Best Musical Cast Recordings ?

[megganalvarez]

What are some good musical cast recordings to listen to? I’m on a 4 hour car ride so SAVE ME please :)

[Catsbroadwayfan]

We have entered the winter break period folks!

[dmwnc1959]

The worst part of this thread is that the above responses KNEW what the OP meant. You could have kindly corrected the terminology, actually made suggestions, and moved on. But instead you chose otherwise. How very sad.

OP, the correct terminology is Original Broadway Cast Recording, or OBCR for short. Soundtracks are for movies.

Some of my favorites are:

- Cabaret

- The Sound of Music

- The Book of Mormon

- The King and I

- An American in Paris

- The Lion King

- Hello, Dolly!

- My Fair Lady

- Wicked

- Hamilton

Assuming, that is, you want to keep it more upbeat and not completely depressing, those may help kill-off the four hours of your drive.

Have fun!

[Bwayfan292]

You seem like you are on the younger side, so I would recommend:

- Come from away

- Finding Neverland

- Tuck Everlasting

- Waitress

- Sunday in the park with george (2017 revival)

[BwayLB]

Wicked

Hairspray

The King and I (2015 revival)

In the Heights

Rent (movie cast)

Memphis

Rogers and Hammerstein Cinderella

[CT2NYC]

Actually, the Cursed Child album is a soundtrack, and I think it would be great to listen to on a car ride. I know it's a play, not a musical, but I'm trying to be more lenient with people who use the word "soundtrack."

[Dfgtoronto]

Many great ones have already been mentioned. I also love the Original Broadway Recordings of Ragtime, Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, and Man of La Mancha, and the London recordings of Les Miserables and Billy Elliot. Newer favorites include the Falsettos and Dear Evan Hansen.

[BobbyBubby]

When I was 16 I listened to all of these in one day. They changed my life.

Company

Follies

A Little Night MusIc

Pacific Overtures

Sweeney Todd

[Dfgtoronto]

If you are interested in older material, consider the City Center Encores recordings of Babes in Arms and Pal Joey. Has anyone mentioned the Music Man or Brigadoon?

[WashedAwayADreamOfU]

Come From Away is particularly good for a new-to-you show because you can really follow the story from the songs and the included dialogue. Plus, it's awesome AF. Unless you're driving, in which case I hope you can drive and cry at the same time.



Wicked

Hamilton

A Chorus Line

 

And for movie soundtracks, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. 

[Dollypop]

HELLO, DOLLY! (1964) and just hit the "repeat" button. That's what I do.

[Emmaloucbway]

Chess

[Jarethan]

For my money, if I understand your question, I think the following are the highest quality recordings.  They may not all be my favorite scores, but they are great recordings.

-- The Lincoln Center South Pacific

--The Donna Murphy The King and I

-- The original London recording of Chess

-- The original Broadway recording of Mame

-- The original Broadway recording of Nine

-- The Papermill Playhouse recording of Follies...IMO the best recording of Follies out there

[Streganona]

BrodyFosse123 said: "This is a theater message board. We only discuss cast recordings on here.

Films have soundtracks so maybe you can address this question on the Off-Topic section."

     Of course we do discuss soundtracks of musicals on this board---Mary Poppins Returns is being discussed right now.   Film versions of Broadway musicals like Into the Woods, Les Mis,  Chicago, Cabaret etc. release soundtracks that are often discussed and hotly debated even before the movies are seen.  Posts frequently compare theater cast recordings to film soundtracks of the same musical.  I think that the OP may actually be asking about original Broadway cast/revivals but soundtracks of musicals aren't off topic on a theater board. 

 

[RWPrincess]

My favorites are a mixture of film and stage:

The Greatest Showman

Anastasia (Broadway recording)

Aladdin (Broadway recording)

Beauty and the Beast (any iteration)

Les Miserables (original Broadway recording)

Evita (Madonna movie version)

On Your Feet

Aida

Annie (1982 movie version)

Beautiful

[Streganona]

jonah3500 said: "What is a soundtrack?
I've only heard of cast recordings."

