PS Classics Discs of Burns, Clark and Kennedy On Sale Via Web; Track Listing Announced | Playbill

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News PS Classics Discs of Burns, Clark and Kennedy On Sale Via Web; Track Listing Announced New solo albums by three theatre divas — Andréa Burns, Victoria Clark and Lauren Kennedy — went on sale the weekend of Oct. 20 on the website of PS Classics, the record label devoted to theatre music and American popular songs.
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Andréa Burns' "A Deeper Shade of Red," Victoria Clark's "Fifteen Seconds of Grace" and Lauren Kennedy's "Here and Now" — as well as the new "Jonathan Sings Larson" disc — are currently available at www.psclassics.com.

Andréa Burns appeared in Off-Broadway's In the Heights, which received a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble. She has been seen on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast and The Full Monty and Off-Broadway in Saturday Night, Sail Away! and Songs for a New World. Burns starred in the national tours of Parade and The Full Monty. She's currently Rosie Perez's standby in Broadway's The Ritz.

Victoria Clark received a 2005 Tony Award for her performance in The Light in the Piazza. Her other Broadway credits include Cabaret, Urinetown, Titanic, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Guys and Dolls and A Grand Night for Singing.

Lauren Kennedy most recently appeared as The Lady of the Lake in the Tony Award-winning Monty Python's Spamalot. Kennedy also appeared as Nellie Forbush in Trevor Nunn's Royal National Theatre production of South Pacific, as well as the Broadway productions of Side Show and Sunset Boulevard. She originated the role of Kathleen in Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years at Northlight Theatre in Illinois.

The Burns solo album, "A Deeper Shade of Red," is produced by PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker. The album was inspired by Burns' sold-out performance in August 2006 at the Metropolitan Room. "The live performance served as a foundation for this recording, but just a foundation — we maybe kept 40 percent and found a new 60 percent because as always, CDs are a totally different listening experience," Krasker previously told Playbill.com. "Andréa's so extraordinarily versatile, we're looking to capture the full range of her soulfulness, warmth, humor and power."

The track list for "A Deeper Shade of Red" includes "The Wish," "What More Do I Need?," "Through the Eyes of Grace," "A Little Brains, A Little Talent," "Love Quiz," "Man With the Child in His Eyes"/"Something Wonderful," "Chelsea Morning," "Some Days," "Out Here on My Own," "BTW, Write Back," "Up on the Roof" and "I Have a Love."

Steve Marzullo serves as music director, and provided several of the orchestrations, along with Jason Robert Brown, Larry Hochman, Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman.

Ted Sperling, the Tony Award-winning co-orchestrator of The Light in the Piazza, is conductor and musical director of Victoria Clark's "Fifteen Seconds of Grace." Among orchestral arrangers are David Loud and Jeff Blumenkrantz, longtime collaborators and pals of the singing actress known for Titanic, How to Succeed in Business… and The Light in the Piazza, for which she won the Best Actress in a Musical Tony.

The disc is produced by Grammy Award winner Steven Epstein, who previously collaborated with Clark and Sperling on the cast recording of The Light in the Piazza.

The track list for "Fifteen Seconds of Grace" includes "How Can I Keep From Singing," "It Might Be You," "Swinging Song"/"Thomas," "Someone to Cook For," "Life Is But a Dream," "Something's Gotta Give," "Right as the Rain," "Departure," "Before the Parade Passes By," "Fifteen Seconds of Grace," "The Red Dress" and "I Got Lost in His Arms."

Kennedy's new PS Classics disc, "Here and Now," focuses on Broadway's eclectic contemporary catalog, "capturing a soundtrack for our time written by the new voices shaping Broadway and popular song." The disc is being billed as a "thrilling pop-infused collection with arrangements tailored to Kennedy's dynamic and soulful delivery."

Kennedy continues her collaboration with Jason Robert Brown, who arranged several numbers for the album, and also contributes two songs of his own. Also found on the disc are recent Broadway songwriters — or emerging theatre songwriters — Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich, Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham, Frank Wildhorn & Jack Murphy, David Kirshenbaum, Matthew Sklar & Chad Beguelin, Andrew Lippa, Georgia Stitt, Dan Lipton, David Yazbek, Adam Guettel and Jeff Blumenkrantz & Libby Saines.

The album is produced by Jeffrey Lesser, who collaborated with Kennedy on her first album, and whose many credits include the cast albums for Parade and The Last Five Years, as well as recordings for Barbra Streisand and the Grammy-winning soundtrack for "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Fred Lassen serves as music director.

The track list for "Here and Now" includes "Here I Am," "Spread a Little Joy," "Unanswered Question," "My Lifelong Love," "Pretending That I'm Somebody Else," "Just Not Now," "In This Room," "Through the Mountain," "Mr. Hopalong Heartbreak," "Easy," "Apathetic Man," "I'm Free," "You'll Want Me to Shine."

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In two weeks, starting on Nov. 6, PS Classics will team up with Barnes & Noble's popular "Live at Lincoln" series for three consecutive days of in-store performances and signings for the in-store release of the discs — The events will take place at Barnes & Noble's Lincoln Square location at 1972 Broadway (at 66th Street) in Manhattan.

On Nov. 6 Victoria Clark and her music director Ted Sperling will offer a 30-minute performance followed by a CD signing; the following day, Nov. 7 — in conjunction with the weekly B&N Any Wednesday series — Andréa Burns will appear with her music director Steve Marzullo; and on Nov. 8, Lauren Kennedy will perform with her music director Fred Lassen.

All three events will include special guest stars to be announced. Performances begin each day at 5:30 PM.

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Founded in 2000 by Tommy Krasker and Philip Chaffin, and twice Grammy-nominated (for its cast recordings of Assassins and Nine: The Musical), PS Classics' recent releases include the Broadway productions of Grey Gardens and 110 in the Shade.

Among upcoming discs is the original cast recording of Maltby and Shire's Take Flight, recorded this past week in London. Among other recent discs feature on the PS Classics website is a new solo album by jazz singer Emily Saxe — "Keeping You in Mind."

For more information, visit www.psclassics.com.

 
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