Original Broadway Cast, 2024 (Masterworks Broadway) (4 / 5) In the 2023-24 season, which saw the opening of 15 original musicals, Will Butler’s songs for the play Stereophonic earned one of the five coveted “Best Score” nominations for the Tony Awards. Judging from this album, it’s not hard to see why. This score is not just a tribute to, but a delightful riff on, Fleetwood Mac’s famous Rumors album, which was its inspiration. Butler’s work has the same tight instrumentation and vocal arrangements, but with an added flair and inventive lyrics that beautifully complement David Adjmi’s play. The breakout star of the album is Sarah Pidgeon as Diana, shining in her first appearance on “Bright” and shattering the listener with her vulnerable performance of “East of Eden.” Her voice has extraordinary depth and color while being gloriously imperfect; Pidgeon sings with skillful abandon, and even some (purposely) shaky notes from her have beauty and passion in them. Juliana Canfield as Holly is also a very special talent whose song “Drive” might be a breakout hit from the album, due to its polish and memorable melody. The inclusion of seemingly spontaneous ad-libs at the end of many of the songs on this recording make the listening experience more fun and establish the “band” as a tightly knit group. Their musical camaraderie is further demonstrated by their harmonies in the hypnotic “BVs.” The album’s only fault is its inclusion of some bits of music that don’t make an appearance in the show and feel like unnecessary additions. “Masquerade” and “Bright” are each presented more than once here: the former is driving and delightful in its first version, with a full orchestration, and pleasant if less exciting in its “campfire” version (lifted both times by Tom Pecinka’s gloriously husky vocals), while “Bright” is effective all three times, sparked by evocative lyrics and pulsing instrumentation. The success of this production may lead to more straight plays with substantial song scores, but be warned: Stereophonic has set an astronomically high bar in that regard. — Charles Kirsch