Genre is not a word that seems to be in Renee Fleming's vocabulary, just as her vocal ability does not confine her to a certain arena. The four time Grammy award winner graced the Broadway stage last season as Nettie in Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL, opposite Jessie Mueller and Josh Henry. Not only that, but the renowned soprano also nabbed a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for said role. It is only right that Decca Classics just released Ms. Fleming's latest album full of musical theater classics, aptly titled BROADWAY.

Get ready for movie night on Broadway! The latest flick to get the Broadway treatment is the 1990 hit rom-com PRETTY WOMAN. The musical is shaping up to be popular at the box office, seems to be the current standout for the 2018-2019 Broadway season so far. It joins the ranks of a bevy of musicals that have been adapted from films, like Mean Girls, Frozen, The Band's Visit, the forthcoming KING KONG, to name a few. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL recently opened on at the Nederlander Theatre, and Atlantic Records just released the original Broadway cast recording last week. Give it a listen here!

Musicals about young people embracing their truest selves are often delightfully engaging, and Broadway Records release of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (Original West End Cast Recording) is no exception to that rule. The altogether charming album presents listeners with catchy pop musical theatre music that entertains as much as it speaks to the heart.

The album for the new dance musical The Beast in the Jungle is not your typical cast recording. Actually, it's not a cast recording at all, but a score recording that's purely instrumental. Even though the lack of dialogue and character voices makes it a more challenging score to listen to out of context (as opposed to a typical "cast album"), it's a truly masterful and moving score in its own right.

For the ninth entry in her awe-inspiring 12 EP series OBSESSED, Lena Hall pays homage to the person that the Hipster movement appropriated its fashion and peculiarities from singer-songwriter Beck. On OBSESSED: BECK, Hall offers up four songs from the quirky and much-admired musician. And while her vocals are brilliant - as always - this particular EP falls flat.

Jessica Vosk, aka WICKED's current Elphaba, has vocals that cut deep and wide. Her debut album "Wild and Free" debuted at #14 on iTunes, and is currently making a dent on the  Billboards. If it is a testament to the cult following of fans she has, "Wild and Free" was fully crowdfunded in a matter of days. As Broadway Records' latest release, Vosk proves that not only is she a musical theatre force of nature, but she also hold her own in the world of pop music.

Critically acclaimed musical The Quentin Dentin Show has gone down a storm with audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London and now supernatural game show host, Quentin Dentin himself, will be releasing his debut album next month.

Linda Eder's career has had the kind of variety many performers would envy: everything from Broadway to solo albums to concert halls. If You See Me, her latest release, is her seventeenth solo album, which itself is an applause-worthy feat. The album itself is mostly a greatest-hits journey through theatre history, from Gershwin to Sondheim and plenty of others in between. Although some of the tracks don't quite hit the mark, others are genuinely wonderful.

Before BE MORE CHILL was an Off-Broadway sensation, actor and singer George Salazar and composer-lyricist-book writer Joe Iconis were close friends. Over the years, Salazar has gotten to sing and even premiere some of Iconis's best work. Recently, Ghostlight Records released TWO-PLAYER GAME, an album that took the pair's sold-out cabaret show at Feinstein's / 54 Below and put that concept on an a delightfully entertaining and intoxicatingly fun album.

It can be tough out there for a jukebox musical. Many have come, few have stayed. Yet, it seems like Broadway can't get enough of them. Recent hits like JERSEY BOYS and BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL are the picture of what a staged jukebox success looks like. They have paved the great white way in gold for future musicals of the like to flood their way in.  SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL is one of latest in the new class jukebox musical to hit the Broadway stage. The show opened to subpar reviews at the Lunt-Fontanne theater this spring, after a 2017 premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse. Republic Records, with producers Tommy Mottola and The Dodgers, released the original cast recording this past July.

Two-thirds of the way through her ambitious 12-EP OBSESSED project, Lena Hall's August release honors rock genius David Bowie. Across its five tracks, OBSESSED: DAVID BOWIE is a delightful surprise because it adequately represents Bowie's varied musical styles without resting on the obvious hit songs. Everyone knew Hall singing Bowie would be better than good, but we probably weren't expecting it to be so refreshing.

There's a good reason that Measure For Measure is considered one of Shakespeare's 'problem plays.' It's a weird blend between comedy (featuring that immortal device of classical theatre, the bed trick) and a surprisingly bleak, mildly misogynistic outlook on love, marriage, and human nature as a whole. It's many of the same reasons, ironically enough, that the Western genre is so difficult to pull off. Putting the two together, as Desperate Measures, the off-Broadway musical retelling of Shakespeare's play, did, seems like it should be a recipe for disaster. Although the cast album has its moments of, well, desperation, as a whole it's a charming, amusing score.

There's another post-apocalyptic jukebox coming to theaters across the United States. Jim Steinman's BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical kicks off a US national tour in Detroit this November. But, you don't have to wait for the show to tour to your neck of the woods to hear its score. Recently, Ghostlight Records released the rollicking BAT OUT OF HELL - The Musical Original Cast Recording, giving audiences the world over unprecedented access to the potentially epic musical.

