The long-running Now That’s What I Call Music! series is adding another volume in about two weeks and this one is a little different from its  normal fare.  Now That’s What I Call Broadway! is an 18-track compilation rounding up tracks musical theater tracks from the last 40 years and is due to hit stores on April 29.

While the Now! series is primarily focused on contemporary pop music from the Top 40 charts, it has had several detours into slightly other genres, like volumes focused on Disney songs and Halloween songs.  This will mark the first Now! foray into the world of musical theatre.  However, in keeping with the spirit of the series, the song selection on the compilation is aimed to appeal to a more modern audience.

There are no songs from shows on the CD which predate 1975 (both A Chorus Line and Chicago premiered that year).  After that, each subsequent decade is represented.  The most recent track is from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical which opened in January 2014.  All of the shows should be somewhat familiar to a general audience.  They are all from shows which have been turned into movies (Dreamgirls, Rent, Into The Woods), are based on movies (The Lion King), have recently been performed on television (The Wiz), are currently on Broadway (Wicked and Matilda) or are soon coming back to Broadway (Cats).  Many, like Jersey Boys and Phantom of The Opera, check more than one of these boxes (in their instances, they are currently on Broadway and have been turned into films).  As all of the tracks are from the original Broadway or London cast recordings of their shows, you will find many Broadway luminaries in some of their most famous roles, for example: Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin in Evita, Jennifer Holliday in Dreamgirls, Michael Crawford in Phantom, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel in Wicked.

We’ve got the full tracklisting for you below.  While it is not the most comprehensive view of history of musical theatre available, Now That’s What I Call Broadway! captures a snapshot of the modern repertoire that Broadway audiences are currently enjoying.  If you would like to join them, we’ve also got the pre-order links for you.

Various Artists, Now That’s What I Call Broadway! (Legacy/UMe, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Seasons of Love – Original Broadway Cast (from Rent Original Broadway Cast Recording, Dreamworks Records, 1996)
2. Defying Gravity – Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel (from Wicked Original Broadway Cast Recording, Decca, 2003)
3. All That Jazz – Chita Rivera and Cast (from Chicago Original Cast Recording, Arista, 1975)
4. On The Balcony of the Casa Rosada/Don’t Cry For Me Argentina – Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin and Bob Gunton (from Evita: American Premiere Recording, MCA, 1979)
5. The Music of the Night – Michael Crawford (from The Phantom of the Opera Original London Cast Recording, Polydor, 1986)
6. Memory – Betty Buckley (from Cats Original Broadway Cast Recording, Geffen, 1983)
7. I Dreamed A Dream – Randy Graff (from Les Miserables Original Broadway Cast Recording, Geffen, 1987)
8. And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going – Jennifer Holliday (from Dreamgirls Original Broadway Cast Recording, Geffen, 1981)
9. Ease On Down the Road – Stephanie Mills (from The Wiz Original Broadway Cast Recording, Atlantic, 1975)
10. Sherry – Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer and John Lloyd Young (from Jersey Boys Original Broadway Cast Recording, Rhino, 2005)
11. Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now (Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Harvey Fierstein, Linda Hart, Jackie Hoffman, Marissa Jaret Winokur and Cast (from Hairspray Original Broadway Cast Recording, Sony, 2002)
12. Mamma Mia – Siobahn McCarthy, Nicola Colicos, Paul Clarkson, Hilton McRae and Cast (from Mamma Mia! Original London Cast Recording, Polydor, 2000)
13. Will You Love Me Tomorrow – Jesse Mueller (from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording, Ghostlight, 2014)
14. Tomorrow – Andrea McArdle (from Annie Original Broadway Cast Recording, Columbia, 1977)
15. When I Grow Up – Lauren Ward, Bailey Ryon and Cast (from Matilda Original Broadway Cast Recording, Broadway Records, 2013)
16. Circle of Life – Tsidii Le Loka and Cast (from The Lion King Original Broadway Cast Recording, Walt Disney Records, 1997)
17. Finale: Children Will Listen – Bernadette Peters (from Into The Woods Original Broadway Cast Recording, RCA, 1988)
18. One – Original Cast (from A Chorus Line Original Broadway Cast Recording, Columbia, 1975)