Rouse, Laura Michelle Kelly, Sevan Stephan, Rosalie Craig, Jerome Pradon.

My Personal Property
(JAY - new on CD)
Christianne Noll, accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra. "My Personal Property," "Phantom Of The Opera" (With Davis Gaines), "What I Did For Love," "Johnny One Note," "In His Eyes" (With Herself), "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Till There Was You," "And This Is My Beloved" (With Ron Raines), "Summertime," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Why Do I Love You? (With Doug Labrecque)," "Is It Really Me?," "Tonight" (With Max Von Essen), "With One Look," "Glitter and Be Gay." Now available at emusic.com, with other JAY releases.

The Studs Terkel Interviews: Film and Theater
(New Press - Paperback Book)
Introduction by Gary Wills. New paperback version of originally published under the title The Spectator. Collection of the Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian's conversations with some of the greatest luminaries of film and theater. Among the many highlights in these pages, Buster Keaton explains the wonders of unscripted silent comedy, Federico Fellini reflects on honesty in art, Carol Channing reveals that she is far more serious than she lets on, and Marlon Brando turns the tables and wants to interview Terkel. With: Edward Albee, Marlon Brando, James Cagney, Carol Channing, Federico Fellini, Lillian Gish, Uta Hagen, E.Y. (Yip) Harburg, Eugene Ionesco, Pauline Kael, Buster Keaton, Joan Littlewood, Marcel Marceau, Ian McKellen, Arthur Miller, Zero Mostel, Geraldine Page, Satyajit Ray, William Saroyan, Kenneth Tynan, Tennessee Williams, August Wilson, and many more. 384 pages.

Sunday - Samuel Schürmann Singt Sondheim
(Sound of Music - new on CD)
Singer/actor Samuel Schürmann. Some of the songs for the first time on CD in the German language. 13 tracks total, sung in German. Available at Footlight.com.

Sweeney Todd
(Warner - on DVD)
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Televised version of touring cast performing Sondheim/Wheeler musical. George Hearn, Angela Lansbury, Cris Groenendaal, Edmund Lyndeck, Ken Jennings, Betsy Joslyn. Taped before a live audience at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles in 1982. Keepcase repackaging; no new additions.

April 8, 2008

Broadway Barks
(Blue Apple Books - Paperback Book/CD)
Story by Bernadette Peters and mixed-media collage illustrations by Liz Murphy. "In a park in New York City lives a lonely little dog. He remembers when he used to get taken for walks, fed dinner every night, and told he was a good dog. Now, he's all alone and must fend for himself. But everything changes one day when he sees a lady reading in the park and decides to follow her—all the way to a place where he might become a star!" Includes an exclusive CD featuring a reading of the story and an original song written and sung by Bernadette Peters.

Classic Musicals From The Dream Factory Volume 3
(Warner - new on 9 DVDs)
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Three new-to-DVD classic musicals and two 2-disc double feature sets. All newly remastered. Also will be sold separately. Extras: Hit the Deck (1955, Tony Martin, Vic Damone, Russ Tamblyn, Jane Powell, Debbie Reynolds, Ann Miller) - soundtrack remastered in both a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and 5.0 presentation, classic M-G-M Pete Smith specialty comedy short "The Fall Guy," M-G-M Tex Avery cartoon "Field and Stream," Dolby 5.1 music-only track for song sequences, song outtake "Sometimes I'm Happy" (Powell/Damone reprise), original trailer; Deep in My Heart (1954 story of Sigmund Romberg with Jose Ferrer, Merle Oberon, Helen Traubel, Gene Kelly, Jane Powell, Vic Damone, Ann Miller, Rosemary Clooney, Cyd Charisse and James Mitchell) - soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, as well as original theatrical Mono, Oscar-nominated musical short "The Strauss Fantasy," classic cartoon "Farm of Tomorrow," outtake musical numbers "Dance, My Darlings" (Traubel) and "Girlies of the Cabaret" (George Murphy and Esther Williams), trailer; Kismet (1955, Howard Keel, Ann Blyth, Sebastian Cabot, Dolores Grey, Vic Damone) - soundtrack remastered in both a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix and 5.0 presentation, Oscar-nominated CInemaScope short "The Battle of Gettysburg," classic cartoon "The First Bad Man," two excerpts from The MGM Parade TV Series, complete version of partially-censored musical number "Rahadlakum," outtake song "Rhymes Have I," trailers; Nancy Goes To Rio (1950)/Two Weeks With Love (1950) (Jane Powell with Ann Sothern, Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban); Oscar-nominated Pete Smith specialty comedy short "Wrong Way Butch," classic cartoon "The Peachy Cobbler," TCM special "Reel Memories with Jane Powell," hosted by Robert Osborne, vintage short Screen Actors, classic cartoon "Garden Gopher," trailers; Broadway Melody of 1936/Broadway Melody of 1938 (Eleanor Powell with Judy Garland, Buddy Ebsen) - Oscar-winning short "That Mothers Might Live"; classic cartoon "Pipe Dreams"; audio outtake songs "Yours and Mine," "Your Broadway and My Broadway," "Sun Showers"; "Feelin' like a Million" test recording; "Good News of 1938" radio program and "Leo Is on the Air" radio promo. Born to Dance/Lady Be Good (Eleanor Powell, James Stewart, Robert Young, Ann Sothern) - vintage short "Hollywood: The Second Step"; Oscar-nominated cartoon "The Old Mill Pond"; "Hollywood Hotel" radio program. Lady Be Good (1941) extras: vintage FitzPatrick TravelTalks short "Glimpses of Florida"; Oscar-nominated cartoon "The Rookie Bear"; outtake song "I Love to Dance" and "Leo Is on the Air" radio promo, trailers. Individual release plan has apparently been cancelled.

Edward Albee (Michigan Modern Dramatists)
(Univ of Michigan Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By Toby Zinman. Discussion of his most famous plays, as well as his lesser known works, and themes of sex, death, loneliness, and time that have occupied the playwright during his almost fifty years in the theater.

Haunted Heart: A Biography of Susannah McCorkle
(Univ. of Michigan Press - Paperback Book)
Paperback edition of Linda Dahl's 2006 biography of the late singer. Subtitle: The secret life and tragic death of a great American songbird.

London's Grand Guignol and the Theatre of Horror
(Univ of Exeter Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By Richard J. Hand and Michael Wilson. Considers the importance and influence of the Grand Guignol within its social, cultural, and historical contexts, while presenting a selection of ten Grand Guignol plays, several of which were banned by the Lord Chamberlain, the censor of the day, and have never been publicly performed — including a previously unpublished work by Coward.

MemoraBEALEia: A Private Scrapbook About Edie Beale of Grey Gardens First Cousin To First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
(AuthorHouse - Paperback Book)
On April 22, 1976 college journalist Walter Newkirk traveled to Grey Gardens, the Beale estate on Long Island, to interview Edie Beale about Grey Gardens, for his college newspaper, The Rutgers Daily Targum. Newkirk and Beale kept in touch for several years, by phone and by mail. Included are never-before-seen photographs of Edie Beale and Grey Gardens, the Rutgers Targum interview along with a few other obscure newspaper clippings, reproductions of letters written by Little Edie (along with cards she created), and art inspired by Grey Gardens. There are also essays about Miss Beale by photojournalist/paparazzo Ron Galella, former literary agent Pat Loud and the artist Maria Manhattan.

The Necessity of Theater: The Art of Watching
(Oxford Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
Author Paul Woodruff makes the case that in theater we find the powerful human need to watch and be watched, to call attention to certain kinds of human action in order to find a necessary deeper meaning. A philosophical look at what makes the theatrical experience so powerful, and so human.

The Prop Master: A Guidebook for Successful Theatrical Prop Management
(Meriwether Publishing - Paperback Book)
Twelve chapters tell how to build a props department, how to create props and how to work with the technical crew, designers, supervisors and performers: 1. What Are Props? 2. The Prop Master, 3, Interacting with Other People, 4. A Successful Work Environment, 5. The Prop Shop, 6. Collections and Files, 7. The First Steps of the Building Process, 8. Start Propping, 9. Rehearsals and Performances, 10. Safety, 11. Timeless Tips and Techniques 12. Basic Theatre Terminology.

Karen Mason - Right Here Right Now
(Zevely Records - new on CD)
"All That Jazz," "Secret Love," "Like the Heaven Hold the Stars," "Help/Being Alive," "Hurry! It's Lovely Here," "Make Someone Happy," "Right Here, Right Now," "Get Happy," "As If We Never Said Goodbye," "Everything Old is New Again," "Look for the Silver Lining." Produced by Paul Rolnick. Available at CDBaby, karenmason.com and Footlight.com.

Runaway Bunny/Paddington Bear's First Concert/Tubby the Tuba
(Sony - new on CD)
Concert piece for violin, narrator and orchestra. Glen Roven, Composer. With Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Narrator Brooke Shields and Ittai Shapira on violin. World premier performance at Carnegie Hall, April 29, 2008 with American Symphony. Also includes Tubby the Tuba, music by George Kleinsinger, and Paddington Bear's First Concert, music by Herbert Chappell.

Savion Glover (African-American Heroes)
(Enslow Elementary - Paperback Book
By Stephen Feinstein. Grade Level: 1-3. Biography of the dancer. 24 pages; color photographs and illustrations.

Suzanne Fiore Live at the Metropolitan Room
(new on CD)
"Lady Is a Tramp," "Jericho," "What If We Went to Italy," "In Your Eyes," "Midnight Sun/Night and Day," "Something in the Way She Moves," "Dreaming," "Almost Blue," "Save Your Love for Me," "I Got Lost in His Arms," "Girls Like Me," "Bottom of the Barrel." Available at CD Baby.

The Tony Awards Songbook 2nd Edition: 60 Songs Representing the "Best Musical" Winners from 1949-2007
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
One song from each Best Musical winner. "Circle of Life," "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," "Hello, Dolly!," "I Dreamed a Dream," "Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now," "Mama Who Bore Me," "Memory," "Purpose," "Seasons of Love," "Send in the Clowns," "So in Love," "The Song That Goes Like This," "The Sound of Music," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Til There Was You," "Tomorrow," "What I Did for Love," and more. Foreword by Audra McDonald; introduction by Ted Chapin; informative history of the Tony Awards; photos from Tony ceremonies.

Victor Herbert: A Theatrical Life
(Fordham Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By Neil Gould (Director of Victor Herbert Festival). New biography blends the musical and the theatrical, classical and popular, the public and the private. A revealing portrait of Herbert the artist, entrepreneur, and visionary. Takes us inside the music itself — with detailed guides to each major work and recreations of great performances. Also makes strong connections between Herbert's breakthrough compositions, such as the operetta Mlle. Modiste, and the later contributions of Rudolf Friml, Sigmund Romberg, Jerome Kern and other giants of the musical theater. 512 pages. 16 black and white illustrations.

April 1, 2008

Anything Goes
(Michael O'Mara - Hardcover Book)
Autobiography by John Barrowman (and Carol Barrowman).

The Bette Davis Collection, Vol. 3
(Warner - on 6 DVDs)
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The Old Maid (1939 with Miriam Hopkins, George Brent); All This and Heaven Too (1940 with Charles Boyer, Barbara O'Neil, Jeffrey Lynn); The Great Lie (1941 with George Brent, Mary Astor, Lucille Watson); In This Our Life (1942 with Olivia de Havilland, George Brent, Dennis Morgan, Charles Coburn, Billie Burke); Watch On The Rhine, the film version of Lillian Hellman's play (1943 with Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lucille Watson, Bulah Bondi); Deception (1946, with Claude Rains, Paul Henreid). Extras: "A Night At the Movies" period shorts, cartoons and trailers.

Edward Albee (Michigan Modern Dramatists)
(Univ of Michigan Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By Toby Zinman. Discussion of his most famous plays, as well as his lesser known works, and themes of sex, death, loneliness, and time that have occupied the playwright during his almost fifty years in the theater.

The Fourth Wall
(Welcome Books - Hardcover Book)
For three years, photographer Amy Arbus has been exploring this question in a series of dramatic portraits of celebrated actors, both on and off Broadway. Staged in anonymous public spaces - in theater lobbies, on city streets, in parks, and in stage door alleys--Arbus's images achieve an unexpected blend of spectacle and high art; formality and spontaneity; vulnerability and pretense. some of the modern stage's most gifted actors, including Alan Cumming in Cabaret, John Malkovitch in Lost Land, Liev Schreiber in Talk Radio, Ed Harris in Wrecks, Cherry Jones in Doubt, Christine Ebersol in Grey Gardens, and Ethan Hawke and Martha Plimpton in The Coast of Utopia, and actors from Wicked, The Light in the Piazza, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Color Purple, and more. Portraits are accompanied by synopses of the plays as well as quotes from a number of the actors portrayed.

Home: A Memoir
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson - Hardcover Book/Audiobook)
Julie Andrews autobiography, from the London Blitz to performing for the Queen at age 12 to supporting her family by the time she was a young teen. Anecdotes from her diaries and many never-before-seen photographs.

A Production History of Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten
(McFarland - Paperback Book)
By Laura Shea. Complete production history in the United States, from the play's original Theatre Guild production in 1947 to its Broadway revival in 2007. The author provides the inside story on the play's often rocky transition from the page to the stage, including detailed looks at initial casting difficulties and several controversies over censorship.

Simply Styne
(DRG - new on CD)
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Recording of Karen Akers' cabaret show. "Funny Girl," "Just In Time," "Time After Time," "It's Been a Long Long Time," "I Fall In Love Too Easily," "Gypsy Suite, The," "Long Before I Knew You," "Lies Medley, The," "I Hadn't But You Did," "10,432 Sheep."

A Song About Forever by Kurt Weill Project
(CAP - new on CD)
"Jazz-based exploration of Kurt Weill's songs" Singer Hilary Gardner, Frank Ponzio on piano, Peter Donovan on bass, Vito Lesczak on drums. Arrangements by Ponzio and Lesczak. "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," "This Is New," "Lonely House," "September Song," "Foolish Heart," "Mack the Knife/Marterl," "Speak Low," "Love Song," "Lost in the Stars," "Pirate Jenny," "Youkali." Available at CD Baby.

Sweeney Todd Two-Disc Collector's Edition
(Dreamworks - new on 2 DVDs)
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2007 film starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter,Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jayne Wisener, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ed Sanders, Anthony Head, Peter Bowles singing the Stephen Sondheim score. Directed by Tim Burton. Extras: Featurettes: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd, Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007, Sweeney Todd Is Alive: The Real History Of The Demon Barber, Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, Sweeney's London, The Making Of Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition, Designs For A Demon Barber, A Bloody Business, The Razor's Refrain; production interviews: Tim Burton, Johnny Depp; original theatrical trailer; Photo Galleries.

Sweeney Todd
(Dreamworks - new on DVD)
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2007 film starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter,Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jayne Wisener, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ed Sanders, Anthony Head, Peter Bowles singing the Stephen Sondheim score. Directed by Tim Burton. Featurette: Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd.

Ute Lemper/Between Yesterday and Tomorrow
(Phantom Sound & Vision - new on import CD)
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Ute Lemper sings her own songs. She describes experiences, memories, impressions, which develop into moments of happiness, doubt, and scathing violence. Reflects the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Twin Towers, the ascent of the moon between the sky and the Earth, and also of the atomic mushrooms in Nevada between 1945 and 1962."Greatest Ride," "Stranger Friend," "Blood And Feathers," "Luna," "Ghosts Of Berlin," "Wings Of Desire," "Nomad," "Here Is Love," "Nevada," "September Mourn," Epilog. Also available at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

March 25, 2008

Andrew Lloyd Webber-the Classical Tribute
(Decca - on CD)
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Compilation tribute album. Julian Lloyd Webber, Jose Carreras, Renee Fleming and Bryn Terfel, Sissel, Kiri Te Kanawa, Katherine Jenkins, Lesley Garrett, Richard Clayderman.

The Boys in the Band: 40th Anniversary Edition
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
Matt Crowley play. Foreward by Tony Kushner.

Conversation Piece
(Gala - on 3 CDs)
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Import. Complete Recording of the 1951 New York production with Orchestra and Children's Chorus directed by Lehman Engel. Noel Coward, Lily Pons and Cathleen Nesbitt. Also includes music from The Operette, Bitter-Sweet, Cavalcade, London Calling, On With The Dance, This Year Of Grace, Cochran's 1931 Revue, Words & Music, The Lyric Revue. Available now at Footlight.com.

Mad Hope
(HiFi Records - new on CD)
San Francisco-based Karen Blixt solo album, including seven new songs written by Blixt and Frank Martin. 13 tracks.

Mike Douglas - Moments & Memories
(Kultur - new on DVD)
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Nostalgic look back at the Emmy® award winning The Mike Douglas Show and the man behind it who became America's best loved daytime talk show host to over 6 million viewers. Interviews and performance segments with former guests, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Dr. Martin Luther King, Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Tiger Woods, Mel Brooks and many others. Archival clips guide viewers through Douglas' career and the "who's who" of stars featured on the original show which aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982. Also available at Kultur.

Othello: (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Production)
(Kultur Video - new on 2 DVDs)
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Live performance of production that was first presented at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London in 2007. Eamonn Walker, Tim McInnerny. Directed by Wilson Milam. 195 minutes. Also available at Kultur.

Patience (Gilbert and Sullivan)
(Kultur Video - new on DVD)
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Recorded live at the Sydney Opera House, 1995. Christine Douglas, Heather Begg, Anthony Warlow, Dennis Olsen. Also available at Kultur.

Porgy & Bess
(Verve - on CD)
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Digitally restored Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong original album.

Rodgers Revisited - Cy Walter Plays Richard Rodgers Compositions
(Collectables - new on CD)
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Atlantic Records album. "Slaughter On 10th Avenue," "Getting To Know You," "Lover," "This Can't Be Love," "Susie Is A Good Thing," "Soliloquy," "March Of The Siamese Children," "Wait Till You See Her," "Sing For Your Supper," "I Have Dreamed," "Hello Young Lovers," "The Gentleman Is A Dope," "Carousel Waltzes."

Shirley Booth: A Biography and Career Record
(McFarland - Hardcover Book)
By David C. Tucker. Complete coverage of career encompassing theater, film, radio and television that spanned almost 60 years. 220 pages. 66 photos, filmography, notes, appendices, bibliography, index.

A Song About Forever by Kurt Weill Project
(CAP - new on CD)
"Jazz-based exploration of Kurt Weill's songs" Singer Hilary Gardner, Frank Ponzio on piano, Peter Donovan on bass, Vito Lesczak on drums. Arrangements by Ponzio and Lesczak. "I'm a Stranger Here Myself," "This Is New," "Lonely House," "September Song," "Foolish Heart," "Mack the Knife/Marterl," "Speak Low," "Love Song," "Lost in the Stars," "Pirate Jenny," "Youkali." Available at CD Baby.

Theatre Directory 2007-2008
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
This thirty-fifth annual edition of the pocket guide to the professional theater world contains reference information on over 420 theaters and related organizations, including: personnel information (artistic directors, managing directors, board chairpersons); theater addresses and fax, business, and box office phone numbers, along with e-mail and website addresses; performance seasons; regional index listings by state; theater index listing by budget size; Actors' Equity Association contract information; special interests listings for all theaters.

March 18, 2008

All Aglow Again!
(Collector's Choice - new on CD)
Peggy Lee 1960 compilation album, on CD in its entirety for the first time, with six bonus tracks ("Listen to the Rockin' Bird," "Uninvited Dream," "Baby, Baby Wait for Me," "Every Night," "Sweetheart" - previously unreleased stereo version, "The Light of Love"). Liner notes by David Torresen include reminiscences by Peggy Lee's daughter, Nicki Lee Foster. Available at Collector's Choice, and later in a wider release in the summer of 2008.

Classic Broadway Romance
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook of 40 songs. "Hello, Young Lovers," "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," "If I Loved You," "Make Someone Happy," "My Funny Valentine," "People Will Say We're in Love," "She Loves Me," "Some Enchanted Evening," "Sunrise, Sunset," "Younger Than Springtime," and more. 176 pages.

