Track-by-Track Breakdown

Track-by-Track Breakdown: Chilina Kennedy Tells the Story Behind the Songs in Her Musical Wild About You

By Chilina Kennedy | September 27, 2024

A new deluxe edition of the in-development musical's 2023 studio album with bonus tracks releases September 27.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Pulitzer Winner Tom Kitt on Creating Almost Famous The Musical

By Tom Kitt | April 28, 2023

The composer dissects the 24-track cast recording, revealing his classic rock influences for the songwriting and sharing details about the collaboration with Cameron Crowe, the musical's (and the film's) writer.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Drag Race Star Alaska, Tomas Costanza, and Ashley Gordon on Creating Drag: The Musical

By Tomas Costanza, Ashley Gordon, Alaska Thunderfuck | May 13, 2022

Out May 13, the studio album of the musical telling the story of two rival drag bars fighting for financial survival features Peppermint, Nick Adams, Max Von Essen, and more.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Tom Kitt and Michael Korie On Creating Flying Over Sunset

By Tom Kitt, Michael Korie | May 6, 2022

Watch two exclusive full-song performances filmed during the Broadway run as the show's writers offer a peak inside its development.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Joe Iconis On Creating Love in Hate Nation

By Joe Iconis | March 24, 2022

Learn the classic songs, artists, and stories that went into the writing of this new musical from the Be More Chill songwriter.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond on the Creation of Ride the Cyclone

By Brooke Maxwell, Jacob Richmond | December 10, 2021

The world premiere cast recording of this Off-Broadway musical released from Ghostlight Records earlier this year.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Jonathan Reid Gealt on Creating Archetype

By Logan Culwell-Block | December 3, 2021

The album releases December 3 with performances from Broadway favorites Daniel J. Watts, Lilli Cooper, Amber Iman, and more.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Daniel Goldstein on the Genius of Michael Friedman and Their Musical Unknown Soldier

By Daniel Goldstein | November 5, 2021

The cast album from Ghostlight Records captures the 2020 Off-Broadway production of one of the late Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson songwriter's final musicals.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Ryan Bauer-Walsh, Marc Shaiman, Dionne McClain-Freeney, More on Writing LGBTQ+ Lullabies

By Logan Culwell-Block | October 29, 2021

The Rainbow Lullaby, featuring performances from Jenn Collella, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Caitlin Kinnunen, and more, is out now from Broadway Records.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Jennifer Nettles Celebrates Broadway on New Album Always Like New

By Ryan McPhee | June 25, 2021

The Grammy-winning country star dives deep into her love of musical theatre, (literally) singing the praises of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sondheim, Pasek and Paul, and more.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Eleri Ward on Bringing Indie-Pop to Sondheim in A Perfect Little Death, Out June 4

By Eleri Ward | June 4, 2021

Singer-songwriter Ward arranges, plays, and sings Sondheim through the lens of Sufjan Stevens on this new 13-track album.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Explore the Romantic Journey of In Pieces: A New Musical (Highlights)

By Joey Contreras | May 13, 2021

Andrew Barth Feldman, George Salazar, Solea Pfeiffer, and more sing in Joey Contreras’ ode to relationships.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Lazours Found a Way to Flap Their Wings During a Pandemic

By The Lazours | April 21, 2021

Flap My Wings is a collaborative album inspired by Daniel and Patrick Lazour's musical We Live in Cairo. In the following essay, the brothers share their journey of working with artists from around the world for the release.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Kyle Taylor Parker On Broadway Soul, Vol 2

By Kyle Taylor Parker | March 22, 2021

The Kinky Boots star dives into the inspiration behind his new takes on songs from Ragtime, The Color Purple, Follies, and more.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Sally Wilfert on Collaborating With Her Late Friend Rebecca Luker

By Sally Wilfert | March 5, 2021

The album of their 2019 concert All the Girls gets a physical release March 5 from PS Classics.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Grace McLean Goes In The Green

By Grace McLean, Logan Culwell-Block | January 15, 2021

The Great Comet star gives us the inside scoop on the inspiration and artistry that went into the medieval musical as the cast recording gets a physical release from Ghostlight Records.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Katori Hall Goes 'River Deep, Mountain High' on the Tina: The Tina Turner Musical Cast Recording

By Katori Hall | November 18, 2020

In this in-depth and reflective essay, the Tony-nominated book writer explores Tina Turner's life, Adrienne Warren's pipes, and more.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Motown Performer Ryan Shaw Breaks Down His New Album as a Revival of Marvin Gaye

By Ruthie Fierberg, Ryan Shaw | November 12, 2020

The Grammy nominee and America”s Got Talent alum asks “What if Marvin Gay were still alive today?” And answers it with Imagining Marvin.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Ryan Scott Oliver Breaks Down His New Album Future Demons

By Ryan Scott Oliver with Lindsay Mendez | November 4, 2020

RSO brings his horror-thriller album to life, explaining the ins and outs of writing spooky music—with an intro from Tony winner Lindsay Mendez.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Inside the Writing of 1969: The Second Man

By Jacob Brandt | October 28, 2020

Composer-lyricist Jacob Brandt takes us inside the melodic motivations and inner workings of his musical and capturing the psychological story of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to step foot on the moon.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Lin-Manuel Miranda Introduces Jaime Lozano’s Songs by an Immigrant

By Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jaime Lozano | October 5, 2020

The 12-track album, released October 2, is unlike any other you’ve heard—fusing salsa, bolero pop, tex-mex, cumbia, musical theatre, and more—which is why Miranda wrote the liner notes.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: David Henry Hwang on the Reverse King and I of Soft Power

By David Henry Hwang | April 28, 2020

Nominated for 11 Drama Desk Awards, the Off-Broadway musical's cast album is now available from Ghostlight Records.
Track-By-Track Breakdown: Bobby Conte Thornton On His New Jazz Album Along the Way

By Bobby Conte Thornton and James Sampliner | April 24, 2020

With album producer James Sampliner, Thornton shares the narrative trajectory of the cabaret act-turned-record.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Irene Sankoff and David Hein Share the True Stories Behind Their Tony-Nominated Come From Away Score

By Irene Sankoff and David Hein | April 21, 2020

The musical opened March 12, 2017, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: How Do You Make Sondheim Sound Disco for Losing My Mind?

By Joshua Hinck and Scott Wasserman | April 17, 2020

Joshua Hinck and Scott Wasserman reveal the fusion of two seemingly opposite musical languages in their “Sondheim Disco Fever Dream” from Broadway Records.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty Dissect Their Ragtime Score

By Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty | April 8, 2020

A deep dive into the untold stories of lyrical inspirations, creations of musical themes, cut sequences, and the genius of Terrence McNally behind the show’s Tony Award–winning songs.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Georgia Stitt on Her New Album of Original Music

By Georgia Stitt | March 27, 2020

The composer and music director shares the backstories of the 13 tracks on her A Quiet Revolution.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Score to Off-Broadway Hit Emojiland

By Keith Harrison and Laura Schein | March 24, 2020

Co-writers Keith Harrison and Laura Schein share the backstory to their songs, which can be heard on the original cast album released by Broadway Records.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Neurosis Lyricist Greg Edwards Shares the Thoughts Behind the Score

By Greg Edwards | June 24, 2019

With the Off-Broadway cast album—featuring Kevin Zak, Brennan Caldwell, Jennifer Blood, and Morgan Weed—now available, Edwards walks Playbill readers through the score one neurosis at a time.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Jonathan Larson Project Cast Album

By Jennifer Ashley Tepper | April 15, 2019

Jennifer Ashley Tepper, the director of the Feinstein's/54 Below concert, shares behind-the-scenes stories about the mostly unheard Larson songs that comprise the song cycle.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Andrew Lippa on Unbreakable

By Andrew Lippa | March 6, 2019

The songwriter takes readers through the live recording of the 2018 concert about the history of gay rights in 20th-century America.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Evolution of Mann Original Cast Album

By Playbill Staff | February 27, 2019

Stars Max Crumm, Allie Trimm, and Leslie Hiatt share memories from the musical upon the cast album's release.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Kirsten Childs on the Wild Ride of Bella: An American Tale

By Kirsten Childs | February 15, 2019

Childs, who also wrote The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, shares stories behind each song on the new cast album for her Off-Broadway musical.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Ahrens and Flaherty Dissect Their Score for Broadway's Anastasia

By Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty | January 15, 2019

The Tony-winning songwriters explain what changed, what didn't change, and why they wrote some brand-new songs for their adaptation of their animated musical.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Go Deep on the Andrew Keenan-Bolger–Led Kris Kringle Cast Album

By Maria Ciampi | December 17, 2018

Bookwriter Maria Ciampi shares behind-the-scenes stories of the Kris Kringle The Musical score just in time for the holidays.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin on the Score for Broadway's The Prom

By Playbill Staff | December 14, 2018

The songwriters for the new musical comedy starring Beth Leavel, Brooks Ashmanskas, Caitlin Kinnunen, and more walk readers through the new cast album, now available.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Songwriter Mark Allen on the Songs in Gettin' the Band Back Together

By Playbill Staff | October 8, 2018

Allen shares behind-the-score stories to the songs in the Broadway musical seen at the Belasco earlier this season.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Charlie Sohne and Tim Rosser On the Inspirations Behind The Boy Who Danced On Air

By Playbill Staff | October 6, 2018

The writers of this emotional Off-Broadway musical go in-depth on each song featured on the new cast album.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Off-Broadway's Miss You Like Hell

By Mark Peikert | October 3, 2018

Before Ghostlight Records releases the original cast album digitally October 5, Pulitzer winner Quiara Alegría Hudes and singer-songwriter Erin McKeown share how their score came to be.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Alexis Michelle Breaks Down Her Lovefool

By Playbill Staff | September 28, 2018

The Season 9 contestant and cabaret favorite shares how and why she chose the ten tracks on her new album.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: The Bengsons on Crafting Their Hundred Days Score

By Playbill Staff | September 25, 2018

Real-life couple Abigail and Shaun Bengson go deep on their eclectic score, preserved on a new cast album.
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Jim Vallance Walks Readers Through the Pretty Woman Score

By Jim Vallance | September 21, 2018

Written with Bryan Adams, the score to Pretty Woman is a showcase for some amazing Broadway voices (Samantha Barks and Orfeh, anyone?).
Track-by-Track Breakdown: Peter Kellogg and David Friedman Go Deep on Their Desperate Measures Score

By Peter Kellogg and David Friedman | August 22, 2018

Currently running at New World Stages, Desperate Measures takes Shakespeare's Measure for Measure, ups the comedy, and sets the whole thing in the Wild Wild West.

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