Among the Broadway names of the past several decades, producer and director Hal Prince surely stands as one of the greatest. His name has been attached to some of the most iconic musicals of all time: She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Company, Evita, Sweeney Todd, and The Phantom of the Opera, just to name a few. The musical Prince of Broadway featured an all-star cast taking audiences on a journey through some of the highlights of Prince's career, and the cast album is a best-of-the-best compilation, preserving some of the brightest performances and clever takes on these well-loved songs.

NBC's live concert staging of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR aired this past Easter Sunday. Largely sung from the perspective of Judas, listeners join THE JOURNEY through final week in the life Jesus Christ, from Palm Sunday to the arrest and crucifixion. Performed live on a set of exposed scaffolding in Brooklyn's Marcy Armory, this live musical gave cause to all of its televised musical predecessors. Masterworks Broadway released the live recording of the vivacious television event digitally on April 6th, with a physical version to follow on April 20.

Joining the ranks of the thoroughly-revised musicals is Working, whose latest cast recording debuted from its recent London cast. The musical, with a score by Stephen Schwartz and book and lyrics by Schwartz and assorted collaborators, originally debuted on Broadway in 1978, where it flopped rather spectacularly. It's a Chorus Line­-esque collection of stories based on interviews with workers from across America, from housewives to teachers to craftsmen and more.

The January 15 news that Dolores O'Riordan, lead singer of The Cranberries, had passed was nothing short of devastating for many. With hearts broken all over the world, it's hard to know when releasing a tribute to The Cranberries would be appropriate. With OBSESSED: THE CRANBERRIES, Lena Hall proves that that time is now, and listening to the EP, I'm sure O'Riordan is simultaneously proud of Hall while jamming out to these incredible covers.

For many, musical theater and Andrew Lloyd Webber are synonymous. Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying that his music has been influential within and outside of the world of musical theater. To celebrate the prolific composer's 70th birthday, UMe / Polydor has released ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION, a sprawling and somewhat bloated 4-disc collection of music personally curated and overseen by Lloyd Webber himself.

Is there such a thing as too much Christmas cheer? The creators of Kris Kringle: The Musical, out now as a studio cast recording, certainly don't think so. The upbeat, cheery tale of an earnest dreamer of a toymaker is as light and sweet as a sugar cookie loaded with red-and-green frosting. Its substance, however, is similar to that sugary treat: delightful at first, but just a little too much after a while.

The pulsating energy of Elton John has long been one of the things that has turned listeners into rabid fans of him and his music for decades. This is not lost on Lena Hall, who matches him kilowatt for kilowatt in her exuberant OBSESSED: ELTON JOHN, which is this month's release in her in ongoing series of EPs for calendar year 2018.

There's a certain reliability to a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. You can count on elegant orchestrations, tidy and effective lyrics, and a heartfelt yet epic tale. All of this and more can be found on the new cast recording of the revival of Once On This Island, a Caribbean-tinged fairytale about love, destiny, and sacrifice.  It's a lushly produced recording that balances the voices of the chorus with quieter character moments.

The inventive musical adventure ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME tells the story of a single mom who is struggling to balance her familial obligations and her work as a video game composer. One sleepless night, she posts a dating video and gets a response from famed 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton. What follows is an odyssey of virtuosic electro-violin performance from Val Vigoda and Wade McCollum's charismatic and lush vocals.

In the heyday of movies being adapted for the stage, one can't be shocked to see the ABBA infused MURIEL'S WEDDING next up to bat for the musical treatment. Based on the 1994 Australian blockbuster of the same title, MURIEL's WEDDING THE MUSICAL had its world premiere late last year thanks to the Sydney Theatre Company and Global Theatre. Maggie McKenna played the title role of Muriel Heslop. Growing up in Porpoise Spit, our ABBA obsessed protagonist is the outcast who incessantly dreams of the perfect the wedding and groom.

Today, Lena Hall released her second of 12 EPs in her Obsessed series, OBSESSED: PETER GABRIEL. The four-song collection is an immensely satisfying tribute to Peter Gabriel while allowing listeners to revel in gravely grandeur of Hall's delicious rock vocals.

Stearns Matthews, a Bistro and Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award-winning vocalist, recently released DECEMBER SONGS. This album is the first male recording of Maury Yeston's 1991 song cycle, which is inspired by Franz Schubert's beloved Winterreise song cycle. With this album, Matthews' shimmering and spirited tenor instrument better connects Yeston's cycle to his inspiration while allowing listeners to get lost in these snow-covered tunes.

When an artist moves away from the cultural capital that is New York City, it goes against every belief we have in that place to acknowledge and accept that the ability to create powerful art can exist outside of that esteemed sanctuary. However, Scott Alan's LIFELINE is alive with spirited lyrics, lush melodies, poignant messages, and heartwarming romance despite being conceived, written, and recorded far from the city that never sleeps.

