The best cast recording of 2018?

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 11:02am

Which Broadway cast recording was the best?

State your opinion in this thread, and/or in the poll:

Poll: Best Broadway Cast Recording of 2018

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 11:05am

Carousel. The production was deeply flawed, but no one can complain it wasn't sung beautifully.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 11:06am

It's a tie between My Fair Lady and Carousel for me. My Fair Lady has the edge for me though since the production itself was  great... the same can not be said for Carousel, sadly.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 12:55pm

Out of those? None. I liked Brigadoon and The Beast in the Jungle a lot.

[thirtythirtyninety]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 1:07pm

Brigadoon.

 

Carousel is surprisingly strong as well.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 12/15/18 at 2:00pm

The Band's Visit.

[Fan123]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 3:29am

Unusually for me, I haven't been very interested in new Broadway cast recordings this past year or so. There's a preponderance of albums whose shows already had good existing recordings, albums which are just okay, albums from shows which I've heard are downright bad, and albums from shows which - to me anyway - just aren't enticing for whatever reason (eg no interest in Donna Summer). I'm still listening to Broadway-like music, but not much specifically from Broadway. Eh, it could be just me.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 6:16am

The Beast in the Jungle was SO brilliant, I still think about this past summer when I saw it.  How stunning.  The recording is extremely special and takes me back to one of the best shows of 2018. 

Also, due to me being besties with the lead, The Other Josh Cohen.  Steve is so wonderful and he got huge names on that Cast Recording due to him having an amazing team behind him.  

Tie!

[Miserent]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 9:54am

I might be a bit biased because it's been one of my favorite scores for about 9 years now, but the Once On This Island revival recording has been on heavy repeat for me.  All the singers are so talented, and the score has been so beautifully reinvented.  A friend sent me a digital copy of the album a few days before the official release, and it was a randomly very warm February day (I think it was like 60 degrees out and sunny), so I decided to go for a walk around my neighborhood and listen to it.  I played Agwe at my college when I was 19 years old, and the show has had a dear place in my heart ever since, so I was hoping I wouldn't be disappointed.  As soon as the ensemble sang that chord right before the first "Asaka, grow me a garden", I stopped walking and started to weep because I wasn't expecting that gorgeous sound.  I'll always remember that moment.  I saw the production for the first time the next day, and am seeing it for the fifth time this upcoming Tuesday.

The Band's Visit and My Fair Lady recordings are right behind Island for me.  Such beautiful music.  In terms of disappointing recordings, I didn't even get through the Mean Girls recording.  Nothing I've seen or heard from that show interests me in the slightest, which is disappointing, but what can you do?

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/16/18 at 12:18pm

I voted for TBV. It’s always astounding when a new musical results in such a vibrant OBCR.

Second place for me would have been JCS. It was the first time (the live tv production) seeing the show in any iteration and this OBCR brought the music alive for me.

[NewYorkTheater]

Posted: 12/17/18 at 3:06pm

Someone has pointed out that The Band's Visit was released digitally in December, 2017, so it arguably doesn't belong on this list. In any case, it's the first on the list as of now. The only recording that's even close is Once On This Island.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 12/17/18 at 3:29pm

If the TBV OBCR didn’t make the list of eligible nominees last year then it absolutely deserves to be on the list this year.

[stoptheworld38]

Posted: 1/4/19 at 7:11pm

I would say Once On This Island, although The Band's Visit was right behind it.