Illinoise: A New Musical / Various (Mod) - Illinoise: A New Musical (Original Cast Recording) [CD]

This is the Original Cast Recording for the 4-time Tony Award-nominated (including Best Musical) hit Broadway show Illinoise. The album features music and lyrics by Sufjan Stevens based on the album Illinois. A company of performers brings the original story to life, set to the entirety of Stevens' album with new arrangements by composer, pianist, and frequent Stevens collaborator Timo Andres, ranging in style from DIY folk and indie rock to marching band and ambient electronics, performed by a live band and vocalists. The cast includes vocalists Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova and Tasha Viets-VanLear. With inclusion on several reviewer's "best of the decade" lists including those of Paste, NPR, and Rolling Stone, Sufjan Stevens' acclaimed 2005 concept album Illinois enjoys cult status for it's lush orchestrations and wildly inventive portrayal of the state's people, landscapes, and history, complete with UFOs, zombies, and predatory wasps. This musically ambitious work, which weaves together cinematic orchestral anthems, jazz riffs, and other musical influences, leads audiences on a mighty journey through the American heartland, from campfire storytelling to the edges of the cosmos.