In the creative world, there are few names as admired and respected as Marvin Hamlisch. One of only two people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Pulitzer (the other being Richard Rodgers), his contributions to the American music canon have been lauded and have entered the popular imagination. On the new album Hamlisch Uncovered, the great composer's songbook is opened up to share previously unrecorded gems, with the help of an array of Broadway stars.

Lena Hall, Broadway's reigning queen of rock, is poised to dominate 2018. And, to be honest, we couldn't be more excited. On Friday, January 5, 2018, she released the first of 12 monthly EPs in her Obsessed series OBSESSED: HEDWIG. For those of us who didn't get to see Hall play the titular character in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH during its recent national tour, this EP gives us a glimpse into what that experience must have been like.

Our album critics have gone through all of the amazing recordings released this year and painstakingly chosen their favorites. From Great Comet to Bandstand to Come From Away, we've got a full list to keep you listening to the best of the best!

BWW Album Review: THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Has All The Shine of A Thousand Spotlights

Bet Hatikvah, the small town that is the setting for The Band's Visit, is utterly unremarkable. But unremarkable is the last adjective one would use to describe the score for this new musical, about an Egyptian police orchestra who, thanks to a linguistic mix-up, find themselves stranded overnight in a tiny Israeli town. Written by Tony nominee David Yazbek, the music ranges from haunting and ethereal to rousing and comedic, weaving together the structures and storytelling needs of musical theatre with melodies and orchestrations that are undeniably, authentically Middle Eastern. The end result is a score that takes a moment to absorb fully, but once it does, it's hard to stop thinking about.

Never underestimate the power of music, sings Ernesto de la Cruz on the soundtrack to the new Disney/Pixar film Coco. And that, at its heart, is the overarching theme of this thoroughly delightful, sometimes surprising story and its accompanying soundtrack. Music here isn't just an accent to the story it is the story. It's a classic Disney coming-of-age musical tale, but with one crucial difference: instead of the usual Broadway-pop score, it features specifically Mexican music, with songs by Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Germaine Franco & Adrian Molina, to tell a story that is both culturally specific and universally human.

Mandy Gonzalez has been one of Broadway's favorite divas since she burst onto the scene in In the Heights. But alongside her powerful voice, she's always given off that vibe that she could be your cool big sister. In her new album Fearless, Gonzalez exudes that same kind of warmth and wisdom on upbeat, inspirational tracks.

You can't help but admire artists who surely know how to play to their strengths. To make matters even better, you can't help appreciate when those artists happen to be famed vocalists Michael Ball and Alfie Boe. They surely showcase what they do best with their second collaborative album, TOGETHER AGAIN, released October 27, 2017 via Decca Records.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has a number of traditions that theatre fans look forward to every year. To raise money for numerous causes, the organization sponsors such special events as Broadway Backwards, the Broadway Flea Market, and Gypsy of the Year. In the midst of the fall/winter collection period is another beloved tradition: Carols for a Cure, a collection of Broadway casts singing holiday songs, now in its nineteenth year. This season's merry offering includes a blend of classic carols, modern songs, and wholly new compositions written specifically for this album.

Kyle Riabko's latest album, RICHARD RODGERS REIMAGINED, was inspired by a fan letter Rodgers had written to Burt Bacharach. No doubt, Riabko became privy to this letter while working on CLOSE TO YOU: BACHARACH REIMAGINED, a show Riabko garnered international acclaim for. Now, back in the United States, Ribako deftly explores another icon of American music, creatively reinterpreting Rodgers' classics through how own energetic pop/rock aesthetic.

What comes to mind when you hear the words blood, brains, ghosts and mummies? Halloween might be a popular presumption, but it shouldn't be the only one with Broadway Records latest album Monstersongs now released. This new album, which also serves as a graphic novel, tells the inner-workings of some of the thoughts and sentiments of a various paradigm of monsters. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of some misunderstood monsters. Helmed by The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical composer, Rob Rokicki, the compilation of songs is best served with the Monstersongs: The Digital Graphic Novel. Illustrated by the artistically versed David O'Neill, the novel gives you the chance to pair the music with the exemplified art for a synergistic intake experience. David O'Neill's illustrations and Rokicki's compositions make for an immersive storytelling experience.

The mythology of heaven and hell is one of the richest stories out there. In the new studio cast recording of Angels, the story is given yet another angle. Writers Ken Lai and Marcus Cheong (both share credit for the book and lyrics, with Lai also writing the music) tell a classic tale of good and evil from the perspective of Sera, an angel of light who longs to make a greater difference and becomes embroiled in a battle against Lucifer. Though uneven at times, the album does provide wonderful showcases for its talented cast.