BWW Blog: Cast Albums That Keep Me Sane

Sunday should've been the 2020 Tony Awards, Broadway Christmas. The world, and Broadway, have stood still since early March. Broadway is at intermission right now, it will come back, we just need to wait. As an aspiring performer, this was a hard blow. My future, my hopes and dreams, my favorite shows, were put on pause. As a human with anxiety, this freaked me out for a long time. The unknown is my greatest enemy and in this case, there was no escaping. There is no way to know exactly when Broadway will come back, when I will go back to school, when I can go back to New York or when I can see my friends across the country again. My freshman year studying musical theatre at NYU finished in early May and the past month has been the longest. But I'm slowly starting to get some sort of schedule back as I'm taking two classes at two different universities (go in state tuition!!!).

These past couple months have been the hardest. It took me a long time to figure out exactly what I needed in order to get through this quarantine. I've decided to list my top 5 Broadway cast albums that have really gotten me through this time.

1. Songs for a New World (New York City Center 2018 Encores!)

This cast album has been there through it all with me. I'm a Jason Robert Brown girl and cannot resist his musicals but this one specifically. (And it helps that this beautiful score is sung by musical theatre legends). Shoshona Bean, Solea Pfeiffer, Colin Donnell and Mykal Kilgore sing through the score as each song can technically stand on its own. Each song centers around the concept of "the moment of a decision". I use this album to bike to, sleep to, jam to, cry to, everything under the sun.

2. Company (2018 London cast recording)

I was fortunate enough to have seen the first preview of this new broadway production and simply fell in love with the gorgeous direction by Marianne Elliott. I laughed, I cried, I bonded with the old man sitting next to me. The cast album is from the London production where the keys are a little different and of course the cast is as well (except for ultimate queen Patti LuPone). But nevertheless, having a small piece of that experience of giving Patti LuPone a 2 minute long standing ovation after Ladies who Lunch, is enough to get me through this time.

3. Six: The Musical (studio cast recording)

The Brooks Atkinson theater really said "we love strong, powerful women". I saw the first preview of this show before the quarantine. I didn't know any of the music and story other than a basic history lesson in high school. It was one of my favorite nights of theatre. Period!! The show is so feminist and contemporary and funny and moving. Happy tears were streaming down my face at the end of "I Don't Need Your Love." This cast album helps me relive this crazy day in my life and how this show ended up in my lap in the most wonderful way.

4. Jagged Little Pill (original broadway cast recording)

This cast album is the soundtrack for every single one of my emotions: sad, happy, angry, lonely, scared, nervous, hopeful. I've always loved Alanis Morissette and seeing this show onstage and having these songs sung by my favorite performers just makes my heart so happy. The show is insanely current and handles such tricky topics in the most beautiful of ways. I would literally let Elizabeth Stanely sing me to sleep (she's that good).

5. Moulin Rouge

I grew up listening to broadway cast albums and was that kid in school who didn't listen to "normal people music" according to other kids. Well this show has made me say "screw you! Look at all the non musical music I now know!" The thing about this cast album is that I never ever get bored with it. There are so many songs that twist and turn into each other in such genius ways that I'm always wondering what will come next. Plus Karen Olivio, enough said.

This quarantine is hard. There are so many things happening in the world that are so uncertain. It is a really hard task that has been placed on the world right now. But through finding my schedule and groove, I know that I can get through this.

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