STAGES Becomes Josh Groban's Ninth Half-Million Selling Album

Broadway is a burgeoning market for Josh Groban! His STAGES album, which he is currently touring across the country with HEDWIG star Lena Hall, has hit the half-million mark. According to Billboard, STAGES has sold 502,000 copies in the U.S. as of the week ending in October 15.

STAGES is now Groban's ninth half-million-selling album. Some of the multi-platinum recording artist's other best-sellers include CLOSER (6.1 million), NOEL (5.8 million), his self-titled debut (5.2 million) and AWAKE (2.3 million).

Josh Groban's STAGES is a collection of some of the greatest musical theater songs of all time, which Groban describes as "gorgeously arranged songs that have stood the test of time," and which he was drawn to because of their combination of "incredible melody with an incredible story."

Recorded with producers Humberto Gatica and Bernie Herms in both Los Angeles and London's Abbey Road (with a 75-piece orchestra), STAGES features songs from LES MISERABLES ("Bring Him Home"); Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel ("You'll Never Walk Alone"); Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George ("Finishing the Hat"), Sweeney Todd ("Not While I'm Around") and Into the Woods ("Children Will Listen"); The Fantasticks ("Try to Remember"); A Chorus Line ("What I Did For Love"); Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera ("All I Ask of You"), The Wizard of Oz ("Over the Rainbow"), and others. Another highlight is "Pure Imagination," originally sung by Gene Wilder in the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

A special based on STAGES -- JOSH GROBAN: STAGES LIVE -- will air November 28 on PBS, and his Christmas album NOEL will be released on vinyl on December 4. Groban also recently expressed an interest in making his Broadway debut. Let's hope he finds the right project soon!