Cast Recording reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 134 Reddit reviews across 3 subreddits and 17 posts to rank the best Cast Recording brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/Broadway, r/musicals, r/lesmiserables. Top-rated brands include Les Misérables (4.9/5), Little Shop of Horrors (5.0/5), Hadestown (4.8/5).
Stats
Reviews134
Subreddits3
Posts17
Brands66
Products77
134 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Les Misérables
4.9
(15)
"The best recording by far."
"Definitely that one, as I can’t find a recording of the O2 25th Anniversary Cast."
"Honestly the original London cast is still the best for me."
"I pick the 10th Anniversary/Dream Cast version."
"It is just perfection in every way, and my only problem with it is that it isn't complete."
"The international cast is mostly stellar all around."
"My favorite is les miserables live! from 2010."
"Les Mis 10th Anniversary Cast."
"Les miserables live! because it's my favorite musical."
"It holds a very special place in my heart."
#2
Little Shop of Horrors
5.0
(9)
"2003, because in addition to you getting the updated version of "Mushnik & Son" and "The Meek Shall Inherit" in its entirety, you also get the rough drafts and songs that didn't make the cut."
"Still love the movie and Jonathan Groff but the 2003 Broadway cast is the standard ideal."
"The 2003 cast recording simply because of Kerry Butler!"
"2003 version is my favorite!"
"2003 recording will always be the definitive one to me"
"For me, the original cast (Off-Broadway 1981) recording can't be beat."
"Agree original off Broadway!"
"Groff's is great, but my favorite is the origianl off B'way. Perfection"
"I personally enjoy the 2003 revival recording with Hunter Foster and Kerry Butler. I prefer the orchestrations in that one more than the current off-Broadway recording."
#3
Hadestown
4.8
(9)
"Hadestown
Full stop."
"Hadestown"
"Hadestown."
"Hadestown for sure"
"I end up crying EVERY TIME I get to the end."
"I've been obsessed with Anais Mitchell for so many years, Hadestown is a near perfect album."
"Go listen to the original album! It's beautiful. You'll love it."
"Not my favorite, but in my top 5."
"The Live Recording of Hadestown gives you a feel for the musical itself."
#4
The King and I
4.5
(6)
"The original movie cast album will always be my favorite."
"I love the revival one with Kelli O'Hara."
"I’m partial to the original cast recording."
"My favorite performance of Anna on record is the 1964 studio recording starring Barbara Cook."
"I love the 1996 version with Valerie Masterson and Christopher Lee."
"I’d definitely recommend it."
#5
Hamilton
5.0
(4)
"Hamilton."
"Hamilton."
"It kind of goes without saying, but listen to Hamilton if you haven’t already."
"Hamilton, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen."
#6
Wicked
5.0
(4)
"Wicked"
"With Idina Menzel."
"Because I like the vocal chemistry between Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth."
"Wicked is one of my favourites."
#7
Hairspray
4.5
(4)
"It’s always been my all time favorite."
"And it's *awesome!*"
"I'll be adding this audio version to my Broadway CDs collection."
"...but hearing Kristin Chenoweth sing Miss Baltimore Crabs has given me faith."
#8
The Book of Mormon
5.0
(3)
"Book of Mormon because it always puts me in a good mood!"
"Easily book of mormon."
"Book of Mormon is pretty easy to follow and funny too!"
#9
Sweeney Todd
5.0
(3)
"Sweeney Todd all the way. Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury, need I say more?"
"Maybe the Sweeney Todd OBC?"
"My personal favourite Sweeney Todd recording would probably be the 2012 London Cast Recording with Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton."
#10
Spring Awakening
4.7
(3)
"Spring Awakening or, though it's not Broadway, Hunchback of Notre Dame"
"For sure. I adored it as a teenager."
"Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, and Dear Evan Hansen."
#11
Chess
4.7
(3)
"Definitely Chess, followed by The Pajama Game"
"Chess: the 2001 Danish cast recording is amazing, and includes most of the music."
