What Should I Nominate for the "Musical Show Album" Grammy Award--Help!

OK, people, I need your help!

I am a voter for the Grammy Awards, and I have to mail my ballot before Halloween to make sure it gets to LA in time. This is the ballot that takes the eligible recordings and gets them down to the five nominees on the last ballot.

I have narrowed down the field of eligible recordings down to twelve. I can vote to nominate one, two, three, four or five recordings. Which one(s) of these should I vote for, or NOT vote for?

Except for the first two, this list refers to the recent Broadway cast recordings:

Adding Machine (Off-Broadway)
Annie (30th Anniversary)
A Catered Affair
Grease
Gypsy
In the Heights
The Little Mermaid
LoveMusik
Passing Strange
South Pacific
Xanadu
Young Frankenstein

Quite a good class this year, isn't it? What should I do? Help me out, BWW! What are the best recordings of the year?

Updated On: 10/25/08 at 12:16 AM

Obviously vote for GYPSY. The production if it is amazing.

GYPSY
IN THE HEIGHTS
PASSING STRANGE
SOUTH PACIFIC
ADDING MACHINE

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I think Foster's list is pretty good.

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A Catered Affair definitely. IMO the show didn't get the recognition it deserved by the Tony's. I think the cast album is a gem and I love to listen to it.

My top three off that list are:

A Catered Affair
South Pacific
Xanadu

Though I suspect a majority of the voters don't know what ACA is and the award MAY go to Little Mermaid, Young Frankenstein, or maybe even Grease. They're more "known" outside of the theatre world.

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Passing Strange without a doubt.

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Adding Machine (Off-Broadway)
A Catered Affair
Gypsy
Passing Strange
South Pacific

As the sole Little Mermaid fan in the entire world, I have to say I think the cast recording is great. The production itself wasn't terrific, but I love the recording.

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A Catered Affair
Gypsy
In the Heights
Passing Strange

Gypsy.

It is not only a Cast Recording but a definitive album version of the show with a full orchestra, cut songs and a stellar cast.

Oh, I'd vote for Annie. It's a fabulous album. I love the extra material in Annie proper, and the use of the Annie 2 songs is very creatively executed. The packaging is terrific. Sounds great too. It took me a while to get Andrea McArdle and Dorothy Loudon out of my head, but I really enjoy this cast, especially Aleen Robertson's pitch black Hannigan.

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If you don't have to vote for five, then maybe just vote for Gypsy and In the Heights, everyone seems to be saying those two.

I agree that, although The Little Mermaid may not be the best show, the cast recording is splendid.

In The Heights
Gypsy
South Pacific (Not my favorite but you kind of have to put it on there)