Top 25 Cast Recordings of All Time

[bwaymargie]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 2:27pm

I know this thread has been probably beaten to death but I'm looking to expand my collection to shows outside of Wicked, Millie, and Avenue Q...etc, etc. List your top 25, of all time, and specify if needed the Original or Revival cast.

[wildparty20]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 2:44pm

In random order...

1. Bat Boy: The Musical (O'Keefe)
2. The Wild Party (LaChiusa)
3. The Wild Party (Lippa)
4. Chess (London Cast/Concept, not Broadway)
5. Dreamgirls (Original Cast)
6. Ruthless! (Laird)
7. Kiss of the Spider Woman (Chita version)
8. Showboat (London Sinfonietta edition)
9. March of the Falsettos/Falsettoland (Finn)
10. Mack & Mabel (Original Broadway)
11. La Cage Aux Folles (Herman)
12. Elegies: A Song Cycle (Finn)
13. A Man of No Importance (Flaherty)
14. The Baker's Wife (LaPone, not London recording)
15. Violet (Tesori)
16. The Rink (Kander)
17. Grand Hotel
18. Floyd Collins (Guettel)
19. Hello Again (LaChiusa)
20. Tenderloin (Bock)
21. Side Show
22. Jekyll & Hyde (The Complete Work, not broadway)
23. Sweeney Todd... (Sondheim)
24. Parade (Brown)
25. John & Jen (Lippa)

So many others I love, but here are the ones off the top of my head...

[wildparty20]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 2:46pm

that was supposed to be LUPONE, not LaPone... sorry, typing quickly!

[Plum]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 2:50pm

Let's see...I don't really rank, but these are 25 good ones.

1. Sweeney Todd- OBC
2. Gypsy- OBC, and you might want to try the Lansbury and Peters versions
3. Oklahoma- OBC, movie, and 1998 London each have their own merits
4. Company- OBC
5. West Side Story- OBC
6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch- (original Off-Broadway cast)
7. Pacific Overtures- OBC
8. Sunday in the Park With George- OBC
9. A Little Night Music- OBC
10. My Fair Lady- OBC
11. The King and I- OBC
12. Ragtime- OBC
13. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown- OBC
14. A Chorus Line- OBC
15. Follies- OBC and 1985 Follies in Concert each have their own merits
16. Carousel- OBC, though you might want to try the 1994 revival, London or Broadway
17. Falsettoland- Original Off-Broadway Cast
18. Fiddler on the Roof- OBC
19. Into the Woods- OBC
20. Showboat- 1994 Reconstruction
21. The Producers- OBC
22. Assassins- OBC, though you might want to wait for the new recording
23. Hair- OBC
24. The Sound of Music- Movie Soundtrack
25. Wonderful Town-OBC or 2003 Revival. Or 1999 studio recording.

Um...I think there's some good ones I left out. And it's awfully Sondheim-heavy, but I can't help myself. :) Hope you enjoy a few of these.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 3:00pm

in NO particular order: Original Cast unless otherwise listed

1. Parade
2. Pacific Overtures
3. Sweet Smell of Success
4. Violet
5. A Man of No Importance
6. Ragtime
7. Rent
8. Company (1995 cast - i love lachanze and the orchestrations)
9. Sunday in the Park with George
10. Falsettos
11. Hair
12. Dreamgirls (2001 concert cast)
13. Sweeney Todd (Len Cariou)
14. Gypsy
15. West Side Story
16. Carousel
17. Carousel (1994)
18. Myths and Hymns
19. Floyd Collins
20. The Wild Party (Lippa)
21. A New Brain
22. Bat Boy
23. Hello Again
24. the Full Monty
25. the Last 5 Years

Updated On: 5/22/04 at 03:00 PM

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 3:01pm

COMPANY.(ORIGINAL. NNNOOOTTT the revival)

#1.

