HEATHERS - Original West End Cast Recording Out Now

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of Heathers the Musical - Original West End Cast Recording for digital download and streaming today, Friday, March 1. To stream or download the album click HERE. A physical CD is planned for release later this spring.

The award-winning writing team behind Heathers the Musical, Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde, Bat Boy) and Kevin Murphy (Reefer Madness, "Desperate Housewives"), have joined forces with producer Michael Croiter (Heathers: The Musical (World Premiere Cast Recording), Matilda, Groundhog Day), along with the original London cast, at Livingston Studios and Abbey Road Studios, to recreate the incredible on-stage performance, which you can now relive at home.

The album includes three previously unreleased new songs written for the show, including the album's first single, "I Say No," "Never Shut Up Again,"and "You're Welcome," which replaces "Blue" on the World Premiere Cast Recording.

Writers Laurence O'Keefe and Kevin Murphy said, "We've made significant revisions to Heathers since the first album came out in 2014. This is the first time the definitive version of the show has been recorded and getting to make a permanent record of this production is the icing on the cake.

'I Say No' is an emancipation anthem in which Veronica cuts ties with her homicidal boyfriend. Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of our lead producers, suggested we give her an eleven o'clock number to establish her moral clarity by firmly articulating the idea that that violence is never a solution to the injustices of high school.

On the original cast recording, Heather Duke was the only Heather that didn't have a full-length song, so when we were asked to re-work the show for London, adding this song was the top of our to-do list. 'Never Shut Up Again' dramatises this huge emotional moment for the character, as a girl with justifiable resentments and grievances finally achieves power, only to become even more cruel and brutal than her predecessor.

The song 'You're Welcome' shows Veronica's point of view and gives her a chance to triumph over her tormentors in a way that 'Blue' did not. The decision to change the song was made because 'Blue' sent a message that wasn't intended - that Veronica, cornered by two drunk, entitled, fairly violent football players, still wasn't in any real danger, which sent a signal to the audience that this isn't an important moment. Although American productions of Heathers have been performing 'You're Welcome' for some time now, this is the first time it's been recorded."

Carrie Hope Fletcher (Veronica) is joined by Original London Cast members Jodie Steele (Chandler), T'Shan Williams (Duke) and Sophie Isaacs (McNamara), alongside Jamie Muscato as rebellious transfer student Jason Dean (JD), Chris Chung (Kurt Kelly), Dominic Anderson (Ram Sweeney), Jenny O'Leary (Martha Dunnstock), Rebecca Lock (Ms. Flemming), Jon Boydon (Kurt's Dad), Alex James Hatton (Officer Milner), Charlotte Jaconelli (Stoner Chick), Lauren Drew (New Wave Girl), Olivia Moore (Young Rerepublicanette), and Sergio Pasquariello (Officer McCord), who are all featured on the album.

Carrie Hope Fletcher, who plays the part of Veronica Sawyer, made famous by Winona Ryder, says: "Being part of an original cast recording is exciting in itself. When it's for a show you've been a fan of for years and have grown to love even more since being a part of it, it feels incredibly special. I hope the message of kindness that Heathers the Musical ultimately sends is spread even further with this recording!"

Founder of Ghostlight Records, Kurt Deutsch, said 'I am thrilled to be working with the Heathers UK family and being reunited with Larry and Kevin again after recording Legally Blonde and Reefer Madness. Heathers is great fun and we're happy to be able to preserve the West End Cast Recording."

After their big success with their musical episode of Carrie, the hit show "Riverdale" will feature another musical episode centred around Heathers the Musical which will air on The CW on March 20. The episode entitled "Big Fun" will feature nine songs from the musical and have "everyone singing,"according to Riverdale's producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.

Kevin Keller (played by Casey Cott) will direct the school production, which will feature Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) as Veronica Sawyer, Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch) as Heather Chandler, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) as Heather McNamara, Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) as Heather Duke, Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) as Kurt Kelly and Sweet Pea (Jordan Connor) as J.D.