Ghostlight Records Releases BE MORE CHILL: ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING For Digital Download & Streaming
GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has announced that Be More Chill: Original Broadway Cast Recording is available for digital download and streaming today, Friday, May 3. This new album completes a remarkable full-circle journey for Be More Chill, as the original recording from Ghostlight – which has now been streamed over 300 million times to date – helped propel the show from Two River Theater to a viral Broadway hit. Be More Chill was nominated for a 2019 Tony Award for “Best Original Score.” CD and vinyl releases are planned for later this year. The album is produced by Kurt Deutsch, Joe Iconis, and Charlie Rosen, and co-produced by Ian Kagey and Emily Marshall. To download or stream the album, please visit ghostlightrecords.lnk.to/bemorechillbroadway
A series of video trailers, featuring exclusive recording studio footage, is available on YouTube HERE.
Be More Chill, currently playing at the Lyceum Theatre (149 West 45th Street, NYC), is now nominated for “Best Musical” by the Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle, Off-Broadway Alliance, and Lucille Lortel Awards. The show features music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz, based on the cult sensation novel by Ned Vizzini. Stephen Brackett directs and Chase Brock choreographs.
“It’s no secret that many of Be More Chill’s supporters first discovered the show thanks to its Two River original cast album. The thought of delivering a brand-new Broadway cast album to those same fans, who continue to support and love the musical and expand its reach to brand-new audiences every night at the Lyceum Theatre is a thrill,” said lead producer Jerry Goehring.
According to Joe Iconis, “The score of Be More Chill has mutated, deepened, gotten tons more heartfelt and a lot more explosive since our first production at Two River. I am so thrilled that our new Broadway cast recording will capture all of that growth and more. Fans of the show can expect the definitive version of the score, complete with tons of never-before-recorded musical goodies and expanded versions of songs they know and love. First time listeners can expect the most contemporary-sounding traditional musical comedy cast recording imaginable.”
Be More Chill is collaborating with Topsify on a special contest offering a trip to New York to see the show on Broadway. One Grand Prize Winner will receive roundtrip airfare for two and two nights hotel stay; two tickets to see Be More Chill on Wednesday, June 19; a VIP Backstage Tour, including a meet and greet with the cast; and a Be More Chill merch bundle. For details, terms and conditions, click HERE.
Be More Chill arrived on Broadway with the entire cast of its summer 2018 off-Broadway run intact, all of whom are all featured on the album: Will Roland as Jeremy; George Salazar as Michael;Stephanie Hsu as Christine; Gerard Canonico as Rich; Katlyn Carlson as Chloe; Tiffany Mann as Jenna; Lauren Marcus as Brooke; Britton Smith as Jake; Jason Sweet Tooth Williams as Mr. Heere – Mr. Reyes – Scary Stockboy; and Jason Tam as The Squip.
What if popularity came in a pill? Would you take it, no questions asked? In Be More Chill, achieving that elusive “perfect life” is now possible thanks to some mysterious new technology-but it comes at a cost that’s not as easy to swallow. What could possibly go wrong? Blending the contemporary with retro sci-fi, this thrillingly exciting, comically subversive, and deeply felt new musical takes on the competing voices in all of our heads. And ultimately proves, there’s never been a better time in history to be yourself-especially if you’re a loser…geek…or whatever.
When the musical opened on Broadway, The Wall Street Journal called it “one of the strongest new musicals of the past decade. Not since Hamilton has a musical opened on Broadway that is so closely in tune with contemporary pop-music style.” Rolling Stone hailed it as “a wow of a musical shaking things up on Broadway. Talk about universal! This joyful, roof-raising phenom is uplifted by the irresistible score of the mega-skilled Joe Iconis.” New York Magazine writes, “It soars… witty, high octane tunes, bang-up performances and shrewd comedy. It has a welcome edge to it that’s refreshing!”AM New York calls Be More Chill “an exciting musical with an addictively catchy score and superb cast. It deserves a place in Broadway history.” NBC says Be More Chill is “the toast of Broadway. A new musical that speaks to a new generation.”
Be More Chill’s creative team features scenic design by Tony Award winner Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Bobby Frederick Tilley II; lighting design by Tony Award winner Tyler Micoleau; sound design by Ryan Rumery; projection design by Alex Basco Koch; hair and makeup design by Dave Bova; music direction by Emily Marshall; music supervision and orchestrations by Charlie Rosen; fight direction by J. David Brimmer; production supervision by SenovvA Inc.; and casting by Telsey + Company / Adam Caldwell, CSA & Rebecca Scholl, CSA.
The work of Joe Iconis is also represented on Ghostlight Records with Be More Chill (Original Cast Recording), Two-Player Game (George Salazar and Joe Iconis), The Joe Iconis Rock & Roll Jamboree, and Things To Ruin (Original Cast Recording).
GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS has become the leading independent force in Original Broadway Cast Recordings – building a library of over 200 records over the past 19 years, featuring some of the most successful Broadway musicals and solo albums by Broadway’s brightest stars. Founded by Grammy Award winner Kurt Deutsch, Ghostlight has won Grammy Awards for The Band’s Visit, The Book of Mormon, In the Heights and Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. Ghostlight has also released solo albums from Patti LuPone, Kelli O’Hara, Sutton Foster, Billy Porter, and more. The label continues to support the new generation of musical theater composers and has developed extensive relationships with Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, and David Yazbek, as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Pasek & Paul, Tom Kitt, Joe Iconis, and Shaina Taub. Ghostlight Records is part of the Arts Music division at Warner Music Group. ghostlightrecords.com
“BE MORE CHILL – ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING” TRACK LIST
- Jeremy’s Theme (Instrumental)
- More Than Survive
- I Love Play Rehearsal
- More Than Survive (Reprise)
- The Squip Song
- Two-Player Game
- The Squip Enters
- Be More Chill Pt. 1
- Do You Wanna Ride?
- Be More Chill Pt. 2
- Sync Up
- A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into
- The Squip Stalks (Instrumental)
- Upgrade
- Loser Geek Whatever
- Halloween
- Do You Wanna Hang?
- Michael in the Bathroom
- A Guy That I’d Kinda Be Into (Reprise)
- The Smartphone Hour (Rich Set a Fire)
- The Pants Song
- The Pitiful Children
- The Play
- Voices in My Head