A new Broadway cast recording of Funny Girl, led by current stars Lea Michele, Tovah Feldshuh, Ramin Karimloo, and Jared Grimes, will be digitally released on Friday, November 18 via Sony Masterworks Broadway.
The album, which is expected to be released as a hardcopy on January 20, 2023, will feature the classic score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. Funny Girl's original book is by Isobel Lennart, with revisions by Harvey Fierstein. This new revival is directed by Michael Mayer and choreographed by Ellenore Scott and Ayodele Casel.
In addition to the aforementioned Michele, Feldshuh, Karimloo, and Grimes, the album will feature Peter Francis James, Ephie Aardema, Debra Cardona, Toni DiBuono, Martin Moran, Miriam Ali, Amber Ardolino, Daniel Beeman, Colin Bradbury, Kurt Csolak, John Michael Fiumara, Leslie Donna Flesner, Afra Hines, Masumi Iwai, Aliah James, Jeremiah James, Danielle Kelsey, Stephen Mark Lukas, Alicia Lundgren, John Manzari, Liz McCartney, Connor McRory Katie Mitchell, Justin Prescott, Mariah Reives, Barbara Tirrell, and Leslie Blake Walker.
Does anyone know if there is a pre-save link or something? Usually due to time zone differences I could have access to a recording released on 18 November but I can't seem to find it on Apple Music.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
This is so wonderful! I can't believe we're getting it so soon. SO happy for everyone involved that they got to create this album and preserve the show with Lea's performance.
As for the teenagers commenting on social media "JUSTICE FOR BEANIE." They didn't see the show with Beanie, they won't see it with Lea, most of them have no understanding how Broadway works as an industry. They have no idea what they're talking about. These are the same kids who hate The Music Man because it "took" the Winter Garden from Beetlejuice. Ah, youth. One day they'll understand.
The producers of Funny Girl are right to cash in on every opportunity that presents itself thanks to Ms. Michele.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Interview with Lea and first listen to the full track of "I'm the Greatest Star." She sounds thrilling! I can feel what I felt in the theatre when she sang it live.
I'm so happy for this cast! In the midst of all the Internet caterwauling, I think it gets lost that this is a lot of these people's first big Broadway gig. Yay for them getting to get this opportunity!
BCfitasafiddle said: "I believe they added extra musicians for the recording. Wish we had it 8x a week, but we take what we can get!"
More musicians are always added for Broadway cast recordings. It’s been that way for decades unless score uses specific orchestrations like actors playing instruments, small on-stage band, etc.
I love how Lea refers to it as "the original cast album." Oh the shade.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
So, she doubled down on it. I guess it sounds slightly shady, but that obviously wasn't her intention. As others have said, it is true that everyone else is the original cast, so she was probably trying to be gracious to them, without thinking that some people would blow it out of proportion.