Kurt Weill - On Stage: From Berlin to Broadway - by Foster Hirsch
A provocative but uneven look at the composer of The Threepenny Opera, Lady in the Dark and other well-known musicals, this biography traces Weill's career from his satirical Weimar collaborations with Brecht to the musicals he created for Broadway after fleeing the Nazis in 1933. Brooklyn College film professor Hirsch (Harold Prince and the American Musical Theater) draws on extensive documentation from New York's Kurt Weill Foundation and new interviews with surviving participants to argue that the distinction most writers make between "Berlin Weill" and "Broadway Weill" is artificial. He explores, instead, what remained constant in Weill's creative personality despite the divergent styles of the Broadway and Berlin years. This intriguing approach is somewhat undermined by questionable assertions throughout the book. (For example, he cites the notoriously anti-Semitic music critic Virgil Thomson as an authority for the dubious notion that Weill's music evoked "the Jewish underworld of Berlin.") The book does, however, offer a textured portrait of Weill's Broadway career, and there are useful details about how his widow, the gifted performer Lotte Lenya, helped resuscitate his reputation with the 1950s production of Threepenny Opera in Greenwich Village. Hirsch's volume is good for casual enthusiasts and larger theater collections, though music fans may find the absence of analytical comment on Weill's compositions a drawback.
Desi Oakley has released the official music video for her new holiday single, “Christmas on the Coast,” written by Dan Diaz and Martin Storrow. Oakley is known for Waitress, Chicago and more.
Republic Records has released the official score album for Wicked: For Good, containing all the instrumental underscoring written for the film by Stephen Schwartz and John Powell. Listen to it now!
Jill Schoelen will release her first Christmas album Christmas Is Forever and launch 'Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane) - The Music Video'.
Out just in time for the holidays is Let Me Carry You This Christmas, a new holiday album by award-winning singer and actor Darius de Haas. Watch in this video as we bring you an exclusive look at 'Silent Night'.
Meyer Media will release Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, the cinematic and evocative new album from Florida-based composer Paul Richards out on Friday, December 12th.
Theatre Communications Group has announced the forthcoming publication of Teeth, the darkly hilarious and incisive musical by Michael R. Jackson (Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner for A Strange Loop) and Anna K. Jacobs (Jonathan Larson and Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award–winning composer, lyricist, and book writer).
Gregory Maguire, author of the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, will release his new book Galinda: A Charmed Childhood in the fall of 2026. Pre-orders are available now.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, acclaimed songwriting team known for projects like Dear Evan Hanson and The Greatest Showman, are heading into new territory with their children's book Axl the Axolotl Is Not a Frog.
With Wicked: For Good finally in theaters, pre-orders for physical copies of the film have officially opened. Newly released listings are previewing the home video release for the movie, which will tentatively arrive in stores in January.
Center Stage Records has released a new digital single from Kennedy Caughell, featuring a medley of “I’m Not That Girl” and “Defying Gravity” inspired by the new film Wicked: For Good.
America’s Got Talent All-Star/Finalist Jimmie Herrod has released his first full-length album, Pretty Is What Changes, a jazzy album with songs from Stephen Sondheim. Check it out now.
With Wicked: For Good now playing in theaters, the official soundtrack to the highly anticipated film is now available to stream. As previously reported, the soundtrack will feature all of the fan-favorite songs from Act 2 of the stage show. Listen to it here!
Ben Forster, the TV star and vocalist best known for performances in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera, and Elf The Musical, has released his brand new studio album Musicals Greatest Hits. Listen to it now.
Broadway’s Desi Oakley will release her new holiday single CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST on Friday, November 21. Fans can pre-save the track now at ChristmasontheCoast.com.
On December 5, Republic Records will release the official score album for Wicked: For Good, containing all the instrumental underscoring written for the film by Stephen Schwartz and John Powell.
The soundtrack is also now available for A Very Jonas Christmas Movie, with tracks that feature the vocals of Kenny G, Chloe Bennet, and Broadway alum Andrew Barth Feldman. Check it out now.
Nick Hern Books is set to publish the complete scripts to the multi-award-winning Netflix television series Adolescence, presented alongside exclusive behind-the-scenes material, on 27 November.
Center Stage Records has released the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Pirates! The Penzance Musical on CD. The album is also available in streaming and digital formats.
Center Stage Records has released the EP featuring three selections from It’s Kind of a Funny Story: A New Musical in streaming and digital formats today, Friday, November 14. It’s Kind of a Funny Story features music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini and book by two-time Tony Award nominee Alex Brightman.
Cynthia Erivo isn't just on the big screen this holiday season. The Wicked star's new book, Simply More: A Book for Anyone Who Has Been Told They're Too Much, is now available from the Flatiron Books imprint of Macmillan Publishers. BroadwayWorld is very excited to bring you an exclusive excerpt from the new book!
In honor of the film’s 20th anniversary this year, Focus Features is re-releasing Pride & Prejudice in a restored 4K Ultra HD edition. The 4K release will hit shelves on November 25, 2025.
To mark the sixth year of the Singles Day Vinyl Series, Urban Outfitters has opened preorders for a new 7' vinyl release of the two new singles. It will be released on November 21.
Rob Rokicki, composer of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, will release a new theatrical rock single titled “Lincoln” on November 14, 2025.
Music stores across the country will host official listening parties to celebrate the release of the soundtrack of Wicked: For Good on November 21, 22 and 23.
Anthony Nunziata has released his debut holiday collection Christmas & You on vinyl, CD, and digital and streaming platforms. The songs were all co-written by Nunziata and some of the top Country and pop hitmakers.
Center Stage Recrods has released Into the Sun: World Premiere Recording in streaming and digital formats. Into the Sun is the new musical drama that features book, music and lyrics by Michael Gubser.
BroadwayWorld has the exclusive first listen to “D.O.A.,” performed by Paisley Billings and company, from the upcoming The Lightning Thief: Original London Cast Recording.
Ghostlight Records will release Deathless: Original Studio Cast Recording – new indie-folk musical by Zack Zadek – featuring Jeremy Jordan and more. BroadwayWorld has your exclusive first listen to the track 'The License Plate Game'.
CENTER STAGE RECORDS will host a special online Listening Party for the new album The Lightning Thief: Original London Cast Recording. The event will be hosted by Max Harwood and Samantha Mbolekwa, joined by their fellow original London cast members.
Known for his stage presence in Rock of Ages Hollywood alongside Frankie Grande and Nick Cordero, Broadway performer and recording artist Ian Ward steps into a new chapter with the release of his latest single, 'Ocean Eyes.' L