Wilfert, Gets and Stanek complete the cast and are laying down final vocals Sept. 3. They join a cast that already includes Kate Baldwin, Andréa Burns, Danny Burstein, Philip Chaffin, Victoria Clark, Christopher Fitzgerald and Rebecca Luker.
The album, conducted by Sam Davis (who also orchestrated from original manuscripts) and produced by PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker, will be released at the label's website on Oct. 6, and in stores on Oct. 20.
Kitty's Kisses — a title few today know — opened on May 6, 1926, at Broadway's Playhouse Theatre on West 48th Street. Composer Con Conrad won the first Academy Award for Best Song ("The Continental" in 1934). Lyricist Gus Kahn's standards include "It Had to Be You," "I'll See You in My Dreams" and "Makin' Whoopee!" The book was co-authored by Otto Harbach (Roberta, Desert Song and No, No, Nanette!).
Krasker told Playbill.com on Sept. 2, "We called some of our favorite performers — both people we've worked with a number of times and folks we were eager to work with for the first time. And we got an ideal cast, and had a wonderful time in the studio. I will say that watching Rebecca Luker, Danny Burstein and Vicki Clark take on a zany 'Twenties' trio — with unbelievable gusto — was about the most fun I've ever had recording."
The CD booklet will include an essay and synopsis, plus original production photos and newspaper reviews and clippings. Krasker told Playbill.com earlier this summer, "I first stumbled upon the material for Kitty's Kisses back in 1986, when I was cataloguing a treasure trove of vintage musical theatre manuscripts unearthed at the Warner Brothers Music warehouse in Secaucus, NJ. There were two folders of material from Kitty's Kisses. I'd never heard of the show, and didn't know anything by Con Conrad except for the two great songs he wrote for 'Gay Divorcee.' But the title hooked me instantly: it was so 'Twenties.' And the score was delightful — full of sweet ballads and rollicking rhythm tunes. I couldn't get the songs out of my head. Music historian Bob Kimball, whom I was assisting at the time, always joked that my favorite show to emerge from all the Secaucus findings was Kitty's Kisses. Well, it took about 25 years, but I finally got around to recording it. Philip [Chaffin, PS Classics co-founder] and I knew at some point we wanted to record something that was quintessentially Twenties, and something obscure — because the truth of it is, of course, is that there are so many wonderful shows from that era that are totally forgotten. Kitty's Kisses fit the bill perfectly."
The track listing is:
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2. Walkin' the Track
3. Choo Choo Love
4. Kitty's Kisses
5. Finaletto Act I, Scene 1
6. Thinking of You
7. Two Fellows and a Girl
8. I'm in Love
9. Promise Your Kisses
10. Finale Act I
11. Early in the Morning
12. I Don't Want Him
13. Needles
14. First Telephone Scene
15. Whenever I Dream
16. Second Telephone Scene
17. Bounce Me
18. Finale Ultimo Founded in 2000 by Tommy Krasker & Philip Chaffin, and a four-time Grammy nominee (for its cast albums of Assassins, Nine: The Musical, Grey Gardens and Company), PS Classics celebrates the heritage of Broadway and American popular song through its critically acclaimed cast recordings; solo albums by such luminaries as Maureen McGovern, Victoria Clark, Jessica Molaskey, Rebecca Luker and Christine Andreas; and recordings drawn from rare sound archives, including Sondheim Sings. Its previous vintage restorations, Vincent Youmans' Through the Years and Kay Swift's Fine and Dandy, were released in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Upcoming albums include solo discs from Rebecca Luker, Liz Callaway and Kate Baldwin. For more information, visit psclassics.com.
