Student Blog: The Musical Theatre Album is Evolving Before Our Eyes and Ears

In addition to the excitement that comes with seeing new Broadway shows and their performances as part of the annual Tony Awards ceremony, many of these new productions will also release cast albums to forever preserve their show's music and iconic performances. Traditionally, new musicals develop a cast album where the actors and musicians record the music from their show, on their days off in a studio, culminating in an album that is released to the public. This method has been exhibited in famous musical cast albums such as The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables and more recently in shows such as Flying Over Sunset. However, with the release of more cast albums this year, composers, producers and directors alike are finding ways to shift the traditional paradigm when it comes to recording new musicals.

For instance, on May 6th, the Tony-nominated musical Six released its cast album to the public, physically and digitally. Unlike previous cast recordings, the creative team behind Six made the revolutionary decision to do a live recording of their opening night show instead of developing an album in a studio. In the past, most cast albums were recorded in a studio to make sure that everything sounded perfect as well as to entice the listener without giving away the whole show. Producers bought into this paradigm because they believed these studio cast albums would satisfy fans while still encouraging them to see the show live at a later date. While many agree with the reasoning behind these decisions, the producers of the Six cast album subscribe to a different philosophy: an abundance mentality. They believe that a live recording satisfies listeners while also encouraging fans to see the production live in order to hear a similar or slightly different version of the album. The producers also support the notion that an authentic recording provides listeners with clearer expectations regarding the show's actual sound. Though the sound quality is phenomenal and the performances are spectacular, the album is not perfect and it's not meant to be. When listening to the album, one can easily hear the cheering of eager audience members as well as the minor vocal flaws and the impressive recoveries of the performers. Thus, the Six cast album is a celebration of a Broadway show opening after the Covid-19 lockdown and an honoring of the show's incredible performers who give wonderfully imperfect performances eight times a week.

Unlike Six, some musical theatre albums do not need to produce a live show on Broadway to make an impact. Another groundbreaking musical theatre album that came out recently was The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical written by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. During the middle of the pandemic, singer Abigail Barlow posted a video on TikTok of her song ideas for a musical based on the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. Gaining thousands of comments and likes in a matter of hours, Abigail Barlow teamed with musician Emily Bear to create a concept album. Combining their talents, Barlow and Bear developed a fifteen song album. Moreover, they shared their process with the world on various social media platforms, inviting listeners into the studio to shed light on the joys and struggles of writing a musical. Although the musical has yet to be performed on stage, the album continues to shift the paradigm for musical theatre composition by documenting the success of two women who composed, performed, produced and marketed their own album. In April, Barlow and Bear's work was honored with a Grammy award for Best Musical Theater Album among prolific nominees such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Schwartz.

Similarly, the recently released all female studio cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar led by Morgan James has added to the tally of barrier-breaking albums released in the past few months. Starting with a concert in 2017, Morgan James soon developed an album where only women perform the songs in their original keys from Jesus Christ Superstar, a mostly male oriented musical. With a talented cast that includes the likes of Shoshana Bean and Cynthia Erivo, the album pushes the boundaries of who can sing these famous songs, adding new perspectives to the famous musical. Furthermore, the album features all-female musicians, sound engineers, and producers, pushing more women to the forefront of the male-dominated recording industry.

Despite the difficult realities of the past few years, it becomes clear that the creativity of the theatre industry will continue to thrive as more individuals break boundaries and reinvent the paradigms that we have become accustomed to experiencing in cast albums. As we look ahead to the Tony Awards and the upcoming Broadway season, these new approaches to the recording of musicals adds an exciting dimension to the musical theatre experience and lays the foundation for the next phases in the evolution of the musical theatre album.

For those who have yet to listen to these albums, here is a playlist with some songs from each musical theatre recording. Happy listening!