Ricky Ian Gordon, one of the new musical theatre talents whose work has been seen in New York in recent seasons, will be coming out with a new album on the Nonesuch label early next year. The record, titled "Bright Eyed Joy," is due in stores Feb. 20.

Audra McDonald is one of the talents leading their voices to the disc. McDonald, a consistent supporter of the "new theatre music," has sung Gordon's work before; her popular first album, "Way Back to Paradise," featured four of the composer's songs "Song for a Dark Girl," "Daybreak in Alabama," "Dream Variations" and "A Lulluby."

The album will also boast the lungs of Dawn Upshaw and Gordon's fellow composer Adam Guettel.

Tina Landau and Gordon's musical Dream True, was produced at the Vineyard Theatre in early 1999. Judy Kuhn, Daniel Jenkins and Jeff McCarthy were featured in the cast. Gordon and Landau teamed once before, for En Garde Arts' production of Stonewall. The composer's most recent offering was Only Dreaming—a theatrical staging of his Langston Hughes song-cycle. The show was produced at Encompass New Opera Theatre in New York City earlier this year. Otherwise, Gordon is primarily known for his work in the classical music and opera fields.

Dream True, inspired by the George du Maurier novel "Peter Ibbetson," covers five decades in the lives of two boyhood friends, taking them from Wyoming to New York City. —By Robert Simonson