Oh yeah, like those Sondheim Sings albums weren't total vanity publications. I don't know about them being "vanity" but they were issued in part to meet the huge demand for anything Sondheim. People had been circulating poor quality tapes of these demos for years, so the issue was certainly welcome. (They could have pulled the same stunt they did with RCA's CD of F.F.Jenkins called "Florence Foster Jenkins...sings?")
Like most people who would have bought the CD's, I was most interested in the songs that had not been heard before.
As for the Sony/BMG reissues, I had not heard there were any royalty issues since the cast is well-paid for the recording sessions. The delays were due mostly to corporate changes at Sony/BMG.
Also a deal was set for Playbill to release the Sondheim Boxed set for a 6-month window,but since the Brian Stokes Mitchell CD came out, there hasn't been anything else from Playbill and the boxed set is STILL on hold.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com