TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES 1999 West End Cast Album to be Released this Fall

Stage Door Records have announced the first complete recording of the 1999 West End musical 'Tess Of The D'Urbervilles' is to be released on September 29th, 2014. The CD release continues Stage Door's London cast album series and commitment to preserve 'lost' British theatre scores of the past 50 years.

Evoking the physical passion and romantic landscape of the original Thomas Hardy novel, Stephen Edwards' musical adaptation of 'Tess Of The D'Urbervilles' was conceived for the stage with producers Karen Louise Hebden and Bruce Athol MacKinnon over a five-year period. After various work shops, the musical was cast in April 1999 with Philippa Healey and Poppy Tierney alternating the title role alongside Alasdair Harvey as Alec D'Urberville and Jonathan Monks as Angel Clare.

Between September and October 1999, 'Tess' toured the United Kingdom, opening at the Sheffield Lyceum to sensational reviews. Criticsdeclared the production "visually stunning" and a "landmark in musical theatre". 'Tess' transferred to the West End, opening at London's Savoy Theatre on November 10th, 1999 and was soon after branded "the last great musical flop of the Millennium". The London critics were unanimous in their damning of the large-scale through-sung musical and audience numbers subsequently dropped. The show closed on January 15th, 2000 after just 77 performances.

Nearly 15 years since the West End musical adaptation of 'Tess Of The D'Urbervilles' was last seen on stage, Stage Door are pleased to be presenting the first complete album representation of Stephen Edwards' score. Featuring tracks from the 1999 West End production alongside the previously unreleased 1998 studio cast recording, the album includes performances by Philippa Healey, Alasdair Harvey, Jonathan Monks, Cathy Sara, Martin Crewes, Mark Umbers, Heather Craney, Eliza Lumley and a supporting company of forty singers.

TRACKS
ORIGINAL 1999 LONDON CAST
MUSIC BY STEPHEN EDWARDS | LYRICS BY JUSTIN FLEMING
01. WHO'S SPINNING THE WHEEL? - Philippa Healey
02. DO I LOVE HER? - Jonathan Monks
03. GUIDE, PHILOSOPHER AND FRIEND - Philippa Healey, Jonathan Monks
04. SAVE MY SOUL - Alasdair Harvey
05. LEAVING THE PAST BEHIND - Philippa Healey, Jonathan Monks,
Alasdair Harvey
06. I HAVE YOUR LOVE - Philippa Healey

ORIGINAL 1998 STUDIO CAST RECORDING
MUSIC & LYRICS BY STEPHEN EDWARDS
07. WATER MEADOWS - Company
08. I'D MARRY HIM TOMORROW - Eliza Lumley, Heather Craney, Deborah
Stokes
09. CAN I TRUST HIM? - Cathy Sara
10. IN THE TWILIGHT OF THE MORNING - Mark Umbers, Cathy Sara
11. THE WEDDING - Eliza Lumley, Heather Craney, Deborah Stokes
12. I FEAR HIS GAZE - Cathy Sara
13. CHASEBOROUGH MARKET - Company
14. THE OLD CHASE WOOD - Cathy Sara, Martin Crewes
15. SORROW - Cathy Sara
16. BIRDS OF THE NORTH STAR - Eliza Lumley, Heather Craney, Deborah
Stokes
17. THRESHING FIELD - Martin Crewes, Cathy Sara, Company
18. COME BACK TO ME - Cathy Sara
19. RIVER OF REGRET - Mark Umbers
20. ANGEL RETURNS - Mark Umbers, Cathy Sara, Martin Crewes
21. STONEHENGE - Cathy Sara, Mark Umbers