The 2023- 2024 Broadway season was one of the most competitive seasons theatergoers have seen in a long time. Thirty-nine new shows opened on the Great White Way this season. According to Broadway World, between March and April of 2024, 19 new shows celebrated their opening nights. As the deadline to qualify to be eligible for the Tony Awards loomed, many shows saw this deadline as pressure to make it into this tightly packed season. Broadway World also reports that 14 different productions opened between April 11 and April 25th.
With such an intense season, theatergoers were all blessed with many new original cast recordings. For those who may not be avid theater fans, a cast recording is the recorded album of the songs featured in the production. Think of it like a soundtrack for new musicals. These cast recordings are special because they feature the cast members in the original Broadway cast, thus immortalizing those portrayals of these characters. Broadway revivals often also give cast recordings, cementing the actors as part of the show’s history forever. Cast recordings are so special as they give theater fans access to the arts without paying the price of a Broadway ticket. It would be way too large of an undertaking to rank every cast recording released during this season so I’ve decided to give my top recommendations. These are the newest cast recordings that have defined my playlists recently!
*Disclaimer: I love all four shows featured on this list and think they all could belong at the top of this list. Since they are all fantastic musicals, I’m ranking them based on how much I listen to each album.*
4. Merrily We Roll Along
This production of Merrily completely rewrote the show’s history. The musical follows three friends throughout their twenty-year friendship. The catch is that the show is told in reverse chronological order. Merrily We Roll Along originally opened in 1981 and only played 16 performances before closing its doors. The show was widely considered a Sondheim flop by critics. However, this new production’s history could not be more different. The production led by Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez became the hottest ticket off-broadway. After doing a legendary run at The New York Theater Workshop, the show was given a Broadway transfer at the Hudson Theater. The show was supposed to be a limited engagement, but because of the insane demand to get tickets, the run was extended multiple times before closing its doors for good this past July. The chemistry and pure friendship of the three leads made this production immensely successful. The star power of each of the actors in this iconic trio contributed to the high demand for tickets. Merrily was the show to see this season, with theatergoers flocking to see this amazing performance. Merrily won 7 Tonys at the 2024 ceremony including Best Revival Of A Musical, Best Direction Of A Musical, Best Actor In A Musical (Jonathan Groff), and Best Featured Actor In A Musical (Daniel Radcliffe). According to Playbill, the show made $71,173,378.00 by the end of its run, and the average show was completely sold out. I am so envious of everyone who got to see this production in person and this cast recording will help anyone else who wishes they lived closer to NYC. Since the story moves backward, it can be a little confusing the first listen, so I recommend starting with the end of the cast recording and making your way up to the overture. Once you’ve listened to it and understood the story, go back and listen to it the correct way. If you want to hear one of these incredible songs for yourself click the video below to watch Merrily We Roll Along shine in their Late Show performance!
My top picks are “Old Friends”, “Opening Doors”, and “Not A Day Goes By”.
This show gets 8.5/10 Viking Heads!
- The Great Gatsby
This musical fell into my life at the right time. One of my best friends and I had been following Gatsby’s race for Broadway very closely. I call it a race because there were two adaptations of the musical in development at the same time. When the rights to The Great Gatsby became available to the public, two different production teams began working on this musical. There was Gatsby: An American Myth which featured music written by Florence Welch. This production premiered at the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge Mass. However, today we will be discussing the Gatsby adaptation that is currently playing at The Broadway Theater. Based on the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the musical follows familiar characters Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanan through their shared time in New York City in the 1930s. The story is classic literature read by high schoolers across the country each year. This musical adaptation stars Jeremy Jordan, Eva Noblezada, and Samantha Pauly. The musical quickly took Broadway by storm, with its viral Tiktok audios and the exceptional cast it is not hard to see why. According to Playbill’s total stats from last week, the production currently has a total gross of $29,146,146.05. The relevant themes from the book of separation of social class, perusal of wealth, and the desire to escape from hard situations continue into the musical. Through its grand score and luscious vocals, audiences are genuinely transported into this 1930’s world. The intense nature of the book(no spoilers, I promise) is handled extremely well. You feel the ending in its entirety. Despite the well-loved nature of this musical, the Tony Awards had a different idea as the musical only received one nomination. As a fan of this musical, this felt unfair. I understand that during competitive seasons it is only natural for some shows to get snubbed when it comes to Tony nominations. However, in my personal opinion, this musical should have earned nominations for more than just Best Costume Design. The strong performances from Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada are extremely present in the cast recording. I genuinely think this musical has something for everyone. Theater fans will love this cast full of Broadway legends and literature fans will enjoy seeing this classic presented on stage. This is a cast recording that will make you think about life more deeply, put a smile on your face, and will immerse you in this wonderment of the story. Since The Great Gatsby was not performed at this year’s Tony Awards, please enjoy the cast performing a medley on Good Morning America.
My top picks from this album are “Past Is Catching Up With Me”, “My Green Light”, and “Roaring on”.
The Great Gatsby earns 9/10 Viking Heads!