Enchanted
(Disney - new on Widescreen DVD/Blu-Ray)
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Music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Amy Adams, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey, Rachel Covey, Idina Menzel, Judy Kuhn. Extras: audio tracks; deleted scenes; bloopers; 3 behind-the-scenes featurettes; "Pip's Predicament: A Pop-Up Adventure"; "The D-Files."

John Treacy Egan - Count the Stars
(new on CD)
Broadway (The Little Mermaid, Jekyll & Hyde, The Producers and Off-Broadway (When Pigs Fly, Batboy The Musical John Treacy Egan's solo album. "On the Street Where You Live/Almost Like Being in Love," "Pure Imagination/Pieces of Dreams," "But For Now," "Wonderful World of the Young," "Nice Work if You Can Get it," "How Glory Goes," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," "Shall We Dance?/I'd Rather Cha Cha Than Eat," "Sarah," "Happiness/Walking in the Air," "Unrequited Lover's March," "The Path You Choose," "I Wish You Love," "This is the Moment." Available at CDBaby.com.

Hilary Ann Feldman: Taking Flight
(new on CD)
Chicago-based singer, musical theatre actor and musical director Hilary Ann Feldman solo album. "Get Happy/Feelin' Groovy," "Flight," "The Galaxy Song/Travel," "Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home," "When I'm 64/When You Are Old," "They All Laughed," "On My Way To You," "Years," "The Girl In 14G," "The Life You Dream," "May I Suggest." Available at CDBaby.com.

Make It With You/Where Did They Go
(Collector's Choice - new on CD)
Peggy Lee twofer from 1970/1971. Bonus tracks: "Pieces of Dreams," "Didn't We? (previously unreleased, from the Is That All There Is? sessions), "You're Driving Me Crazy" (previously unreleased, from the Somethin' Groovy! sessions) and "No More" (previously unreleased, from the A Natural Woman sessions. Liner notes by Paul Howes. Available at Collector's Choice, and later in a wider release in the summer of 2008.

The Stephen Schwartz Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
41 piano/vocal/guitar arrangements, including: "All Good Gifts," "Butterflies Are Free," "Cold Enough to Snow," "Colors of the Wind," "Day by Day," "Extraordinary," "Fathers and Sons," "In Whatever Time We Have," "Life Goes On," "Lost in the Wilderness," "Meadowlark," "Proud Lady," "When You Believe" and more.

Then Was Then, Now Is Now/Bridge Over Troubled Water
(Collector's Choice - new on CD)
Peggy Lee twofer from 1965/1970. Bonus tracks from Then Was Then sessions: previously unreleased stereo versions of "Stop Living in the Past" and "Maybe This Summer" plus "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" (unreleased until 2005). Liner notes by Dan Schaarschmidt. Available at Collector's Choice, and later in a wider release in the summer of 2008.

March 11, 2008

April Love / Tammy and The Bachelor
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Twofer 1957 soundtracks. April Love with Pat Boone, Shirley Jones - includes Boone's pop version of title song; Tammy with Pat Boone and Debbie Reynolds. Bonus tracks: Debbie Reynolds singing "French Heels," "Never Mind The Noise In The Market," "Carolina In The Morning," All Grown Up."

The Bluest Kind of Blues
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Denny Dennis, "The British Bing Crosby." All but one of the 26 tracks here were recorded in the 1940s, many on CD for the first time.

D.C. Anderson: Our Story
(LML Music - new on CD)
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D.C. Anderson accompanied by Steven Landau, David Robison, Deanna Witkowski, Geoff Packard, Gannt Kushner, David Mergen, Amy Ward Butler, Ritt Henn, Gannt Kushner, Andy Hamburger, Darrell Oystreck, Larry Tapper. "My A** Look* Fanta**tic," "Frances Willard Rode a Bicycle," "Feels Like a Fit," "This is My Love," "The Danger and the Din," "Tin Can Telephone," "I'm Looking For a Romantic," "Karma Comedian," "'Til Then," "Nine Percent Disgusted: An Art Song," "You," "I'm the Law," "Rock in the River," "I Have to Laugh," "Our Story."

Dreamland
(Bellarama Productions - new on CD)
"Part concept album, part radio show, part stage musical" incorporating standards and classic show tunes with narrative dialogue and sound effects. Starring Brent Spiner and Maude Maggart, with Pat Richardson and Mark Hamill. Arranged, orchestrated and conducted by John McKinney. Written by Brent Spiner. Songs include "Somebody Loves Me," "Some Enchanted Evening," "The Moonbeam Song," "You Were Meant For Me," "I Love You/Nice and Easy," "I'm Sitting on Top fo the World," "What'll I Do?", "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," "I Remember You," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "Come Back To Me" "Let's Face the Music and Dance," "Stranger in Paradise," "To Know You Is to Love You." Available at www.therealbrentspiner.com.

First Harvest
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Elizabeth Ward Land sings "A Change in Me," "Farther to Fall," "Love to Learn," "It Don't Bring You," "A Taste of Honey," "Something I Thought I'd Never Do," "Why Haven't I Heard From You," "I Can Let Go Now," "Flies on the Butter," "When the Sun Comes Out," "When You Take My Hand," "42nd Street."

Hallways, The Songs of Carol Hall
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Performed by Hall and Farah Alvin, Tom Andersen, Hubert "Tex" Arnold, Susannah Blinkoff, Scott Coulter, Tim Di Pasqua, Lesley Gore, Bobby Gosh, Rick Jensen, Steven Lutvak, Laurel Massé, Sally Mayes, Amanda McBroom, Johnny Rodgers, Carol Woods and the Broadway Inspirational Voices. Produced by Carol Hall and Hubert "Tex" Arnold (also Musical Director and Arranger). "Hard Candy Christmas," "It's Only A Broken Heart," "Dublin In The Rain," "Change In Me," "This Is My Birthday," "Tattooed Boy In Memphis," "Hungry For You," "Do You Know What I Mean," "Jenny Rebecca," "Nana," "The Two Lonely People," "War On Christmas Day," "I'll Imagine You A Song," "My Circle Of Friends."

In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures
(Atria - Hardcover Book)
Autobiography by Helen Mirren. 272 pages.

March 4, 2008

The Magic of Believing
(Sepia - new on CD)
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Girl inspirational singing trio Jane Russell, Connie Haines, Beryl Davis. Bonus tracks: Jane Russell Jane songs from The French Line and The Revolt Of Mamie Stover, and showcasing her and two rare narratives, "Hollywood Cinderella" and "Hollywood Riding Hood". Johnny Desmond.

The Phantom of the Opera, the first year backstage 1986-1987
(Marcus Tylor - Paperback Book)
By Marcus Tylor. Catalogue of black and white photographs taken behind the scenes during the first year of Phantom of the Opera in London. A unique insight into life backstage at Her Majesty's Theatre and include images of the original cast members, from the principals, Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton, to the chorus. Few of these photos have even been seen by others, although director Hal Prince has said these were the best photographs of the show he had ever seen. This publication is intended primarily as a source of the prints.

Susan Egan Live! with Christopher McGovern
(LML - new on 2 CDs)
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Recorded at Curtis theatre in Brea, CA September 30 and October 1, 2006. Track list: Opening Medley, "Joshua Noveck," "How Lovely to Be a Woman," "Times Like This," Rodgers and Hammerstein Medley, "My Funny Valentine," "Taylor, the Latte Boy," "Compromise," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Thoroughly Modern Millie/Jimmy," "Cabaret," "If I Only Had a Brain/Lion Tamer," "Disney Heroine Medley," "It's a Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind," "The Last Song," Pregnancy Medley, "I Dreamed a Dream," Beauty and the Beast Medley, "Gimme, Gimme," "When You Wish Upon a Star." Musical Director/arrangements: Christopher McGovern. Produced by Bruce Kimmel.

A Swell Party RSVP Cole Porter - KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler
(new on CD)
"Well Did You Evah!/It's De-Lovely," "Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "You've Got That Thing/They Couldn't Compare To You," "The Tale Of The Oyster," "I Am In Love," "So In Love/Get Out Of Town," "I Love Paris/You Don't Know Paree/After You, Who?," "Too Darn Hot," "Just One Of Those Things/Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love," "Down In The Depths," "Wake Up And Dream," "Begin The Beguine/All Through The Night/In The Still Of The Night," "Wouldn't It Be Fun?/Just One Of Those Things." Liner notes for this recording are by Robert Kimball.

This Ordinary Thursday: The Songs of Georgia Stitt (Songbook)
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Features 12 Georgia Stitt songs featured on previously released CD. "Air," "Big Wings," "The Holy Secret," "I Get To Show You The Ocean," "I Lay My Armor Down," "It Almost Felt Like Love," "Life Is Not A Camera ," "One Day More," "Perfect Summer," "She," "These Two," "This Ordinary Thursday."

Torch Songs: Pro Vocal Men's Edition Volume 29
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book with CD)
Contains the lyrics, melody, and chord symbols for eight classic songs. CD contains demos for listening and separate backing tracks so you can sing along. The CD is playable on any CD, but it is also enhanced for PC and Mac computer users so you can adjust the recording to any pitch without changing the tempo. "Bewitched," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "The End of a Love Affair," "I Concentrate on You," "I'll Be Around," "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," "Lush Life," "You Don't Know What Love Is."

Words of Love: The Voice of Edith Piaf in The Award-Winning Film La Vie En Rose
(LML Music - new on CD)
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Album of Jil Aigrot (vocals for film La Vie en Rose) singing Piaf songs. "Sous le ciel de Paris - (instrumental), "Les flonflons du bal," "La goualante du pauvre Jean," "Y'a pas de printemps," "Plus bleu que tes yeux," "C'est à Hambourg," "L'homme au pianolisten," "Mon vieux Lucien," "Mon Dieu," "Boulevard du crime," "Le chemin des forains," "Bravo pour le clown!," "Les mots d'amour," "A quoi ça sert l'amour?," "Je hais les dimanche," "La foulelisten," "Mon manège à moi," "Non je ne regrette rienlisten," "La vie en rose" (instrumental).

February 26, 2008

Annie Get Your Gun
(DRG - new on CD)
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1962 studio cast recording with Doris Day & Robert Goulet. On CD for the first time.

Honk: the Original Demo Recordings
(First Night - new on import CD)
At CD Universe
1997 live-in-studio demo recording of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe musical. With Clare Moore, Jo Ridding, Clive Rowe, Jenna Russell. "Poultry Tale," "Joy Of Motherhood," "Different," "Hold Your Head Up High," "Look At Him," "Different," "Play With Your Food," "Elegy," "Every Tear A Mother Cries," "Wild Goose Chase," Act 1 Finale, "Now I've Seen You," "It Takes All Sorts," "Warts And All," "Hold Your Head Up High," "Collage," "Now I've Seen You." Also available at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

Judy Garland at the Grove
(DRG - on CD)
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Live album of Judy Garland performance at The Coconut Grove. Previously on Capitol LP. Now "complete from start to finish" and mixed from the original three-track masters. Three additional tracks not on the LP.

Love Boat - Season One: Volume One
(Paramount - new on 3 DVDs)
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First 12 episodes of this television series. Cast includes Gavin McLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes. Guests should include Jimmie Walker, Bonnie Franklin, Suzanne Somers, Meredith Baxter Birney, Tovah Feldshuh, John Ritter, Robert Reed, Loretta Swit, Edward Andrews, Milton Berle, Charo, Michele Lee, Diahann Carroll, Jim Nabors, Ruth Gordon, Patty Duke, Tab Hunter, Diana Canova, Ray Bolger, David Hedison, Steve Allen, Polly Bergen, Sandy Duncan, Phil Silvers, Judy Canova, Gary Burghoff, Jane Curtin, Florence Henderson, John Gavin, Shecky Greene, Dick Sargent, Arte Johnson, Will Geer, Pat Morita, Tom Poston.

Outplays: Landmark Gay and Lesbian Plays of the Twentieth Century
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
Ben Hodges, Editor. Edward Albee's Zoo Story; Terrence McNally's The Ritz; Harvey Fierstein's Torch Song Trilogy; Paula Vogel's The Baltimore Waltz; John Herbert's Fortune and Men's Eyes; and more.

Say, Darling
(DRG - new on CD)
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1958 OBC recording. Styne/Comden & Green score. Vivian Blaine, Johnny Desmond, Constance Ford, Robert Morse, David Wayne.

Three Graces
(Decca - new on CD)
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Sara Gettelfinger, Kelly Levesque and Joy Kabanuck. "Requiem," "Against All Odds (Impossibile)," "I Wish (All The Love In The World)," "Run (Si Accendera)," "Don't Let Me Forget," "Dile," "You'll Be Watching," "1000 Pieces," "These Dreams (Te Sueno)," "Si Tu Pars," "There Will Be A Time."

A Trip to the Theatre
(DK Children - Hardcover/Paperback)
Photographs combine with lively illustrations and engaging, age-appropriate stories in DK Readers book. "Jake's uncle takes him on a behind-the-scenes tour of a local playhouse, and then it's time for the show!"

February 26, 2008

39 Steps: Music From and Inspired by the Hit West End Show
(Silva Screen - new on CD)
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; from Silva Screen's vast library of Hitchcock scores, augmented by other period pieces which feature in the show. Music from and inspired by the hit West End (now Broadway) show: The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Dial M For Murder, Psycho, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Under Capricorn, Stage Fright, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Private Lives Of Elizabeth And Essex, Coronation Scot, The Devil's Gallop, Embassy Stomp, Love Is the Sweetest Thing. Charles Williams, City Of Prague Philharmonic, Queen'S Hall Light Orchestra and Ambrose And His Embassy Club Orchestra, Al Bowlly With Ray Noble And The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra.

Bad Girls - The Musical Import
(First Night - new on CD)
OLC recording of new British musical, based on characters from the popular television drama. Developed by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus, in collaboration with composer and lyricist Kath Gotts, and director Maggie Norris. The West End production ran at the Garrick Theatre, London in 2007. David Burt, Sally Dexter, Nicole Faraday, Helen Fraser. Orchestrated and produced by Martin Koch and Nick Gilpin. Recorded at the Garrick Theatre, Angel Studios and The Shoe Factory, London. "I Shouldn't Be Here," "Guardian Angel," "Jailcraft," "One Moment," "Life of Grime," "A - List," "The Key," "That's The Way It Is," "Freedom Road," "The Future is Bright," "Sorry," "Every Night," "All Banged Up," "The Baddest and the Best," "First Lady," "The Baddest and the Best (Reprise)," "This Is My Life." Also available now at Dress Circle; next week at Amazon UK.

Evil Monkey Man
(Ghostlight - new on CD)
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Collection of mostly original songs performed by David Yazbek (The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; songs to be previewed at February 9 Lincoln Center "American Songbook" series concert. "Terrible Thing," "Monkey Baby Hanging On Chicken Wire," "A Blustery Wind," "The Traveler (#1 —The Fecund Woods)," "Never Get Out Of This" (Music By Erik Della Penna, "That Lucky Old Sun" (Beasley Smith/Haven Gillespie), "Bazooka Joe," "The Traveler (#2 —He Stomps Rhythms Down To Hell)," "Steps Of Another Man's House," "It Isn't Fair," "Eight Evil Men," "The Traveler (#3 —Beside The Antifreeze Pond)," "Wasted," "Industrial Love Song" (Lyrics By Howard Korder). Produced by Dean Sharenow and David Yazbek.

Life After Tomorrow: Adored by Millions ... Orphaned by Broadway
(Arts Alliance - new on DVD)
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Documentary chronically life in Annie and after. Reunites over 40 women who played orphans in Annie's original run on Broadway, from 1977-1983. Dara Brown, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joanna Pacitti, Martha Byrne, Allison Smith, Danielle Brisebois, Martin Charnin, Charles Strouse, fans, agents and adult cast members. Extras: extended interviews with former Annie stars; additional performances with reunited orphans; Slideshow of stills from the original Broadway show.

The Little Mermaid
(Disney - new on CD)
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Broadway cast recording. Sierra Boggess , Derrick Baskin , Tituss Burgess, Jonathan Freeman, Cody Hanford, Eddie Korbich, Norm Lewis, Tyler Maynard, Sean Palmer, Sherie René Scott, Heidi Blickenstaff, John Treacy Egan. Track list: Overture, "Fathoms Below/Where I Belong," "Daughters of Triton," "The World Above," "Human Stuff," "I Want the Good Times Back," "Part of Your World*," "Storm at Sea," "Part of Your World" (Reprise), "She's in Love," "Her Voice," "The World Above (Reprise) King," "Under the Sea*Sea Creatures," "Sweet Child," "Ursula's Incantation*," "Positoovity," "Beyond My Wildest Dreams," "Les Poissons," "One Step Closer," "I Want the Good Times Back" (Reprise), "Kiss the Girl*Animals," "Sweet Child" (Reprise), "If Only" (Quartet), "Her Voice" (Reprise) / "The Contest," "Poor Unfortunate Souls" (Reprise), "If Only" (Reprise), Finale Ultimo.

Mary Martin, Broadway Legend
(Univ. of Oklahoma Press - Hardcover Book)
By Ronald L. Davis. First book-length portrait of the theater icon, spanning her lifetime to reveal facts about her childhood, marriages, and friendships - as well as artistic collaborations that included the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, and Elia Kazan. Davis traces Martin's numerous appearances on Broadway, in touring productions, and on television.

Ring of Fire
(Time-Life - new on 2 CDs)
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Original Broadway cast recording featuring the songs of Johnny Cash. Cast included Jeb Brown, Jason Edwards, Jarrod Emick, Beth Malone, Cass Morgan, Lari White, with David M. Lutken, Randy Redd, and Eric Anthony, Laurie Canaan, Dan Immel, Ron Krasinski, Jeff Lisenby, Brent Moyer. "Hurt" (Jason & Company), "Montage" (Company), "Country Boy" (Company), "Thing Called Love" (Jarrod, Beth & Company), "There You Go" (Beth & Company), "While I've Got It on My Mind" (Jeb & Lari), "My Old Faded Rose" (Jason, Cass & Ron, David, Randy, Dan), "Daddy Sang Bas" (Company), "Straight A's in Love" (Jarrod), "Big River" (Jason, Jarrod, Jeb & Dan), "I Still Miss Someone" (Beth), "Five Feet High and Rising" (Jason, Jarrod, Lari, Beth, Jeb, Cass), "Flesh and Blood" (Lari & Jeb, Cass & Jason), "Look at Them Beans" (Jarrod & Beth, Cass, Lari), "Get Rhythm" (Company), "Flushed ..(Cass), "Dirty Old...Dog" (Randy, Brent, David), "Angel Band" (Company), "If I Were a Carpenter" (Jarrod & Beth), "Ring of Fire" (Jarrod & Beth), "Jackson" (Jarrod & Beth, Jeb & Lari, Jason & Cass), "I've Been Everywhere" (Company), "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" (Jeb), "Temptation" (Lari & Jeb), "I Feel Better All Over" (Jeb & Lari), "A Boy Named Sue" (Jeb, Jarrod, Jason), "Going to Memphis" (Men), "Delia's Gone" (David), "Austin Prison" (Randy & Company), "Orleans Parish Prison" (Cass, Lari, Beth & Company), "Folsom Prison Blues" (Jarrod), "Man in Black" (Jeb), "All Over Again" (Lari), "I Walk the Line" (Jeb & Lari, Jason & Cass, Jarrod & Beth), "The Man Comes Around" (Jason & Beth, Cass, Jarrod, Jeb, Lari), "Waiting on the Far Side Banks of Jordan" (Cass & Jason), "Why Me" (Jason & Company), "Hey Porter" (Company).Produced by Robert Sher.

Some Other Time - Diane Schuur
(Telarc - new on CD)
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"Nice Work If You Can Get It," "I've Got Beginners Luck," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Some Other Time," "Blue Skies," "Without a Song," "It's Magic," "Taking a Chance On Love," "Good Life, The," "If Someone Had Told Me," "My Favorite Things," "September In the Rain," "Danny Boy."

Torch Songs: Pro Vocal Women's Edition Volume 29
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book with CD)
Contains the lyrics, melody, and chord symbols for eight classic songs. CD contains demos for listening and separate backing tracks so you can sing along. The CD is playable on any CD, but it is also enhanced for PC and Mac computer users so you can adjust the recording to any pitch without changing the tempo. "Angel Eyes," "Bewitched," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "I Concentrate on You," "It Never Entered My Mind," "A Sunday Kind of Love," "Time After Time," "You Don't Know What Love Is."

February 19, 2008

The Complete Kay Francis Career Record: All Film, Stage, Radio and Television Appearances
(McFarland - Hardcover Book)
By Lynn Kear and John Rossman.

Dazzling Broadway: Canadians Who Conquered New York (Amazing Stories)
(Altitude Publishing - Paperback Book)
Glenn Wilkins.

Directory of Theatre Training Programs
(Theatre Directories - Paperback Book)
11th edition.

Helen Mirren at the BBC
(BBC Warner - new on 5 DVDs)
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The Changeling (1974), The Apple Cart (1975), Caesar & Claretta (1975), The Philanthropist (1975), The Little Minister (1975), The Country Wife (1977), Blue Remembered Hill (1979), Mrs. Reinhardt (1981), A Midsummer Nights Dream (1981), Cymbeline (1983), The Hawk (1995). Extras include Michael Parkinson interview from 1975, an exclusive interview with Helen Mirren discussing her work, and a 16 page collectors booklet.

Les Miserables Concert - Two Disc Collector's Edition
(BBC Warner - on 2 DVDs)
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10th anniversary concert on single disc; second disc has 1988 documentary "Stage by Stage: Les Miserables." Contains footage not seen on PBS: the encore in which a progression of 17 actors who have played Valjean around the world share "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Alun Armstrong, Judy Kuhn, Lea Salonga, Michael Maguire, Ruthie Henshall, Philip Quast. Includes "making of" featurette plus commemorative booklet.

Monologues for Show-Offs
(Heinemann - Paperback Book)
By Julie Halston and Donna Daley. Original monologues for performers to show-off personality, range and humor.

The Night They Invented Champagne
(new on CD)
Mark Nadler, Craig Rubano and KT Sullivan sing musical theatre and operetta. Entrance Medley, "Wanting You," "I've Got A Little List," "Kiss Me Again," "Yours Is My Heart Alone," "Make Believe," "Medley Of Marches," "We'll Gather Lilacs," "And This Is My Beloved," "Poor Wand'ring One," "Eastern And Western Love," "I Am Easily Assimilated," "Vienna, City Of My Dreams," "Serenade," "Send In The Clowns," "Look How I Look," "Never Mind The Why And Wherefore," "I'll See You Again," "I Love You So." Available at CD Baby.

No Child
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Nilaja Sun.

Sweet Memories - The Essential Elaine Paige
(Music Club - new on 2 import CDs)
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Compilation of Elaine Paige recordings. "Memory," "The Perfect Year," "Another Suitcase In Another Hall," "I Don't Know How To Love Him," "As If We Never Said Goodbye," "Secrets," "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)," "Hymne A L'Amour (If You Love Me)," "Tomorrow," "The Second Time," "Send In The Clowns," "How The Heart Approaches What It Yearns," "Bright Eyes," "The Last One To Leave," "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," "Be On Your Own," "Hot As Sun," "La Vie En Rose," "Losing My Mind," "Miss My Love Today," "Mon Dieu," "Unchained Melody," "Running Back For More," "Far Side Of The Bay," "If You Don't Want My Love," "Wishing On A Star," "I Want To Marry You," "Good Morning Starshine," "What I Did For Love," "One Night Only," "Les Trois Cloches (The Three Bells)," "The Windmills Of Your Mind," "Les Amants D'Un Jour (Lovers For A Day)," "L'Accordeoniste (The Accordionist)."

Swing, Bossas, Ballads & Blues
(new on CD)
Sony Holland album. "As You Are," "I Can't Blame Them For Trying," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Meditation," "Million Dollar Dreams," "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," "Act Like You're In Love With Me," "Speak Low," "My Funny Valentine," "The Shadow Of Your Smile," "Here's That Rainy Day," "I'll Remember Paris," "I Was No Angel Myself," "Midnight Sun," "You're The Best," "Saving My Life Every Day."

Time and Tide
(Chariot Music - new on CD)
British actress Barbara Dickson (Blood Brothers, Chess, Spend Spend Spend, Fame) album. "Lowlands of Holland," "Disremember Me," "Rigs o' Rye," "Goin' Back," "The Water is Wide (O Waly Waly)," "Dream Angus," "Witch of the Westmerlands," "Lady Franklin's Lament," "Palm Sunday," "Smile." Available at Amazon UK and Footlight.

A Tribute to Edith Piaf: Live at Montreux
(Eagle Rock - on DVD)
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2004 jazz concert tribute featuring Michael von der Heide, Régine and Catherine Ringer, Ute Lemper, Barbara Morrison and Angélique Kidjo

February 12, 2008

Ask Me Again - Nancy Lamott
(Midder Music - new on 2 CDs)
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Compilation of 20 previously unreleased songs by Nancy Lamott from various performances. "You and I," "Ask Me Again," "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Cheek to Cheek," "Sophisticated Lady," "On My Way to You," "Easy to Love," "Killing Time," "Call Me Irresponsible," "Right as the Rain," "Moondance," "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me," "September in the Rain," "I Only Have Eyes for You," "The Wind Beneath My Wings," "You'll Never Know," "The Music that Makes Me Dance," "No One is Alone"/"Not While I'm Around," "I Didn't Know What Time it Was," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Special pricing for multiple CD/DVD purchases at nancylamott.com.

The Beatrix Potter Collection
(BBC Warner - on 3 DVDs)
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Animated films based on the author's stories, featuring the voices of Rik Mayall, June Whitfield, Patricia Routledge, Ian Holm, Felicty Kendall, Hugh Laurie, Alan Bennett, Richard Wilson, Derek Jacobi, Niamh Cusack, and others.

The Cambridge Companion to David Hare
(Cambridge Univ Press - Hardcover/Paperback Book)
By Richard Boon. examines Hare's stage plays, television plays and cinematic films with contributions from leading academics in the study of modern British theatre alongside those from practitioners who have worked closely with Hare throughout his career, including former Director of the National Theatre Sir Richard Eyre. Also includes a chapter on Hare's work as journalist and public speaker; a personal memoir by Tony Bicât, co-founder with Hare of the enormously influential Portable Theatre; and an interview with Hare in which he offers a personal retrospective of his career as a film maker which is his fullest and clearest account of that work to date.

Caucus! The Musical
(new on CD)
Original Iowa cast recording of Robert John Ford musical, which opened December 27, 2007 at the State Historical Museum Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa. John Busbee, Julie Bell, Jim Benda, John Robinson, Gina Gedler, Lester Small, Greg Millar, Sherryl Viars, Susan Grozier, Scott Siepker, Emily Bida, Lorenzo Sandoval, Kathi Fieldsend, Barb Wagner, Charlie Reese, Carol Palmer.

Connie Haines: Nightingale From Savannah
(Sepia - new on CD)
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"Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," "You Made Me Love You," "The Darktown Strutter's Ball" (with Alan Dale), "Stormy Weather," "Will You Still Be Mine?," "My Man," "But What Are These?," "What Has Happened To Joe?," "Silly No - Silly Yes," "How It Lies, How It Lies, How It Lies," "You Told A Lie," "Maybe It's Because," "Ol' Man Mose," "How Come You Do Me Like You Do?," "Of All Things," "Let's Choo Choo Choo To Idaho" (With Van Johnson), "A Bushel and a Peck," "Swingin' Doors," "Lover Man," "The Man I Love," "Destination Moon (With Bob Crosby)," "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" (With Bob Crosby), "Too Many Hearts," "I've Got To Fall In Love Again," "Mississippi Mud," "You Nearly Lose Your Mind," "Pink Shampoo."

Curtains Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for Kander & Ebb Broadway musical. 13 songs plus seven pages of color photos.

Dream on Featuring Craig Chalmers
(Bill Kenright - new on import CD)
Participant in the UK's Joseph casting show, "Any Dream Will Do." With Lewis Bradley, Chris Barton, Chris Crosby, Antony Hensen, Seamus Cullen and Johndeep . "This Is The Moment," "Run To Me," "Any Dream Will Do\Close Every Door," "My Girl," "Longer," "No Matter What," "Can`t Help Falling In Love," "All I Have To Do Is Dream," "Sorrow," "Always On My Mind," "There Goes My First Love," "I Made It Through The Rain," "Dream On." Also available for Order at Amazon UK and Dress Circle.

Dwayne Britton
(LML - new on CD)
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Debut album for Britton (Bare: A Pop Opera). "Pure Imagination," "She's Got a Way," "More Than this," "Under the Tree," "Why," "Moon River/When I Was Younger," "The Song Remembers When," "Run Away With Me," "Baker Baker," "The Rainbow Connection," "Candle on the Water," "Go the Distance." Musical Director Scot Wolley. Produced by Dwayne Britton & Lee Lessack. Available now at LMLMusic.com and as mp3 at Amazon.

Get Used To It!
(new on CD)
Tom Wilson Weinberg musical revue (produced at The Courtyard Playhouse in New York in 1992). Available at CD Baby.

The Hotel Casablanca
(Albany - new on CD)
2007 University of Kentucky Opera Theater cast recording of Thomas Pasatieri's comic opera based on A Flea in her Ear, set in Texas, 1948. Darla Diltz, Brandy Lynn Hawkins, David Baker and Eric Brown. Available at Footlight.com.

I'll Be Here With You - A Collection of Rare Live Performances 1978-1995 - Nancy Lamott
(Midder Music - new on DVD)
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First-ever DVD of Nancy Lamott. Appearances in San Francisco club, Don't Tell Mama, The Algonquin, the Palace Theater and on National TV. Includes her last television appearance and her rendition of "Listen to My Heart." Special pricing for multiple CD/DVD purchases at nancylamott.com.

Joan Crawford Collection Vol. 2
(Warner - on 5 DVDs)
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From Crawford's M-G-M and Warner Bros. years. A Woman's Face, Flamingo Road, Sadie McKee, Strange Cargo and Torch Song. All films B&W and mono, in 1.37 aspect ratio, except Torch Song, which is color and 1.77 aspect ratio as originally shown in theaters. Bonus material includes new featurettes, radio shows, vintage short subjects, trailers, and much more.

Ken Page: Page by Page
(LML - new on 2 CDs)
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Recorded at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. Track List (songs and stories): Overture, "Feeling Good," "Page By Page," "C.C. Rider," "Sidewalk Tree," "Just Being Us," "Hello, Pearl," "New Possibilities," "Bloody Mary," "Summertime Love," "Dancing with Gene," "Penn Station," "My City," "Who Am I Anyway," "On Broadway," "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat," "300 Pounds of Heavenly Joy," "Be a Lion," "Ease On Down the Road," "Entr'acte/Disco Heat," "Last Dance," "Honeysuckle Rose," "This Joint Is Jumpin'," "Your Feets Too Big," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "J'ai Deux Amour," "Memory," "Hollywood Everybody Is a Star," "An Ode to London," "I'll Bring You Luck," "Shambhala," Bonus Track: "Patience." Produced by Lee Lessack and Ken Page. Executive Producers: Carole Black, Lee Lessack & Rob O'Neill.

Lubitsch Musicals
(Criterion Collection - on 4 DVDs)
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The Love Parade (1929; Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald), Monte Carlo (1930; Jack Buchanan and Jeanette MacDonald), One Hour with You (1932; Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald), The Smiling Lieutenant (1931; Maurice Chevalier`and Claudette Colbert).

Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical
(Older Daddy Music - new on CD)
Original studio cast recording of musical by Bob Walton and Jim Walton. David Hibbard, Mylinda Hull, Karen Mason, Marcus Neville, Kevin Pariseau, Laurie Walton. Mat Eisenstein Musical Director; orchestrations by Bob Walton. [see our review of this show.] Available at CD Baby.

My Life in Art
(Routledge - Hardcover Book)
Ko Stanislavski's complete unabridged autobiography, translated by Jean Benedetti. Re-edited 1926 version supplemented by photos and illustrations, many previously unpublished.

Romance & Cigarettes
(Sony - new on DVD)
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John Turturro's musical comedy film. James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Mary-Louise Parker, Mandy Moore, Amy Sedaris, Aida Turturro, Christopher Walken, Eddie Izzard and Elaine Stritch. The actors sing and lip-synch to existing recordings of pop songs. Songs 106 minutes.

Simply Heavenly
(Sepia - new on CD)
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OBC recording of David Martin/Langston Hughes score with bonus tracks. Marilyn Berry, John Bouie, Anna English, Brownie McGhee, Claudia McNeil, Melvin Stewart, Duke Williams. Based on "Simple Takes a Wife" and other "Simple" stories by Langston Hughes. Eight bonus tracks: Bertice Reading recordings she made in Paris in 1956 and one by "Bloody Mary" Juanita Hall ("Love Can Hurt You," a song she co-wrote with Langston Hughes). All 24 tracks on CD for the first time.

Stanley Kramer Box Set
(Sony - on 6 DVDs)
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The Member Of The Wedding (1952, new to DVD), with extras: introduction by Karen Kramer; commentary by Carson McCullers and Virginia Spencer Carr; featurettes "The World of Carson McCullers" - a biography and "The Journey from Stage to Film" - Kevin Spacey, Virginia Carr and Karen Kramer talk about the making of the film; photo montage with a note from Julie Harris. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953), with extras: introduction by Karen Kramer; featurettes "Dr. T. on Screen" -Cathy Lind Hayes, George Chakiris and others talk about the film and "A Little Nightmare Music" - Michael Feinstein talks about the music of the film; photo gallery. The Wild One (1953), with extras introduction by Karen Kramer; commentary with Jeanine Basinger; featurette "Hollister, California: Bikers, Booze and the Big Picture"; Interviews with bikers and residents of Hollister; Brando: An Icon is Born - Interviews with Taylor Hackford, Dennis Hopper and Karen Kramer about Marlon Brando. Ship of Fools (1965), with extras introduction by Karen Kramer; featurettes "On Board the Ship of Fools" and "Voyage on a Soundstage"; photo gallery. Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? (1967): 40th Anniversary Edition (also available separately, with extras introductions by Steven Spielberg, Tom Brokaw, Karen Kramer, Quincy Jones; featurettes "The Making of Guess Who's Coming To Dinner - Part I: A Love Story of Today," "Part II: A Special Kind of Love," "Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth," Stanley Kramer's acceptance speech of the Irving Thalberg Award at the 1962 Academy Awards; 2007 Producers Guild "Stanley Kramer" Award presented to Al Gore for An Inconvenient Truth; photo gallery.

Summer Theatre Directory 2008
(Theatre Directories - Paperback Book)
Opportunities at over 350 summer theatres, theme parks, summer training programs.

Vivian Blaine Sings Songs From The Ziegfeld Follies & The Great White Way
(Sepia - new on CD)
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"A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody," "Row Row Row," "I Can't Get Started," "You'd Be Surprised," "What Is There To Say?," "Shaking The Blues Away," "Hello, Frisco!," "My Man," "I Like the Likes of You," "The Last Round Up," "Suddenly," "Mandy," "If I Were a Bell," "People Will Say We're in Love," "Hello, Young Lovers," "Poppa, Won't You Dance With Me?," "But Not For Me," "A Wonderful Guy," "They Say It's Wonderful," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?," "I've Grown Accustomed To His Face," "Heat Wave," "Look For The Silver Lining." Three bonus tracks ("Lonely," "Changing Partners," "If Promises Were Made of Gold"). All new to CD.

The Wiz: 30th Anniversary Edition
(MCA - on DVD/CD)
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1978 musical film with Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Richard Pryor, Lena Horne, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Theresa Merritt, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Nipsey Russell, Gwen Guthrie, Cissy Houston. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Music by Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Charlie Smalls. Includes extras: featurette - "Wiz on Down the Road"; 8-track bonus CD Featuring Songs by Michael Jackson & Diana Ross.

February 5, 2008

Across the Universe
(Sony - new on DVD)
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2007 Julie Taymor-directed film with Beatles music. Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Salma Hayek, Bono, Eddie Izzard, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy. Widescreen.

David Mamet: A Life in the Theatre
(Palgrave Macmillan - Hardcover Book)
By Ira Nadel. Comprehensive biography uses extensive theater and film archives to reveal in detail Mamet's ideas on writing - including the genesis for many of his plays - acting, and directing. Included are interviews with key actors and directors such as William H. Macy, Mike Nussbaum, Robert Brustein, and Neil Pepe.

Don't Slam That Door - The Many Moods of Martha Lorin
(LMGJAZZ - new on CD)
Collection of Martha Lorin recordings from 1980 to 2004. "Coney Island," "Rain Song," "Come Walk with Me," "Remember(for Shelly Mann)," "Don't Slam that Door," "Last Night When We Were Young" (with Russ Kassoff), "Ill Wind," "Close Enough for Love," "You've Changed," "Low Down Blues" and "The Best Is Yet To Come."Featured musicians are Fareed Haque, Miles Black, the late Johnny Frigo, Larry Grey, Leon Joyce, Larry Klein, Pee Wee Ellis, Marc Isham. Remixed and remastered by John Nuner and Ralph Lampkin at Steel Warehouse Studios. Available at CD Baby.

Quintessence
(Playbill Records/Sony BMG Masterworks - new on CD)
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New album. Betty Buckley sings "Amelia," "Anyone Can Whistle," "Blame It On My Youth"/"I've Grown Accustomed to His Face," "Cry Me a River," "Dindi"/"How Insensitive," "Get Here," "Heart Like a Wheel"/"The Water Is Wide," "Like a Lover," "No One Is Alone," "So Many Stars," "Something's Coming," "Stardust," "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and "Where Do You Start?" Musical director and pianist Kenny Werner.

See What I Wanna See
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Libretto by Michael John LaChiusa.

Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love, and Leading Roles
(Springboard Press - Hardcover Book)
By Kathleen Turner. Recounts why she took the roles she did - from her film debut in Body Heat to her recent resurgence on the stage in The Graduate and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Slings & Arrows - The Complete Collection
(Acorn - on 7 DVDs)
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All 18 episodes from three seasons of the television series, plus an hour+ bonus disc with all new extras. Paul Gross, Don McKellar, Martha Burns, Stephen Ouimette, Rachel McAdams, Colm Feore, Mark McKinney, Sarah Polley, Luke Kirby, Jennifer Irwin, Geraint Wyn Davies, Susan Coyne. Extras include cast interviews, bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, photo galleries, production notes, trailers, song lyrics. Bonus disc: "A Look Behind the Scenes" featurette; more cast & crew interviews; on-set footage.

Tammy And The Bachelor/ Tammy Tell Me True/ Tammy And The Doctor
(Universal - on 3 DVDs)
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Debbie Reynolds and Sandra Dee star as teen Tammy, with Peter Fonda, Leslie Nielsen, John Gavin, Charles Drake and Virginia Grey.

Theseus
(new on 2 CDs)
UK studio cast recording of Darren Vallier (A Ring Of Roses, Their Scarves Were Red, Strangers) musical based on the Greek myth Theseus and The Minotaur. Gary Cordice, Naomi Slater, Mike MacKenzie, Gary Lynn. Available at Dress Circle.

January 29, 2008

American Film Institute's Greatest Movie Musicals - Songbook
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
48 songs from AFI's top 25 movie musicals of all time. "And All That Jazz," "Beauty and the Beast," "Chim Chim Cher-ee," "Edelweiss," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Luck Be a Lady," "Ol' Man River," "Over the Rainbow," "People," "Shall We Dance?," "Singin' in the Rain," "Tonight" and more.

