Decca Broadway, the label with a vast catalog of original-cast recordings, has gone back to the vaults to create the first authorized "highlights" disc of the Broadway cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice masterpiece, Evita, expected in stores March 26.

This Evita has been remastered and comes with new photos and liner notes.

When Evita landed on Broadway in fall 1979 under the direction of Harold Prince, audiences had never seen anything like it: A pseudo-documentary rags-to-riches pop musical — totally sung — about the Argentinian leader, Juan Peron, and his vivacious actress-wife, Eva Duarte, who would become the first lady and South America's most powerful woman.

The cast featured Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, Bob Gunton, Joane Ohringer and Mark Sayers, all of whom are heard on the new highlights recording. Evita won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (LuPone) and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Mandy Patinkin). The 13-track disc includes "Requiem for Evita"/"Oh What a Circus," "On This Night of a Thousand Stars," "Buenos Aries," "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You," "Another Suitcase in Another Hall," "A New Argentina," "Don't Cry for me Argentina," "High Flying Adored," "Rainbow High," "And The Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)," "Waltz For Eva and Che," "She is a Diamond" and "Lament."

Decca Broadway is Universal Music Group's division specializing in original and Broadway cast recordings. It currently holds the largest cast album library available in North America. —By Robert Simonson
and Kenneth Jones