The Definitive Cast Album Thread

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 7:48pm

With all of the talk and several threads about particular definitive albums, I thought I would make one general one for people to discuss any or all shows. That way, too, there aren’t multiple threads covering the home pages. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 7:52pm

Bless you.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 7:52pm

The definitive great comet album?

 

[binau]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 7:54pm

What are the definitive Broadway sex tape recording scandals?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 8:09pm

I guess you could say this is the definitive definitive cast album thread

[gypsy101]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 8:30pm

i thought about making one of these, there have been so many the last two days

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 8:36pm

My List of Definitive Cast Recordings are:

1776 (1969 Original Broadway Cast)
Annie (2012 Broadway Cast)
Anything Goes (2011 Broadway Cast)
Assassins (2004 Broadway Cast)
Bye Bye Birdie (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Cabaret (1998 Broadway Cast)
Camelot (1960 Original Broadway Cast)
Carousel (2015 Stratford Cast)
Chicago (2002 Film Soundtrack)
A Chorus Line (1975 Original Broadway Cast)
The Color Purple (2015 Broadway Cast)
Company (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
Dreamgirls (2017 West End Cast)
Evita (1979 Original Broadway Cast)
Fiddler on the Roof (2015 Broadway Cast)
Follies (2011 Broadway Cast)
Fun Home (2015 Original Broadway Cast)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962 Original Broadway Cast)
Gigi (2015 Broadway Cast)
Grease (2007 Broadway Cast)
Hedwig & the Angry Inch (2014 Broadway Cast)
Hello, Dolly! (2017 Broadway Cast)
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011 Broadway Cast)
Into the Woods (1987 Original Broadway Cast)
Jekyll & Hyde (1997 Original Broadway Cast)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1970 Concept Album)
The King & I (2015 Broadway Cast)
The Last Five Years (2002 Original off-Broadway Cast)
Les Miserables (2010 Live Recording/2012 Film Soundtrack)
A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)
Mame (1966 Original Broadway Cast)
Man of La Mancha (1965 Original Broadway Cast)
Mary Poppins (2010 Australian Cast)
Matilda (2013 Original Broadway Cast)
Miss Saigon (2014 West End Cast)
My Fair Lady (1964 Film Soundtrack)
Nine (1982 Original Broadway Cast)
Oliver! (2009 West End Cast)
On the Town (2014 Broadway Cast)
On the Twentieth Century (2015 Broadway Cast)
The Pajama Game (2006 Broadway Cast)
Passion (1994 Original Broadway Cast)
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 Original West End Cast)
Pippin (2013 Broadway Cast)
Porgy & Bess (2012 Broadway Cast)
The Producers (2001 Original Broadway Cast)
Ragtime (1998 Original Broadway Cast)
Rent (1996 Original Broadway Cast)
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (2013 Broadway Cast)
Seussical (2007 off-Broadway Cast)
She Loves Me (2016 Broadway Cast)
Side Show (2014 Broadway Cast)
South Pacific (2008 Broadway Cast)
Sunday in the Park with George (2017 Broadway Cast)
Sunset Boulevard (1994 American Premiere)
Sweeney Todd (1979 Original Broadway Cast)
Violet (2014 Broadway Cast)
West Side Story (1961 Film Soundtrack)
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 Broadway Cast)

[non-stop26]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 8:46pm

I feel like there was a thread like this a few years ago but I can’t find it

[JBroadway]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 9:04pm

I'd just like to take this opportunity to mention the excellent, under-appreciated 1993 Studio CR of Cabaret. It has an unbelievable cast (Jonathan Pryce, Maria Friedman, Judi Dench, Gregg Edelman, and Fred Ebb himself as Herr Schultz). Not only that, but it contains every song from every version of the show, including alternate versions of the same song, and all instrumentals. To me, it's absolutely definitive. 

Updated On: 9/24/17 at 09:04 PM

[tomwsjr]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 9:25pm

Definitive original Broadway cast albums:  Evita, A Chorus Line, Annie, Barnum, Dreamgirls, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Rent, Sunday in the Park.., To name  just a few 

[darquegk]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 9:41pm

It may not be complete, but the movie soundtrack of "Little Shop of Horrors" is hard to beat, between Ellen Greene's sensational Audrey and the masterful singing-comedian performances of Rick Moranis and Steve Martin. 

[Jake01]

Posted: 9/24/17 at 10:41pm

"Guys and Dolls" is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and for definitive, I'd have to give the title to the 1992 revival starring Nathan Lane, Faith Prince, Peter Gallagher, and Josie de Guzman.

However, I have to also recommend the 1995 studio cast recording for the playing of the score by London's National Symphony Orchestra. The full "Runyonland" and nine-and-a-half minute "Havana" are so full of energy and musicality, it's fantastic. 

[CardboardMoon]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 9:27am

Although the 2006 revival certainly puts up a fight, I feel that the definitive version of Company is easily the OBC. ESPECIALLY after seeing the incredible making-of documentary, Original Cast Album: Company.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 10:53am

Thoughts on Jesus Christ Superstar? I’m inspired to listen after the latest season of Transparent and I don’t know which album to get.

[raddersons]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 11:00am

I typically enjoy 85% of newer recordings even if I don't like the cast as much...mostly because so many recordings of shows in the 70s sound like they were recorded in a convention center. Everyone sounds like they are so far away! What is with that?!

Probably the only one I prefer the original is Into the Woods. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 11:23am

There's still six active-ish "definitive" threads, I'm guessing this one didn't work as well as expected :)

I wish the current Off-Broadway cast (or preferably, the one with Norm Lewis) had recorded Sweeney Todd. Some of the numbers really shone through because of an unplugged-like sound.

My favorite Hello, Dolly! record is the 2017 revival cast album too. The orchestrations are just too beautiful, and some of the chorus numbers do sound better than they ever did in older albums. "Put On Your Sunday Clothes", "Ribbons Down My Back", and "So Long Dearie" are in top shape. The biggest complaint I have it with the finale being cut out, and the title song lacking "life" as they say. After the intro music, before Bette comes in, it stops completely and then she changes the pace of the song - which is basically the boner killer of singing if there ever was one. But no one will top Barbra's singing in the title song for me (or Before The Parade Passes By), so I just swapped those out from my personal playlist and it's now fantastic lol.

My favorite Gypsy is LuPone's. I like it better than Merman's even, probably just because of the sound quality.

Company and Follies - OBCs are the bomb. Esparza's Company does a good job too, better than most others, but the orchestrations don't do the vocals any justice. The Follies 2011 revival gets points for completion, but it just doesn't do it for me. It's too clean. I want to be transported to a dilapidated theater and Sally's dark mind, not a studio room - and latter is what Follies 2011 recording does for me.

Updated On: 9/25/17 at 11:23 AM

[LYLS3637]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 11:47am

TotallyEffed said: "Thoughts on Jesus Christ Superstar? I’m inspired to listen after the latest season of Transparent and I don’t know which album to get."

I'm a huge fan of the 1973 Movie Soundtrack. Carl Anderson is SUBLIME. Barry Dennan is deliciously campy as Pilate. Ted Neeley seems to have his detractors but I love the raw power he has. Plus it has the addition of "Could We Start Again Please?" which is one of my favorite songs from the score. 

[jtishere]

Posted: 9/25/17 at 11:51am

This thread is reminding me that I wish they would publish a new edition of Michael Portantiere's cast recordings guidebook with all the shows since the first edition...