- Suffs
I distinctly remember receiving a text from one of my best friends that read “There’s a Broadway musical coming in March called Suffs and it’s about women’s rights and voting. It seemed like an Elaina thing”. While this was the first time I had heard about the musical, surely it wouldn’t be the last time my friend Holly and I talked about Suffs. Holly was absolutely right to say that it “seemed like an Elaina thing” because sure enough, it would become one of my favorite new musicals to come out of this Broadway season. The musical tells the story of women suffragettes campaigning for the right to vote. The relevance of this musical right now is astronomical. As we are in the middle of a crucial election year, women’s rights are all over the ballot. The musical led by Jenn Colella, Nikki M. James, and Ally Bonio is currently playing at the Music Box Theater. While the musical takes on women’s rights head-on, it is even more notable that the book, lyrics, and music were all penned by the same person. As well as writing everything for the musical, Shaina Taub is also starring in the production as Alice Paul. She really showed that if you dream big enough you really can accomplish working on all parts of a musical. One of my favorite components of this musical is that it gives a modern voice to some of the names we’ve been reading in textbooks for years. While I may not have seen the show live, I can say that this is the most tonally relevant cast recording to come out of this past Broadway season. There are so many lessons we can take away from these strong female characters. For starters, they show us the importance of voting as they lived during a period where they physically had to fight to be able to vote. They show audiences that being a trailblazer is something to be proud of and not to fear taking action against injustices. After formally opening on April 18th, 2024, Suffs has currently made $20,651,783.29, according to Playbill. At the 2024 Tony Awards, Suffs was lucky to earn 6 nominations with both of their wins being awarded to Shaina Taub (for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score). It is not hard to understand the musical’s great success from listening to the cast recording. I can honestly say that I believe that Suffs will soon join the ranks of Hamilton and Six as it cements itself as a part of the educational musical genre. The album will most certainly leave you feeling empowered and ready to take on the world. If you would like to get an immediate boost of activism, check out Suffs‘ Today Show performance of “The March” linked below!
My top picks are “The March”, “Finish the Fight”, and “Keep Marching”.
Suffs has earned 9.5/10 Viking Heads!
- The Outsiders
My number one new cast recording is without a doubt The Outsiders. For many students, hearing the title The Outsiders brings back so many positive memories from reading it in middle school. Like the majority of my classmates, I thoroughly fell in love with the book. I was immediately captured and inspired by S.E. Hinton’s writing. For those unfamiliar with the book, movie, or musical, I will try to talk about the plot without spoiling anything(as this is genuinely a story you need to experience for yourself the first time). Similarly to The Great Gatsby, the story revolves around two rival social classes (wealthy Socs and poorer Greasers) in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967. Our story follows protagonist Ponyboy Curtis through his time in the town. After a destructive altercation with the Socs, Ponyboy and his best friend Johnny Cade must flee Tulsa. Tensions continue to rise between the two groups. This culminates in one of the most epic story climaxes I’ve read. The cast led by Brody Grant has taken Broadway and the theater community as a whole by storm. According to Playbill, the musical currently has a total gross of $32,907,080.77. The musical earned 12 nominations at the 2024 Tony Awards. In the end, they walked away with four awards, including Best Musical. Due to the popularity of the musical, it has been extremely hard to come across a “slime tutorial” for this production. However, the cast recording has been able to provide clear visuals of the musical. I cannot praise this cast recording enough. The songs flow perfectly together, enhancing the overall story. Some adaptations struggle when translating a character’s thoughts from dialogue to melody. It is the opposite of The Outsiders. Every single song can perfectly capture what is going on in that character’s head. Due to my deep love of the story, I was admittedly slightly skeptical about how it would translate on stage. The cast recording was able to exceed my “Great Expectations”. I have truly been so obsessed with this cast recording since its release at the end of last school year. The themes of chosen family and how societal differences impact people are extremely relevant in today’s society. Yes, the story may be taking place 56 years ago but it is more topical now than ever. I truly encourage everyone to check out this beautiful show, trust me you will not be disappointed. Below is The Outsider‘s legendary Tony Awards Performance!
My top picks are “Justice For Tulsa”, “I Could Talk To You All Night”, “Run, Run, Brother”, and “Stay Gold”.
I can confidently say this is 10/10 Viking Heads!
I’m so thankful that these Original Broadway Casts were immortalized forever through these cast recordings. While these are my personal favorites from this season, I implore you to listen to all the other cast recordings not featured here (after you listen to these four of course). These cast recordings highlight the diversity of Broadway productions, letting the listener become captured in the world of the story. I’m so excited to keep replaying these cast recordings and can’t wait for you to love them as much as I do. Happy Listening!
If you would like to find out about more statistics about the musicals mentioned, I have linked each show’s playbill profile below!
https://playbill.com/production/merrily-we-roll-along-broadway-2023
https://playbill.com/production/the-great-gatsby-broadway-broadway-theatre-2024
https://playbill.com/production/suffs-broadway-music-box-theatre-2024
https://playbill.com/production/the-outsiders-broadway-bernard-b-jacobs-theatre-2024