"Chess 2009 probably."
#12
Pearl Bailey
4.3
(3)
"I second the Pearl Bailey recording. She's got just the right cross-section of vocal strength... plus an all-around great supporting cast."
"The Pearl Bailey one from 1967! She’s a powerhouse!"
"The 1967 Pearl Bailey recording or the 2017 Bette Midler, though I don’t think the last album is as good of a representation of the show as it ought have been."
#13
Legally Blonde
5.0
(2)
"Legally Blonde is my favorite by far."
"Legally Blonde
Dear Evan Hansen
Come From Away"
#14
The Great Comet
5.0
(2)
"I voted for The Great Comet, with Bandstand, Sunday, and The Band's Visit as my other favorites this year."
"I voted The Great Comet (predictable I know) and Hadestown and The Band's Visit were second and third."
#15
Grease
5.0
(2)
"Grease movie soundtrack is one of the best albums at all, forever my favorite car CD"
"I love the Grease movie soundtrack, it has a mix of the movie musical numbers, additional songs and classic 50's songs used in the background scenes."
#16
RENT
5.0
(2)
"OBC of RENT!!! My favourite musical."
"Original Broadway Cast of RENT."
#17
Cabaret
5.0
(2)
"For Cabaret, I reccomend the 1998 Broadway Revival recording."
"I prefer the 1998 Broadway cast of Cabaret, but pretty much every recording has something special."
#18
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
5.0
(2)
"Natasha Perrie and the Great Comet of 1812 easy"
"Best prologue I've ever heard."
#19
Follies
5.0
(2)
"OBCR of Follies."
"If there’s one album that captures the show the best, it’s the 1998 Paper Mill recording, which had a stellar cast,uses the original arrangements, and has bonus cut songs."
#20
Falsettos
5.0
(2)
"- Falsettos (2016) (My personal favorite)"
"I really like (and would recommend) Falsettos."
#21
Godspell
4.5
(2)
"The original off-Broadway recording is the classic and by far the biggest seller."
"The movie soundtrack is a great album. It cuts a couple of songs from the original, but adds the original upbeat version of “Beautiful City”."
#22
Into the Woods
4.5
(2)
"Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park With George, or Secret Garden."
"I’ll go with OBC Into the Woods."
#23
Jesus Christ Superstar
4.5
(2)
"It's just great from beginning to end."
"I love the 1996 version of Jesus Christ Superstar. The original version and the film sound so much weaker than the fuller orchestration on the more modern ones."
#24
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
4.0
(2)
"I prefer the OOBC recording of Great Comet over the OBC one. Dave's raspy voice really brings so much to Pierre and you can't go wrong with Pippa Soo."
"Great Comet has an original cast album and an OBC album and I do not know which I prefer better. The original cast album has Phillipa Soo as Natasha, Dave Malloy as Pierre, is a bit grittier and less refined and just lovely."
#25
Chicago
4.0
(2)
"My favorite CHICAGO cast recording is the b0otl3g from when Liza joined the company!"
"Yes the Bebe Neuwirth revival of Chicago is my preferred Chicago."
#26
Be More Chill
3.5
(2)
"I'm going to have to give it to the OBC. As much as I love Pippa Soo, her performance there is a 9/10 while Denee Benton turns in a 10/10 performance."
"Be More Chill - the Broadway cast recording is better than the original cast recording, but only with the visuals of the musical."
#27
Grease Live
5.0
(1)
"For any Doody song, Jordan Fisher on the Grease Live soundtrack 60d"
#28
Jonathan Tunick
5.0
(1)
"Can’t beat Jonathan Tunick’s original orchestrations and Elaine Stritch’s performance. It’s so wonderfully 70s!"
#29
Promises, Promises
5.0
(1)
"Promises Promises original is much better than the 2010 revival."
#30
Guys & Dolls
5.0
(1)
"In my opinion, the New Broadway Cast recording of Guys & Dolls (The Nathan Lane & Faith Prince version) is the strongest recording of it."
