We had such a wonderful time working with Jeff Harnar on his Sondheim opus I Know Things Now that we proposed another collaboration. Jeff suggested we take a look at a Cy Coleman celebration he had premiered in New York City back in 2006; he always dreamed of preserving it on disc. The show itself was marvelous, but, of course, it needed to be adapted for recording, and when we spoke with Jeff and his music director, Alex Rybeck, we were delighted to discover that we were all on the same page. We knew what needed to be trimmed and what needed to be added (we were thrilled when sisters Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway signed on for two duets) – and we all agreed that it needed to be fully scored for orchestra. The result is a bravura tribute to a composer equally at home in the worlds of pop and Broadway, in performances soaked in Harnar and Rybeck’s jazz-tinged theatricality. We are so proud to unveil this ideal pairing of artist and repertoire; the album drops on September 8, but it’s already available for preorder at Amazon — plus you can read more, see a track listing and listen to soundclips here.

The period of crisis and rebirth that can arrive at age 33 is often called the Jesus Year. For Matthew Scott‘s father, it manifested in a sinking feeling that he might not live to see his four young sons grow up. So he began writing them a letter — life lessons ranging from sex to communication to spirituality — that was found after his death, when Scott was only 13. For Scott, the letter became a cherished guide to growing up while he navigated intimate relationships, his professional career, his challenges with anxiety, and the early years of fatherhood to two sons of his own. In December 2021, Scott — who had by then taken Broadway by storm in a string of hits that included Sondheim on Sondheim, Jersey Boys and An American in Paris — wove his father‘s letter, anecdotes from his own life and a collection of classic pop and Broadway songs (from Paul McCartney and Billy Joel to William Finn and Stephen Sondheim) into a moving and rousing one-man show. More >