Must Have Broadway Cast Recordings

[Rinoka]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 9:32pm

I am working on expanding my collection of Broadway Cast Recordings and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

I currently have: 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, Billy Elliot, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, In the Heights, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, Little Women, Miss Saigon, Next to Normal, Ragtime, Rent, South Pacific, Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd, Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story, and Wicked.
And I have Side Show on the way.

[MichaelRhodus]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 9:37pm

Phantom, Next to Normal, Book of Mormon, Hair (Revival), and Jersey Boys are some great ones to have.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 9:55pm

Start with Mack & Mabel

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 9:59pm

Gypsy: Original Broadway Cast Recording and/or Lupone Revival
Company: OBCR
A Little Night Music: OBCR
The Pajama Game : OBCR
Annie Get Your Gun: Merman Revival Disc
Damn Yankees: OBCR and/or Revival
Grey Gardens: OBCR
Oklahoma : OBCR or Jackman Revival
Carousel: Broadway Revival with Audra McDonald
Kiss Me Kate: Studio Recording in Stereo with most of OBC
EVITA: OBCR
The Drowsy Chaperone: OBCR
Bye Bye Birdie: OBCR
She Loves Me: OBCR OR Broadway Revival
Finian's Rainbow: Broadway Revival with Kate Baldwin
Dreamgirls: OBCR
FOllies: OBCR or Papermill Revival
Pal Joey: Encores! Revival with Lupon and/or 50's revival with Stritch

For starters, off the top of my head...

[tellybox]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 10:04pm

I came in here to mention lots on your list, Mildred. Company is a must have.

A Chorus Line should be on everyone's shelf, too!

[geudupe]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 10:08pm

Some other essentials:
Cabaret (original or revival)
Hello Dolly! (1967 w/ Pearl Bailey)
On the Town (1959 studio)
The Rink
Sweet Charity (original)

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 10:24pm

And I was coming back in the add most of your list to mine geudupe! Great minds...

Def get Sweet Charity and Cabaret. Must haves!

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 10:50pm

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Cabaret
Evita
Sweet Charity
The Book of Mormon

[geudupe]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 11:21pm

Well, it's funny Mildred- because most of yours were on the original list that I was going to post before you beat me to it! :) All good stuff.

[Matt2]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 2:13am

Mildred, I'm surprised with your screen name you didn't mention On the Twentieth Century.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 2:39am

Ha ha, Matt, I just came back to put that on the list. Can't believe I'd leave it out! Long day, whew!

You know I'm glad I know the scores for all these wonderful suggestions, but I wish I could go back and discover them for the first time all over again! They, unfortunately don't write 'em like that anymore. Sigh!

Rinoka I know this is a daunting list to comb through and make choices of what to discover first! I hope you have as much fun as I did combing through the great variety of cast albums out there!

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 2:44am

Roxy I'm not sure if you're being serious with the Mack and Mabel suggestion-but-that was one of the first cast albums I picked up as a teen. Before I read how troubled the book was and that it flopped on Broadway. I loved (and still do) that score so much, my little teenage mind thought it was a big fat hit before I read how things went down. I don't know if it could ever really work with any book revisions, but I still this Herman's score for Mack and Mabel is up there with his hits as some of his best work.

I cleaned my bedroom to "Tap Your Troubles Away", on repeat, the other day!

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 3:04am

I vacuumed my room to the sounds of Phantom of the Opera once.

[Matt2]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 3:25am

"You know I'm glad I know the scores for all these wonderful suggestions, but I wish I could go back and discover them for the first time all over again! They, unfortunately don't write 'em like that anymore. Sigh!"

Oh, Mildred, me too! There's almost nothing as wonderful as discovering a truly great Broadway score-- especially when it's a hidden gem you've never heard about before. So many of my favorite shows opened and closed long before I was born. I'd give almost anything to have been able to see those wonderful shows live with their original casts in all their glory.

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 10:09am

The recording of GYPSY should definitely be the 1959 OBCR.

To hear a youngish Elaine Stritch in a wonderful flop musical buy GOLDILOCKS, a 1958 gem of a show, The score is a winner. You can still get it on Amazon.com.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 11:44am

The Most Happy Fella OBC
House of Flowers OBC
In Trousers/Falsettos
Rocky Horror Show OLC
Li'l Abner OBC
She Loves Me OBC

As for Jerry Herman, and I'm having a deja vu typing this, I think Grand Tour OBC is also phenomenal.