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Digital Music Now Available:
Company, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Into the Woods, Assassins
(Sony Masterworks Broadway - new digital albums)
Four original cast albums of scores by Stephen Sondheim, newly remixed and remastered editions in both Sony's 360 Reality Audio and Dolby Atmos immersive audio experiences, available at Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal. The last legacy project on which iconic composer and lyricist himself consulted. Sony's 360 Reality Audio format (not available at Apple Music) allows listeners to immerse themselves in a field of sound, using any pair of headphones. Individual sounds such as vocals, chorus, piano, guitar, bass and even sounds of the live audience can be placed in a 360 spherical sound field, giving artists and creators a new way to express their creativity. Dolby Atmos available via Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL is an immersive music experience that adds more space, clarity, and depth to your music. Instead of just hearing your music, it feels like you are inside the song. Masterworks Broadway.
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
(new digital albums)
Four volumes of the original soundtrack for the roleplaying musical video game Stray Gods by songwriter, composer, musical director Austin Wintory. Three of the four albums, titled the Red, Blue and Green Editions, isolate the three color-coded "traits" the player chooses from among during the songs (co-written by Wintory, Tripod [Simon Hall, Steve Gates, Scott Edgar] and Montaigne). The fourth album, the Pantheon Edition, weaves together the three traits and also includes the game's original score, also by Wintory. Songs performed by Troy Baker, Anthony Rapp, Felicia Day, Janina Gavankar, and others. Released 8/10/23 alongside the debut of the game.
Books Now Available:
August Wilson: A Life
(Simon & Schuster - new hardcover book/Kindle Edition)
Biography of August Wilson by Patti Hartigan, who interviewed Wilson many times before his death and traces his life from his childhood in Pittsburgh to Broadway. She also interviewed scores of friends, theater colleagues and family members, and conducted extensive research to tell the story of a writer who left an indelible imprint on American theater and opened the door for future playwrights of color. 592 pages.
Frank and Percy
(Methuen Drama - Paperback)
Play by Ben Weatherill. Published to coincide with the world premiere at Theatre Royal Windsor, in June 2023, starring Roger Allam and Ian McKellen. 80 pages. Kindle Edition released in July 2023.
Here's to the Ladies: Conversations with More of the Great Women of Musical Theater
(Oxford Univ Press - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition)
Eddie Shapiro's follow-up to Nothing Like a Dame and A Wonderful Guy. From twenty exclusive, never-before-seen interviews, detailed stories and reflections from conversations with Barbara Cook, Kelli O'Hara, Heather Headley, Faith Prince, Stephanie J. Block, Tonya Pinkins, and a host of others about what it means to be a leading lady on Broadway over the past fifty years. 400 pages. [Appears to have been released early.]
Music to Be Released This Friday, August 18:
Album
(Ghostlight Records - 5 LP vinyl box set)
Special vinyl release of Joe Iconis' Album featuring 70 artists and 45 songs, including the new bonus track "The Whiskey Song." Produced by Iconis, Ian Kagey, and Charlie Rosen, executive produced by Randi Zuckerberg, features music direction by Danielle Gimbal, and choir arrangements by Joel Waggoner.
Idina Menzel: Drama Queen
(BMG - new on CD/digital)
Collaborations alongside global hitmakers Nile Rodgers, Jake Shears, Justin Tranter, Sir Nolan, Simon Wilcox, Laura Veltz, Jim Eliot, Maty Noyes, Mitch Allan, Lindy Robbins, Chantry Johnson, Michelle Zarlenga and more. Tracks include "Move" (released), "Beast," "Paradise" (with Nile Rodgers), "Make Me Hate Me," "Royalty," "My Love for Life," "Funny Kind of Lonely," "Dramatic," "Madison Hotel." Produced by Chantry Johnson and Mitch Allan. Vinyl version to be released 10/27/23.
Perry Como Sings Songs at the Supper Club
(Sepia Records - new on 2 CDs)
63 tracks never commercially recorded by Perry Como and performed on the Chesterfield Radio Show, The Supper Club between 1944-1948. Featuring the orchestras of Ted Steele and Lloyd Shaffer with vocal harmonies from The Satisfiers and The Modernaires.
Newly Listed Recordings:
September 1:
Mary Bridget Davies: Freedom of My Mind
(LOML/ TJ Armand Music LLC - new album)
Acoustic blues rock album from Mary Bridget Davies (A Night with Janis Joplin), recorded live at Power Station NYC. Accompanied by Clint DeGanon on drums, Mark Berman on piano, Alex Prezzano on guitar, and Dave Richards on bass. Concert video release expected in the future.
Newly Listed Books:
September 12:
Purple Rising: Celebrating 40 Years of the Magic, Power, and Artistry of The Color Purple
(Atria Books - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition/Audible Audiobook/Audiobook on CD)
By Lise Funderburg. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prizewinning masterpiece "The Color Purple," as well as the acclaimed 1985 film from Steven Spielberg, the Tony-winning Broadway musical, and the all-new film adaptation. An exploration of the novels enduring legacy, featuring contributions from Alice Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino, Danny Glover, and more. Oral histories and fresh anecdotes based on more than fifty original interviews, as well as vibrant, never-before-seen images. Oral histories and fresh anecdotes based on more than fifty original interviews, as well as vibrant, never-before-seen images.
October 24:
Poster Child: The Psychedelic Art & Technicolor Life of David Edward Byrd
(Cameron Books - Hardcover Book/Kindle Edition)
By David Edward Byrd and Robert von Goeben. Foreword by Marc Myers. Afterword by Jolino Beserra. Graphic artist David Edward Byrd pioneered the iconic visual styles that have come to define rock 'n' roll graphics through his poster, concert, and album art designs. He also created the iconic imagery for many Broadway shows, including Follies, Godspell, Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, and more. 176 pages.
November 2:
Beyond Ridiculous: Making Gay Theatre with Charles Busch in 1980s New York
(Univ of Iowa Press - Paperback Book)
By Kenneth Elliott. Tells the story of Theatre-in-Limbo, a downtown band of actors formed in 1984 by director Kenneth Elliott and playwright and drag legend Charles Busch. Elliott narrates the company's Cinderella tale of fun, heartbreak, and dishy drama. 226 pages.
