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FOR THE HOLIDAYS:
A CHRISTMAS GIFT : This is a new holiday-themed CD containing ten songs performed by Dick Pyatt. Pyatt, former program director at WNYC radio, has made some lovely choices on this recording, with selections ranging from the traditional "White Christmas" to inspirational songs like "Lost in the Stars" to a couple of Jewish pieces, "Kol Nidre" and "Eli Eli." This CD is only available on Dick's website. If you order the CD and mention NYTE, Dick will send 40% of the sale price to NYTE as a donation to our company. (Martin Denton)
NEW ON CD!:
SOUTH PACIFIC: There are few scores that can boast as many hit standards as Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. The cast recording of the Lincoln Center revival shimmers: the songs are just as good now as they were five decades ago, the orchestra sounds romantically lush, and the performers sparkle. Containing every reprise and at least one song cut from the original production, the recording captures the entire score. Highlights include Tony Award winner Paulo Szot's deeply passionate "This Nearly Was Mine," Kelli O'Hara's vivacious, earnest "A Wonderful Guy," and Loretta Ables Sayre's beckoning, provocative "Bali Ha’i." Indeed, this cd will make everyone want to go visit Bali Ha’i. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
HOWARD SINGS ASHMAN: PS Classics' Songwriter Series continues with Howard Sings Ashman. Featuring an insane amount of demos of Howard Ashman performing songs from the hit scores of Little Shop of Horrors, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid, also included are songs cut from Aladdin, songs from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater!, and a handful of obscure projects. If that weren’t enough to entice any Ashman fan to purchase this recording, there is a second disc with 15 tracks of the delightful score from Ashman and Marvin Hamlisch's 1986 Broadway flop, Smile. And if that is still not enough, the recording comes with a booklet with quotes from people who have worked with Ashman, a full set of lyrics, and a transcript from a talk he gave about his ideals and goals for the The Little Mermaid taken off an archival DVD of a meeting with its animators. Ashman's lyrics are among the best lyrics ever written for theatrical presentation—they are genuine and heartfelt while also being clever and sometimes funny. This is a must-have CD for anyone who is studying lyrical composition. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
DEAR EDWINA: Dear Edwina has been performed around the country for about a decade and finally has found a run off-Broadway and received an exceptional recording. With a cast including the exceptional Broadway talents Kerry Butler, Danny Burstein, Andrea Burns, Rebecca Luker, Terrence Mann, and Kate Shindle, the charming, versatile, unique score comes to life. Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler write with impeccable skill and craft to create Edwina's world of giving advice on manners. Highlights include the boppy "Say No Thank You," the haunting "Frankenguest," the catchy, hammy "Put it in the Piggy," and the uplifting ballad, "Sing Your Own Song." This is a great present for any young fans of musical theatre. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
JACKIE HOFFMAN: LIVE AT JOE'S PUB: Hanukkah has arrived early for fans of Jackie Hoffman. Recorded live at Joe’s Pub, Hoffman’s latest one-woman show is a collection of her most offensive material. Hoffman is a force to be reckoned with, and her vibrant, virulent personality makes the listener feel as if he/she were in attendance live. She is simply over-the-top hilarious. Highlights are "The Kvetching Continues" about how Jews will always find something to complain about, "Three Minutes on Broadway" about her minor roles on Broadway in Hairspray, and "Stop Making Out," an angry rant towards couples exhibiting public displays of affection. This is a must-have for anyone with a twisted sense of humor. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
SUNDAY IN NEW YORK: Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch's Sunday in New York is a relaxing, mellow jazz album of duets compromising mostly standards. Ebersole possesses a clear, genuine, rich soprano, and Stritch matches her emotional complexity and intensity with every keystroke. There is not a track that disappoints, but some highlights include a vivacious "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, a sweet sentimental rendition of the Berlin ballad "What'll I Do?" and the final track, a jazzy "Will You?" from Grey Gardens, which won Ebersole a Tony award. It is quite apparent that both Ebersole and Stritch are having a grand time performing; thus, the listener cannot help but to have a good time, too. Therefore, Sunday in New York is perfect for any day of the week, anywhere—not just Sunday...in New York. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
NOW PLAYING:
13 THE MUSICAL: The cast recording of 13 is the perfect gift for any young and perhaps some older musical theatre lovers. Jason Robert Brown's score is diverse, catchy, witty, clever, vivacious, and innovative to say the least, which puts Disney to shame. Furthermore, it is far more realistic, not cowering away from the actual angst and sexual tension teenagers go through. The highlights include the heartfelt "What It Means to be a Friend," the hilarious blues number "Bad, Bad News," and the multi-layered, full cast number, "Getting Ready." In addition, there are cut and extended songs as a bonus. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
