The Maury Yeston Songbook CD

Despite racking up Tony nominations and/or box-office success with Nine, Grand Hotel, and Titanic, Maury Yeston remains a relatively unknown Broadway auteur. And yet, what a fabulous songwriter he is. Listen to "Home," for instance: This excerpt from Phantom (the other adaptation of Phantom of the Opera) has great melodic hooks, along with natural sweep and unrestrained emotion. Like every song on this CD, it also has such dramatic drive that it easily stands on its own outside of its regular narrative frame. This collection of new recordings provides an excellent overview of Yeston's talent, juxtaposing numbers from his three best-known scores (though there's only one from Titanic) with rarities and a generous selection from his 1991 song cycle December Songs. Christine Ebersole, Liz Callaway, and Betty Buckley turn in expectedly strong performances, but watch also for Laura Benanti (the star of the 2003 revival of Nine), Christine Andreas, and Sutton Foster, who completely make the material theirs. - Elisabeth Vincentelli

Track Listing

1. Please Let's Not Even Say Hello - Alice Ripley
2. Only With You - Brent Barrett
3. I Want to Go to Hollywood - Sutton Foster
4. Danglin' - Johnny Rodgers
5. I Had a Dream About You - Betty Buckley
6. My True Love - Philip Chaffin
7. A Call From the Vatican - Alice Ripley
8. Now and Then - Laura Benanti
9. You're There Too - Christopher Fitzgerald
10. Is Someone Out There? - Eden Espinosa
11. New Words - Brent Barrett
12. My Grandmother's Love Letters - Christine Ebersole
13. By the River - Christine Andreas
14. I Am Longing - Philip Chaffin
15. Home - Laura Benanti & Robert Cuccioli
16. Another Day in the Modern World - Michael Holland
17. Simple - Liz Callaway
18. Unusual Way - Brian d'Arcy James
19. Be On Your Own - Betty Buckley
20. No Moon - Howard McGillin

PS Classics