THE IRVING BERLIN RAGTIME REVUE Cast Album Now Available

The original cast album of "The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue," which set box-office records at the 13th Street Theater, is being released September 15th. To celebrate the release, members of the company will be singing at Birdland, and on Barry Z's TV show, and promoting the album on radio programs hosted by George Bettinger, Moe Banshee, Gail Kubik, and others.

The album features a company of 14 performing 44 songs from the first dozen years of Berlin's career--the songs that established Berlin as the most popular songwriter in the world. ASCAP award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa, who conceived the show and produced the album, notes: "We mix songs that everyone knows, like 'Alexander's Ragtime Band,' with some wonderful rarities, like 'Dat Draggy Rag' and 'Ragtime Soldier Man,' that have never been recorded before. We're offering the most complete representation of Berlin's very early work that's ever been gathered on one album."

This is the third album of Berlin's music that Deffaa has produced; four more are in the works. Berlin, who composed the scores for such stage and screen successes as "Annie Get Your Gun," "White Christmas," "Easter Parade," "Call Me Madam," and "Holiday Inn," wrote more hit songs and made more money than any of his fellow songwriters.

The album, with a suggested list price of $16, may be purchased now from CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/theirvingberlinragtimere. Readers of Broadwayworld.com may use the proomo code "Broadwayworld" to purchase the album at a 25% discount ($12 for the album) by ordering directly from Chip Deffaa Productions LLC, 50 Quartz Lane, Paterson, NJ 07501-3345. Using the "Broadwayworld" promo code, readers also have the option of purchasing a two-CD Berlin package--the new cast album, along with the cast album of Deffaa's show "Irving Berlin's America--for $20.00. The album will also be available from Amazon, iTunes, Google Music Store, Shazam, etc.

The new cast album features Emily Bordonaro, Michael Kasper, Keith Anderson, Rayna Hirt, Andrew Lanctot, Ann Marie Calabro, Jonah Barricklo, Missy Dreier, Maite Uzal, Timmy Thompson, Carolyn Montgomery-Forant, Richard Danley. Peter Charney served as assistant director/videographer for the show; Tyler duBoys and Alex Acevedo provided choreography (with an assist from Rayna Hirt). Alex Dreier was historical advisor. Kate Solomon-Tilley, Megan Ulan, Brandon Pollinger helped round out the production.

Deffaa notes: "Berlin composed the scores for 19 Broadway musicals and 18 Hollywood musicals. He wrote some 1500 songs. Along with George M. Cohan, whom he idolized, Berlin made major contributions to the development of the modern Broadway musical. His songs remain timeless. And the Berlin name remains magical; we had to turn people away during our limited engagement of 'The Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue'

at the 13th Street Rep. The early songs heard on this album--whether originally written for Broadway, vaudeville, or simply as stand-alone pop songs--have a rollicking vitality that remains irresistible. This was the most prolific period of Berlin's life. On this album we're sampling a bit of the tremendous outpouring of music he produced in his youth."

The "Irving Berlin Ragtime Revue" cast album is the 12th album that Deffaa has produced, and the third dealing with Berlin. The fourth album in Deffaa's Berlin series, "Irving Berlin & Co.," is scheduled to follow on December 15th. Deffaa has written a cycle of five different musical plays about Berlin, for different cast sizes; all are available for licensing.

To post a comment, you must register and login.