CDs Now Available:

Ahrens & Flaherty: Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration Live at 54 BELOW
(Broadway Records - new on 2 CDs/iTunes)
Recorded live at 54 Below over six performances in September 2013. "At The Beginning/Patter" (Lynn Ahrens And Stephen Flaherty), "Journey To The Past" (Liz Callaway), "Waiting For Life" (LaChanze), "Mama Will Provide" (Kecia Lewis), "Rain" (Quentin Earl Darrington), "Love Who You Love" (Jessica Molaskey), "The Cuddles Mary Gave" (Sean McCourt), "The Streets Of Dublin" (McCourt), "Rita's Confession" (Mary Testa & Flaherty), "Fancy Meeting You Here" (Testa), "Ballerina" (Stephanie J. Block), "Dancing Still - Jeremy Jordan), "Raining" (Hamburg Version)" (Ahrens), "Raining" (Callaway), "Speaking French" (Marin Mazzie), "Times Like This" (Callaway), "The Show Biz" (Kevin Chamberlin & Lewis Grosso), "Alone In The Universe" (Chamberlin & Grosso), "Solla Sollew" (Chamberlin), "Green Eggs & Ham" (Lewis), "Never Really Knew The Guy" (Callaway), "Close But No Cigar" (Annaleigh Ashford & Bobby Steggert), "White Milk & Red Blood" (Lewis), "Larger Than Life" (Steggert), "Funny/The Joke" (Ashford & Julie Halston), "Something Beautiful" (Rebecca Luker), "Sarah Brown Eyes" (Brian Stokes Mitchell & LaChanze), "The Night That Goldman Spoke At Union Square" (Steggert), "Something Of My Own" (LaChanze), "Wheels Of A Dream" (Mitchell & LaChanze), "Ragtime" (Piano Solo)" (Flaherty), "Make Them Hear You" (Quentin Earl Darrington), "Goodbye My Love/Back To Before" (Mazzie), "I Was Here" (Mitchell), "How Lucky We Are" (Ahrens & Flaherty).

The Ambassador: Gabriel Kahane
(Sony Masterworks - new on CD/mp3/iTunes)
New album from singer-composer Kahane (February House). "Black Garden (2673 Dundee Pl.)," "Bradbury (304 Broadway)," "Slumlord Crocodile (115 E 3rd St.)," "Veda (1 Pierce Dr.)," "Empire Liquor Mart (9127 S Figueroa St.)," "Musso and Frank (6667 Hollywood Blvd)," "Villains (4616 Dundee Dr.)," "Ambassador Hotel (3400 Wilshire Blvd)," "Griffith Park (2800 E Observatory Ave.)," "Union Station (800 N Alameda St.)."

The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face): Vikki Carr (Expanded Edition)
(Real Gone Music - new on CD)
1972 album plus some unreleased singles. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "(Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All," "Theme from Summer of '42," "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Without You," "Song Sung Blue," "Love Theme from The Godfather," "Cabaret," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Brian's Song," "The Way of Love," "Spending All My Time Now Lovin' You (previously unreleased)," "I Can't Let My Heaven Walk Away (previously unreleased)," "Call My Heart Your Home," "The Big Hurt," "Let The Band Play On," "Reflections," "Borrowed Time," "Puttin' Myself In Your Hands," "I Don't Want A Sometimes Man," "What Child Is This," "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear." Real Gone is also releasing "Love Again The Lost Columbia Masters," Carr's unissued 1975 album with extra tracks.