Oh, I'm sorry that you've never heard of soundtracks.  Good news---there is a wonderful world of movie musicals waiting for you to discover.  I wonder if you are puzzled when you read posts on this board that discuss soundtracks. I'm so happy to tell you that just as you can purchase an OBC/revival recording, there are recordings of the film cast as well.  You can have fun comparing song interpretations with many opportunities to be enthused or snarky.  Enjoy!

 

[Streganona]

GreeneStreet said: "I would love to make a suggestion but I’m not that familiar with musical soundtracks."

GreeneStreet, I have a suggestion for you.  I read one of your other posts, mentioning Carmen Jones. The soundtrack to the film version has Marilyn Horne (uncredited originally) dubbing Dorothy Dandridge as Carmen, Pearl Bailey, Harry Belefonte. It's quite wonderful.  

 

[Lot666]

dmwnc1959 said: "The worst part of this thread is that the above responses KNEW what the OP meant. You could have kindly corrected the terminology, actually made suggestions, and moved on."

<<edited by BWW staff>>

To the OP:

Come From Away

Matilda

Groundhog Day

Sunset Boulevard

Phantom of the Opera

[raddersons]

I always recommend the Caroline or Change cast album to friends going on a long drive, because you're basically listening to all of the drama of the show and it's best enjoyed in a single sitting. But it's definitely not your conventional bway fare. 

[Lot666]

Lot666 said: "dmwnc1959 said: "The worst part of this thread is that the above responses KNEW what the OP meant. You could have kindly corrected the terminology, actually made suggestions, and moved on."

<<edited by BWW staff>>

To the OP:

Come From Away

Matilda

Groundhog Day

Sunset Boulevard

Phantom of the Opera"

Gotta love how the "BWW Staff" ignores the nastiness, but censors those who call people out for being nasty.

[stoptheworld38]

Some of my favorites are:

-Come From Away

-Dear Evan Hansen

-Once On This Island (revival)

-The Band's Visit

-Pippin (revival)

-Head Over Heels

-Mean Girls

-Fun Home

-Ragtime

-Sunday In the Park With George (original or revival, both are great)

[BenElliott]

Not sure the kind of stuff you like but here are a few of my favorites:
Sunday in the Park with George (OBC)
Into the Woods (OBC)
Cabaret (1998)
Sweeney Todd (OBC)
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (OBC)
Gypsy (2008 Broadway Cast)
South Pacific (OBC)
She Loves Me (2016 Broadway)
My Fair Lady (OBC)
The Band's Visit
Girl From the North Country
Once
Fun Home
South Pacific (2008 Broadway)
Falsettos (2017 Broadway)

[EdEval]

Actually the best recoridngs have NOT been the original casts but studio cast recordings of shows like;

ALLEGRO

ROBERTA

BITTER SWEET

BRIGADOON

Also include any of the Encores series as well.

[poisonivy2]

My Fair Lady OBC - makes all other recordings (including the London recording with the same cast) look like absolute trash

Fiddler on the Roof OBC - Zero Mostel as Tevye. 'Nuff said.

Hamilton OBC - love it. Listen to it often during my workouts.

Show Boat - that comprehensive 1988 studio recording

Candide - OBC - Barbara Cook ...

She Loves Me OBC - Barbara Cook again ...

Guys and Dolls - 1992 revival. My first ever Broadway show and I still love it.

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet OBC - for such an immersive show they did a great job capturing the feel of the musical

Dear Evan Hansen - recorded before the vocal strain started to show in Ben Platt's performances

SITPWG - Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford. Might be a minority opinion but I preferred them over the OBC.

Sweeney Todd - OBC 

[The Other One]

Little Me and Merrily We Roll Along.  The shows might not be for the ages, but the Original Broadway Cast Recordings are.