The previously announced cast recording of Sondheim's final musical Here We Are has gotten a release date: May 17. Concord Theatricals Recordings will release the album on CD and for digital streaming on that date, with a two-LP release set to follow September 6. Pre-order the physical editions here.
The album is produced by Sean Patrick Flahaven and Bill Rosenfield.
“This show is Steve’s final gift to us all, a brilliant, hilarious, and always inventive collaboration with playwright David Ives and director Joe Mantello, performed by an incredible cast and band,” say Flahaven and Rosenfield in a joint statement. ”It was a privilege and genuine pleasure to record it.”
The musical opened its world-premiere engagement Off-Broadway at The Shed October 22, 2023, finishing up its 129-performance run January 21.
The starry cast, all of whom recorded their performances for the album, featured Francois Battiste, Tracie Bennett, Bobby Cannavale, Micaela Diamond, Amber Gray, Jin Ha, Rachel Bay Jones, Denis O'Hare, Steven Pasquale, David Hyde Pierce, and Jeremy Shamos.
The two-act musical draws inspiration from the Luis Buñuel-directed films The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and The Exterminating Angel (1962), both set at surrealist dinner parties. The musical, Sondheim previously said, is about “trying to find a place to have dinner.” The first act deals with the interruptions to dinner. The second is about “people who have dinner and can’t leave,” which “is my cheerful view of the world today,” said the late maestro. The book is by David Ives, and music and lyrics are by Sondheim.
The album was recorded and mixed by Ian Kagey and mastered by Oscar Zambrano. Derek Bishop designed the album packaging.
See the full track list below:
1. Here We Are (Overture)
2. The Road 1 (Part 1)
3. The Road 1 (Part 2)
4. The Road 1 (Part 3)
5. Café Everything (Toast 1)
6. Waiter’s Song
7. The Road 2
8. Bistro à la Mode (Toast 2)
9. It Is What It Is
10. The Road 3
11. Osteria Zeno (Toast 3)
12. The Soldier’s Dream
13. The Road 4 (Part 1)
14. The Road 4 (Part 2)
15. Oh, Look, Here's The Embassy!
16. Bishop’s Song
17. End of Act One
18. Entr’acte
19. Digestion
20. Shine
21. Hesitation
22. Double Duet
23. Interlude 1: Marianne And The Bear
24. Interlude 2: Wandering
25. Interlude 3: Snow
26. Hesitation (Reprise)
27. Exit Music
The musical had been in the works since at least 2014 and was developed by The Public Theater in 2016. In 2021, The New York Times reported that Sondheim and Ives had abandoned the project, but conflicting reports in the months after reported that the pair was not done with the idea. Sondheim died in 2021, but reportedly sanctioned a staging of the musical and considered his compositional work on the project completed before his passing.
The Off-Broadway production featured choreography by Sam Pinkleton, set and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Tom Gibbons, orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, music direction and supervision by Alexander Gemignani, hair design by Wigmakers Associates, and casting by The Telsey Office. Tom Kirdahy, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, and The Stephen Sondheim Trust produced, with Oscar Arce serving as associate producer. The Shed was the production's co-presenter.
Company of Here We Are
Steven Pasquale, Amber Gray, Jeremy Shamos, Bobby Cannavale, Rachel Bay Jones, Francois Battiste, Micaela Diamond, and Jin Ha in Here We Are
Tracie Bennett, Denis O'Hare, Steven Pasquale, Amber Gray, Jeremy Shamos, Bobby Cannavale, Rachel Bay Jones, Francois Battiste, Micaela Diamond, Jin Ha, and David Hyde Pierce in Here We Are
Company of Here We Are
David Hyde Pierce and company of Here We Are
Micaela Diamond and company of Here We Are
Amber Gray, Steven Pasquale, Rachel Bay Jones, Jeremy Shamos, and Bobby Cannavale in Here We Are
Jeremy Shamos, Amber Gray, and company of Here We Are
Jin Ha and Micaela Diamond in Here We Are
Company of Here We Are