If/Then OBC
(Masterworks Broadway - new on CD/new on mp3 and at iTunes)
Tom Kitt/Brian Yorkey score. Idina Menzel, James Snyder, Anthony Rapp, LaChanze, Jenn Colella, Jerry Dixon. "Prologue," "What If?," "It's a Sign," "A Map of New York," "You Never Know," "Ain't No Man Manhattan," "What the F**k?," "Here I Go," "You Don't Need to Love Me," "No More Wasted Time," "Surprise," "This Day/Walking by a Wedding," "Hey Kid," "Some Other Me," "Best Worst Mistake," "I Hate You," "A Map of New York (Reprise)," "You Learn to Live Without," "The Moment Explodes," "Love While You Can," "What Would You Do?," "Always Starting Over," "What If? (Reprise)." Recorded 4/7/14.

Next to Normal Original Fürth Cast 2013
(HitSquad - new on 2 CDs/iTunes)
Tom Kitt/ Brian Yorkey score. Pia Douwes, Thomas Borchert, Dirk Johnston, Sabrina Weckerlin, Dominik Hees and Ramin Dustdar. Pre-ordering at SoundofMusic.de

Violet OBC
(PS Classics - new on 2 CDs/mp3)
Jeanine Tesori/Brian Crawley score. Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell, Joshua Henry, Alexander Gemignani, Annie Golden, Ben Davis. "Water in the Well," "Surprised," "On My Way," "M&M's," "Luck of the Draw," "Question 'N' Answer," 'It Was My Mama's...', "All to Pieces," "Water in the Well (Reprise)," "A Healing Touch," 'I Saw You Writing in That Book Again...', "Let It Sing," 'There's Your First Miracle...', "Anyone Would Do," "Who'll Be the One (If Not Me)," "Last Time I Came to Memphis," "Go to It," "Lonely Stranger," "Lay Down Your Head," "Anyone Would Do (Reprise)," "Hard to Say Goodbye," 'Little Girl Got It All Figured out...', "Promise Me, Violet," "Raise Me Up," "Down the Mountain," "In the Chapel," "Raise Me up (Reprise)," "Look at Me," 'Don't Try to Quote to Me...', "That's What I Could Do," 'I Want to Bless You...', "Surprised (Reprise)," 'I Tried to Tell You...', "Promise Me, Violet (Reprise)," "Bring Me to Light." Released 5/20 at iTunes. Recorded 4/7/14.

LPs Now Available:

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical OBC
(Ghostlight Records - new vinyl)
Jessie Mueller, Jake Epstein, Anika Larsen, Jarrod Spector, Jeb Brown, Liz Larsen. produced by Jason Howland and Steve Sidwell, Kurt Deutsch is Executive Producer. "Overture," "So Far Away," "1650 Broadway Medley," "It Might as Well Rain Until September," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Happy Days Are Here Again," "Take Good Care of My Baby," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "He's Sure the Boy I Love," "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "Up on the Roof," "On Broadway," "The Locomotion," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," "One Fine Day," "Chains," "Walking in the Rain," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "Uptown," "It's Too Late," "You've Got a Friend," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "Beautiful," "I Feel The Earth Move." Deluxe double gatefold vinyl package containing a full color booklet with lyrics, show photos, rare archival content, and a show synopsis and essay by the book writer Douglas McGrath. Recorded 2/17/14. CD and digital released earlier.

DIGITAL DOWNLOADs Now Available:

Alison Fraser: The Men in My Life Digital
(Original Cast Records - digital release)
First time digital release of 2000 solo album. "Storyteller" (by Christopher McGovern), "The Beautiful Land" (by Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley), "Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars/The Look Of Love" (by Antonio Carlos Jobim & Gene Lees; Burt Bacharach & Hal David), "Everyday I Write the Book" (by Elvis Costello), "City Of Dreams/The End Comes Softly" (by David & Joseph Zellnik), "Parallel Lines" (by Todd Rundgren), "Wrong For Me" (by Rusty Magee), "Young at Heart" (by Carolyn Leigh & Johnny Richards; w/ The Vice Medley), "Smoke" (by Charles Leipart & Eric Schorr), "Put It on My Tab" (by Marion Adler & Craig Bohmler), "Show Me the Way To Go Home" (by Irving King), "The Pill Song" (by William Finn), "The Passion Of Rhoda" (by William Finn; duet w/ Finn), "Romantic Notions" (by Barry Harman & Keith Herrmann), "Men in My Life" (by Alison Fraser & Christopher McGovern). Samples, individual tracks, and digital album available at CD Baby.

Alison Fraser: A New York Romance Digital
(Original Cast Records - digital release)
First time digital release of 1996 album. "Romance Romance/Orange Colored Sky," "I Don't Know Enough About You," "Teach Me Tonight/You Can Leave Your Hat On," "Warm All Over/Till There Was You," "Impossible," "Can't Take You Nowhere," "Overs," "Coming Apart," "Pain," "Some Of These Days/Who's Sorry Now/Goody Goody/I Wanna Be Around/After You've Gone," "I Wish You Love," "What'll I Do/Always/No Regrets," "New York Romance," "Orange Colored Sky," "I'm Breaking Down," "The Blonde Song," "The Green Heart," "At The Codfish Ball/Hold Tight/By The Beautiful Sea," "Love Me For What I Am," "When You Gotta Go/Sweet Beginning," "Darling Children." Samples, individual tracks, and digital album available at CD Baby.

Bullets Over Broadway OBC Digital
(Masterworks Broadway - new mp3 and at iTunes)
Cast includes Brooks Ashmanskas, Zach Braff, Nick Cordero, Marin Mazzie, Vincent Pastore, Betsy Wolfe, Lenny Wolpe, Heléne Yorke, Karen Ziemba, Jim Borstelmann, Janet Dickinson. "Overture," "Tiger Rag," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You," "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me," "'Tain't a Fit Night Out For Man or Beast," "The Hot Dog Song," "They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me," "Up a Lazy River," "I'm Sitting On Top of the World," "Let's Misbehave," "There's a Broken Heart for Every Light on Broadway," "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You," "Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man," "'Tain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do," "Runnin' Wild," "There's a New Day Comin'!," "There'll Be Some Changes Made," "I Ain't Gonna Play Second Fiddle," "I've Found a New Baby," "The Panic Is On," "She's Funny That Way," "Yes! We Have No Bananas!," Bonus Track: The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band featuring Woody Allen. CD to to be released June 10.

Duke Ellington: The Original Recordings That Inspired The Broadway Hit After Midnight Digital
(Sony/Legacy - mp3/iTunes)
Drawn from the RCA and Columbia catalogs. "Daybreak Express" (1999 Remastered - Take 2/Alternate Take), "Happy as the Day Is Long," "I've Got the World on a String," "Braggin' in Brass" (From the Broadway Revue, "Cotton Club Parade of 1938"), "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" (From the Broadway Revue, "Blackbirds of 1928"), "Diga Diga Doo," "East St Louis Toodle-Oo," "Stormy Weather" (Album Version), "Raisin' the Rent" (From the Broadway Revue, "Cotton Club Parade of 1933"), "Creole Love Call" (Album Version), "The Mooche" (Album Version), "Black and Tan Fantasy," "It Don't Mean a Thing" (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (Album Version), "Cotton Club Stomp" (1989 Remastered), "Rockin' in Rhythm." CD to be released June 17.

Lizzie Borden Digital
(Original Cast Records - mp3/at iTunes)
First time digital release of 1998 American Stage Company cast recording. Score by Christopher McGovern and Amy Powers. Alison Fraser, Eleanor Glockner, Rex Hayes, Michael Babin, Rose McGuire, Bethanne Collins, Brenda Cummings, Steven L. Hudson, Maddie Blue, Joan Barber, Marian Steiner and Jamey McGaugh. "Prologue / Even for August," "Quiet Little Town," "Before the Tea Party / The House On the Hill," "First Tea Party," "Every Time I Look At You," "Buttons," "Fly Away," "The Maggie Work," "Another Dinner," "Fly Away (Reprise) / Hot," "The Trial of Lizzie Borden Unwinds," "Oh How Awful! Oh How Sad!," "Ever Since August," "So Easily," "I Cry Alone," "Murder Morning / Verdict / The House on the Hill (reprise)." Samples, individual tracks, and digital album available at CD Baby.