#31
Kismet
5.0
(1)
"The Lincoln Center Music Theatre recording of Kismet is one of my favorite recordings of all time."
#32
Sideshow
5.0
(1)
"For Sideshow, I reccomend the 2014 Broadway Revival recording."
#33
Annie Get Your Gun
5.0
(1)
"For Annie Get Your Gun, I reccomend the 1999 Broadway Revival recording."
#34
Miss Saigon
5.0
(1)
"Miss Saigon, Once on this Island - Revival"
#35
Caroline or Change
5.0
(1)
"This season’s revival of Caroline or Change (a really incredible show) did get a new cast recording"
#36
Disney
5.0
(1)
"Jk Newsies"
#37
Gilbert and Sullivan
5.0
(1)
"Here's my usual composer list to check out: - Gilbert and Sullivan (The Mikado, The Pirates Of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore)..."
#38
Spongebob
5.0
(1)
"I’d be listening to something that’s pure serotonin like Spongebob the musical."
#39
Rodgers and Hammerstein
5.0
(1)
"- Rodgers and Hammerstein (South Pacific, Carousel, The King And I, The Sound Of Music, Oklahoma)..."
#40
Lerner and Loewe
5.0
(1)
"- Lerner and Loewe (My Fair Lad..."
#41
Cole Porter
5.0
(1)
"- Cole Porter (Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, Can Can)..."
#42
The Drowsy Chaperone
5.0
(1)
"[The Drowsy Chaperone] is literally all about this. Check it out and let me know what you think!"
#43
Phantom of the Opera
5.0
(1)
"The music just touched my soul."
#44
Passion
5.0
(1)
"This show has such depth and character and humanity."
#45
The Phantom of the Opera
5.0
(1)
"Because there’s no World Im happy in that I could never hear those songs again."
#46
Oklahoma
5.0
(1)
"I grew up on it."
#47
Great Comet
5.0
(1)
"OBC of Great Comet"
#48
The Secret Garden
5.0
(1)
"Though it’s the London Cast Recording."
#49
Waitress
5.0
(1)
"I feel like there’s so much depth and advice in the lyrics."
#50
Sunday in the Park with George
5.0
(1)
"Is my favorite musical of all time."
#51
Dear Evan Hansen
5.0
(1)
"Or Hamilton."
#52
Jekyll and Hyde
5.0
(1)
"Just an amazing album with almost no bad songs."
#53
Cats
5.0
(1)
"Either cats (1998 movie cast) or something rotten!"
#54
Any Cast Recording
5.0
(1)
"I can literally hear every instrument, every singer, etc."
#55
Giant
5.0
(1)
"It’s one of the few cast recordings I listen to over and over and always find something new."
#56
American Idiot
5.0
(1)
"It would probably be American Idiot."
#57
Anastasia
5.0
(1)
"I can never get sick of that soundtrack"
#58
Various Musicals
4.0
(1)
"I prefer “New Cast Recordings” and revival albums generally. Because of better orchestrations, better vocals and much modern style."
#59
Matilda
4.0
(1)
"Matilda- Broadway (but for the song Quiet, London). Mainly because bway has a bigger budget and more time so they could do more things."
#60
West End
4.0
(1)
"The West End recording is good! It’s on Spotify"
#61
New Broadway Cast
4.0
(1)
"The New Broadway Cast Recording featuring Gavin Creel."
#62
Heathers
4.0
(1)
"Heathers off Broadway but i would like to add you're welcome or replace with blue"
#63
Evil Dead
4.0
(1)
"Evil Dead."
#64
Gypsy
4.0
(1)
"Another great choice: Gypsy, the OBC or the one with Bernadette."
#65
Spamalot
4.0
(1)
"Spamalot!"
#66
Roundabout
1.0
(1)
"The 1990s Roundabout album (with Boyd Gaines and Deb Monk) is NOT good!"
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