GYPSY: Gypsy is undeniably one of the seminal and best scores of musical theater—Jule Styne's music combines with Stephen Sondheim's lyrics to produce a masterpiece. The newest revival cd captures not only the iconic score, but the Tony Award winning performances of its three leads Patti LuPone, Boyd Gaines, and Laura Benanti. LuPone is a force of nature—her Mama Rose is forceful and guttural, and the highlights of the cd are when she’s belting up a storm. And as if that wasn't enough to sell someone on the cd, it features seven bonus tracks of cut songs, some that have never been recorded before anywhere else! Fortunately, the cd will live on long after the production closes this spring. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
THE LITTLE MERMAID: The cast recording of the Little Mermaid captures the score of the Disney musical beautifully. Combining pre-written songs from the Oscar-winning score with new ones penned for the theatre, the world under the sea is brought to life. Alan Menken is undeniably one of the most prolific and melodic composers of his generation. The cast sounds great on the recording: Sherie Renee Scott is jovially wicked as Ursula, Tituss Burgess's powerhouse tenor soars via his incredible riffs, and Sierra Boggess's voice is sweet, hopeful and angelic. Any Disney fan will not be disappointed by this recording. (Seth Bisen-Hersh)
JERSEY BOYS (2005 Original Broadway Cast): The rousing cast album of Jersey Boys is a treat for both pop music lovers and musical theatre fans alike. The score, by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, serves not only as dynamic musical theatre, but as a mini-history of pop music. With songs like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “December 1963 (Oh What a Night),” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” Jersey Boys also charts the course of cultural history of America from the 1950s to the present (not to mention that it takes at least a dozen songs that have been heard in countless movies and commercials over the years and puts them in a proper perspective). Anchored by the thrillingly accurate performances of John Lloyd Young, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer, Jersey Boys is a cast recording for all ages, and the ages. (Michael Criscuolo)
MARY POPPINS (2005 Original London Cast): I got the goose bumps as soon as the “Chim Chim Cher-Ee” teaser began on this wonderful CD recording of West End’s Mary Poppins. FYI, this musical is not a live carbon copy of the famous 1964 Disney film of the same name starring Julie Andrews, which strayed from the original stories by P.L. Travers. This CD features the collaboration between Disney and Cameron Macintosh, which premiered in London in 2004, and opened on Broadway in 2006. Don’t worry, both the musical and the CD still include the classic songs written by Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman from the original film, including “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “The Perfect Nanny.” Most, however, have been revamped by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have also added a few new songs to the mix. Standouts are “Practically Perfect” and “Temper, Temper” (the latter of which...my favorite...is a wee scary, so tend to the kids). All in all, a great CD...AND, it has an insert with all the words and a lengthy letter from Mr. Macintosh himself. (John Samuel Jordan)
SPRING AWAKENING (2006 Broadway Cast): I love this CD! Not since Rent has there be such an awesome original cast recording. With lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening features songs with titles like “The Bitch of Living,” “My Junk,” and “The Guilty Ones.” Based on the infamous (read: “controversial” due to its explicit portrayal of teenaged sexual angst) 1891 Frank Wedekind play, these songs are as 21st Century as ipods and could easily find their place (and video) on MTV. Take Sater’s lyrics for “Totally Fucked” that include, “You can kiss your sorry ass good-bye,” and “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Pop music lovers who might otherwise turn their noses up at musical theatre will sing a different tune once they hear “I Don’t Do Sadness.” From the first downbeat, this song gets you going with its combination of strings, guitars and percussion. Not to mention John Gallagher Jr.’s vocals. And once he’s joined by the soulful Lauren Pritchard, the song really rocks! Fans of Duncan Sheik’s moody melodic ballads will not be disappointed either. “All That’s Known” sung by Jonathan Groff with backing vocals (by members of the male ensemble, in Latin!) sounds straight off one of Sheik’s Grammy-nominated CDs. And Lea Michele’s “Whispering” could/should easily be a Top 40 hit. (Frank Anthony Polito)
ALSO FROM NYTE:
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2008: The ninth in NYTE's annual series of anthologies of new plays from the world of indie theater. Featuring the complete texts of: The Telling Trilogy by Crystal Skillman, What Happened When by Daniel Talbott, Antarctica by Carolyn Raship, Cleansed by Thomas Bradshaw, Linnea by John Regis, ...and we all wore leather pants by Robert Attenweiler, Marvelous Shrine by Leslie Bramm, In Our Name by Elena Hartwell, Universal Robots by Mac Rogers, and Fall Forward by Daniel Reitz. With an introduction by Martin Denton and a foreword by Mark Blankenship, plus an appendix of more than 700 new American plays produced in NYC.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2007: NYTE's newest anthology of eleven plays from New York's indie theater scene. Includes LENZ by bluemouth, inc., Office Sonata by Andy Chmelko, Kiss and Cry by Tom Rowan, They're Just Like Us by Boo Killebrew, Convergence by Bryn Manion, Red Tide Blooming by Taylor Mac, The Adventures of Nervous-Boy by James Comtois, Another Brief Encounter by Stan Richardson, Corps Values by Brendon Bates, Diving Normal by Ashlin Halfnight, 'nami by Chad Beckim. Foreword by John Clancy, and featuring an annotated Appendix of new American Plays produced in New York City during the 2005-06 season. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2006: An anthology a dozen plays from the indie theatre scene. Includes The Top Ten People of the Millenium Sing Their Favorite Schubert Lieder by Alec Duffy, Burning the Old Man by Kelly McAllister, Self at Hand by Jack Hanley, The Expense of Spirit by Josh Fox, Paradise by Glyn O'Malley, Yit, Ngay (One, Two) by Michael Lew,Pulling the Lever by Rising Circle Theater Collective, The Position by Kevin Doyle, The Dirty Talk by Michael Puzzo, The First Time Out of Bounds by P. Seth Bauer, Aurolac Blues by Saviana Stanescu, The Whore of Sheridan Square by Michael Baron. Foreword by Trav S.D., and featuring an appendix which serves as a directory of the new American plays produced in New York City in the 2004-05 season. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2005: A collection of twelve new plays by emerging writers. Includes Vampire Cowboy Trilogy by Qui Nguyen & Robert Ross Parker, second. by Neal Utterback, Bull Spears by Josh Chambers, Animal by Kevin Augustine, Odysseus Died from AIDS by Stephen Svoboda, Maggie May by Tom O'Brien, Elephant by Margie Stokley, Walking to America by Alberto Bonilla, The 29 Questions Project by Katie Bull & Hillary Rollins, Honor by TheDrillingCompaNY, Kalighat by Paul Knox, and Platonov! Platonov! Platonov! or the Case of a Very Angry Duck by Eric Michael Kochmer. Foreword by Steven Drukman. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2004: An anthology of plays from off-off-Broadway. Includes Sugarbaby by Frank Cwiklik, WTC View by Brian Sloan, United States: Work & Progress by Christy Meyer, Jon Schumacher & Ellen Shanman, The Shady Maids of Haiti by John Jahnke, Cats Can See The Devil by Tom X. Chao, Survivor: Vietnam! by Rob Reese, Feed the Hole by Michael Stock, Auntie Mayhem by David Pumo, The Monster Tales by Mary Jett Parsley, Sun, Stand Thou Still by Steven Gridley. Foreword by Kirk Wood Bromley. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2003: An anthology of plays from off-off-Broadway. Includes A Queer Carol by Joe Godfrey, Pumpkins for Smallpox by Catherine Gillet, Looking for the Pony by Andrea Lepcio, Black Thang by Ato Essandoh, The Ninth Circle by Edward Musto, The Doctor of Rome by Nat Colley, Galaxy Video by Marc Morales, The Last Carburetor by Leon Chase, Out to Lunch by Joseph Langham, Ascending Bodily by Maggie Cino, Last Call by Kelly McAllister. Foreword by Mario Fratti. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2002:An anthology of plays from off-off-Broadway. Includes The Death of King Arthur by Matt Freeman, Match by Marc Chun, Woman Killer by Chiori Miyagawa, The Wild Ass's Skin by J. Scott Reynolds, Shyness Is Nice by Marc Spitz, Halo by Ken Urban, Reality by Curtiss I'Cook, The Resurrectionist by Kate Chell, Bunny's Last Night in Limbo by Peter S. Petralia, Summerland by Brian Thorstensen. Foreword by Bill C. Davis. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYS AND PLAYWRIGHTS 2001: An anthology of plays from off-off-Broadway. Includes Washington Square Dreams by Gorilla Repertory Theatre, Fate by Elizabeth Horsburgh, Velvet Ropes by Joshua Scher, The Language of Kisses by Edmund DeSantis, Word To Your Mama by Julia Lee Barclay, Cuban Operator Please... by Adrian Rodriguez, The Elephant Man—The Musical by Jeff Hylton & Tim Werenko, House of Trash by Trav S.D., Straight-Jacket by Richard Day. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
UNPREDICTABLE PLAYS: NYTE's new collection of 28 plays by playwright Mario Fratti, author of the musical Nine. Includes the complete scripts of: The Friday Bench, Suicide Club, Alessia, The Piggy Bank, The Fourth One, Dolls No More, Porno, Dina and Alba, The Bridge, Confessions, The Coffin, A.I.D.S., Brothel (The Doorbell), The Letter, Mothers and Daughters, Beata, the Pope's Daughter, The Wish, Erotic Adventures in Venice (Promises), The Academy, Friends, Terrorist, The Return, The Seventy-fifth, Iraq (Blindness), "Che", Anniversary, Missionaries, Sincerity. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.
PLAYING WITH CANONS: An anthology of eighteen plays by some of indie theatre's most exciting playwrights, celebrating the enduring power and spirit of classic literature and drama. Includes Want's Unwisht Work by Kirk Wood Bromley, La Tempestad by Larry Loebell, Titus X by Shawn Northrip, Genesis by Matthew Freeman, Eumenides by David Johnston, Principia by Michael Maiello & Andrew Recinos, Uncle Jack by Jeff Cohen, Story of an Unknown Man by Anthony P. Pennino, The Brothers Karamazov, Parts I & II by Alexander Harrington, Bel Canto by Renee Flemings, Salem by Alex Roe, Bartleby the Scrivener by R.L. Lane, Frankenstein by Rob Reese, Northanger Abbey by Lynn Marie Macy, The Man Who Laughs by Kiran Rikhye, Bald Diva! by David Koteles, Fatboy by John Clancy, The Persians by Waterwell. Edited by nytheatre.com's Martin Denton.Learn more about it here!