Love's Labour's Lost Digital
(Ghostlight - new digital on mp3/iTunes)
Shakespeare in the Park cast. Michael Friedman score. Daniel Breaker, Kevin Del Aguila, Colin Donnell, Rachel Dratch, Andrew Durand, Kimiko Glenn, Jeff Hiller, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Justin Levine, Patti Murin, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Bryce Pinkham, Charlie Pollock, Caesar Samayoa, Maria Thayer, Audrey Lynn Weston, Michael R. Douglass, and Bradley Gibson. "Prologue," "Young Men," "Hey Boys," "Hey Boys (Reprise)," "I Love Cats," "Jaquenetta," "Brabant Song, Pt1," "Brabant Song, Pt 2," "Brabant Song, Pt 3," "Change Of Heart," "Rich People," "Academia," "Love s a Gun," "The King s Sonnet," "Dumaine s Poem," "Longaville s Sonnet," "Are You a Man?," "It s Not a Good Idea," "To Be With You," "Stop Your Heart," "I Don t Need Love," "The Tuba Song," "The Owl and the Cuckoo." CD to be released July 8. Recorded 1/27/14.

Spencer Day: Daybreak Digital
(new on mp3 and iTunes)
Songs from the 1960s and original songs. "Missing Tonight," "Naturally," "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'," "Don't Let Me In," "Never My Love," "Wait Till I Get You Alone," "Groovin'," "Bad Moon Rising," "World Without Love," "You Don't Know You're Lonely." Available early at spencerday.bandcamp.com.

Todd Almond: Memorial Day Digital
(new mp3/iTunes)
Singer-songwriter Todd Almond (music for Stage Kiss, The Tempest, The Winter's Tale. Centers around three days that tie-in to the central theme of Memorial Day. "We Are All in Paradise," "Believe Me," "Praising God," "All I Ever Wanted in This Lifetime," "Sixteen," "Them Fireworks," "Your Goodness," "Let's Call This," "Married Is," "Athena."

DVD/Blu-Rays Now Available:

Peter Brook: The Tightrope
(First Run Features - new on DVD)
Simon Brook directs this 2012 documentary about his father's work. Extras: photo gallery, bonus video A Balancing Act: Interviews with the Actors.

BOOKs Now Available:

Olivier
(MacLehose Press - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition)
New biography by Philip Ziegler, through archival materials, including the 50-hour complete Olivier audio archive, and interviews with those closest to the actor, including Joan Plowright. U.S. release date.

Two Roads
(Kritzerland Records - sheet music)
Sheet music for new song written by Richard M. Sherman and Bruce Kimmel. First 100 copies will be signed. Available at Kritzerland Records.

Shakespeare in America: An Anthology from the Revolution to Now
(Library of American - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition)
Edited by James Shapiro. Foreword by Bill Clinton and introduction by James Shapiro. Draws on poetry, fiction, essays, plays, memoirs, songs, speeches, letters, movie reviews, comedy routines and on a remarkable range of American writers from Emerson, Melville, Lincoln, and Mark Twain to James Agee, John Berryman, Pauline Kael, and Cynthia Ozick. 672 pages.

Recordings RECENTLY MADE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

Ed Ames' Opening Night / More I Cannot Wish You
(Masterworks Broadway/ArkivMusic - new on CD-R/digital)
Twofer of Ames' first solo album, recorded in 1964, featuring songs from Broadway musicals, and another collection of Broadway favorites recorded in 1966.

Duke Ellington: The Original Recordings That Inspired The Broadway Hit After Midnight
(Sony/Legacy - new on CD)
Drawn from the RCA and Columbia catalogs. "Daybreak Express" (1999 Remastered - Take 2/Alternate Take), "Happy as the Day Is Long," "I've Got the World on a String," "Braggin' in Brass" (From the Broadway Revue, "Cotton Club Parade of 1938"), "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" (From the Broadway Revue, "Blackbirds of 1928"), "Diga Diga Doo," "East St Louis Toodle-Oo," "Stormy Weather" (Album Version), "Raisin' the Rent" (From the Broadway Revue, "Cotton Club Parade of 1933"), "Creole Love Call" (Album Version), "The Mooche" (Album Version), "Black and Tan Fantasy," "It Don't Mean a Thing" (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" (Album Version), "Cotton Club Stomp" (1989 Remastered), "Rockin' in Rhythm."

Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swingin' new Off Broadway Cast
(DRG Records - new on CD)
12th Forbidden Broadway recording. Written by Gerard Alessandrini. Carter Calvert, Scott Richard Foster, Mia Gentile and Marcus Stevens, with David Caldwell on piano. Recorded Produced by Hugh Fordin. May 15 at Avatar Studios in Manhattan.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill OBC
(PS Classics - new on 2 CDs)
Broadway cast recording featuring Audra McDonald. Recorded live at performances at Circle in the Square during the week of 5/27-5/29. Produced by Tommy Krasker. Pre-orders currently being taken at Amazon and PSClassics.com

A Second Chance Original Cast Recording
(Ghostlight Records - new on CD)
Chamber musical by Ted Shen. Brian Sutherland and Diane Sutherland. "Dreams," "Not at All," "Perfectly Wrong," "Tell me When," "The Museum Song," "Never," "Snow Globe," "The Bar Song," "Damaged Goods," "Lullaby," "Waltz," "I Can t Wait," "Tell Me When Reprise," "The Friends Song," "Ghosts," "Our House," "Here I Go Again," "You Started It," "Damaged Goods Reprise," "Perfect," "You Don t Have to Worry," "A Second Chance/Lullaby." Deluxe jewel case package with 36-page full color booklet conatining lyrics, show photos, a show synopsis by composer/lyricist/book writer Ted Shen, and essays by Oskar Eustis and Josh Rosenblum. Debuted at DC's Signature Theatre and played the Public Theater in 2014.

Books RECENTLY MADE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER:

The Complete Book of 1950s Broadway Musicals
(Rowan & Littlefield - Hardcover Book)
By Dan Dietz. Examines in detail every musical and revue which opened on Broadway during the 1950s. Opening and closing dates; Plot summary; Cast members; Number of performances; Names of all important personnel including writers, composers, directors, choreographers, producers, and musical directors; Musical numbers and the names of performers who introduced the songs; Production data, including information about tryouts; Source material; Critical commentary; Tony awards and nominations; Details about London and other foreign productions. Discography, film and television versions, published scripts, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and lists of productions by New York City Center Light Opera Company, and the New York City Opera Company.

Oliver!: A Dickensian Musical
(Oxford Univ Press - Hardcover Book)
Marc Napolitano writes of how Oliver!'s popularity has made a significant influence on two cultural trends: the view of the culture text of Dickens's Oliver Twist and to move the English musical forward

OTHER NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Added to July:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch OBC recording
(Atlantic Records - new digital and on CD)
Broadway cast recording of Stephen Trask musical. Neil Patrick Harris, Lena Hall and Justin Craig (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Matt Duncan (bass, vocals), Tim Mislock (guitar, vocals), and Peter Yanowitz (drums, vocals). Produced By Stephen Trask, Tim O'heir, and Justin Craig.

Added to August 26:

The Normal Heart
(new Blu-ray/DVD)
2014 HBO film adaptation of Larry Kramer play. Mark Ruffalo, Julia Roberts, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Jonathan Groff, Joe Mantello, Stephen Spinella, BD Wong.