Here is a survey of recent cast album releases (and significant Broadway-related releases), and a schedule of those announced for the balance of 1998.

AVAILABLE NOW

Incidental Music From Twelfth Night

• Released: July 16, 1998
  
• Label: Resmiranda Records
  
• Writers: music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by William Shakespeare
  
• Performers: David Patrick Kelly
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Incidental music and six songs from the summer 1998 Broadway revival of the Shakespeare comedy.

• Released: 1989
  
• Label: Arabesque
  
• Writers: Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman
  
• Performers: Herman, Lee Roy Reams and Karen Morrow
  
• Miscellaneous notes: NOT the cast album of the upcoming Broadway revue, but a recording of the Rainbow & Stars nightclub performance that evolved into the Broadway production, with two of the three same performers.

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• Released: June 30, 1998
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb
  
• Performers: Natasha Richardson, Alan Cummings, Ron Rifkin and the cast of the Broadway revival, directed by Sam Mendes
  
• Miscellaneous notes: The cast album was recorded April 13. Audience sounds have been added to the recording to extend its "environmental" theatre concept.

• Released: May 19, 1998
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
  
• Performers: Rebecca Luker, Michael Siberry, Patti Cohenour and the cast of the Broadway revival
  
• Miscellaneous notes: the cast album will include "Something Good" and "I Have Confidence," written for the film, with lyrics by Rodgers

• Released: May 19, 1998
  
• Label: DRG
  
• Writers: music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones
  
• Performers: cast of the Off-Broadway revue, starring Jones & Schmidt themselves.
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Includes songs from The Fantasticks, 110 in the Shade, Celebration, I Do! I Do!, Grover's Corners, Mirette and other shows.

• Released: May 19, 1998
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
  
• Performers: cast of the Paper Mill Playhouse production, including Stephanie Mills, Adrian Zmed, Darius de Haas, and Kelli Rabke
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Produced by Stephen Schwartz and Danny Kosarin, the recording is available as a complete double CD as well as a single highlights CD.

• Released: May 19, 1998
  
• Label: Relativity/First Night Records
  
• Writers: Music and lyrics by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
  
• Performers: Colm Wilkinson, Patti LuPone and the original London cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Digitally remastered original cast album. No bonus tracks.

• Released: April 28, 1998
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
  
• Performers: Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Marin Mazzie, Peter Friedman, Judy Kaye and the rest of the original Broadway cast.
  
• Miscellaneous notes: The two-CD set runs twice as long as RCA Victor's concept album "Songs from Ragtime" (09026-68629-2) released in 1996

• Released: April 1998 (UK only)
  
• Label: First Night Records
  
• Writers: Stephen Sondheim
  
• Performers: Member of the 1997 Bridewell Theatre cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: First complete recording of the score of this "lost" 1954 Stephen Sondheim musical, which had its long-delayed premiere Dec. 17, 1997 at the fringe theatre in London. Sondheim wrote what was to have been his professional debut when he was 24, to a book by Julius and Philip Epstein.

• Released: April 14, 1998
  
• Label: Playbill Recordings
  
• Writers: Music and lyrics by David Spencer
  
• Performers: Benjamin A. Damiano, Marni Rabb and others
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Cast album of Theatreworks USA's new adaptation of the story for teens.

• Released: March 24, 1998
  
• Label: Varese Sarabande
  
• Writers: Various
  
• Performers: Rusty Magee and members of the original Off-Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: A collection of Irish standards as compiled by Frank McCourt, author of "Angela's Ashes."

• Re-released: March 24, 1998
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: Benoit Jutras
  
• Performers: Audrey Brisson-Jutras, Mathieu Lavoie, Pierre Hebert et al
  
• Miscellaneous notes: An "enhanced CD-ROM" with music and images from the international New Vaudeville circus. Re-released in connection with the show's New York appearance.

• Released: March 10, 1998
  
• Label: Relativity/First Night Records
  
• Writers: lyrics by John Dempsey, music by Dana P. Rowe
  
• Performers: Leads include John Barrowman and Philip Quast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: U.S. release of 1997 Cameron Mackintosh London production. Quast won 1998 Olivier Award for Best Actor in the role.

• Released: Feb. 24, 1998
  
• Label: BMG Records
  
• Writers: Created and directed by Luis Bravo
  
• Performers: Miguel Velazquez, Lisandro Androver, et al.
  
• Music from the long-running Argentinian dance revue.

• Released: Feb. 3, 1998
  
• Label: Atlantic
  
• Writers: music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Nan Knighton
  
• Performers: original Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Angel's concept recording (CDC 7 54397 2) was released in 1992

• Released: Dec. 15, 1997
  
• Label: TVT Records
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards
  
• Performers: 1997 Broadway revival cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Recording session Nov. 11 and 13; produced by Robert Sher

• Released: Dec. 12, 1997
  
• Label: Bob-A-Lew Music
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by Steve Schalchlin
  
• Performers: original off-Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: the recording includes a bonus studio track of the cast performing "When You Care" with the Los Angeles-based Friendship Choir

• Released: Dec. 9, 1997
  
• Label: Sony Classical
  
• Writers: music by Henry Krieger, lyrics by Bill Russell
  
• Performers: original Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: the cast album recorded Nov. 3 and produced by Krieger, Mike Berniker, and Harold Wheeler

• Released: Nov. 18, 1997
  
• Label: Warner Bros.
  
