Based loosely on the 1932 screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard and John Barrymore, where a Broadway producer tries to re-sign his reluctant top star on a train called the Twentieth Century Limited, this modern musical won 4 Tony Awards. It stars Kevin Kline, Madeline Kahn and Imogene Coca!

PARADE

Candide, as a musical/opera, has a highly complex history, having gone through multiple alterations since it first premiered in 1956 with a book by Lillian Hellman. In the 1974 version, the book was rewritten by Hugh Wheeler (as adapted from Voltaire and at the insistence of director Hal Prince) with added humor, ultimately saving it from being a complete disaster by some accounts. In any case, the music is by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Richard Wilbur -- although additional lyrics are contributed by John Latouche, Dorothy Parker, Lillian Hellman, Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and John Wells. The 1956 version took itself too seriously, with Hellman attempting to make political statements with the admittedly sardonic Voltaire novelette. This recording is especially worthwhile in contrast to the far more publicized version written by Wheeler. For those who would prefer a more serious take on the musical, this recording is well done, and Bernstein's glorious score shines as usual.

-- Sarah Erlewine, AllMusic.com

On September 26, 1957, West Side Story opened at Broadway's Winter Garden Theater a turning point in the history of American Musical theater, but also the launch of one of the most dazzling, hit laden scores ever written for Broadway. Leonard Bernstein's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics immediately captured the public's imagination. In the last half century, the greatest singers and instrumentalists in the pop and classical music have been reinventing these unforgettable tunes. This new collection brings together the very best of them, from Johnny Mathis's classic cover of "Maria" to the Dave Brubeck Quartet's martini cool version of "somewhere."

High schools and colleges everywhere adapted this 1960 smash starring Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera and Paul Lynde. Put on a Happy Face; the Telephone Hour; a Lot of Livin' to Do; One Last Kiss, and the rest of these charming songs helped net the Best Musical Tony.

Harold Rome's The Zulu and the Zayda is a genuine curiosity in the Broadway catalog. Set in contemporary South Africa, it imagines a burgeoning friendship between a sociable old Jewish grandfather (Zayda) and the native (Zulu) he hires as a companion. Rome's score allows the characters to pause and reflect in song, cleverly illustrating the different cultural elements at play in the story. The cast includes Yiddish theater star Menasha Skulnik, Louis Gossett, Jr., Ossie Davis and Yaphet Kotto.

"Inescapably touching...something to warm the heart, lighten the spirit." - New York Daily News

"Mr. Skulnik is a many-splendored thing." - New York Herald Tribune

Brilliantly balancing the "real world" (a writer struggling to turn his hard-boiled detective novel into a screenplay) and the "reel world" (the onscreen life of said detective), this 1989 hit won Tonys for Best Musical, Best Original Score and several others. Among it's delights: The Buddy System; Double Talk; LA Blues, and more!

Call Me Madam is a pure adrenalin shot of circa-1950 zeitgeist, a screwball comedy pulled from the headlines with impeccable timing. The show was conceived as a vehicle for Ethel Merman, at that moment arguably the biggest star in Broadway musicals, and reunited her with Irving Berlin, composer/lyricist of her blockbuster 1946 hit Annie Get Your Gun. A red-hot ticket when it opened on October 12, 1950 at the Imperial Theatre, Call Me Madam proved to be the blockbuster Merman and Berlin hoped for. They were in the very best of hands: George Abbott directed, Jerome Robbins choreographed and the casting was supervised by Abbott’s new young assistant, Harold Prince. The cast included an Oscar-winning leading man (Paul Lukas), the bright new presence of Russell Nype as Mrs. Adams’s lovelorn attaché and – as Merman’s underutilized understudy – the young Elaine Stritch. The capitalization for the entire show came from NBC and its record division, RCA Victor. Unfortunately a big problem loomed as Merman was under contract to Decca Records who refused to release her to star in what was sure to be a hit record. Ultimately, RCA Victor turned to one of its hottest singers, Dinah Shore, to step into Merman’s shoes for the original cast recording. It rose to No. 6 on the Billboard album chart but by the late 1950s, it had been deleted from the catalog. The recording got an LP reissue in 1977 but it disappeared again until this Masterworks Broadway release, and is the first and only authorized CD version of RCA Victor’s Call Me Madam digitally remastered from the original tapes.

Though Irving Berlin came from the old school of Broadway songwriters, he was also highly adaptable. He approached his assignment as substitute for Jerome Kern (who had died suddenly) on Dorothy and Herbert Fields' musical about Annie Oakley in the spirit of integrated musicals that producers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II had established with Oklahoma! only three years before. Berlin's songs for Annie Get Your Gun were all about character and plot, from the bawdy "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" in which Annie affirms the value of a common-sense barnyard education, to the witty "Anything You Can Do," which illuminates her final confrontation and reconciliation with love interest Frank Butler. Ordinarily, that should have meant that the songs were less easy to extract for the hit parade, but in fact Berlin's score produced more chart hits through cover versions than any Broadway score before or since. Star Ethel Merman and her co-star Ray Middleton were Broadway veterans of the pre-microphone era, experts at projecting their voices from the footlights to the rear balcony, and their stage styles carried over to the cast recording. Merman, of course, possessed a clarion voice that was never better represented than in songs like "Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" and "I Got the Sun in the Morning," while Middleton's sonorous baritone informed "The Girl That I Marry" and "My Defenses Are Down." But even though Berlin wrote simply and directly, the singers hit his meanings as surely as they did his notes. The result was exactly what a cast album should be, an accurate representation of the music of a show. And since this show was a landmark in Broadway history, that made the cast album an important contribution to musical history as well as an aural delight.

Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou won Tony Awards for their performances in this Stephen Sondheim musical about a homicidal barber and a cannibalistic baker in London. Here it is on CD in all of it's depraved glory!

Producer Jamie Hendry and Sony Masterworks Broadway are pleased to announce the release of the original cast recording of new musical The Wind in the Willows with book by Julian Fellowes, music by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe. The cast of the new West End musical headed to the studio earlier this month to record the 20-track album.With music and lyrics by Olivier Award-winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the album features the original West End cast of THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, accompanied by a fourteen-piece band. The album is produced by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and co-produced by Simon Lee. Tris Penna is the executive producer.The original London cast is led by actor, comedian and presenter Rufus Hound as the amazing ‘Mr Toad’ with West End stars Simon Lipkin as ‘Rat’ and Craig Mather as ‘Mole’; EastEnders actor Neil McDermott as ‘Chief Weasel’; Coronation Street and Boy Meets Girl star Denise Welch as ‘Mrs Otter’ and West End legend Gary Wilmot as ‘Badger.  Also included are Chris Aukett, Joel Baylis, Jenna Boyd, Abigail Brodie, Abigail Climer, Jorell Coiffic-Kamall, Nicole Deon, Emilie du Leslay, Joshua Gannon, James Gant, Evan James, Michael Larcombe, Bethany Linsdell, Ryan Pidgen, Adam Vaughan, Georgie Westall and Natalie Woods. The cast album also features Dylan Mason, Patrick Sullivan and Karli Vale who recently appeared in the show’s pre-London tour.Based on Kenneth Grahame’s treasured novel which has captivated generations of readers for over a century, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS has been adapted for the stage with a book by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes.This riotous comedy follows the impulsive Mr Toad whose insatiable need for speed lands him in serious trouble. With his beloved home under threat from the notorious Chief Weasel and his gang of sinister Wild Wooders, Toad must attempt a daring escape leading to a series of misadventures and a heroic battle to recapture Toad Hall. Featuring eye-poppingly beautiful design, exuberant choreography and a gloriously British score, The Wind in the Willows brings an explosion of anarchy, humour and heart to the world-famous London Palladium.TRACKLIST1. Spring2. Messing About In a Boat3. Speed Is Of The Essence4. One Swallow Does Not a Summer Make5. The Open Road6. The Hedgehog's Nightmare7. The Amazing Mr Toad8. The Wild Wooders9. Autumn10. A Friend Is Still a Friend11. Toad's Escape12. As If In A Dream13. We're Taking Over the Hall14. To Be A Woman15. A Place to Come Back To16. The Wassailing Mice17. The Greatest Great Escape18. Hush!19. The Fight20. Finale

The 1955 Studio Cast of Carousel was the first comprehensive recording of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s great score. Metropolitan Opera stars Patrice Munsel and Robert Merrill bring their sumptuous voices to the roles of Julie Jordan and Billy Bigelow plus a cast that includes the future “Mrs. Brady,” Florence Henderson, Tony-winner George S. Irving, Gloria Lane and Herbert Banke. Legendary Broadway maestro Lehman Engel conducts this recording, of which Richard Rodgers wrote, “It is my hope that you will enjoy the splendid artists who have made this album as much as I enjoy them.”

A classic Sondheim favorite with such hits as "Finishing the Hat," "Putting It Together" and "Move On", featuring unforgettable performances from Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.

Music from the new Broadway hit, Jersey Boys, that celebrates the incredible musical legacy of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

2018 release. The Broadway musical adaptation of the 2004 hit comedy movie, Mean Girls is written by Tina Fey and the music features songs written by Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin. After rave reviews off Broadway and in preview shows, Mean Girls is sure to be the next in line of Broadway musicals to become a pop culture phenomenon.

Includes liner notes by Bill Rosenfeld.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
GREAT MUSICALS is part of RCA's 100 Years Of Music series.

Amelie is a re-conception of the Broadway musical based on the beloved, Oscar-nominated film. The story of an astonishing young woman who lives quietly in the world, but loudly in her mind. She secretly improvises small but extraordinary acts of kindness for those around her. When a chance at love comes her way, she realizes that she'll have to risk everything and say what's in her heart. Amelie is nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Get your limited edition of the Almost Famous The Musical - 1973 Bootleg EP vinyl featuring four songs from the upcoming Broadway musical with music by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt and lyrics by Oscar Winner Cameron Crowe and Kitt. Starring Chris Wood, Solea Pfeiffer and Casey Likes, Almost Famous The Musical is an adaptation of Cameron Crowe's beloved Academy Award and BAFTA-winning film and opens on Broadway November 3, 2022.

Limited four vinyl LP set. The original Broadway cast album of Hamilton, a fusion of hip-hop and pop-driven musical theater, is now available from Atlantic Records. Cast members from the blockbuster new musical Hamilton, which recently opened to widespread critical acclaim at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, began recording their parts for this release in August of 2015. This album was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, founding members of the Grammy-winning hip-hop band, The Roots. Hamilton is a musical about Alexander Hamilton, with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton, by historian Ron Chernow.

Sony Masterworks Broadway is proud to announce the release of the Funny Girl New Broadway Cast Recording. Starring Emmy Award Nominee Lea Michele as Fanny Brice, Tony and Olivier Award nominee Ramin Karimloo as Nick Arnstein, the cast also features Tony & Drama Desk Award Nominee Jared Grimes and four-time Tony Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh. (Sony)

& JULIET / O.B.C.R. - The full West End creative team reunites for the Broadway production of & Juliet and includes David West Read (Book), Max Martin (Music & Lyrics), Luke Sheppard (Direction), Jennifer Weber (Choreography), Bill Sherman (Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements), Soutra Gilmour (Scenic Design), Paloma Young (Costume Design), Howard Hudson (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design), Andrzej Goulding (Video & Projection Design) and J. Jared Janas (Hair, Wig & Makeup Design) and Dominic Fallacaro (Music Director). US Casting is by Stephen Kopel and Carrie Gardner, CSA. & Juliet is Executive Produced on Broadway by Eva Price.

One of the most beloved, widely performed musicals of the last 25 years, Once on This Island introduced Broadway to the songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Seussical). Nominated for eight Tony Awards® including Best Musical and Best Score

"A 90-minute Caribbean fairy tale told in rousing song and dance, this show is a joyous marriage of the slick and the folkloric, of the hard-nosed sophistication of Broadway musical theater and the indigenous culture of a tropical isle." – Frank Rich, The New York Times

The 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. - Jersey Boys has been seen worldwide by over 30 million people and recounts the rich history and timeless sounds of the phenomenal Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons. This Original Broadway cast recording celebrates the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi: four guys from Jersey who wrote their own songs, invented their own identity, and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they turned 30. - This Broadway cast recording was produced by original 4 Seasons member, Bob Gaudio, who also supervised the LP mastering with Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound. Vinyl LP pressing.

Masterworks Broadway is proud to announce the release of the New Broadway Cast Recording of Merrily We Roll Along. This first ever Broadway revival of the musical is directed by multi-Olivier Award� winner Maria Friedman, and features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by George Furth, and is based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Charley Kringas, Jonathan Groff as Franklin Shepard, and Lindsay Mendez as Mary Flynn, Merrily We Roll Along also features Krystal Joy Brown as Gussie Carnegie, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth Shepard, and Reg Rogers as Joe Josephson. - Spanning three decades in the entertainment business, Merrily We Roll Along charts the turbulent relationship between composer Franklin Shepard and his two lifelong friends - writer Mary and lyricist & playwright Charley. An inventive cult-classic ahead of it's time, Merrily We Roll Along features some of Stephen Sondheim's most celebrated and personal songs.

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) 2015 two CD set. The original Broadway cast album of Hamilton, a fusion of hip-hop and pop-driven musical theater, is now available from Atlantic Records. Cast members from the blockbuster new musical Hamilton, which recently opened to widespread critical acclaim at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, began recording their parts for this release in August of this year. This two-disc album was produced by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, founding members of the Grammy-winning hip-hop band, The Roots.