Let's be honest: it doesn't really matter what I, or any critic, have to say about Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again. We know what we're signing up for: campy, fun covers of ABBA songs, a plot that only sort of matters, a bunch of stars having an absolute blast, and pretty island panoramas. The movie's soundtrack, much like its predecessor, rides more on the delightful fun of the songs than on their emotional depth or Broadway-ready performances. The key difference between this soundtrack and the 2008 original is that the former plays, at least in part, to audiences' affection for the latter. In fact, several moments correspond almost directly, giving us a chance to see how far these characters have (or have not) come, which covers for the fact that most of these songs are pulled from ABBA's second tier.

Lena Hall kicks the seventh month into overdrive with her OBSESSED: JACK WHITE. This four-track gem contains songs from the singer and songwriter that many remember as the lead singer and guitarist for The White Stripes. This solid collection of tunes is delightfully guitar heavy and features Hall beautifully alternating between her signature raucous vocalizations and softer, almost-country stylings.

The name "Jason Robert Brown" on a piece of music can strike joy in the hearts of singers and listeners (and mild trepidation in the hands of pianists everywhere). The Tony-winning composer has created a sound that has helped define contemporary musical theatre: pop-tinged melodies combined with lyrics that are alternately conversational and elegant, but always embrace the marvelous possibilities of language. His new album, How We React and How We Recover, takes on the uncertainties of today's world with his trademark wry honesty.

For the first time in over 20 years, Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL is gracing the Broadway stage once again. The classic American musical tells the unconventional love story between Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan. This production sees Josh Henry as Bigelow, the charismatic but impulsive carnival barker, and Jessie Mueller as Jordan, an enduring millworker. For CAROUSEL to run without a hitch, the key is a cast that can bring it vocally and through dance. Henry and Mueller are joined by an incredibly talented cast- including Lindsay Mendez, Renee Fleming, and Alexander Gemignani- giving cause for this to be one of the most well rounded, talented casts of a musical currently on Broadway. The 2018 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL opened on April 12 at The Imperial Theater on Broadway. Craft Recordings partnered with the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization to  release the subsequent cast recording digitally on June 8, with a physical release date set for July 13.

Mandy Gonzelez's Fearless, released last winter, combined original tracks with some sweet Broadway nostalgia. More than that, it became the jumping-off point for an online community, nickednamed the #FearlessSquad, that brought people together for straightforward, honest inspiration and support. With the release of the Fearless B-sides, we get to see a different side of Gonzalez: not just the warm, bright presence with a huge voice, but a set of songs that highlight a meditative, sometimes sultry richness.

Regardless of whether fetch happens or not, MEAN GIRLS fans can for sure be glad the 2004 hit film is now a musical-- a 12 time Tony nominated musical no less. The musical iteration of Tina Fey's MEAN GIRLS opened on Broadway last month after an out of town run in Washington D.C. Like the film, this new production tells the tale of Cady Heron (Erika Henningsen) and her mission to take down "the plastics", aka the aforementioned "mean girls". The comedy and cleverness hit you like a bus with original  music from Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin, accompanying Fey's book. Atlantic Records released the original cast recording digitally on May 18, with a physical release date set for June 15.

If you've ever been involved in high school or community theatre, you probably have a My Fair Lady memory. Mine is of my junior year of high school, waltzing around in a vintage amber-colored gown (complete with mildly uncomfortable vintage proportions) and trying desperately to hang onto the alto harmonies despite my utter lack of singing talent (I managed, but Marni Nixon I was not). But it was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life, and listening to the lush, glorious cast recording for Lincoln Center's revival brought back all those warm memories in the best way. For newcomers just discovering this classic gem, it's a delightful introduction. For longtime aficionados, it'll have you dancing all night.

When you listen to an Audra McDonald album or concert, you can probably have a pretty good idea of what you're signing up for: exquisite vocals and a broad swath of the best selections of the American theatre. Her latest album, the recorded-live Sing Happy, delivers all this and more, with stunning vocals and a handful of tracks that capture McDonald's natural, charismatic rapport with her audience.

The first thing you ought to know about Lesli Margherita is that her Twitter handle is @QueenLesli. Actually, that might tell you all you need to know about this always wry, deeply fabulous singer-actress who's become a staple of the theatre world over the course of the past decade: she's a diva and she owns it, but with a tongue-in-cheek dose of self-deprecation that invites us all in to the joke. In the live album of her Rule Your Kingdom show - recorded live at Feinstein's/54 Below - we get to listen in as she belts and banters through a rollicking set.

Lena Hall rings in May with OBSESSED: P!NK, a tribute to the diva who transitioned from mercurial party girl to a songstress giving the world healthy doses of resilient strength, love, and feminism. With both artists being inspiringly bold, with vocals defined by their signature grit, and both possessing magnetizing stage presences, this EP seems almost too obvious a choice. Yet, as with each of the previous entries in the 'Obsessed' series, it does anything but disappoint.

Kate Rockwell has made a career out of the peppy, poppy musicals that have been the hallmark of the past decade of Broadway, most recently as the hilarious ditzy Karen Smith in Mean Girls. But on her debut album, Back To My Roots, she steps away from these characters, instead compiling together the songs she dreamed of performing as a young aspiring actress. The result is a delightfully unexpected combination of comic patter, diva belting, and beautiful ballads that highlight Rockwell's talent and range.

Recently released CALENDAR GIRLS (Original London Recording)cis just perfectly nice. Based on the charming and quaint 2003 film by the same title written by Tim Firth, the musical itself garnered warm notices from London media. So, it is no surprise that the music and this cast was recorded for preservation; however, the two-disc album doesn't convince listeners that this musical is better than the original film as some British theater writers claim.