Sound Advice
Schedule of New & Upcoming CD, DVD & Book Releases
Updated 12/10/24
This week's update | See previous releases
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Now Available (scroll down for upcoming releases):
The Gershwins Abroad
(SCHOTT - Hardcover Book)
By Ira Gershwin. Michael Owen, editor. Ira Gershwin's account of the 1928 European trip. Vivid oftentimes humorous descriptions of the numerous parties given for the Gershwins; the concerts of George's compositions, and his work on the tone poem "An American in Paris"; meetings with such artistic luminaries as Sergei Prokofiev and Alban Berg; encounters with members of high society; Ira's wide-ranging choice of reading material; and entertaining anecdotes about the food and drink consumed along the way. First time in print. 256 pages.
It Happened at the Palace: A History of New York's Iconic Broadway Theater
(Broad Book Press - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition)
By Stewart F. Lane. A historical account and love letter to the performing arts, a chronicle of New York's cultural evolution, and a business saga of revival and triumph. More than 175 photographs, untold stories, and intimate portraits of stage legends and the intricate process of preserving a landmark not only of bricks and mortar but of dreams and memories. 200 pages.
Liz Callaway: "There's Still My Joy"
(new digital single)
Liz Callaway sings song by Melissa Manchester, Beth Nielsen Chapman and Matt Rollings. With guitarist Peter Calo.
January 10, 2025
Reefer Madness: New Los Angeles Cast Recording
(Yellow Sound Label - new on CD/digital)
Music by Dan Studney and lyrics by Kevin Murphy. Featuring the full cast from its critically acclaimed 25th Anniversary Los Angeles revival, including Nicole Parker, Thomas Dekker, Anthony Norman, Darcy Rose Byrnes, J. Elaine Marcos, and Bryan Daniel Porter. CD will feature two bonus tracks not available on the digital album. Album produced by Michael Croiter, Kevin Murphy, and Dan Studney. reefermadness.com.
December 2024, no release date
Darling Lili
(Quartet Records - on 2 CDs)
1971 film with music by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. Produced, restored and mastered by Chris Malone, working from the first-generation album master and mono and stereo elements provided by Paramount Pictures. Includes the RCA album with the original songs performed by Julie Andrews, Mancini's complete underscore for the film, plus some curious extras such as the demos played by Johnny Mercer before filming that include two unreleased Mancini-Mercer songs that were not included in the film. Instrumental versions of the songs round out the program. 57 tracks in total. Includes 24-page booklet with extensive liner notes by film music writer John Takis. More information at ScreenArchives.com Expected mid-December
January 17, 2025
Ari Axelrod: A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway
(PS Classics - new on CD/digital)
Singer Ari Axelrod with 13-piece orchestra arranged and conducted by Mike Stapleton. "Migratory V," "Hatikvah," "Hope," "Everybody Says Dont," "Youd Be So Nice to Come Home To / Papirosn," "So in Love," "Shalom / Milk and Honey / I Will Follow You," "Youve Got to Be Carefully Taught / Children Will Listen," "Some Enchanted Evening," "Shy," "Corner of the Sky," "God Knows Where," "Miracle of Miracles," "It Aint Necessarily So," "Lost in the Stars," "Cool," "Somewhere," "Bring Him Home," "Adrift on a Star." Additional arrangements by Larry Yurman. Produced by Tommy Krasker and Bart Migal, with Ron Thomas serving as executive producer. Special album release concert at New Yorks 54 Below on Saturday, January 18 at 7:00 PM.
January 21, 2025
A Show Tune for Today: 366 Songs to Brighten Your Year Calendar
(Applause - calendar)
By Peter Filichia. Day-to-day calendar (one that can be used again and again, in any year). 366 bite-size entries, with anecdotes, observations, fun facts, and other confections tied to a single song, perfect for starting each day. Tied to a show's opening date, holidays, historic dates, lyrics, or connections more surprising. 400 pages.
January 23, 2025
Slow Train Coming: Bob Dylan's Girl From the North Country and Broadway's Rebirth
(Methuen Drama - Hardcover Book/Kindle)
By Todd Almond. The journey of a musical from potential disaster to success, and the Broadway industry that managed to stay alive during the pandemic shutdown of 2020-22. Told through personal stories, anecdotes from the cast, production shots, behind-the-scenes photos, and insights from the creators. 280 pages.
