The cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released today! You can order your copy here.TheaterMania.com has a review of the CD up.

They’re formidable shoes to fill — having been worn by the likes of Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe — but as the Masterworks Broadway new recording of New York City Center Encores!’ production of Jule Styne and Leo Robin’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes proves, Smash star Megan Hilty stepped into the heels of the quintessential flapper Lorelei Lee with consummate style. In the process, she makes this iconic role and the show’s signature songs her own.

Not only do Hilty’s renditions of the show’s best-known numbers — “A Little Girl From Little Rock” and “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” — have a terrific combination of gentle Southern charm, subtly conniving shrewdness, and delicately communicated dimness, they are also both followed — on separate tracks — by the encore verses of the songs. It’s a small detail, but one which allows listeners to hear how the actress builds a number, and then tops it.

Fortunately, the CD also has other considerable charms and assets to recommend it, including the little-heard “Button Up With Esmond,” which is one of Lorelei’s goofiest and most delightful songs, as well as a bountiful amount of the show’s dance music, such as a gorgeous orchestral interlude that runs almost seven minutes as Lorelei and BFF Dorothy (Rachel York) enjoy their arrival in Paris.

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Sony Masterworks will release the 27-track Encores! concert cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, the 1949 Broadway score by Jule Styne and Leo Robin, on Sept. 4. This is to be the most complete recording yet of the jazzy, tuneful show that gave the world “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” — a star turn sweetened with crowd-pleasing back-from-the-wings encores.

The album, drawing on the acclaimed May 9-13 New York City Center Encores! concert featuring NBC “Smash” star Megan Hilty as Lorelei Lee, conducted by Rob Berman, was recorded the week of May 21 in New York City. The full disc will include the several delicious encores that Robin and Styne wrote to “A Little Girl From Little Rock” and “Diamonds…,” which were not completely preserved on the original Broadway cast album that featured Carol Channing.

The CD booklet — for those who still like to feel a recording in their hands and read about its history — will include notes by Berman (music director of Encores!) and Styne’s widow, Margaret Styne, as well as Robin’s complete lyrics and production photos.

The score features “Bye Bye Baby” “It’s High Time,” “Just a Kiss Apart,” “I Love What I’m Doing,” “Sunshine,” “You Say You Care” and more.

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Hilty (Broadway’s 9 to 5) is a Sony artist. She’s also working on recording her first solo album for Sony Masterworks/Columbia Records; it’s expected in early 2013.

The Blondes cast also includes Rachel York as Dorothy, Clarke Thorell as Gus, Aaron Lazar as Henry plus Simon Jones, Stephen R. Buntrock, Phillip Attmore and Jared Grimes.

For Encores!, the original orchestrations of Don Walker were heard. The concert script adaptation was by David Ives.

The Encores! audience got to hear complete dance sequences and obscurities from the score (“In the Champ de Mars,” “Finaletto,” “Coquette,” “Button Up With Esmond”).

(Source)

Tracklisting:

1. Overture
2. It’s High Time
3. Bye Bye Baby
4. A Little Girl from Little Rock
5. A Little Girl from Little Rock: Encore
6. I Love What I’m Doing
7. I Love What I’m Doing (Dance)
8. Just a Kiss Apart
9. Scherzo
10. It’s Delightful Down In Chile
11. Sunshine
12. Park Scene
13. Pas De Deux
14. Sunshine: Reprise
15. I’m A’ Tingle, I’m A’ Glow
16. You Say You Care
17. Finale Act 1
18. Mamie is Mimi
19. Coquette
20. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend
21. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend: First Encore
22. Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Second Encore
23. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
24. Homesick Blues
25. Keeping Cool With Coolidge
26. Button Up With Esmond
27. Finale Act 2

The Cast recording of Megan’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is now up on Amazon for pre order! It will be released on September 4th. You can pre order your copy here

Earlier this month Megan did a short run staring in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I have added stills and the curtain call photos from this performance.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes