AmericanTheaterWeb Original News & Reviews

Later this week, I'll be running a few CD review round-up columns. One will focus on discs featuring female vocalists (Jill O'Hara, Sutton Foster, Spider Saloff and Nancy Stearns, among others). Another will focus on guys (Kevin Dozier, Steven Cagan, Andy Friedman and Cortes Alexander). And, if all goes well, a third will focus on some smaller musicals that have put out original cast recordings.

Hopefully, this will clear my decks for the onslaught of new discs, just released or about to be released including:

• Shrek, the Musical – the original cast recording is scheduled for release on March 24 – Decca Broadway already has the page set up for samples – so, if you want to see a track list, visit: www.Shrek-Music.com. The disc hits stores a month from today, March 24.

• Broadway Musicals of 1930 – the latest in the series of recordings of the Town Hall concerts produced by Scott Siegel. These are discs are now being issued by Original Cast Records, and as with all of the previous releases, it's a mix of standards are rarities. Including two previously unrecorded songs: "If I Were You, Love (I’d Jump Right In The Lake)" from Smiles and "I’ve Got A Bug In My Head" from Lew Leslie’s International Revue. This one's in stores already

• Felicia Finley, one of the stars of The Color Purple will be digitally releasing "Great Mood for a Tuesday," on March 14. For her debut solo album, Finley has selected an array of pop songs which teasingly range from classic rock to modern country. More information about this one is available at www.FeliciaFinley.net.

• The Tony Award-winner LaChanze also has a new solo album out: Love LaChanze. The songlist for this one includes original compositions from the singer as well as songs from writers like Peter Gabriel and Chaka Khan. This one's already available as a digital download. More information can be found on the performer's website: www.lachanze.com

• DRG Records will keep busy this winter/spring with a host of reissues. The Original Cast Recording of Maggie Flynn is already in stores, and the company is promising Mister President and Wish You Were Here in the coming weeks.

• The original cast recording of Stephen Sondheim's Road Show is only one of the discs scheduled for release from PS Classics in the coming months. Also on tap for this company: solo albums from Stephen Pasquale and Malcolm Gets, and Groovelily's Sleeping Beauty Wakes.

And while I'm talking about things that need to be listened to, the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization has begun offering podcasts about musicals in its libraries. The first five are up and include one on Allegro and one is a healthy (nearly 45 minutes) interview with Charles Strouse. The links above will take you to the iTunes store for these two directly.

---- Andy Propst