Is there going to be a Broadway Cast Recording of Billy Elliot?

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 6:03pm

I saw Billy Elliot this past weekend and really enjoyed it. I purchased the London cast recording because I didn't see a Broadway cast recording at Amazon. I looked at the BWW Media Room list of articles, tried searching the boards, and read this article at Playbill about upcoming CDs, http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/111351.html, and didn't see a Broadway cast recording as having been done or upcoming for the show. Is there going to be a recording and I'm just not looking in the right places or is one not planned?

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 6:04pm

no, no recording.. there is the London Cast Recording already

[matty159]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 6:17pm

While I think this topic has been touched on before...

No, don't think so. While it would be nice, the London will probably stand, much like Poppins.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 6:26pm

Thanks for the quick responses (even if I wish the answer were different).

[homeimp]

Posted: 1/14/09 at 8:14pm

I don't believe there will be a cast recording, although of course there should be. If they do one, I hope that all 3 Billy's would be allowed to participate. In the West End recording only Liam Mower appears on the CD. Although Liam may have been acknowledged the best of the opening trio of Billy's and/or the best singer, it must have been very disappointing to the other two Billy's not to be memorialized on the recording. Purists might like the sound of one Billy throughout, but I for one would have appreciated hearing Liam, James and George.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 2:58pm

For anyone else besides me who's interested, found this in a 1-9-09 Playbill Q&A with Haydn Gwynne:

Question: Do you know whether there will be a Broadway cast recording?
Gwynne: I don't! It's funny enough, I was just thinking about that last night. I'll have to ask [musical director] David Chase what the latest is on that. I absolutely don't know. I think it was something probably that they were so busy putting the show on that as a thought it was shelved, and they would think about once they'd seen how the show has been received. I absolutely don't know. I do know that in London we didn't do one for awhile. That's sort of typical of this piece. They haven't necessarily done what you would normally do very quickly. They didn't do their sort of lovely film thing for the advertising until after the original [London] cast left, so the film that you see when you book is not the first cast. Just because they haven't said anything doesn't mean that we won't do one. We didn't do one for quite a long time [in London], and then we did it. They must have spent a lot of money on it. We took a long time to do it, and Phil Ramone came over and produced it. That was probably the Elton John/David Furnish connection.

http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/125072.html

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 3:15pm

Maybe with as popular as the show has become and the great word of mouth of the permormers/performances, an OBC WILL be recorded

[LiTtLeDaNcEr729]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 5:49pm

EponineAmneris- if that was how things worked out, there would be a Mamma Mia Broadway cast recording, yes?

I too would love a Billy Elliot Broadway recording, but I don't really think it is NECESSARY. The London recording is great!

[Mark_E]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 5:53pm

Im pretty sure i read only one of the billys voices is on the cast recording because by the time the recording was made the others two's voices had broken?

[CONAries]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:01pm

Mark E, that is true AND the two others did not have there contracts renewed so I believe they were not in the show when it was made!

[theatre2]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 6:48pm

if they are going to do a broadway cast cd of billy eillot they should do a cast cd of cry baby.

[Magica]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 7:44pm

Is there something wrong with the London OCR?

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 8:01pm

I love the London OCR, I just like to have cast albums with the casts I've seen if they're available.

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 8:42pm

There's a HUGE problem with the London cast recording - Greg Jbara and Carol Shelley aren't on it!

[Dre2387]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 9:53pm

Mamie, I totally agree!

[sgv123]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:08pm

I am pretty sure that George Mcguire is doing the Angry Dance on the OLC.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:12pm

Actually he's just grunting and sounding very electronic.

[sgv123]

Posted: 1/15/09 at 10:16pm

^ yeah, I just meant that he is indeed on the recording, not just Liam. I am also pretty sure that George was still in the show when the OLC came out.

[ArtMan]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:49pm

When I picked up my tickets during the day, a guy was selling merchandise and I asked him if there was going to be a broadway cast cd. He stated then...definately, but it would be done well after the first of the year. This was back in November, so I hope the plans have not changed. As many have said and I agree..having the cast cd of the production you have seen makes the experience more memorable. The only time I purchase a London recording is when there are no other options available.

[ChiChi]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 2:57pm

Why are so many people responding as if the idea of recording a Broadway recording when there is already London recording is preposterous? It's been done MANY MANY times.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:07pm

See, my opinion on making a Broadway recording is different than others.
It's not because of the cast, or the production, its because some songs are different.

Angry Dance, for one, is almost completely different.
Electricity has one less verse.
Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher is shorter.
The Finale is shorter, too.

[sgv123]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:22pm

^ The Electricity on the OLC is the Elton John version( not actually performed in the show), so I am not sure that if an album were made they would have the show version or the Elton version.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/16/09 at 3:46pm

Why are so many people responding as if the idea of recording a Broadway recording when there is already London recording is preposterous? It's been done MANY MANY times.

Yes, but that was many many years ago. Chicago and Taboo are the only shows to receive both Broadway and West End recordings in the last 10 years. South Pacific did as well, but for entirely different productions.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 5:08am

"There's a HUGE problem with the London cast recording - Greg Jbara and Carol Shelley aren't on it!"

Not a "HUGE" problem at all. Ann Emery as Grandma is the perfect marriage of role and performer. I've seen her in many things over the years and she has never been better than she is here and, above all, she is totally authentic in the role.

[Mamie]

Posted: 1/17/09 at 8:08am

You saw Emery as Grandma and I believe you when you say she has never been better before and that, having seen her, she IS Grandma to you. I did not see her, nor will most Americans after the Broadway Billy Elliot has a bit of a longer run. For me Carol Shelley epitomizes Grandma. I think the character is richly drawn and Carol plays it beautifully. When I hear Grandma's song I want to hear Carol's voice so I can fully recapture that wonderful theatrical experience. Emery, as good as she obviously is, won't ever be Grandma to me. I don't own the London cast CD and I don't know that I ever will buy it. But I'm ready to pre-order an OBC recording!

Updated On: 1/17/09 at 08:08 AM