Jan Clayton Sings Carousel / Ella Logan Sings Favorites From Finian'sRainbow (CD)

Stage Door are pleased to present the CD debut of two solo albums by Broadway stars Jan Clayton and Ella Logan. Jan Clayton found fame when selected by Rodgers and Hammerstein to play the lead role of Julie Jordan in the original Broadway production of 'Carousel'. Thirteen years after Clayton originated the character of Julie Jordan, she was asked to revisit the role for a production of 'Carousel' to be staged as the American contribution for the 1958 Brussels World Fair. To coincide with the World Fair production, Clayton recorded an album of the Rodgers and Hammerstein score for Disneyland Records. Conducted by Camarata, the recording preserved Clayton's performance in glorious stereophonic sound and offered a unique interpretation of the classic 'Soliloquy', abridged and retitled 'My Little Girl'. Scottish-American actress and singer Ella Logan first found fame in the 1930s as a recording artist and starred in numerous Hollywood films. However, in 1947, Logan created what would arguably be her signature role as Sharon McLonergan in the Original Broadway production of Burton Lane and Yip Harburg's musical 'Finian's Rainbow'. Logan received critical acclaim for her performance and would later tour with the musical across the United States. In 1954, Logan was cast in a proposed animated Hollywood film adaptation of 'Finian's Rainbow' opposite Frank Sinatra. Although pre-production work began on the animated film, including recording sessions for the film soundtrack, the project was later abandoned. However, Logan returned to the recording studio to record a solo LP of songs from 'Finian's Rainbow', accompanied by George Greeley. The ensuing album was released by Capitol Records in 1955 and featured upbeat and jazzy arrangements of the show's songs, allowing Ella to bring a fresh and dynamic approach to the score. Both these recordings offer listeners the unique opportunity to discover the original Broadway leading ladies of 'Carousel' and 'Finian's Rainbow' reinterpreting their signature musicals on record. 'Jan Clayton Sings Carousel' and 'Ella Logan Sings Favorites From Finian's Rainbow' make their debut on CD and form part of Stage Door's 'Collector's Series', a line of limited edition CD products presented in the retro style of a miniature long-playing record. All Collector's Series titles are limited to 500 units.