Cast albums to purchase?

Altar Boyz!

I love anything from Sondheim, so I've got almost all his shows, except for The Frogs, which I plan on getting eventually.

I have these:

tick, tick...BOOM!, Assassins, The Full Monty, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Chicago, Into the Woods, Wicked, Producers, Aida, The Last 5 Years, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Parade, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Les Mis, Ragtime, Steel Pier, 1776, Kiss Me Kate, Phantom, A Little Night Music, Passion, john & jen, Company, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, and quite a few others.

But I think the last cast album I bought was Wicked, and I know I haven't gotten many recent shows within the last two or three years. I did get Urinetown when it first came out, but ended up selling it to someone else because I just couldn't get into it. Hairspray didn't interest me at the time when I gave it a sample listen in the store, and I'm not sure what to think about Avenue Q. I probably should have given them another shot, but I also didn't want to spend money on something I'd never listen to, either.

I like hearing reviews about CD's because then I know which ones to avoid like the plague and which ones to hurry up and pre-order. LOL

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Chita's list is excellent and covers many of the ones I would have suggested.

I personally much prefer Ethel Merman in GYPSY over all the others. Even if you don't like her "belt" it just seems so right for the role, and the recording is electric from the first cymbal crash of the Overture.

Since you already have a fairly good base collection, how about exploring some of the more unusual shows: William Finn's FALSETTOS, Frank Loesser's THE MOST HAPPY FELLA, Jerry Herman's MACK AND MABEL. Maybe some of the older shows: KISMET or THE NEW MOON. For pure silly fun try the 1971 revival cast of NO NO NANETTE.

Or just start with THE ACT and keep going until you get ZORBA!

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