August: Osage County
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Tracy Letts' new play, currently on Broadway.

Broadway Musicals of 1955
(Bayview Records/Original Cast Records - new on CD)
May 2, 2005 Town Hall Broadway by the Year concert recording. Introduction (Scott Siegel); "Stereophonic Sound " Silk Stockings (Cole Porter) Company; "Nothing Can Replace A Man " Ankles Aweigh (Sammy Fain/Dan Shapiro) Connie Pachl; "All At Once You Love Her " Pipe Dream (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein 11) Sal Viviano; "Kiss Me And Kill Me With Love " Ankles Aweigh (Sammy Fain/Dan Shapiro) Dee Hoty; "I've Always Loved You* " The Vamp(James Mundy/John Latouche) Liz Larsen, Justin Bohon; "A Little Brains, A Little Talent " Damn Yankees (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross) Dee Hoty; "Honeymoon " Ankles Aweigh (Sammy Fain/Dan Shapiro) Justin Bohon; "Young And Foolish " Plain and Fancy (Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt) Alexander Gemignani; "Headin' For The Bottom Blues " Ankles Aweigh (Sammy Fain/Dan Shapiro) Raymond Jaramillo McLeod; "Those Were The Good Old Days " Damn Yankees (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross) Bryan Batt; "Four Little Misfits " The Vamp (James Mundy/John Latouche) Connie Pachl, Sal Viviano, Alexander Gemignani, Liz Larsen; "Whatever Lola Wants " Damn Yankees (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross) Rachelle Rak; "It's A Helluva Way To Run A Love Affair " Plain and Fancy (Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt) Liz Larsen; "Why Does It Have To Be You* " The Vamp (James Mundy/John Latouche) Alexander Gemignani; "Paris Loves Lovers " Silk Stockings (Cole Porter) Dee Hoty; "All Of You " Silk Stockings (Cole Porter) Sal Viviano; "Everybody's Got A Home But Me" Pipe Dream (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein 11) Raymond Jaramillo McLeod (unplugged); "This Is All Very New To Me" Plain and Fancy (Albert Hague/Arnold Horwitt) Emily Skinner (unplugged); "Heart" Damn Yankees (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross) Alexander Gemignani, Sal Viviano, Justin Bohon, Raymond Jaramillo McLeod, Company (unplugged). * = premiere recording. Musical director-piano, Ross Patterson. Musicians: Don Falzone, Eric Halvorson. Chuck Wilson, James Tsao. Available now at BayviewRecords.com and Footlight.com.

Die, Mommie, Die! & Psycho Beach Party: The Screenplays of Charles Busch
(Alyson Books - Paperback Book)
The final scripts of two cult classics plus Busch provides commentary on the making of these two films and discusses what it's like to be both behind the camera and to star as a leading lady.

I Stand - Idina Menzel
(Warner - new on CD)
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New solo album. I Stand," "Better To Have Loved," "Brave," "Gorgeous," "Where Do I Begin?," "Don t Let Me Down," "I Feel Everything," "Forever," "Enemy," "Perfume And "Promises."

Jackie Gleason: Genius at Work
(MPI - new on DVD)
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Retrospect of Gleason's most popular characters. Most of the sketches have never before been available or even viewed since their original live broadcasts in the 1950s, in their near entirety. Hosted by Jeff Garlin, with Gleason's widow Marilyn Taylor Gleason. 60 minutes. Extras: featurette - excerpts from an episode of The Jackie Gleason Show; interview: Jackie Gleason discussing his favorite characters.

Lari White - My First Affair
(Skinny WhiteGirl Records -new on CD-R)
Lari White's new CD featuring music from her February 2007 Oak Room show. "Please Be Kind / Gotta Have Me Go With You," "There's a Terrific Band," "Doatsy Mae," "Minor Changes," "Museums," "Forgiveness' Embrace," "Love Me or Leave Me," "Falling in Love With Love / a Cockeyed Optimist," "Over and Over," "It Ain't My Business," "Where Is It Written/ No Wonder / a Piece of Sky," "It's a New World." Available at CDBaby.com.

Linda Eder Greatest Hits
(Barnes & Noble - On CD)
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"Don't Rain On My Parade," "I Want More," "Unusual Way," "Man Of La Mancha," "What Kind Of Fool Am I," "Some People," "Bring On The Men," "Anthem," "Over The Rainbow," "Havana," "A New Life," "Vienna," "Someone Like You," "I Am What I Am," "Something To Believe In" (Fitch Radio Edit). Was previously a Barnes & Noble exclusive.

Long Live The King (Nat King Cole)
(new on CD)
Tribute album by Allan Harris (Nightlife Award winner). Recorded live at Kennedy Center. "It's Only A Paper Moon," "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons," "L-O-V-E," "I'll Be Seeing You," "The Very Thought of You," "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "A Blossom Fell," "Non Dimenticar/Pretend," "Walkin' My Baby Back Home," "Mona Lisa," "Too Young," "Nature Boy," "Unforgettable." Available at CDBaby.com.

The Lord Of The Rings
(Cadiz/U.K. - new on CD/DVD)
London cast: 52 members and 65 musicians. AR Rahman and Varttina with Christopher Nightingale, and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus. James Loye, Malcolm Storry, Michael Therriault, Peter Howe, Richard Henders, Owen Sharpe, Michael Rouse, Laura Michelle Kelly, Sevan Stephan, Rosalie Craig, Jerome Pradon. One disc is in stereo, the other an audio-only DVD with a 5.1 mix and bonus materials. Prologue (Lasto I Lamath), "The Road Goes On," "Saruman," "The Cat and the Moon," "Flight to the Ford," "The Song of Hope," "Star of Earendil," "Lament for Moria," "The Golden Wood," "Lothlorien," "The Siege of the City of Kings," "Now and for Always," "Gollum/Smeagol," "The Song of Hope (Duet)," "Wonder," "The Final Battle," "Epiligue (Farewells)," Finale. 52 page illustrated booklet. Available for at Amazon UK and Dress Circle. Amazon USA has it, also, as an import.

Spring Awakening - Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Songbook for Tony-winning Broadway musical with Duncan Sheik/Steven Sater score. "All That's Known," "And Then There Were None," "The Bitch Of Living," "The Dark I Know Well," "Don't Do Sadness/Blue Wind," "The Guilty Ones ," "I Believe," "Left Behind," "Mama Who Bore Me," "The Mirror-Blue Night," "My Junk," "The Song Of Purple Summer," "Those You've Known," "Totally Fucked," "Touch Me," "Whispering ," "The Word Of Your Body." [Amazon may be slow to show it shipping, but it is available at MusicDispatch.com].

Symphony - Sarah Brightman
(Manhattan Records - new on CD)
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New studio recording. "Gothica," Fleurs Du Mal," Symphony," Canto Della Terra" (Andrea Bocelli), "Sanvean," I Will Be With You (Where The Lost Ones Go)" (with Paul Stanley), "Schwere Träume," Sarai Qui" (with Alessandro Safina), "Storia d'Amore," Let It Rain," Attesa," Pasión" (with Fernando Lima), "Running."

Message From the Man in the Moon
(new on CD)
New album from singer Wesla Whitfield. Accompaniment/arrangements by Mike Greensill. "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress," "Give Me the Simple Life," "Sail Away," "It's Fate, Baby," "A Woman's Intuition," "Message From the Man in the Moon," "Why Did I Choose You?," "I'm Way Ahead of the Game," "Moonlight Saving Time," "That's Him Over There," "I've Found My World in You," "A Woman's Prerogative," "Some Other Spring," "My Ideal," "Will You Remember Me." Available at CDBaby.com.

January 22, 2008

Disney's Greatest Love Songs
(EMI - new on 2 Import CDs)
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Compilation of recordings from Disney classics, including "True Love's Kiss" from Enchanted. Songs from Aladdin, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King, Lion King 2, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Pete's Dragon, Pinocchio, Pocahontas, The Rescuers, Return to Neverland, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Toy Story 2. 30 tracks.

Enchanted - Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
"Ever Ever After," "Happy Working Song," "So Close," "That's Amore (That's Love)," "That's How You Know," "True Love's Kiss."

Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening
(DRG - new on CD)
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Off Broadway cast recording of current version of the classic show, created and written by Gerard Alessandrini. Jared Bradshaw, Valerie Fagan, Megan Lewis, Michael West. Unconfirmed track list: "Forbidden Broadway Rude Awakening," "It`s Disgusting," "Company-Being Intense," "Grey Gardens," "Jersey Goys," "The Belittled Mermaid," "Spamalot," "On My Phone / Les Miz," "Don`t Monkey With Broadway: Wicked," "Lotte Lenya," "Mary Poppins," "Yoko Ono," "Patti LuPone," "Doubt," "Light In The Piazza," "Chorus Line-finale"; Bonus tracks: "Sour Charity," "Chicago," "The Impossible Song," "Wicked Solo." Recorded October 18. Possibly delayed to January 22, 2008.

Happy Days: The Musical
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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Paper Mill cast. Paul Williams score. John McDaniel producing. Cast includes Joey Sorge, Rory O'Malley, Felicia Finley, Patrick Garner, Cynthia Ferrer, Natalie Bradshaw, Todd Buonopane, Christopher Ruth, Eric Schneider and and Michael J. Farina. Recorded October 29, 2007.

Introducing Bert Williams
(Basic Civitas Books - Hardcover Book)
By Camille Forbes. The story of Williams's long and varied career.

The Little Dog Laughed
(Dramatist's Play Service - Paperback Book)
Play by Douglas Carter Beane.

Molière
(Sony - new on DVD)
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Comedy-drama film about the playwright. Romain Duris, Laura Morante, Ludivine Sagnier, Fabrice Luchini, Edouard Baer, Fanny Valette. Extras: audio commentary by director Laurent Tirard; behind the scenes - "Making Of."

