Cast - Making the CD

Andrew here - We're coming up on a wave of events that have to do with the release of the Little Women Original Cast Recording and I thought it might be interesting to the shows fans to learn about how the recording was made.   I went around the theater and pestered the cast to tell me their experiences so big thanks go out to Sutton, Maureen, Jim, John, Bob, Danny, Amy, Jenny, Megan, and Janet.

The recording process, to put it diplomatically, requires meticulousness.  Knowing that this particular recording is going to stand forever as the definitive example of "Little Women the Musical" means that you work and work "until it is right".  A great sense of humor is an absolute must if you're doing anything in the studio as, invariably, you will be asked to sing your most difficult passages "just one more time".  I happen to really like studio singing because you do get to get it right.  Also, there's ususally no shortage of food.

The day began at 10 AM with the orchestra laying down the overture and entre act, the cast joined the fun at noon.  With the day scheduled to go until 10PM, its was important for the actors to pace themselves and make sure they don't oversing themselves into hoarseness.  Luckily for us, our voices are some of the best and strongest you're going to hear on Bway (and that's no idle boast) so we brought stamina in buckets.

You get up off the sofa in the green room (anyone want to know what that is?) go into the studio, put on your headphones (like listening to yourself whispering in your own ears) and wait for the engineer to tell you what you're singing.  You might hear, "Let's take it from the top" or they might tell you to start somewhere in the middle.  The good thing is that in any take of a given song, you might blow the doors off of Section A, but you might forget a word in Section B.  So, you'll go back and start at Section B and get another run at it.  Using special software, the engineer can bond the good Section A to your best Section B and voila!  Its the perfect you!

So pick up your copy of the CD and (props to a certain chef) kick it up a notch  by getting it signed at the theater by the cast on Saturday, May 7 from 4:45 to 5:15.  SWEET!

Comments

[Meggs]

That sounds like a lot of fun. . .and of course a tremendous amount of hard work! The album is phenomenal btw! I love it. . .can't get enough! you all did a spectacular job and your voices are mesmerizing to say the least! I can't wait to hear more! The video on broadway.com was awesome too! i love all this backstage action we have access too!! oh and just wondering who this post came from?! they didn't sign their name!

[meggs]

Duh.. .i'm an idiot! hehehehehehe just noticed that andrew did put his name. . . i'm a dork. . just ignore me! heheh