-d.b.j-

[Plum]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 3:16pm

I agree, NuggetMonkeys. I'm usually pretty open to different versions of shows, but even if the orchestrations sound slightly old-fashioned today, the OBC of Company is the only one I really like. I'd only get other versions to get "Marry Me A Little."

And honestly, no one does "Ladies Who Lunch" like Elaine Stritch. No one.

[NuggetMonkeys]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 3:22pm

i'll drink to that.

-d.b.j-

[magruder]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 4:31pm

The only thing that dates the original orchestrations for Company is that Moog-like electric organ that pops up in the opening number and in "Sorry Grateful". And given the time frame of the show, what could sound more 1970? I think Company's original orchestrations just cannot be beat. Promises, Promises, Company and Follies are the Holy Trinity of Jonathan Tunick's orchestrations, just his absolute best writing, in my opinion. My heart sunk at the 1995 revival when the band started up. If you HAD to reduce the orchestrations to 10 pieces, Tunick did about as well as one could, but when it comes down to which recording to listen to, well, that '95 recording gets very little play in my house. Just Veanne Cox's "Getting Married Today" to hear the real vocal line, but that's about it. I always return to the original.

[kitkatgirl54]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 4:34pm

Again, no order...

1. Assassins (Off-Broadway)
2. West Side Story
3. Ragtime
4. Last 5 Years
5. Wild Party (Lippa)
6. Parade
7. Rent
8. Urinetown
9. Sunday in the Park with George
10. Falsettoland (Off-Broadway)
11. The Who's Tommy
12. Side Show
13. Songs for a New World
14. Tick Tick Boom
15. The Secret Garden (Broadway)
16. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Off-Broadway)
17. Cabaret (Revival)
18. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Revival)
19. A New Brain
20. Hello Again
21. Jesus Christ Superstar (London)
22. Sweeney Todd (London)
23. How to Succeed... (Revival)
24. Closer Than Ever (if you can overlook the cheesy 80's orchestrations)
25. Chess (London)

l.

[sharon1]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 4:40pm

Gosh I hope this doesn't date me but here goes
Guys And Dolls with Vivian Blaine & Robert Alda (alan's father)
King & I with Yul Brynner and Gertrude Lawrence
Kiss Me Kate with Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison
Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman
Oklahoma with Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts
Carousel with john Raitt and Jan Clayton
South Pacific with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza
These are what I call classics. Don't know if anyone would agree with me but I like them

Updated On: 5/22/04 at 04:40 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 4:43pm

As for SWEENEY TODD I always listen to my SWEENEY TODD: Live at the New York Philharmonic more than the OBC. It's more complete. I respect the OBC because of Angela Lansbury, but Patti LuPone just does wonders with that role. I'm still in awe. Plus I love Neil Patrick Harris as Toby. He's so sweet. I think it's out of print, because it hasn't been in stock at Amazon for quite some time, but there are still a few people selling them used. That's how I got mine. But, Footlight probably has em in stock... you can try that.

[kitkatgirl54]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 5:13pm

CATSNYRevival- i agree with you but cannot deal with that recording as Patti LuPone is one of my least favorite performers. i have major issues with her in general so i have problems listening to that recording :)

l.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 5:19pm

S0...I agree...other Company cd's really can't match that new york in the early 70's sound...that's really an important part of the show...BUT...Veane Cox's version of not getting married is the BEST recorded version of that song...it's the fastest and smoothest...obviously this just being my opinion.! : )

So here's my list(no order implied):

1. RAGTIME(OBC)
2. CABARET (Broaday revival or Maria Friedman studio cast)
3. LAST FIVE YEARS
4. A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC(OBC but interpolate Judi Dench's version of Send in the Clowns)
5. MAN OF LAMANCHA (The acting on the dialouge is neat on the revival but for vocal power go for OBC)
6. FALSETTOS
7. DREAMGIRLS(OBC is best but Concert cd's got it all)
8. CANDIDE (OBC...but if you could-burn a version with all the songs added for the various revivals and include both Barbara Cook's and Dawn Upshaw's versions of Glitter and Be Gay)
9. NINE (OBC extended version)
10.SECRET GARDEN (Cool thing about this one is that if you listen to the whole thing in sequence...you kinda feel like you've experienced the emotional journey of the show...in your car...or your bathroom...or in your own actual secret garden. If you have one. I don't. Sigh)
11.MISS SAIGON (Original Cast...though Ruthie Henshal's Ellen on the complete recording is to die for...Ruthie Henshall's everything is to die for.)
12.SWEENY TODD(OBC)
13.FOLLIES(Alright so...this is hard...performances stand out on all four recordings so...sell an organ or a child and buy all four...but if you really can't...for completeness' sake go for papermill or london(Diana Rigg...CHILLS!))
14. CHICAGO (OBC...do not trust anyone who tells you otherwise...in fact shoot them on the SPOT! See the problem here is that with the Broadway Revival half the cast is terrific and the other half..the one that starts with Rein and ends in King...is not. Sigh...the london cast has a great Billy in Henry Goodman and...i would say the best(if unique) Roxie and Velma in Ruthie Henshall and Ute Lemper...the rest of the cast is phooew...but with Gwen, Jerry, and Chita...it doesn't matter if the rest of the cast is William Hung. Well. Maybe a little bit it does.
15. SIDE SHOW
16. CAROUSEL ('94 Broadway)
17. MOST HAPPY FELLA(Original...of course!)
18. The KING AND I (Donna Murphy revival...original is incomplete and I don't think anyone else brings the depth like the Murph does)
19. INTO THE WOODS (SO, I like the character the London cast brings...all those funny accents...English people are so CRAZY! But most will tell you that you must have the original...DON'T listen to them. The London version is far more colorful while the revival is just as magical with clever additions to the score...alright go ahead...shoot)
20. GYPSY (again...difficult...can you sell your other kidney? So..um...I guess get the Merman one...but make sure you hear Betty Buckley's, Angela Lansbury, and Bernadette Peter's versions of Rose's Turn)
21: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND(Orignal Cast)
22: WILD PARTY (Off-Broadway is vastly more enjoyable than the Broadway one...but the Broadway version is rewarding to repeat listens)
23: Parade
24: Lil' Abner
25: Mack and Mable (OBC)

So there are better shows in the world...lots actually..in fact some of these shows... not even very good...but as cast albums...these are the tops! At least the tops of what I could think of in the last couple of minutes.

Four Additions for if you've got a sense of danger.

My Life with Albertine and Floyd Collins: A little to arty for most I think... not a whole lot of hummable tunes to speak of... but they do have music from the heavens! And if you give them the chance they really do indeed reward you.

My Favorite Year and The Golden Apple: So these recordings are set up so they pretty much stand alone...you get enough dialouge and narration to follow along with the plot...and I find them both to be cute and touching.

So...is anyone still reading? Any thoughts?

KC

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 5:36pm

Hello, Dolly! - OBC
Carousel - 1994 revival
West Side Story - OBC
The Music Man - OBC
Gypsy - OBC and for a 2nd Lansbury in London
The Producers - OBC
Guys and Dolls - 1992 revival Nathan & Faith
Passion - OBC
Chicago - OBC Rivera & Verdon
Smokey Joe's Cafe - OBC
The Secret Garden - OBC
Mame - OBC
Man of La Mancha - OBC
Cabaret - Motion Pic Sndtrk
The Life - OBC
Kiss of the Spiderwoman - OBC
South Pacific - OBC
Annie Get Your Gun - Merman
Anything Goes - revival Lincoln Center
Evita - OBC
Dreamgirls - OBC
The Baker's Wife
The Phantom of the Opera
Damn Yankees - OBC
Sweeney Todd - OBC

[Juliette Capulet]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 8:40pm

These are all I have. I also have movie soundtracks, but I don't know if you care about those.

