Evangeline The Musical

to order the
original highlights
CD, send $17,
plus $3 p/h to:
Evangeline The Musical CD
14357 Lazy Oaks Dr
Gonzales, LA 70737

ABOUT THE CD

Highlights from Evangeline: The Musical is the world premiere recording of this exciting new musical, based on the H.W. Longfellow poem, as well as the Louisiana tradition of the Evangeline legend, handed down through the generations.

After an enthusiastic premiere concert performance in November 1998, the task of Over a period of weeks in December 1998 and January 1999, co-creators Jamie Wax and Paul Taranto produced, directed and orchestrated the first ever recording of musical highlights from their first collaboration, EVANGELINE: THE MUSICAL.

Together, Taranto and Wax financed the effort out of their own pockets, with many generous contributions and donations from performers, musicians, artists, technicians and friends. The recording was made at the TechnoSound Studios in Baton Rouge, LA, and was engineered by TechnoSound owner Nelson Blanchard.

The first hurdle in the recording sessions was the fact, due to the restraints of availability, that Taranto and Wax recorded all the music first, without the participation of the singers. That meant Taranto had to conduct the 13-piece orchestra, keeping in mind the tempos, the cut-offs and the dramatic pauses the singers would eventually provide when they lay down the vocals later.

Fueled by Community Coffee and take-out from a nearby Chili's, the vocalists worked all-night on many occasions.

Many of the performers who had appeared in the November 1998 concert performance of Evangeline (including Andre Chapoy, Don Hill and Jenny Heroman) sang on the recording. (For a complete listing of the cast for this recording see the selections at the left of this page.) In addition, Wax called upon his high school friend Ana Maria Andricain to sing the title role.

Jamie Wax recalls, "Ana's part was a marathon. We flew her in from Milwaukee, where she was doing the new 20th anniversary tour of "Evita", on a Sunday. That night we rehearsed her music, and we spent the entire next day recording her vocals. She hadn't seen her family (who live in Baton Rouge) in months, and since we needed her for the entire 48-hours that she was in town, her family had to spend time with her in the TechnoSound Studios all day Monday. On Tuesday morning, Ana flew out to Baltimore, the next stop on the "Evita" tour."

Now you can enjoy the premiere recording of Highlights from Evangeline: the Musical, by ordering on the address on this page (see above left), or look for it in stores this summer.