cast recordings.....I need some advice

[cudramacat]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:10pm

Hey everyone! I am a huge fan of Broadway but relatively new to the scene I suppose as an "official" fan. Anyway, I only own a few cast recordings (Rent, Wicked, and Aida) and love them all but I want to expose myself to more and add to what I have. What cast recordings would you all recommend as "must have?"

[Aigoo]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:11pm

Phew..well, I recommend working from modern shows to the "Golden Age". Make it a gradual transition...

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:13pm

Les Miz (A classic - though its not a fav. of mine)
Tick,Tick...Boom since you already have RENT
Bright Lights, Big City (I'm more into the "rock/pop" sound
musicals, but that's just personal
tastes)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:15pm

Rent, Wicked, and Aida? How diverse!

You'll like Hairspray. Urinetown is a must have for me. MAKE AVENUE Q THE NEXT CAST RECORDING YOU PURCHASE! Also get Spelling Bee.

And that's good for pop/rock/contemporary music.

Then also get more traditional music: The Light In The Piazza, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, Mame, La Cage Aux Folles.

And make sure you get Sondheim! Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park With George, Passion.

MAKE RAGTIME THE SECOND CAST RECORDING YOU PURCHASE!

[juice23]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:16pm

based on what you already know and love.... id start out with more of the modern stuff....

So these are some of my modern favs:

Light in the Piazza (would be a good transition into the older and/or more complex musicals)

DRS (musical comedy)
Little Women (Really nice score)
Last 5 Years (NLB and Sherie Scott are amazing...great variety of songs, and really emotionally and musically driven..love it)
The Wild Party (Lippa)-(Really fun score)

and although its a concert recording... ud probably LOVE the HAIR concert recording!!!

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:16pm

CRAP! OK, Just make these three the next you purchase before you buy any others:

1) Les Miserables
2) Avenue Q
3) Ragtime

And you'll need more ALW, so get Phantom of the Opera. Oh - and don't forget Evita and 42nd Street and A Chorus Line.

[cudramacat]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:19pm

Sorry ya'll, I forgot about Avenue Q. I actually do have that one! I also have the movie soundtracks for Phantom and Chicago but after actually seeing Phantom on Broadway, I'm def. getting the obc recording.....the voices are SO much better!

Updated On: 6/28/05 at 11:19 PM

[broadway betty]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:37pm

I second The Light in the Piazza, Hairspray, Tick, Tick...BOOM!, Urinetown, The Last 5 Years, Hair(the new one), The Wild Party(Lippa).

And Throughly Modern Millie, The Full Monty, Pippin, Cabaret, Assassins.

It's a bit long but you gotta know!

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 6/28/05 at 11:52pm

Ragtime
Les Miserables
tick, tick... BOOM!
Sweeney Todd
Into the Woods
Gypsy
Last 5 Years
Hairspray
Urinetown
Cabaret (Revival)

[LaVieBoheme2]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 1:03am

Avenue Q
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Tick, Tick...Boom!
Last 5 Years
The Wild Party (both- so you can pick which one you prefer)
Light in the Piazza
Urinetown

Just to name a few. But I think all of the other ones listed so far are good choices.

[wickedbway]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 1:34am

Definitely "Chicago" (the revival with Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth) - this was my first cast recording I ever got. I would also definitely get "Into the Woods". Try to expand your collection by ripping as many off of friends as possible and borrowing a lot from the library.

[QHDramaQueen]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 1:44am

okay wicked... lets not encourage the illegal copying of music
Updated On: 6/29/05 at 01:44 AM

[wickedbway]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 1:46am

oh of course not ...

I meant ripping from friends(which is only illegal if you sell it) and borrowing separately. The rest is up to you!
Updated On: 6/29/05 at 01:46 AM

[toodramatic]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 1:49am

Dont be so uptight half of my collection (100 +) of cds are burned. You cant expect someone to pay 20 bucks for that many CDs.

buy as many Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Sondheim Recordings as you can.

[berenger4079]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 2:01am

elegies: a song cycle from william finn
joseph and the technocolor dreamcoat original cast no osmond
jesus christ superstar
a year with frog and toad(something about it is addicting)
reefer madness (go online and buy it, it is one of the funniest shows ever)
thrill me the leopold and loeb musical is good if your into sondheim
finally even though it isnt a musical persay,
bernsteins mass(it was written by leonard bernstein, has lyrics contributed by Schwartz and paul simon, it is beautifully done and has some powerful lyrics

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 2:06am

as far as the classics go you need to get "Kiss Me, Kate"... the 2000 Broadway revival CD is more accessible to the modern listener but the OBC is just as great. also get "My Fair Lady". again, the 2001 London revival CD is more "modern" but the OBC is obviously a classic...

[Racetrack]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 2:07am

If you like Boq in Wicked then Saturday Night(with people dancing on the cover) and Babes in Arms(Encores! production both quite good).

Most of mine have already been said.

Into the Woods(OBC)

[nelliecollins]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:11am

Into the Woods
Bat Boy: the musical
Assassins
Chicago
Beauty and the Beast (You probably know the music, but I think the Broadway cast album of this is excellent)
Company
A Chorus Line
The Secret Garden
A Year With Frog and Toad
Damn Yankees
Jesus Christ Superstar
Les Miserables
She Loves Me
Sweeney Todd
Tommy
Cabaret
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

Those are all good shows that are pretty accessible.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:26am

what do you mean? I could have burned my cds? I have bought every single one of my cds. Ebay is a wonderful place to get them cheap and sometimes you can find some obscure stuff there too.....

[incendiary_wit]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:43am

As someone who was (and kinda still is) in this position roughly 2 months ago, I suggest:

Les Miserables
Into the Woods
The Last 5 Years
Cabaret (revival with Alan Cumming and Natasha Richards)
Oklahoma
Wonderful Town
Bombay Dreams
Miss Saigon
A Chorus Line
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (the revival has Anthony Rapp and Kristen Chenoweth, amongst others equally as talented)
Tick, Tick...BOOM!
Gypsy

Updated On: 6/29/05 at 09:43 AM

[deck925]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 9:58pm

Definately The Light In The Piazza, Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is hillarious! Thouroughly Modern Millie is a good one too, Sutton rocks lets see hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm if you want an older one West Side Story has good music. :) but definately the above mentioned.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 10:12pm

Sweet Charity
Chicago
The Light In The Piazza
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

[Cages or Wings]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 11:26pm

I agree that you have to get some sondheim. I would suggest Into the Woods,Sweeney Todd, or Assassins (revival). Sweeney and Assassins finally made me appreciate sondheim, and the rest of his work. (Into the woods never got me all the way into it, but it has for alot of people so I threw that in too.)

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 6/29/05 at 11:29pm

I'd have to say Dreamgirls and A Chorus Line

[cudramacat]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:05am

Thanks everyone for responding to my question! I've been tallying up what everyone's said and it seems that Into the Woods is the most popular one ut should I buy the obc version or the revival? Thanks!