1. Roméo et Juliette - de la Haine à l'Amour (Highlights)
2. Roméo et Juliette - de la Haine à l'Amour (Complete Cast)
3. Roméo et Juliette - de la Haine à l'Amour (En Live)
4. Romeo en Julia - van Haat tot Liefde (Highlights)
5. Romeo and Juliet - the Musical (Highlights)
6. The Phantom of the Opera (Complete London Cast)
7. CATS (Complete Broadway Cast)
8. CATS (London Cast Highlights)
9. CATS (Complete Australian Cast)
10. Cindy, Cendrillon 2002 (En Live)
11. RENT (Broadway Highlights)
12. Mamma Mia! (Original London Cast)
13. WICKED (Original Broadway Cast)
14. Autant en Emporte le Vent (Highlights)
15. Beauty and the Beast (Broadway Cast)
16. Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)
17. Into the Woods (Broadway Cast Revival)
18. Elisabeth (Hungarian Cast)
19. Les Miserables (Complete Original London Cast)
20. Alleen op de Wereld (Complete Cast)
21. Chicago (Broadway Cast Revival)
22. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (Highlights)
23. Thoroughly Modern Millie (Original Broadway Cast)
24. Atlantis (English Concept)
25. CATS (French Cast)

Tendres Baisers,
Juliette Capulet

Updated On: 5/22/04 at 08:40 PM

[bythesword84]

Posted: 5/22/04 at 9:11pm

Numbered just so I knew how many I wrote, not for any order

1. Les Miserables (Tenth Anniversary Cast)
2. Les Miserables (Original London Cast)
3. The Last Five Years (Premier Recording)
4. Assassins (I love the original one but the new one will probably be excellent as well, judging from the show)
5. A Chorus Line
6. Urinetown
7. Children of Eden
8. Avenue Q
9. The Pirates of Penzance
10. BatBoy
11. Crazy for You (Original Broadway Cast)
12. Into the Woods (Original Broadway Cast)
13. Miss Saigon (Original Broadway Cast)
14. The Full Monty
15. The Civil War
16. The Scarlet Pimpernel (Original Broadway Cast- not encore)
17. Wonderful Town (Revival- if only for Donna Murphy, I'm not a big Westfeldt fan)
18. Tick, Tick, Boom
19. Taboo (The upcoming Broadway version, I can't stand the London one aside from Euan Morton)
20. Ragtime
21. Chicago (London Cast Recording)
22. Man of La Mancha (Revival)
23. Follies (Original Broadway Cast...although I wish they had a recording for Blythe Danner's Lucy and Jessie because I loved that)
24. Jane Eyre
25. Carousel (1994 Revival)

[secret-soul]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 12:00am

in no order whatsoever:

1.The Secret Garden
2.Jane Eyre
3.Phantom of the Opera
4.Side Show
5.Jekyll and Hyde (OBC)
6.Jekyll and Hyde (Concept Cast)
7.Ragtime
8.AIDA
9.1776
10.Aspects of Love
11.I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
12.Carousel ('94 Revival)
13.Songs for a new world
14.Sweet Smell of success
15.Urinetown
16.Thoroughly Modern Millie
17.Into the Woods (OBC)
18.Sweeney Todd (w/ angela lansbury)
19.Beauty and the Beast
20.Les Miserables (OBC)
21.Les Miserables (10th Anniversary)
22.Children of Eden
23.Miss Saigon
24.The Scarlet Pimpernel (OBC)
25.Parade

[mebice]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 1:07pm

No order...pretty much the same as everybody else...but i am not a sondheim fan...i know shocking to me also

1. Last Five Years
2. Aida
3. Cabaret (revival)
4. Children of Eden
5. Wicked
6. Rent
7. Taboo OLC
8. Taboo OBC
9. Snoopy!
10. Wild Party Lippa
11. Phantom OBC
12. Ragtime!
13. Thoroughly Modern Millie
14. Tick Tick Boom
15. Rocky Horror Picture Show (either the movie or broadway)
16. AVE Q (I am seeing it in August and can't wait!)
17. hairspray
18. chicago (either chita or the movie)
19. Gypsy...ummm this is hard cause I like them all
20. That new cd with denise van ousten...or something like that...the name is completely gone from my mind at the current time
21. evita (kill me I know... i like the madonna version)
22. joseph... (i like the donny osmond one...but i don't know if there is a disc of it...if there is i HAVE to pick it up)
23. songs for a new world
24. i am sure the new assassions will be good!
25. and any motion picture soundtrack with babara in it...early stuff...funny girl...hello dolly...all that is great....!

Yeah my list sucks..but its what i like...

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 1:39pm

No order!

1.) Songs For a New World
2.) Prodigal
3.) Hairspray
4.) Tommy
5.) Ragtime
6.) Wicked
7.) Avenue Q
8.) RENT
9.) The Wild Party (Lippa)
10.) TMM
11.) Seussical
12.) Les Mis
13.) Aida
14.) Bat Boy
15.) POTO
16.) Jekyll and Hyde
17.) Into the Woods
18.) Taboo
19.) Man of La Mancha
20.) Children of Eden
21.) Footloose
22.) Side Show
23.) YAGMCB (Revival)
24.) How to Succeed... (Revival)
25.) The Secret Garden

[broadway geek]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 2:13pm

Juliette Capulet, I have the movie of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort and I love it. I don't speak French though, and I still love it.

[beartrande]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 4:45pm

In no particular order:

1) Wicked, OBC. Fell in love with the CD and couldn't wait to see the show!
2) Tanz der Vampire. The original Vienna CDs, featuring the late great Steve Barton.
3) Martin Guerre - 1999 UK Touring Cast
4) Miss Saigon - OLC
5) The Secret Garden - Australian Highlights CD. What could be more perfect than 'Lilys Eyes' sung powerfully by Philip Quast and Anthony Warlow
6) Elisabeth - das musical. Original Vienna Highlights with Pia Douvwes.
7) Man of La Mancha - Broadway revival CD with Brian Stokes Mitchell
South Pacific - RNT with Philip Quast.
9) Paris - Australian Studio Recording
10) The Boy From Oz - Original Australian Cast Recording
11) The Scarlet Pimpernel - OBC
12) Jekyll & Hyde - 2 CD boxed set with Anthony Warlow
13) Oklahoma! - RNT with Hugh Jackman, Maureen Lipman.
14) Dirty Dancing - I know its not a stage musical, but its my favourite film!
15) Joseph and the amazing technicolour dreamcoat - Donny Osmond and Maria Friedman
16) Les Miserables Symphonic Recording - now the only chance to hear the full show!
17) Moulin Rouge!
1 Aida - OBC
19) Philip Quast Live at the Donmar
20) Beauty School Dropout/My Prayer - CD single Anthony Warlow, that top note!
21) Elisabeth Wien 2003 - 5 track CD
22) The Boy from Oz - OBC
23) Jekyll & Hyde - Vienna Cast Recording with Thomas Borchert
24) The Secret Garden - OLC
25) Martin Guerre - OLC

[on1ystarinthesky]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 4:55pm

...this thread tells me that I need to go out and buy more recordings.

If I blow my college fund on OBCs and London Casts and yadda yadda, I'm blaming you all.

[WestEndBird]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 7:00pm

here's my top 5 In order..

1) WICKED!!!
2) Little Shop of Horrors
3) The Producers
4) Jekyll and Hyde (OBC)
5) Gypsy (BP)

[Juliette Capulet]

Posted: 5/23/04 at 7:01pm

"Juliette Capulet, I have the movie of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort and I love it. I don't speak French though, and I still love it."

I want to see it the movie version. The musical is supposed to be somewhat different, but still...

Tendres Baisers,
Juliette Capulet