Nominations for this year’s Grammy Awards will be announced on December 6th. Out of all of the four big awards in show business (the other three being the Emmys, Oscars, and Tonys), I’ve always felt the least enthusiastic about the Grammys. However, there is one category I’m always interested in, and that is Best Musical Theater Album. An award that is given to the album producer, the composer/lyricist who wrote at least 51% of the score that had not been recorded previously, and the principal soloist(s).
With Hamilton already winning the award last year, that shall leave room for the other Broadway shows from last season to compete. Eligibility period began on October 1st, 2015 and ended on September 30th, 2016. There are three cast recordings from the past year that I not only think have great shots at nominations, but also wins thanks to some Grammy-friendly talent with a secret weapon, powerhouse vocal performances from their leading ladies.
What’s In?:
Bright Star-Even though the Broadway production ended up closing two weeks after this year’s Tony Awards, Bright Star could make a comeback at this year’s Grammys. With such a rich bluegrass score by Steve Martin (a five-time Grammy winner) & Edie Brickell (who won a Grammy herself along with Martin for Best American Roots Song in 2014), Grammy voters probably won’t resist giving this original cast recording a nomination. Especially with Carmen Cusack’s incredible vocal performance on their minds.
The Color Purple-The original Broadway cast recording of The Color Purple was nominated for this award almost 10 years ago, but lost to Jersey Boys. I had heard that album a couple of times, but I think the new cast recording for the current Broadway revival is much better. Given that the album has a score by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell, & Allee Willis (three previous Grammy nominees/winners) and a vocal performance by Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, I think The Color Purple is likely going to be nominated again this year. Especially with the unstoppable force known as Cynthia Erivo.
Waitress-With a score by five-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles and an outstanding vocal performance by Jessie Mueller (a previous winner in this category in 2015 for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), it would be a real shocker if Waitress isn’t nominated. Especially since the song ‘She Used to Be Mine’ was the first Broadway song to hit the Billboard charts in years.
Other Possibilities:
Fiddler on the Roof-The original Broadway cast recording was nominated for this award back in 1965, but lost to Funny Girl. No other cast recording of Fiddler on the Roof has ever been nominated since. Could that change this year? Among the principal soloists on this album are Danny Burstein (a previous nominee for the most recent Broadway cast recording of Follies) and Alexandra Silber (a previous nominee for the San Francisco Symphony recording of West Side Story). There’s even a bonus track performed by Itzhak Perlman, a recipient of 16 Grammy Awards.
She Loves Me-The original cast recording of She Loves Me actually won the Grammy in 1964. I remember hearing lyricist Sheldon Harnick talking about how the original production suffered from opening the same season as Funny Girl and Hello, Dolly!. When they received the nomination, they didn’t even attend the Grammys because they felt things couldn’t get any worse…until they actually won. So will Grammy voters be in love with the new Broadway cast recording?
On the Bubble:
On Your Feet!-Normally, jukebox/biomusicals tend to do very well in this category. But since this was a live cast recording, does it still have chance? I can’t think of many live recordings that have been nominated before. Then again, it’s still filled with songs by three-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan, so it is still possible.
School of Rock-Andrew Lloyd Webber is of course of recipient of four Grammy Awards, yet the Recording Academy has never been as enthusiastic with his work as the Tonys. He hasn’t won a competitive Grammy since 1986 for Best Contemporary Composition for Requiem. He lost for The Phantom of the Opera to the original Broadway cast recording of Les Miserables and Sunset Boulevard to Stephen Sondheim for Passion. They didn’t even nominate ‘You Must Love Me’, his Oscar-winning song from the film adaptation of Evita nor its most recent Broadway cast recording featuring two-time Grammy winner Ricky Martin.
So which cast recording(s) do you think has a great shot at a Grammy nomination this year?
With Hamilton already winning the award last year, that shall leave room for the other Broadway shows from last season to compete. Eligibility period began on October 1st, 2015 and ended on September 30th, 2016. There are three cast recordings from the past year that I not only think have great shots at nominations, but also wins thanks to some Grammy-friendly talent with a secret weapon, powerhouse vocal performances from their leading ladies.
What’s In?:
Bright Star-Even though the Broadway production ended up closing two weeks after this year’s Tony Awards, Bright Star could make a comeback at this year’s Grammys. With such a rich bluegrass score by Steve Martin (a five-time Grammy winner) & Edie Brickell (who won a Grammy herself along with Martin for Best American Roots Song in 2014), Grammy voters probably won’t resist giving this original cast recording a nomination. Especially with Carmen Cusack’s incredible vocal performance on their minds.
The Color Purple-The original Broadway cast recording of The Color Purple was nominated for this award almost 10 years ago, but lost to Jersey Boys. I had heard that album a couple of times, but I think the new cast recording for the current Broadway revival is much better. Given that the album has a score by Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell, & Allee Willis (three previous Grammy nominees/winners) and a vocal performance by Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson, I think The Color Purple is likely going to be nominated again this year. Especially with the unstoppable force known as Cynthia Erivo.
Waitress-With a score by five-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles and an outstanding vocal performance by Jessie Mueller (a previous winner in this category in 2015 for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), it would be a real shocker if Waitress isn’t nominated. Especially since the song ‘She Used to Be Mine’ was the first Broadway song to hit the Billboard charts in years.
Other Possibilities:
Fiddler on the Roof-The original Broadway cast recording was nominated for this award back in 1965, but lost to Funny Girl. No other cast recording of Fiddler on the Roof has ever been nominated since. Could that change this year? Among the principal soloists on this album are Danny Burstein (a previous nominee for the most recent Broadway cast recording of Follies) and Alexandra Silber (a previous nominee for the San Francisco Symphony recording of West Side Story). There’s even a bonus track performed by Itzhak Perlman, a recipient of 16 Grammy Awards.
She Loves Me-The original cast recording of She Loves Me actually won the Grammy in 1964. I remember hearing lyricist Sheldon Harnick talking about how the original production suffered from opening the same season as Funny Girl and Hello, Dolly!. When they received the nomination, they didn’t even attend the Grammys because they felt things couldn’t get any worse…until they actually won. So will Grammy voters be in love with the new Broadway cast recording?
On the Bubble:
On Your Feet!-Normally, jukebox/biomusicals tend to do very well in this category. But since this was a live cast recording, does it still have chance? I can’t think of many live recordings that have been nominated before. Then again, it’s still filled with songs by three-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan, so it is still possible.
School of Rock-Andrew Lloyd Webber is of course of recipient of four Grammy Awards, yet the Recording Academy has never been as enthusiastic with his work as the Tonys. He hasn’t won a competitive Grammy since 1986 for Best Contemporary Composition for Requiem. He lost for The Phantom of the Opera to the original Broadway cast recording of Les Miserables and Sunset Boulevard to Stephen Sondheim for Passion. They didn’t even nominate ‘You Must Love Me’, his Oscar-winning song from the film adaptation of Evita nor its most recent Broadway cast recording featuring two-time Grammy winner Ricky Martin.
So which cast recording(s) do you think has a great shot at a Grammy nomination this year?