• Writers: music by Paul Simon, lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott
  
• Performers: Simon, Ruben Blades, Marc Anthony, Ednita Nazario and others
  
• Miscellaneous notes: this concept album includes the songs "Born in Puerto Rico," "Bernadette," and "Dance to a Dream," among others. Original cast album is scheduled for release in spring 1998 (see below)

• Released: Nov. 13, 1997 in NY/NJ/CT; Nov. 25 nationally
  
• Label: Walt Disney Records
  
• Writers: songs by Elton John and Tim Rice; additional songs by Hans Zimmer, Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin
  
• Performers: original Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Walt Disney Records' sound track recording of the animated movie (60858-7) was released in 1994

• Released: Oct. 7, 1997
  
• Label: Alula Records (ALU-1006)
  
• Writers: songs by Johnny Cunningham, narration by Liza Lorwin
  
• Performers: Cunningham, Karen Kandel (vocals and narration)
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Peter & Wendy was presented at New York's New Victory Theater in Feb. 97. Alula Records is an independent label specializing in world music.

FORTHCOMING

Chicago (1997 London cast)

• Release: July 28
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb.
  
• Performers: Ruthie Henshall, Ute Lemper and the West End cast.

• Release: Aug. 25
  
• Label: DreamWorks Records
  
• Writers: music by Paul Simon, lyrics by Simon and Derek Walcott
  
• Performers: Reuben Blades, Marc Anthony, Ednita Nazario and the original Broadway cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: This full original cast album includes much material not on the 1997 "Songs From Capeman" CD, and has the Broadway cast members singing numbers that were performed on "Songs From..." by composer Paul Simon.

• Release: Sept. 1, 1998
  
• Label: Resmiranda Records
  
• Writers: music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Brian Crawley
  
• Performers: Lauren Ward, Michael McElroy, with assorted guest vocalists
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Resmiranda is a Vermont-based classical/inspirational label. CD produced by Buryl Red and Joseph Joubert.

• Release: September
  
• Label: Really Useful Records/Polydor
  
• Writers: music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Jim Steinman
  
• Performers: Tina Arena, Boyzone, Donny Osmond, Meat Loaf, Boy George, Tom Jones and others.
  
• Miscellaneous notes: A concept CD of the score, with pop performers doing numbers from the show.

• Release: Sept. 15 (tentative)
  
• Label: RCA Victor
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by William Finn
  
• Miscellaneous notes: To be recorded June 29. The new musical from the composer of Falsettos features Malcolm Gets, Penny Fuller, Mary Testa and Liz Larsen. Norm Lewis replaces original cast member Christopher Innvar on this recording.

• Release: Date TBA, Aug-Oct., 1998
  
• Label: TVT Soundtrax
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
  
• Performers: cast includes Laurence Guittard, Donna McKechnie, Tony Roberts, Dee Hoty, Ann Miller, Eddie Bracken, Kaye Ballard, Liliane Montevecchi, Natalie Mosco, Phyllis Newman.
  
• Miscellaneous notes: The cast album of the Paper Mill Playhouse revival was recorded June 1 & 2. The CD is being touted as the most complete recording yet, including not only all the dance music, but an appendix of songs cut prior to Broadway ("Can That Boy Foxtrot," etc.) or added thereafter ("Ah, But Underneath," etc.).

• Release: September-October
  
• Label: JAY
  
• Writers: Music by Jeffrey Stock, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead.
  
• Performers: Betty Buckley, Susan Egan and other members of the original cast
  
• Miscellaneous notes: The show was recorded June 13-14 and 16 in New York.

• Release: September 1998
  
• Label: Atlantic
  
• Writers: music by Frank Wildhorn
  
• Performers: Travis Tritt, Dr. John, Linda Eder, Betty Buckley, Tricia Yearwood, Blues Traveler
  
• Miscellaneous notes: titled "The Civil War: An American Musical," the piece will draw its material from original civil war documents, Walt Whitman poetry and other correspondence of the time.

• Release: Early 1999
  
• Label: Really Useful Records/Polydor
  
• Writers: music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Jim Steinman
  
• Performers: Marcus Lovett, Lottie Mayor, Dean Collinson, Veronica Hart and the rest of the West End cast.

• Early 1999
  
• Label: Nonesuch
  
• Writers: music and lyrics by Adam Guettel
  
• Miscellaneous notes: Saturn Returns will be recorded later this year. Release was postponed from late 1998.

• Doctor Dolittle (1998 London cast)
  
• An Evening With Jerry Herman (original Broadway cast)
  
• High Society
  
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch