Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

#1

Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:47pm

I'm sitting here right now, listening again to Emily Skinner's lovely self-titled solo album, and wondering to myself: what is the best solo album released by a Broadway star? What's the worst?

In addition to Emily, these are a few I've come up with for the best:

Melissa Errico, "Blue Like That" (of course)
Alice Ripley, "Everything's Fine"
Audra McDonald, "Way Back to Paradise"
Rebecca Luker, "Anything Goes: The Songs of Cloe Porter" (is that the right title?)
Emily and Alice, "Duets" (it's not a solo album, but still...)
Betty Buckley, "Stars and a Moon"

I'm currently trying to think of the worst

#2

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:51pm

Sherie Renee Scott -...Men I've Had
Kristin Chenowith - (I forgot the name)
Linda Eder - every one except Gold.

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"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive. "Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot." "No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one." Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.

#3

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:51pm

*points to signature, grins and scurries away*
<3 you, Adam.

I don't think I've heard one that's really bad. As much as I love Daphne Rubin-Vega, her music isn't really my style, but it's not bad, really. I love how much energy she has and puts into her music, so I definitely like her CD.

ETA - Justice, Kristin Chenoweth's is called "Let Yourself Go."

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A work of art is an invitation to love.

Updated On: 2/3/05 at 03:51 PM

#4

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:54pm

Both Sherie and Kristin's albums are very good, as is Idina's album "Here".

#5

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:55pm

Patti LuPone, "Matters of the Heart."

My favorite CD of all time.

Updated On: 2/3/05 at 03:55 PM

#6

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 3:56pm

Another lovely album. There are so many that I forgot.

#7

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:05pm

Betty Buckley: "Live at Carnegie hall"; "Children Will Listen"
Patti LuPone: "Matters of the Heart"
Audra McDonald: "Way Back to Paradise"; "How Glory goes"
Sally Mayes: "Dorothy Fields Songbook"
Barbra Streisand: "The Broadway Album"
Elaine Paige: "Encore", "Stages"
Lauren Kennedy: "JRB album"
Debbie Gravitte: "Alan Menken songbook"
Judy Kaye: "Diva by Diva"
Laurie Beechman: "Listen to My Heart" (incredible)
Mandy Patinkin: "Mandy Patinkin"
Stephen Schwartz: "Reluctant Pilgrim"

#8

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:09pm

Jessica Molaskey - Pentimento
Any of Anthony Warlow's cd's

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"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - Willy Wonka

#9

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:11pm

I'm not a huge fan of Lauren Kennedy's album.

"Barbara Cook's Broadway".

#10

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:13pm

Louise Pitre's "All Of My Life Has Led To This" is absolutley incredible- one of my all time favorite cd's. She has a new one out, called "Shattered", which is sensational, as well - a real DIVA cd, full of torch songs.

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"Years from now, when you talk about this - And you will - Be kind. "

#11

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:14pm

I was letdown by Chuck Wagner's CD. It sounds like he's singing to cheap karaoke tracks.

#12

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:22pm

I loved Idina Menzel's "Still I can't be still" and "Here". My favorite Linda Eder cd is "Its time". I love Kristin Chenoweths "Let yourself go" and can hardly wait until "Borrowed Angels" comes out in April.

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"There will always be women in rubber flirting with me" ~Maureen, RENT

#13

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:24pm

I hate to say it because I love her voice so much, by Judy Kuhn's July Styne album was very disappointing. No energy or intensity whatsoever. Compared to her vocals on "Chess" or "Les Mis" or anything else from that period, its hard to imagine that its the same singer.

#14

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:55pm

Both of Adam's CDs are great...really shows him in his true element. He's a rock star.
Jeremy Kushnier's is excellent, especially since it was produced independantly...the musicians are really good on it, and he writes very catchy songs.

#15

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 4:57pm

I loved Judy Kuhn's Jule Styne album. I've been waiting for a follow-up for ten years now!

Liz Callaway's Frank Loesser album is one of my favorites, also. The medley of "I'll Know" and "Somebody Somewhere" just tears me up.

#16

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 5:08pm

I've been listening to Rebecca Luker's LEAVING HOME quite a bit lately. Some pretty good stuff.

#17

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 5:11pm

Another excellent album. Rebecca can do no wrong.

#18

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 5:12pm

Kristin Chenoweth- Let Yourself Go

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And you think of all of the things you've seen, and you wish that you could live in between ,and you're back again only different than before... After the Sky. -Into the Woods (Jack)

#19

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 5:35pm

Sherie Rene Scott- Men I've Had
Lauren Kennedy- Songs of Jason Robert Brown
Alice & Emily- Duets, Unsuspecting Hearts
Liz Callaway- Anyhwere I Wander, The Beat Goes On, The Story Goes On
Sally Mayes- Boys and Girls Like You and Me,
Eric Michael Gilett- Cast of Thousands
Emily Skinner- Emily Skinner
Adam Pascal- Model Prisoner (haven't gotten Civilian yet)
Audra McDonald- Happy Songs, How Glory Goes, Way Back to Paradise
Kristin Chenoweth- Let Yourself Go
Alison Fraser- Men in My Life
Laurie Beechman- No One Is Alone
Judy Garland- Over The Rainbow
Amanda McBroom- Portraits
Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway- Sibling Revelry
Debbie Shapiro- The Alan Menken Album

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[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.

#20

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 6:20pm

Both of Adam Pascal's cd's and Matt Caplan- overtones.

Edit- I also agree about Heather Headley's album.

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"At the opening night party, they had clowns on stilts, jugglers, a chocolate fountain, popcorn, hot dogs. [My son] looked at me like I had been holding back. Like, 'This is what you do?' I had to tell him, 'No, no, darling. Opening nights don't usually look like this.' It's usually a dark bar with a bottle of vodka." ?Chitty Chitty Bang Bang's Jan Maxwell plus i proudly share the title of the shortest member over the age of 10 with wickedrentq!

Updated On: 2/3/05 at 06:20 PM

#21

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 6:33pm

Heather Headley: This Is Who I Am
Deborah Cox: One Wish

If ur into R&B, i'd suggest these two.

#22

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 6:37pm

I definitely second the Heather Headly CD...it's really great stuff. I like Civilian. Not so much a fan of 'Still Can't Be Still' but I liked 'Here'.

#23

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 7:22pm

Idina Menzel's "Still I Can't Be Still" is quite possibly the best cd I own. Completely unique and intimate. Her solo work deserves much more attention than it gets.

#24

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 7:48pm

Idina Menzel- Here, Still I Can't be Still, Adam Pascal- Civilian, Model Prisoner, Kristin Chenoweth- Let Yourself Go, and Anthony Rapp- Look Around.

Oh I can't wait to hear Kristin's new CD too! Is it going to be more of the classics like her other CD?

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I wanted to get something that an "ex"-junkie like him would really appreciate and cherish....it's a brick of heroin shaped like a heart. -Scrubs

#25

re: Broadway Stars and Solo Albums

Posted: 2/3/05 at 7:49pm

I think Kristin's new CD is supposed to have more of a country-inspirational feel (if I remember what I read here).