Welcome to the Cast Recordings FAQ! As of November 2002, we have received over 20,000 hits (according to our newer counter) since the May 2000 change of management. Thank you for helping to make this site such a rousing success.
Apologies for the lengthy downtime in August; there were server issues that proved very difficult to solve.
Note: Users of this site's search engine (located on the left-hand side) should be aware that the search function is not robust -- that is, small misspellings will make the search fail. For best results, search for shows by the single least common word in their names, and be sure your spelling is correct. Also, very few performers or writers are mentioned by name anywhere in the FAQ. If you wish to find a person's recording credits, you can conduct that kind of search on the
Musical Cast Album Database.
Given the time and expense involved in maintaining a web site, I have added a pay function through the Amazon Honor System. I will never charge for the information included here -- it would be unthinkable to me, given that I can claim no credit for the creation or release of the albums I discuss, and that I necessarily take my information from other sources. But I would appreciate a "tip" if you enjoy my site and find it useful.
Click on the button to the left to do so.
This page is intended to answer as many questions as possible about existing cast recordings that remain unissued on CD, that have been issued but have subsequently disappeared, or that may be at risk of disappearing in the near future. Most of these questions are asked with regularity on the Cast Recordings mailing list, on rec.arts.theatre.musicals, to or by various theatre columnists, and in many of our homes.
The sidebar consists of links to other sites which may provide answers which are lacking here. (They are likelier not to -- if I may be brutally frank and shamefully immodest -- but you'll find plenty of useful information at any of them.)
Site Index:
Many thanks to all of the people who have sent in corrections, suggestions and compliments. Special thanks are due to
David Levy (originator of the Cast Recordings FAQ),
Matt Kingston (originator of the Cast Recording Resource Guide, most of whose content has been absorbed into this site), Max Preeo and the members of the Cast Recordings mailing list, and the members of the internet newsgroup rec.arts.theatre.musicals.
Bill Jennings deserves a splash of credit for the information that appeared at his defunct "Better Living Through Show Tunes". Other references include the columns of Ken Mandelbaum (and his book
Not Since Carrie) and Peter Filichia (and his book
Let's Put On a Musical), and Jack Raymond's Show Music on Record. But if you spot any glaring errors, blame only me.
A particularly notable resource for this site was
an article by Ken Mandelbaum on Playbill On-Line listing some of the most notable cast albums not yet in print on CD. It's a 1997 article, which of course means that quite a few of those he identifies have been reissued. But it remains a terrific read -- one of the things that got me really excited about collecting.
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Last updated 1/10/2007. Send comments to Mike Benedetto.