Top 25 Cast Recordings of All Time

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...

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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.

COMPANY.(ORIGINAL. NNNOOOTTT the revival)

#1.

-d.b.j-

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i'll drink to that.

-d.b.j-

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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.

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.

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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)

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