Ever wonder what new and fabulous Broadway and musical theatre goodies are out there for your listening and reading pleasure? Then wonder no more. Here are a few brand-spankin' new items you just might have to add to your collection.
1. Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert DVD/Blu-Ray
PriceGrabber
This performance in the Fall of 2010 was an absolute iconic moment in musical theatre. With over 500 performers from every cast that has even been cast of Les Miz, this 25th anniversary concert at the O2 arena in London was deifinitely one for the record books. Filmed and shown at movie cinemas around the world, this special production was a feast for the eyes and the ears.
2. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Broadway Original Cast Album CD
Ghostlight Records
The Off-Broadway transfer of this rock-musical version of American history did not last long enough on Broadway to rack up a following like Wicked. But the show certainly left its mark with its dark, yet flagrant portrayal of manifest destiry-deluded men and the plight of women in early America. The Broadway show got its pink slip as did so many shows in January 2011, but not before leaving us with an original cast album to savor the memories of when history got hip.
3. Linda Eder - 'Now' CD
Sony
Linda Eder gained fame in Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll and Hyde, but her true love has always been recording great songs and touring with her concerts. 2011 sees her doing just that. After a 6 year break from working with Wildhorn, Eder is back in a big way Now, singing new songs by Wildhorn and lyricist Jack Murphy. With her velvety smooth voice singing these new "standards" with a pop feel for the American Songbook, this trio: Eder, Wildhorn, and Murphy, are definitely on to something special.
4. The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
Oscar A. Hammerstein, III, has meticulously collected family stories and photographs, combining them into an homage of memories, celebrating his family's part in the founding of this most American of musical artforms: musical theatre. A visually compelling collage, The Hammersteins is a must-have for any musical aficionado. Written by the famed lyricist Hammerstein II's grandson, no one could possibly have access to more accurate information or this treaure-trove of family momentos as compiled in this book.
5. Music + Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver
Ryan Scott Oliver
Ryan Scott Oliver is among the new breed of composer in the post-Sondheim world of musical theatre. Having won the Richard Rodgers and the Larson Awards, Oliver has set the bar pretty high for the rest of the class. His new songbook, Music + Lyrics by Ryan Scott Oliver, is 184 pages of modern musical theatre songs, with an indispensible addendum of notes covering important information such as song keys, vocal ranges, character synopses, and more. The music is beautifully transcribed, and the arrangements are great for most accompanists.
Direct Link: Ryan Scott Oliver's website.
