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ON RECORD: Robin de Jesus' Five Favorite Cast Albums- 'It Had Such a Profound Effect on Me'

By: Aug. 18, 2015
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Ever wonder which Broadway tunes have inspired your favorite performers? Check back every Tuesday for ON RECORD- to find out which cast recordings have made an impact on Broadway's brightest stars.

In this week's edition, we hear from Robin de Jesús, who is currently starring as 'Boq' in Wicked- playing at the Gershwin Theatre. Read on to find out his top five picks!


1. Caroline, or Change

I tend to refer to my career as Pre-Caroline or Post-Caroline, because this show had such a profound effect on me. I saw the show so many times that if I close my eyes and listen to the recording I can watch the show all over again in my mind. It helps that the recording is of all 2 hour and a half hours of this sung through show. I love listening to that ensemble sing so gorgeously, the hidden messages in all of those background vocals, Caroline's heartache, Mrs. Gellman having a meltdown on the phone with her dad and the promise that Emmie shows for the future. Kills me EVERYTIME.

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.

2. Carousel

This show was my jam in high school. I wanted to be Billy Bigelow so badly. I was obsessed with John Raitt. I had a teacher I love once say to me, "Robin! You'll never be Billy, you're more of an Enoch." I thought, "Noted. You're right, thank you." The end of "Soliloquy" is my favorite thing in the show, "I'll GO OUT AND MAKE IT OR STEAL IT OR TAAAAAAAKE IT OR DIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.

3. Jesus Christ Superstar

My mom must hate this show so much because my sophomore year of high school I wore this album out. I would lock the door to my bedroom and try to imitate all of the high falsetto rock wails. I would come out of my bedroom into the kitchen and she would say, "You done screaming?" Between the vamps to "Heaven on Their Minds" and "Gethsemane" this album gets my adrenaline pumping.

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.

4. Rent

I mean what can I really say about this one. It's everything. Anytime I want to feel the feels I put on this album and if I really wanna torture myself I just skip ahead to "Without You."

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.

5. Once on This Island

Quite possibly the most joyous of all cast albums, even in it's sad moments. I've done many a workout to this album (don't judge me.) The simplicity of this score, story and vocals lead you to getting sucker punched. You think you're listening to this simple little story and then your heart strings get tugged at and you realize that there is more meat to this music than you ever thought. It's allegory and storytelling at its best.

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.

Honorable mention: In the Heights

I didn't include this one initially for fear of being self-indulgent, but who cares. This album for me is more than great music, it's a stroll down memory lane. It's a yearbook to ten years of my life. I often have to skip anything with Sonny singing because I haven't learned to fully separate my emotions from him yet. He's the only character I've experienced that with and a lot of it has to do with how this music is such a gateway to the heart. From the clave at the top of the show to the almost primitive percussion in "Carnaval del Barrio" to Mandy Gonzalez breaking your heart in "Everything I Know" and of course the bittersweetness of that Finale and the beauty of the word home and all that it represents (sigh.)

Buy it today at Amazon or iTunes.


De Jesús' Broadway credits include: In the Heights (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), La Cage aux Folles (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), Rent. Select Off-Broadway and regional: Domesticated (Lincoln Center), In the Heights, Patti Issues, Mother Jones, Aladdin, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Grease and Godspell. Select film: Camp, Hairbrained, Gun Hill Road, Elliot Loves, 11:55 Holyoke, Fat Girls.Select TV: "Law & Order: SVU," "How to Make It in America." Cabaret: Crush to Crushed (54Below) Tweet, Instagram and Vine @RobinOfJesus





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