CD-Charts Position 1
Average Rating:

Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)

by: Benny Andersson, Julian Poole, Jenny Galloway, Nicolas Colicos, Paul Clarkson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Lisa Stokke, Eliza Lumley, Melissa Gibson, Siobhan McCarthy, Louise Plowright, Jenny Galloway, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson

Release Date October 17, 2000
The soundtrack is very entertaining. I usually listen to it while I am driving and makes my cummute tolerable

CD-Charts Position 2
Average Rating:

Sunset Boulevard (1993 Original London Cast)

by: Michael Bauer, Daniel Benzali, Meredith Braun, Gerard Casey, Nicolas Colicos, Anita Louise Combe, Don Black, Christopher Hampton, Patti LuPone, Kevin Anderson

Release Date June 10, 1996
When this CD was first released my partner and I listened to it every night and sometimes twice. We thought what a perfect vehicle for Patti and you could tell it was written for her vocal range. All the characters were fabulous and George Hearn as Max was cast in stone.~~~~~New Year's Eve and Glenn Close stopped into Andrew Loyd Weber's party where all were celebrating the success of Sunset Blvd. Close got up on the piano, cleavage showing, and sang one of Patti's songs. ~~~~~~~ Patti was replaced, handsomely, but with a slap from a girl who should have never left her side of the tracks. ~~~~~~~ So here we are with Patti soaring as she did from the start. She made this show. It was stolen. All that remains is her voice as Norma Desmond. ~~~~~ ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
Average Rating:

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: London Palladium Cast Recording (1991 London Revival Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Michael Dixon, The Joseph Orchestra, Amanda Courtney-Davies, Aubrey Woods, Caroline Dillon, Connor Byrne, David Easter, Elizabeth Renihan, Gael Johnson, Jacqui Harman, Jacqui Jameson, Jason Donovan, Jason Moore, Jocelyn Vodovoz Cook, Johnny Amobi, Mark Frendo, Megan Kelly, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Related Recordings)

Release Date May 23, 2006
Highly enjoyable version, although my personal preference is the Canadian version with Donny Osmond. The narrator in the London version is top notch as are the other cast members - well worth the money for all this listening pleasure

CD-Charts Position 4
Average Rating:

Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)

by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jim Steinman

Release Date September 21, 1999
Excellent service and excellent music, Enjoyed re-living my night at the 5th Avenue theatre enchanted by the musical.

CD-Charts Position 5
Average Rating:

Mamma Mia!: 5th Anniversary Edition

Release Date
If you are going to get the CD of the Mamma Mia musical this is the one to buy. I know the price is stiff, but, at least to me, it is worth it. I have played it several times and never get tired of it. In addition, it includes an encore rendition of the songs Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, and an initial rendition of Waterloo. You can buy cheaper CD's of the Mamma Mia musical, but these ABBA songs are worth paying a little more to get the best version that is available for sale.

CD-Charts Position 6
Average Rating:

Guys and Dolls (1995 Studio Cast) (First Complete Recording)

from: Jay Records

Release Date June 18, 1996
This is certainly the definitive recording of Mr. Loesser's music. It is likely the most complete recorded version we have. I personally prefer the more modernly orchestrated 1992 Cast Recording, but this is definitely the most accurate.

There are a few performances that (in my opinion) are not the best we've heard. Stubby Kaye is still the best Nicely-Nicely. Nathan Lane was a great Nathan Detroit. This album shines though with Emily Loesser's fantastic performance as Sarah. She sings the role as if she was born to do so - it easy for her. Every song she sings is a highlight, and I often end up getting just a bit excited if I know one of her songs is queued up.

All in all this particular album is good. Ms. Loesser is the highlight, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
Average Rating:

Calamity Jane: First Complete Recording (1995 Studio Cast)

by: Paul Francis Webster

Release Date October 01, 1996
I confess that I had a crush on Doris Day. Starting with "Tea for Two" in 1950 through "Billy Rose's Jumbo" in 1968, there was hardly a Doris Day movie that I missed. I could name a dozen favorites, and at the top of the list would be "Calamity Jane," ". . . released by Warner Brothers in 1953 to cash in on the popularity of the musical western, and in particular Annie Get Your Gun which had been released in 1950 and had been box-office gold." (Liner notes from the Jay recording)

No complete soundtrack was ever released. Only four songs on the Columbia 10-inch LP "soundtrack" were actually from the film soundtrack: "The Deadwood Stage", "I Can Do Without You", "Higher Than a Hawk" and "Secret Love." The other four songs were studio recordings. A stage version of ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 8
Average Rating:

Brigadoon (Music Theatre Hour)

by: Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, George Dvorsky, Janis Kelly, Maurice Clarke

Release Date March 08, 2005
I confess that I had a crush on Doris Day. Starting with "Tea for Two" in 1950 through "Billy Rose's Jumbo" in 1968, there was hardly a Doris Day movie that I missed. I could name a dozen favorites, and at the top of the list would be "Calamity Jane," ". . . released by Warner Brothers in 1953 to cash in on the popularity of the musical western, and in particular Annie Get Your Gun which had been released in 1950 and had been box-office gold." (Liner notes from the Jay recording)

No complete soundtrack was ever released. Only four songs on the Columbia 10-inch LP "soundtrack" were actually from the film soundtrack: "The Deadwood Stage", "I Can Do Without You", "Higher Than a Hawk" and "Secret Love." The other four songs were studio recordings. A stage version of ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 9
Average Rating:

On The Town (1995 Studio Cast)

by: Betty Comden, Adolph Green

Release Date October 29, 1996
On the Town is one of the Great Theater Scores of all times. If you don't know it well then you probably think West Side Story came out of no where from Bernstein's imagination, when nothing could be further from the truth. On the Town is a younger man's musical, told in song and dance almost equally. This great score has been very well served on recordings. Leonard Bernstein went into the studio in 1960 (almost 20 years after the show closed and brought all the important parts of the original cast with him. Nancy Walker, Betty Comden, Adolphe Green, and Cris Alexander recreate their Broadway performances magnificently, and Bernstein conducts as only a composer could. Unfortunately although he recorded the entire score, when it was released, bits and pieces were snip snipped ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 10
Average Rating:

The Pajama Game (1996 London Studio Cast)

by: Jerry Ross

Release Date April 22, 1997
"The Pajama Game" is truly a fantastic work of the musical theater. With funny, memorable characters, a creative concept, and a bold, brassy score that includes the incomparable "Hey, There", "Hernando's Hideaway", and "Steam Heat" along with major sleeper hits such as "There Once Was a Man" and "I'll Never Be Jealous Again".

This recording is very good, with a more modern sound and the complete score (something the other albums do not have) but there are some shortcomings.

Ron Raines as Sid - Raines, I feel, does a fantastic job, sings all his numbers beautifully, and is just as good as John Raitt, but has his charms in other areas. The finaletto is great.

Judy Kaye as Babe - Kaye gives only recording ... Read More: