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

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:16am

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

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:29am

Gypsy, In the Heights, and possibly The Little Mermaid and Young Frankenstein

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:39am

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

[Nicole3293]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:39am

In The Heights is amazing and a personal favorite of mine.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:40am

GYPSY
IN THE HEIGHTS
PASSING STRANGE
SOUTH PACIFIC
ADDING MACHINE

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:40am

Passing Strange without a doubt.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:42am

I think Foster's list is pretty good.

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:58am

A Catered Affair
Gypsy
In The Heights
Passing Strange
South Pacific

[Eris0303]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 1:05am

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.

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 1:10am

In my opinion, Gypsy since I believe it to be the definitive recording of the show and In the Heights because I feel it is one of the few musicals (and especially recordings) that transcends the genre. I actually have a bunch of friends who loathe musical theater, yet really liked the songs I played from ITH and were highly impressed. So those would be my choices.

[BenKaye]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 1:31am

Passing Strange without a doubt.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 1:35am

I personally love the South Pacific recording if only for the full Overture (!!!) and full Entr'acte (!). And for Paulo Szot's beautiful vocal performance.

I love Xanadu the show, but the recording is not so great.

Foster's list looks good to me.

~Steven

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 2:10am

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

[joe5]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 3:27am

Passing Strange!

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 8:15am

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.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 8:31am

Good point, Schmerg. I think my list would be:

IN THE HEIGHTS
GYPSY
PASSING STRANGE
SOUTH PACIFIC
THE LITTLE MERMAID

[rentheadca]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 8:44am

A Catered Affair
Gypsy
In the Heights
Passing Strange

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 9:16am

So there are no proponents for "Annie," "Grease" or "LoveMusik?"

Are we down to nine?

You see my dilemma! lol

[logan0215]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 9:41am

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.

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 9:42am

I BEG of you to VOTE FOR:

Gypsy
In The Heights
Passing Strange
The Little Mermaid
South Pacific

(Why anyone says Xanadu I do not know)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 9:44am

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.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 10:40am

Not only is this GYPSY recording without a doubt the definitive one, but to think that the 2003 recording won the Best Musical Show Album Grammy Award, I'd hope that at least this one, which in my opinion is eons better, would at least be nominated.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 11:28am

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.

[fanadu1996]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:05pm

Xanadu!!!
classic 80's songs modernized!!!

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/25/08 at 12:12pm

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