February 7, 2025
Swept Away
(Joy Machine Records - new digital album)
OBC recording of score by The Avett Brothers (book by John Logan). Cast includes John Gallagher, Jr., Stark Sands, Adrian Blake Enscoe, Wayne Duvall. Produced by Brian Usifer, Chris Miller, Will Van Dyke, and Madison Wells Live. CD format expected in early 2025.
February 25, 2025
The Book of Joel
(powerHouse Books - Hardcover Book)
By Joel Grey. The visual life story of Joel Grey: actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer. This sprawling yet intimate scrapbook-style volume uncovers a kaleidoscope of both famous and previously unseen photographs, family snapshots, playbills, posters, and ephemera from Grey's personal archive, revealing an encyclopedic and all-absorbing visual romp through one of the last living greats of American entertainment. Excavated from Grey's personal archives and the treasure trove of his New York Public Library collection. Also included: intimate essays contributed by Eddie Redmayne Tony Kushner. 176 pages.
March 22, 2025
Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim
(Level Best Books - new book)
Edited by Josh Pachter. Twenty crime stories, one inspired by a song from each of the twenty musicals with scores by Stephen Sondheim (including the made-for-TV Evening Primrose and the final show, Here We Are). Contributing authors include both widely published crime writers and people who are involved in the world of the theatre.
March 25, 2025
Elphie
(William Morrow - Hardcover Book/Paperback/Kinde Edition/Audible Audiobook)
By Gregory Maguire. The childhood story of Wicked's Elphaba, including her promiscuous mother, her pious father, her saintly sister Nessarose, and her junior felon brother Shell. Deluxe collector's hardcover features stenciled edges and a color illustrated map of Oz. 288 pages.
May 13, 2025
Stereophonic
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Play by David Adjmi (songs by Will Butler). On Broadway this season. 160 pages.
May 25, 2025
Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend
(Applause - Hardcover Book)
Gaming expert and theatre fan Barry Joseph draws from over eighty years of Sondheim's activities, collecting his extremely rare and never-publicly-seen puzzles and game designs, original interviews with the celebrity friends who played them, deep dives into Sondheim-related archives from around the country, and analysis from both puzzle designers and theatre professionals from around the world. Allows readers to solve Sondheimian puzzles and bring Sondheimian games into their own homes. 208 pages. MatchingMindswithSondheim.com.
2025, date TBA
Death Becomes Her
(Concord Recordings - new album)
Original Broadway cast recording of score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey (book by Marco Pennette). Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber, Michelle Williams, Taurean Everett, and Josh Lamon. Four tracks available now.
2026, date TBA
Liza Minnelli memoir
(Grand Central Publishing - new Hardcover book/ebook)
Liza Minnelli, with Michael Feinstein, Heidi Evans, and Josh Getlin. Audio edition will include bonus content with unreleased autobiographical recordings and musings that Minnelli and Feinstein have been working on for 15 years.
Release date unknown
Boop! The Musical
(new album)
Cast recording the score by David Foster and Susan Birkenhead of musical (book by Bob Martin) now playing at CIBC Theatre in Chicago. Cast includes Jasmine Amy Rogers, Faith Prince, Ainsley Melham, Erich Bergen, Stephen DeRosa. Recorded the week of November 12. Details TBA.
Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band
(new double album)
First recording from this band, which "puts both modern and classic showtunes on display, sung by the best and brightest of Broadway's young generation of leading performers, in the timeless tradition of Big Band. A full sized Jazz orchestra composed of 17 musicians play Rosen's re-imagined arrangements of an eclectic mix of tunes from Broadway's past, present, and beyond."
Complete Lyrics of Sheldon Harnick
(new book)
Empire: The Musical
(Yellow Sound Label - new album)
Original Off-Broadway cast recording of score by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull. Produced by Michael Croiter. Recorded at PowerStation at BerkleeNYC. Release date TBA.
The Fantasticks
(JAY Records - new album)
Studio album recording of score by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. Brad Oscar, Telly Leung, Elizabeth Teeter, Lewis Cleale, and Ron Raines.
The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul
(Brainstorm Live Entertainment - new album)
Concept album for score by Christie Baugher. Heidi Blickenstaff, Jewell Wilson Bridges, Jessica and Santino Fontana, Grace McLean, Shannon O'Boyle, Tiffany Topol, Alysha Umphress, and others. Kickstarter campaign to launch 11/8/24.