More Theatre III: Stage to Screen to Television, Since 2001
(Scarecrow Press - Hardcover Book)
Alvin H. Marill's update of the earlier Theatre: Stage to Screen to Television and supplements (including More Theatre to Screen to Television: 1993-2001) which chronicles productions that had their genesis in live theatre; or on television then in live theatre, and ultimately produced for the big screen; or which started out as films and moved in the other direction. Broadway, the London stage, and regional theatre around the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. More than 200 entries, nearly forty of which are entirely new. Each entry includes a brief historical overview of the various productions, as well as detailed cast and production personnel. Entries also include opening or release date, theater name, and location. New entries include productions of Doctor Zhivago, Gone with the Wind, Julius Caesar, The Lion in Winter, Lolita, Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Ragtime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Some Like It Hot. New biographical subjects include F. Scott Fitzgerald, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Lindbergh, Golda Meir, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, and Mark Twain.

Staccato & Paris Swings
(DRG - new on CD)
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Elmer Bernstein twofer, previously Capitol albums. "Staccato": TV soundtrack from 1959 TV series, which featured John Cassavetes as private detective and jazz pianist Johnny Staccato. "Paris Swings": concept album with "Elmer Bernstein and the Swinging Bon Vivants," featuring popular standards and a few film themes (including "Under Paris Skies," "I Love Paris," "April In Paris," "Valentina," "Autumn Leaves" and "La Vie en Rose"), with Shelly Manne, bassist Red Mitchell and Andre Previn on piano.

Take That You Dirty Rat
(new on CD-R)
Selections from David Conforte's Hollywood Rose musical. David Conforte Singers.

January 15, 2008

The First Book of Broadway Solos Part II - Book/CD Pack
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book/CD)
Compiled by veteran voice teacher Joan Frey Boytim. No song duplications from Vol 1. Stresses traditional lyric singing. 20-23 songs per volume. Available in Baritone/Bass, Mezzo Soprano, Soprano and Tenor.

Gone Missing
(Ghostlight/Razor & Tie - new on CD)
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Off-Broadway show recording. Music and lyrics by Michael Friedman. The Civilian. Emily Ackerman, Damian Baldet, Jennifer R. Morris, Stephen Plunkett, Robbie Collier Sublett and Colleen Werthmann. Recorded October 2. "Things I Have Lost," " Gone Missing," " The Only Thing Missing," " La Bodega," " The Bodega," " Hide and Seek," " I Gave It Away," " Ich Traumt du Kamst an Mich," " Lost Horizon," " Etch a Sketch," " Stars."

Mama I Want To Sing
(Releve Entertainment - new on CD)
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Soundtrack for upcoming musical film about a preacher's daughter who rises to international fame as a pop singer. Film features Ciara, Billy Zane, Ben Vereen, Patti LaBelle, and others.

Neil LaBute: Stage and Cinema
(Cambridge Univ. Press - Paperback Book)
By Christopher Bigsby (Professor of American Studies at the University of East Anglia).

The New Picasso: the Musical - Act One
(new on CD)
Act One of a new musical with a book & score by Jonathan David Sloate. Robert Cuccioli, Max von Essen, Ashley Amber, Brooke Sunny Moriber, Rodney Hicks, Christiane Noll, William Parry, Joseph Dellger, Tony Freeman, and John Jeffrey Martin. Available at CDBaby.com.

The New Picasso: the Musical - Act Two
(new on CD)
Act Two of a new musical with a book & score by Jonathan David Sloate. Robert Cuccioli, Max von Essen, Ashley Amber, Brooke Sunny Moriber, Rodney Hicks, Christiane Noll, William Parry, Joseph Dellger, Tony Freeman, and John Jeffrey Martin. Available at CDBaby.com.

January 8, 2008

Acting on Impulse: The Stanislavski Approach: a Practical Workbook for Actors
(Methuen - Paperback Book)
By John Gillett. Practical book for actors that sets down a systematic and coherent process for organic (from the "inside-out"/experienced emotion) acting. Step-by-step, Stanislavski-based approach to text, role, and performance to be used in everyday work and gathers together in one volume the essential tools that serve to re-create human experience. Gillett builds on his experience of teaching at drama school level as well as thirty years of acting. An accessible guide to inspire a truly real and audience-captivating performance.

An American in Paris
(Warner - on DVD)
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1951 film directed by Vincente Minnelli. Alan J Lerner story. Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Nina Foch. Full screen. Possibly just a repackaging.

Billy Stritch Sings Mel Tormé
(new on CD)
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"Just One Of Those Things - On Green Dolphin Street," "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block," "Lucky In Love - The Best Things In Life Are Free," "Blue Moon," "You're Driving Me Crazy," "Shine On Your Shoes," "Born To Be Blue," "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'," "Nobody Else But Me," "Cottage For Sale," "Sunday In New York," "Breezin' Along WIth The Breeze - Live Alone And Like It," "A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square," "Lulu's Back In Town," "Mountain Greenery," "The Christmas Song."

Earthly Paradise - Susan Watson Sings Jones & Schmidt
(new on CD)
Musical tribute to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, by Susan Watson (The Fantasticks, Bye Bye, Birdie, Carnival, Ben Franklin In Paris, A Joyful Noise, Celebration, No, No, Nanette, Carousel). Available at CDBaby.com.

The Great Ziegfeld
(Warner - on DVD)
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1936 musical biopic of Florenz Ziegfeld. William Powell, Myrna Loy, Ray Bolger, Frank Morgan, Dennis Morgan, Reginald Owen, Robert Greig, Virginia Bruce, Leon Errol, Luise Rainer, Fanny Brice, Ernest Cossart, Gilda Gray, Harriet Hoctor, Nat Pendleton. "If You Knew Susie," "Shine on Harvest Moon," "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" and more. Extras: documentary and newsreel. Possibly just a repackaging.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
(Warner - new on DVD)
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1968 film based on Carson McCullers novel, featuring Alan Arkin, Chuck McCann, Biff McGuire, Sondra Locke and Stacy Keach Jr. in their film debuts, Percy Rodriguez, Cicely Tyson.

Jazz on Broadway: Jazz Play-Along Volume 77
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book/CD)
For use with all Bb, Eb and C instruments. With musician-friendly lead sheets, melody cues and other split-track choices on the included CD. Each tune includes a split track with: Melody cue with proper style and inflection, Professional rhythm tracks, Choruses for soloing, Removable bass part, Removable piano part. Each tune also has: An additional full stereo accompaniment track (no melody), Additional choruses for soloing. 10 songs: "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," "I Wish I Were in Love Again," "I Won't Dance," "Look for the Silver Lining," "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," "The Other Side of the Tracks," "Put on a Happy Face," "Real Live Girl," "Sunday," "Why Can't You Behave?."

The Ritz
(Warner -new on DVD)
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1976 film version of Terrence McNally play (now in a revival production on Broadway) with cast members from the original stage version: Jack Weston, Jerry Stiller, F. Murray Abraham, Paul B. Price and Rita Moreno, plus Kaye Ballard and Treat Williams. Bonuses: vintage featurette "You're an Actor, Jack Weston."

Sundry Notes
(Albany Records - new on CD)
Song cycle for four singers and two pianists, based on texts by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, written by Joshua Rosenblum (Bush Is Bad, Fermat's Last Tango). Performed by Joanne Lessner, Misa Iwama, James Archie Worley, and Roosevelt Credit, plus pianists Lora Tchekoratova and Ofra Yitzhaki.

Take Flight
(PS Classics - new on CD)
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UK's Menier cast recording of score from new Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire and John Weidman show. Co-produced by Tommy Krasker and London-based producer Chris Walker. Sally Ann Triplett, Ian Bartholomew, Michael Jibson, Sam Kenyon, Elliot Levey. "Take Flight," "Equilibrium," "Sky!," "Like You, Say," "Throw It to the Wind," "Solo/Sorry, Mr. Lindbergh," "Lady in That Aeroplane," "Lady Lindy," "What Are We Doing Here?," "Earthbound," "Before the Dawn," "Back of the Line," "Before the Dawn (reprise)," "The Funniest Thing," "(The Farther You Go) Around the World/Papua," "The Prize/The Landing," "Finale." Recorded 9/24-25, 2007. 78 minutes. 32-page booklet "with a six-page color wraparound, complete with essay, synopsis, a chronology of the central characters, production photographs and full lyrics. Additional song, "Pffft!," will be made available as a digital download only. Also available at PSClassics.com.

Tristan The Musical
(Socan - new on CD)
Recording of the score from Jay Turvey And Paul Sportelli, based on the short story by Thomas Mann. Available at CDBaby.com.

The Wedding Singer Vocal Selections
(Hal Leonard - Paperback Book)
Broadway version of Adam Sandler's hit movie with all original songs (except for "Somebody Kill Me" and "Grow Old With You" which are from the movie) by Chad Beguelin and Matthew Sklar. Book features 15 of the show songs, including: "Come Out of the Dumpster," "Grow Old with You," "It's Your Wedding Day," "Let Me Come Home," "A Note from Linda," "Right in Front of Your Eyes," "Somebody Kill Me," "Someday" and more.

Xanadu
(PS Classics -new on CD)
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Original Broadway cast recording. Kerry Butler, Cheyenne Jackson, Tony Roberts, Mary Testa, Jackie Hoffman, Curtis Holbrook, Anika Larsen, Kenita Miller and Andre Ward. Produced by Jeffrey Lesser. "I'm Alive," "Magic," "Evil Woman," "Suddenly," "Whenever You re Away from Me," "Dancin'," "Strange Magic," "All Over the World," "Don t Walk Away," "Fool," "The Fall," "Suspended in Time," "Have You Never Been Mellow?," "Xanadu." Recorded October 29.

January 1, 2008

The Life of the Neighborhood Playhouse on Grand Street
(Syracuse Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
By John P. Harrington. Detailed account of the history of the entirely female-led Neighborhood Playhouse, located in the heart of the Jewish ghetto on the Lower East side of Manhattan.

Words And Music By Jerry Herman
(PBS - new on DVD)
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PBS feature on Jerry Herman. Extras: complete "Hello, Dolly!" number performed by Carol Channing and the original cast; "Put On Your Dancing Shoes" from Herman's 1955 college musical; "Before the Parade Passes By" with Jerry Herman and Ethel Merman.

-- Sound Advice Staff

Additional information provided by
Max O. Preeo