Critics Picks: Our Reviewers Pick the Best Broadway Albums of 2017!
By: Julie Musbach Dec. 29, 2017
Our album critics have gone through all of the amazing recordings released this year and painstakingly chosen their favorites. From Great Comet to Bandstand to Come From Away, we've got a full list to keep you listening to the best of the best!
Check out their selections below!
Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812
"Composer Dave Malloy's elctropop opera is a genre-defying game changer in the world of musical theater. The album skillfully fuses Russian folk music, contemporary Broadway pop, electronic dance music, the arias of classic operetta, throat singing, and more as it takes listeners on a whirlwind ride through a small, plot-packed sliver of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. The album is worth its price (and then some) for Josh Groban's performances of "Dust and Ashes" and "The Great Comet of 1812" alone, but it's the vivid and virtuosic performances from Grace McLean, Brittain Ashford, Amber Gray, and Gelsey Bell that make this two-disc record truly unforgettable." -David Clarke
Bandstand
"Lin-Manuel Miranda called it the "best jazz score since either Jelly's Last Jam or City of Angels," and although the show never found a long-term audience, its cast recording lives on as a reminder of the best part of the production. Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker crafted a score that accurately draws on the big-band, swing, and jazz traditions of the 1940s and 50s. Some songs, such as Corey Cott's vocally-acrobatic "Donny Novitski" and Laura Osnes's torch song "Love Will Come And Find Me Again," are sure to pop up at concerts and cabarets for years to come, while ensemble numbers such as "Right This Way" pack a punch. What earns this a spot in my top albums, though, is the presence of "This Is Life" and "Welcome Home," songs which turn classical musical theatre expectations (the conditional love song and the anthemic 11-o'clock-number, respectively) on their heads and create powerfully human, moving moments that make this score especially memorable." -Amanda Prahl
Dear Evan Hansen
"Since its release this past February, this album is one that I have perpetually come back to all year. This is such a special show and story, and Pasek and Paul delivered gold (yet again) with this score. There are not many songs that are more relatable in this day and age than ones like "You Will Be Found" and "Waving Through A Window". Ben Platt gave the performance of a lifetime as Evan Hansen, and this album soaks in as much of that portrayal as possible. You can hear the tears in and desperation in his voice in the recording of "Words Fail". This album and show are the epitome of what modern Broadway hits look like, and in my opinion, is a model for the future of musical theater." -Tori Hartshorn
The Band's Visit
"David Yazbek has had some winning scores over the years, but he has surpassed himself with this one. Sometimes ethereal and entrancing, sometimes sharp-tongued and witty, this album perfectly preserves one of the best scores of recent years, one that uses its instrumentation to convey the Israeli and Egyptian cultures and uses its lyrics to express the full richness of emotions without resorting to "clever" wordplay. Every character has a distinctive musical voice, from Katrina Lenk's chanteuse-like Dina to Ari'el Stachel's smooth Haled to John Cariani's tired, befuddled Itzik (and more), and yet they all come together to form a unified whole, painting a portrait of simple humanity without distracting high concepts or bells and whistles. And its finale, the poignant "Answer Me," just may be my favorite song of the whole year." -Amanda Prahl
"This album preserves what, in my opinion, is one of the most talented casts to grace the Broadway stage recently. This album is simply gorgeous. David Yazbek's score is not only heartfelt, sentimental, and melancholy, but it is also storytelling at its best. Each song paints a different picture of the lives and visitors in Bet Hatikvah. I could listen to Adam Kantor (as Telephone Guy) and company belt the track "Answer Me" all day long, and still not get over the power it holds. This album incredibly encapsulates the human conditions of waiting, wanting to be heard, and making connections." -Tori Hartshorn
Come From Away
"Irene Sankokff and David Hein's deeply moving musical packs an emotional wallop, even when you are just listening to the album. Telling the story of 38 planes and almost 7,000 passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland for a week following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the score taps into the tonal landscape of Newfoundland while the lyrics are inspired by and lifted from interviews with the actual people who lived through the events to ensure authenticity. The end result is a truly fantastic album featuring stellar performances from Jenn Collela, Q. Smith, Astrid Van Wieren, Chad Kimball, Caesar Samayoa, and the rest of the cast. Word of the wise: listen to album with tissues at hand." -David Clarke
Liberated by Levi Kreis
"Tony Award winner Levi Kreis returns to his pop-country, gospel roots with his latest solo album, LIBERATED. The piano-centric tunes are filled to overflowing with emotional vibrancy and resonate in the hearts of listeners. Whether an uplifting anthem or stirring ballad, Kreis's keen ear for poignant lyrics and shimmering music compositions is on full display across the album. Each song capably reminds us why Kreis has earned musical licenses for shows like The Vampire Diaries, Sons of Anarchy, and So You Think You Can Dance." -David Clarke
Anastasia
"Call me too sentimental, call me a 90s kid, whatever you want over this pick - but there are few songwriters working today whose understanding of the craft of musical theatre is as clear and classic as Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and their technical mastery is on full display in their elegant score for Anastasia. Beloved songs from the 1997 movie, such as "Journey to the Past" and "Once Upon a December" are tweaked and polished for the stage, while new songs cover a wide range of emotional and musical ground. From the haunting harmonies of "Stay I Pray You" to the wry energy of "Land of Yesterday" to the gentle sweetness of "In a Crowd of Thousands," the score is gorgeously constructed, and, with a cast led by Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, and John Bolton, performed impeccably." -Amanda Prahl
The Greatest Showman
"This definitely ranks as one of my favorites right now, for sure! I'm a sucker for movie musicals in general, but this one I just can't stop listening to. Pasek and Paul put together a really strong set of songs for the new 20th Century Fox Film. In my opinion, they are a shoo-in to be at least Oscar nominated (again) for Best Original Song for "This Is Me". There is a really good balance between the slower ballads and the heart-pumping anthems. In addition, the cast of triple threats are not one to miss out on. Any movie that gets Zac Efron back singing and dancing on the screen ranks as one of the best in my books. It's a feel good movie, and the album is definitely going to be on repeat on my playlist for a long time coming!" -Tori Hartshorn
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