Harbinger Records upcoming releases: material from Eubie Blake; download only demos of Hugh Martin and Sheldon Harnick; Steve Ross' back catalog for download;
The Jerusalem Syndrome
(JAY Records - new on CD/digital)
Original Off-Broadway (2023 York Theatre Company) cast recording of score by Laurence Holzman, Felicia Needleman, and Kyle Rosen.Farah Alvin, Dana Costello, Scott Cote, Andrea Fleming, James D. Gish, Alan H. Green, Danielle Lee James, John Jellison, Josh Lamon, Garrett Long, Karen Murphy, Jeffrey Schecter, Jennifer Smith, Chandler Sinks, Pablo Torres, Curtis Wiley, Lenny Wolpe, and Laura Woyasz. Digital release expected in January 2024 and CD in March 2024.
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
(Concord - new album)
2024 Off-Broadway cast recording of score by Harold Rome (book by Jerome Weidman). Santino Fontana, Adam Chanler-Berat, Eddie Cooper, Victor de Paula Rocha, Adam Grupper, Darron Hayes, Greg Hildreth, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Judy Kuhn, Julia Lester, Hayley Podschun, Sarah Steele, Joy Woods, Ephie Aardema, Jennifer Babiak, Billy Cohen, and John Plumpis. Arrangements by David Chase. Expected Fall 2024.
Larry Kramer authorized biography
(Henry Holt & Co. - new book)
By Bill Goldstein. To include interviews with Kramer and his husband David Webster, along with friends, colleagues, and "foes" plus material from Kramer's archives at Yale University.
Lizard Boy
(new album)
Live recording of 2023 Prospect Theatre cast. Score by Justin Huertas. Cast features Huertas, Kiki deLohr, and William A. Williams. Release date TBA.
Merrily We Roll Along
(Theatre Communications Group - Paperback Book)
Libretto for musical by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and George Furth (book). 112 pages
The Nutty Professor
(new album)
Studio recording of score by Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes. Based on the recent Ogunquit Playhouse staging of the musical based on the Jerry Lewis movie.. Cast TBA. 2024 release expected.
Paradise Square OBC
(new on CD/digital)
Broadway cast recording of score Jason Howland (music), Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare (lyrics), with additional music by Larry Kirwan, inspired by the songs of Stephen Foster. Joaquina Kalukango, Chilina Kennedy, John Dossett, Sidney DuPont, A.J. Shively, Nathaniel Stampley, Gabrielle McClinton, Jacob Fishel, Kevin Dennis and Matt Bogart. Produced by Jason Howland and Billy Jay Stein. Recorded at Power Station at BerkleeNYC during the weeks of April 18 and April 25.
Romeo & Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona and Brooklyn
(Yellow Sound Label - new album)
Off-Broadway cast recording. Nikita Burshteyn (Newsies), Anna Kostakis, Carlos Lopez (Man of La Mancha), Michael Marotta (Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical), Judy McLane (Mamma Mia!), Michael Notardonato, Ari Raskin, Troy Valjean Rucker (August Rush), Zach Schanne (Pippin), and Viet Vo (Viet Gone). Lyrics by Mark Saltzman and music adapted from classic Italian melodies. Recorded 2/18/20. Late March release expected.
Sycamore Trees
(PS Classics - new album)
Original cast recording of score by Ricky Ian Gordon (book by Gordon and Nina Mankin). Farah Alvin, Marc Kudisch, Judy Kuhn, Jessica Molaskey, Matthew Risch, Diane Sutherland, and Tony Yazbeck. The musical debuted at DC's Signature Theatre in 2010. Orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin. Fred Lassen conducts the eight-piece orchestra, with Andrew Resnick at the piano. The album was produced by Tommy Krasker and Bart Migal, with audio restoration by Migal. Special limited edition of 250 CDs. PSClassics.com.
Tammy Faye
(new album)
Music by Elton John; lyrics by Jake Shears. Cast from Almeida Theatre debut production. Details TBA.
This Side of the World
(new album)
East West Players cast recording of score by Paulo K Tiról.
Three Houses - A Concept Album
(new album)
Score by Dave Malloy. Kickstarter.com.