Among the most recent releases of recordings from NYC musicals and their performers are two original Broadway cast albums, one of an Off-Broadway production, and the debut record of an actor known for his roles on both the stage and screen. CHESS The Musical – Ghostlight Records has announ ced that the 2025 Broadway cast recording of CHESS, now playing at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre through Sunday, September 13, 2026, will be released in digital and streaming formats on Friday, April 10, and is now available for pre-order on Apple Music, Amazon, and other popular streaming sites, or pre-save on Spotify, following the release of two singles from the show (“Nobody’s Side” and “Anthem”), with the CD and vinyl versions coming later this year. Featuring book and lyrics by Tim Rice, a score by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, orchestrations by Anders Eljas and Brian Usifer, music direction by Ian Weinberger, and stellar vocals by its stars Lea Michelle, Aaron Tweit, and Nicholas Christopher, the reworked revival of the 1986 London original, set in the Cold War era of the ‘80s, tells a story of political tensions, espionage, and a love triangle revolving around a chess tournament and rivalry between an American and a Russian master, who compete for world supremacy that extends beyond the titular game. For Broadway tickets, visit the website. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) – After extended runs in Boston and London’s West End, the original new musical comedy by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, with music direction by Ted Arthur, arrived at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre last fall, celebrated its opening on November 20, 2025, and continues its critically acclaimed engagement there through November 22, 2026. Starring Olivier Award-winning actor Sam Tutty and Broadway leading lady Christiani Pitts, the hit show, about timing, connections, and unexpected detours, follows the journey of Dougal, an exceedingly upbeat Brit who has just landed in New York City for the first time to attend the wedding of the father he’s never met, and the no-nonsense New Yorker Robin, the sister of the bride with a lot of errands to run – including picking up the groom’s estranged son from the airport – as the two strangers navigate New York City, family secrets, and second chances.  The fifteen-track Broadway cast album, with expressively humorous, joyous, and character-defining songs in a variety of styles ranging from lively rap and contrasting duets to sensitive solo ballads, is now available for listening on Spotify, Apple Music, and across other streaming platforms. And you can get tickets to the irresistible Broadway production here. All the World’s a Stage – Set in the 1990s, in conservative small-town Pennsylvania, an offbeat student enlists the help of gay high-school teacher Ricky Alleman to win a statewide theater competition, resulting in a tangle with the local church, the unraveling of Ricky’s compartmentalized life, and an always timely and relevant understanding of the importance of making connections and being true to yourself, even in a polarized world. Commissioned and developed by Keen Company over a three-year process, the multi-nominated award-winning new musical, with book, music, and lyrics by Adam Gwon, made its Off-Broadway debut at Theatre Row from March 25-May 10, 2025. In February 2026, Joy Machine Records released the original cast recording of sixteen tracks, featuring emotionally resonant performances by Elizabeth Stanley, Matt Rodin, Eliza Pagelle, Jon-Michael Reese, and Gwon, music direction by Andrea Grody, and orchestrations by Michael Starobin. To stream or download the album on your choice of platforms, click here.   If the Stars Were Mine – In his debut album on Center Stage Records (the new label from Broadway Records founder, Grammy and Tony winner Van Dean, dedicated to the preservation of musicals and theater-related solo albums), actor, singer, and writer Claybourne Elder – known to fans for his portrayal of John Adams on the HBO hit series The Gilded Age, his role as Andy in the 2022 Broadway revival of Company, and, most recently, from March 18-29, 2026, in the New York City Center Encores! production of The Wild Party –  sings a meaningful selection of thirteen of his personal favorites, with Bryan Perri and Rodney Bush serving as music directors and providing the arrangements and orchestrations. The tracks include numbers from such iconic musicals as West Side Story, Into the Woods, My Fair Lady, If/Then, The Music Man, Sunday in the Park with George, and Floyd Collins, along with classic hits by Eartha Kitt and Whitney Houston, and the eponymous song of love and devotion by Melody Gardot, while weaving in themes of sex, fatherhood, and religion. Co-produced by Elder and Perri, the recording is now available in digital and streaming formats and will be released on CD on Friday, April 10, and on vinyl later this year. To stream or to download the digital album, or to pre-order the CD or vinyl, go online. And if you’d like to see Elder perform the songs live, you can get tickets (priced at $30.50-107.50, including fees, plus a $25 food/beverage minimum per person) for his concert, celebrating the album’s release, on Wednesday, April 15, at 7 pm (doors open at 5:30), at NYC’s 54 Below. ...read more read less