I don't understand.......why does Lestat get a cast album and the revival of Threepenny dosen't?

Why? It was a stinker! No one liked Lestat as much as Threepenny! Why does it get a cast recording? I mean....it lasted like for 3 months! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang didn't get a recording and this did!

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Lestat WAS recorded but isn't released.

THANK GOD! I coulda sworn I saw it at Virigin records....oh well! But why wasn't Threepenny recorded? It was a.....well....not a hit but...ya know! And Assassins was recorded when it had the broadway revival...why wasn't Threepenny?

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It's not a question of "why is this show recorded and that one isn't." It's not like there is a set number of shows that get recorded every year and the productions are competing to get into a recording studio.

It is completely up to the producers of each individual show whether a production gets recorded. There are a ton of variables: union costs, musician fees, royalty negotiations, distribution factors, label interest, etc. Its a very time consuming and expensive process to make a recording.

In the case of LESTAT; it was recorded because it was written by Elton John and produced by a corporation with deep pockets and holdings in a record label.

THREEPENNY was a limited run produced by a not-for-profit theatre company that can't easily afford the costs of making a cd. There was also some speculation that the Kurt Weill estate didn't like the translation and didn't particularly want it preserved on a recording.

Updated On: 7/30/06 at 03:56 PM

I think all shows should get a cast recording. Afterall, there are some people who do like the show! But I guess it is a huge risk to take, and they could lose a lot of money if people didn't buy the cast recording.

Well, I didn't mean it like "Everyone loves Threepeeny and no one likes Lestat!" I just read better reviews from people of Threepeeny than Lestat!

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i still think its a cryin' shame that a THREEPENNY cast recording wasnt released.

Not the broadway cast. Just the London cast!

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It is very rare for a musical to transfer from London and get a new cast recording. Even successful shows like Phantom & Mamma Mia didn't get one.

It's indeed possible that the Kurt Weill Foundation did not want a recording. Michael Feingold's translation used in the revival with Sting was just published in the new edition of the vocal score for THREEPENNY OPERA. That revival didn't get a recording either. It's possible the Foundation, or Stefan Brecht, was unhappy with the production or the translation and feel it was something to promote or encourage. I believe there was a conflict between Brecht and Lotte Lenya over the English version used at the Met for MAHAGONNY. I wasn't blown away with Shawn's English lyrics or their singability, and Feingold's English text was quite good.

LESTAT had the clout of being written by Elton John, as the ASSASSINS revival had with Sondheim. THREEPENNY OPERA has several authors to contend with.

Frankly, I would prefer a new show in which its score has never been recorded before get a cast recording rather than a revival - no matter how horrible the new show may be versus how great the revival may be.

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Not to mention that there are more than a handful of THREEPENNY recordings on the market.






Mayella Ewell
Maycomb, Alabama

I liked lestat more than 3 penny, but overall that isn't a popular opinion. I am wondering the same thing. I hope it gets one, I heard the petition is almost to 1000, so there is going to be a chance.

http://www.petitiononline.com/3penny06/http://www.petitiononline.com/3penny06/: http://www.petitiononline.com/3penny06/http://www.petitiononline.com/3penny06/

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Updated On: 8/1/06 at 10:35 PM