Center Stage Records announced the release of the live West End cast recording of John Casssavetes’ Opening Night on CD and digital outlets on Sept. 12. The show features music and lyrics by three-time Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

John Cassavetes’ Opening Night is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright. It premiered in London at the Gielgud Theatre in the spring of 2024. The book and direction were by Ivo van Hove and is based on the 1977 movie Opening Night by American avant-garde director John Cassavetes. 

The live album features Wainwright’s songs written for the original London West End production performed by the cast including Sheridan Smith, Nicola Hughes, and Benjamin Walker, recorded over the last four performances of the play at London’s Gielgud Theatre. 

Theatrely has an exclusive first listen to the show’s finale performed by Sheridan Smith and company. 

John Cassavetes’ Opening Night tells the story of an actress, Myrtle Gordon, who is premiering a play written for her that is about a woman coming to terms with aging. Myrtle does not come to terms with her own aging and rebels against the play and throws the entire production into jeopardy. A young female fan asking her for an autograph at the stage door gets killed by a car as she runs off onto the street. Myrtle is being haunted by the ghost of the young girl. On opening night, she arrives completely drunk but ultimately does what she does best: act and improvise. 

To pre-save the album, click here.

Center Stage Records announced the release of the live West End cast recording of John Casssavetes’ Opening Night on CD and digital outlets on Sept. 12. The show features music and lyrics by three-time Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright.

John Cassavetes’ Opening Night is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright. It premiered in London at the Gielgud Theatre in the spring of 2024. The book and direction were by Ivo van Hove and is based on the 1977 movie Opening Night by American avant-garde director John Cassavetes. 

The live album features Wainwright’s songs written for the original London West End production performed by the cast including Sheridan Smith, Nicola Hughes, and Benjamin Walker, recorded over the last four performances of the play at London’s Gielgud Theatre. 

Theatrely has an exclusive first listen to the show’s finale performed by Sheridan Smith and company. 

John Cassavetes’ Opening Night tells the story of an actress, Myrtle Gordon, who is premiering a play written for her that is about a woman coming to terms with aging. Myrtle does not come to terms with her own aging and rebels against the play and throws the entire production into jeopardy. A young female fan asking her for an autograph at the stage door gets killed by a car as she runs off onto the street. Myrtle is being haunted by the ghost of the young girl. On opening night, she arrives completely drunk but ultimately does what she does best: act and improvise. 

To pre-save the album, click here.

Center Stage Records has announced the release of Get What You Want: The Songs of Michael Finke in streaming and digital formats on Sept. 12. The album showcases the rise of Finke, a rising musical theatre composer and lyricist who is heralded for his soaring ballads and unconventional story songs. 

Get What You Want features an all-star cast, including Emily Afton, Ari Axelrod, Donna Lynne Champlin, Alex Goley, Alan H. Green, F. Michael Haynie, Tommy Kaiser, Sarah Naughton, Kyle Taylor Parker, Jelani Remy, Kate Rockwell, Analise Scarpaci, Justin David Sullivan, Talia Suskauer, and Matt Wood.

Theatrely has an exclusive first listen to  “The Fabulous Miss Lila Morae” performed by Donna Lynne Champlin. 

“Whenever I feel the need to write a new trunk song or musical project, I'll turn to the headlines,” Finke said of the song. “And of course a month before a concert at the Green Room, the Anna Delvey trial wrapped up and I was obsessed with her statement, ‘I'd be lying if I said I was sorry for anything.’ So Lila is my take on Anna. And it's worth mentioning this song might have my first and last "Simpsons-esque" prediction with the Shonda Rhimes/Netflix series.”

Finke has written the book, music, and lyrics for full-length musicals such as Reporting Live, Caroline and George, Surrounded By the Water, and Powerline Road, which recently completed a developmental Off-Broadway production at the ART/New York Gural Theater.

Produced by Robbie Rozelle and Michael Finke, and co-produced by Yasuhiko Fukuoka, the album features arrangements and orchestrations by Nils-Petter Ankarblom. The album features liner notes by Grammy and Tony Award nominee Nathan Tysen.

To pre-save the album, click here.