Recently released from Take The Cakeable Records, ONCE UPON A TIME STEP (Songs from the Ron Lytle Musical Fairy Tales) is a fun exercise in family-friendly, schmaltzy showtunes. There’s not a single track on the album that really sticks with you, but I imagine anyone who programs children’s theater who gives ONCE UPON A TIME STEP a listen will be reaching out to Lylte to license a show or two.

Frozen star, Samantha Barks, recently released her latest album, Into the Unknown, under new record label, Westway. The album features selections from a number of contemporary musicals, including Six, Dear Evan Hansen, Jagged Little Pill, Ghost, Mean Girls, Moana, The Greatest Showman, and more.

Christmas came early when Broadway Records released CAROLINE, OR CHANGE (The New Broadway Cast Recording) on digital platforms. The stunning two-disc recording captures every marvelous moment of the mostly sung-through score, gifting fans of Broadway a truly remarkable way to access this show no matter where they are.

Hollywood Records has released WEST SIDE STORY (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack). The new soundtrack soars, fully highlighting the brilliance of Leonard Bernstein’s unforgettable jazz and latin infused musical score.

Just in time for the Christmas season, Ghostlight Records released Todd Almond’s debut holiday album A PONY FOR CHRISTMAS. The record is an unconventional, folk-pop holiday album that blends Almond’s original compositions with renditions of traditional carols and a few pop surprises. Often more wistful and melancholic than ebullient, A PONY FOR CHRISTMAS reminds listeners that joyfulness in the holiday season isn’t always sugar dusted or bright lights.

The experience of listening to the soundtrack to Netflix's adaptation of tick, tick... BOOM! is a highly specific one, and all the more emotional for that specificity.

With her second holiday album, Happiness Is… Christmas!, Kristin Chenoweth puts her own unique spin on the classic Christmas collection

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s scores have remained among the most beloved and most commercially successful music to emanate from the depths of orchestra pits across the world. In a new love letter to the celebrated composer and his enduring music, Decca recently released ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER: SYMPHONIC SUITES. The lush album features an 81-piece orchestra conducted by Simon Lee, and is a true treat for any fan of Lloyd Webber.

Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild award-winner, and singer-songwriter and activist, who has graced the screen and Broadway stage in popular acts, including Glee, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and more, Darren Criss is ringin’ in the holiday season with a new album! Ron Fair, multi-Grammy nominee and producer of numerous Grammy-winning hits, produces.

American songwriter, Scott Alan, recently released his ninth album, Nothing More, and partnered with musical director, Ben Cohn, on this special recording that serves as a love letter to his daughter, during her first couple years on Earth. Alan has worked with some of the most talented stars of theatre, TV, film, and music.

Ghostlight Records released UNKNOWN SOLDIER (Original Cast Recording), one of composer Michael Friedman’s last scores, on Friday, September 24, 2021. Every lush and elegiac note and melody has been pristinely preserved with this truly gorgeous and evocative album.

Diana attempts a throwback-pastiche score with baffling moments of camp to tell the story of an uber-famous blonde whose relationship with the press both made her and destroyed her. And, like Bombshell, the score to Diana vacillates between quite off-the-mark and genuinely affecting.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but truly getting to know the heart, soul, and essence of a music legend is the ultimate honor. For Oscar-and Grammy-winning actress, Jennifer Hudson, portraying the one and only Aretha Franklin was a serious and cherished commitment. In her soundtrack to the film, Respect, Hudson not only resurrects some of “The Queen of Soul’s” greatest hits but connects deeply to the raw emotions behind them.

The film adaption of Dear Evan Hansen is in theaters today. The soundtrack features Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Never, Julianne Moore, Danny Pino, Colton Ryan, Amandla Stenberg, and Nik Dodani. Additional bonus tracks feature SZA, Sam Smith, Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Summer Walker, Finneas, and Tori Kelly.

By this point, it feels like every major musical name has produced some kind of “pandemic project”. With Tom Kitt & The Collective's new album, Reflect, there’s a refreshing lack of gimmick to it.

Earlier this month, Ben Platt dropped REVERIE, his second studio album. The irresistible pop project includes the highly lauded and much played singles “Happy to Be Sad” and “Imagine” while further cementing Platt as a legitimate pop musician.

Legendary icon, Barbra Streisand, recently announced that her new album, Release Me 2, will be available on Friday, August 6th. Streisand's first Release Me album debuted in September 2012, and contained tracks recorded between her 1967 Simply Streisand and 2011 What Matters Most albums. Featuring a personal collection of songs, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Barry Gibb, Paul Williams, Randy Newman, Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Harold Arlen and Carole King, this 10-track compilation brilliantly showcases the vulnerability and beauty of the human spirit – chock full of honest truths and gratitude for the simple pleasures.

This ultra-talented cast hits their high note, blending strong voices with melodious ones to play to different parts of the story. Just like the main characters, the score is powerful, vibrant, and thought-provoking. It creates the perfect backdrop for this robust tale and creates suspense for the story arc. Another unique feature is that the lyrics also reflect the humanity in the characters and how they struggle with not having all the answers, such as in “Let Go of Me.” They speak candidly and display vulnerability in their words, providing a lens into their emotions.

SUF/SOND puts a new spin on classic Sondheim tunes, giving them the soft indie-folk treatment. It’s a creative and often intriguing exercise that gives a new perspective on these iconic tunes, although it’s not flawless across the board.

Getting to experience the energy that new arrangements and new voices brings to the beloved material is a delight from beginning to end. Even if the movie’s reduced tracklist feels more like a “highlights” album, the record clips along with mirth and will easily have listeners dancing and singing along.

Laura Bell Bundy has returned to us with the poignant album WOMEN OF TOMORROW, which keenly mixes the vintage aural soundscapes of The Andrew Sisters, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, and classic MGM movie musicals with many of the contemporary issues facing women, including equal pay, the psychological aspects of motherhood, unrealistic beauty standards, ownership over women's bodies, and more.

You’ve been warned: This is one trip you’ll never forget! Ride the Cyclone: World Premiere Cast Recording was recently released through digital and streaming formats via Ghostlight Records. The show features book, music, and lyrics by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell and the album is produced by Brooke Maxwell, who also serves as music director and conductor, and provides arrangements and orchestrations. Kevin McCollum and Morris Berchard are the executive producers.

Fangirls, Yve Blake’s tongue-in-cheek satire, parodies both fan culture and the historic dismissal of the interests of young women. It’s a smart, intriguing show with a catchy score that makes you laugh as much as it makes you think.

Broadway Records recently announced the release of IN PIECES, a new musical by Joey Contreras. This energetic and emotional 10-track highlights album features a robust lineup of talent from popular artists, including David Archuleta, Andrew Barth Feldman, George Salazar, Solea Pfeiffer, Ben Fankhauser, Natalie Weiss, Ashley De La Rosa, Leslie Hiatt, and Emily Kristen Morris. Showcasing their unique and powerful voices, along with their flair for storytelling, IN PIECES brings the musical’s candid themes of our human existence to light.

Far from being musical heresy, R&H Goes Pop! instead serves as a reminder of how Rodgers and Hammerstein were at the forefront of musical theatre during their time, and how their music is truly timeless.