Adapted and expanded from Yazbeck’s one-man show, written by Yazbeck and Howard Emanuel, with music direction and arrangements by Jerome Korman, "The Floor Above Me" reinvents the solo vocal album by incorporating dance and narrative elements as it tracks Yazbeck's path to Broadway.
The album will be released digitally and in stores Feb. 5.
"Tommy [Krasker, co-founder of PS Classics and album producer] and I first met Tony doing the cast recording of On the Town, and we knew right from the start that we shared a similar outlook," PS Classics co-founder Philip Chaffin told Playbill.com. "A month or two later, Tony called about recording his solo show, and we jumped at the chance. We all agreed that we didn't want to simply duplicate the live show, but adapt and expand it, so that it worked as beautifully as an audio-only experience as it does onstage. We're thrilled with the results, and excited for listeners to discover and share in Tony’s journey from practicing tap in his mother's basement to lighting up Broadway as the star of On the Town and now Finding Neverland."
Yazbeck earned a Tony Award nomination for playing Gabey in the Broadway revival of On the Town, a role he will recreate on the show's national tour. His performance also earned him the Fred and Adele Astaire Award for best male dancer on Broadway. He currently stars in Broadway's Finding Neverland, and will also be part of Playbill Travel's Broadway On the High Seas 6 cruise Feb. 12-19 throughout the Caribbean.
Guest stars announced for the album include Yazbeck's On the Town co-star Clyde Alves and Melinda Sullivan ("So You Think You Can Dance," "Glee").
The track listing follows:
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Let Yourself Go / No Strings / Fascinating Rhythm / Can’t You See It?
"My mom and I drove into New York…"
Pure Imagination
"Flash forward to 2007…"
All I Need Is the Girl
"I was living out my dream…"
Moses Supposes
Till Kingdom Come
Got to Get You Into My Life
Dance Me to the End of Love / I Won't Dance
Cheek to Cheek
Change Partners / Let's Face the Music and Dance
Nothing I Do
Where Did I Go Wrong?
"I was taught to be a fighter…"
Both Sides Now
"I'm backstage at the Drury Lane Playhouse…"
Lucky to Be Me
Hello, My Old Heart
The album features Tony Lewis on drums, Tom Hubbard on bass, Marc McGowan on trumpet and Jack Bashkow on woodwinds. Todd & Elizabeth Donovan and Rick Leinwohl serve as the album’s executive producers.
Yazbeck has also been seen in Chicago, Gypsy, A Chorus Line, Oklahoma! and Never Gonna Dance.
Visit PSClassics.com. Numerous cast albums are also available at PlaybillStore.com.
