Mathis on Broadway

Mathis on Broadway is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on April 25, 2000, by Columbia Records and focuses upon songs included in musicals from the previous two decades.

Reception

Reviews of the singer's most recent tribute to the Great White Way were positive: Michael Portantiere of TheaterMania.com wrote that "Mathis comes across with the smooth, rich, velvety vocalism for which he is legendary," noting that certain songs covered on the album "require the kind of breath support, legato, and phrasing that precious few singers of Mathis's age can supply. But this guy still has the right stuff, in abundance." Billboard magazine echoed these sentiments: "The legendary performer breathes fresh perspective into songs that might sound overdone in lesser hands." And William Ruhlmann of AllMusic goes so far as to say that "the lesser talents among the composers -- Lloyd Webber, Wildhorn, Claude-Michel Schönberg -- owe Mathis a debt for making their music sound so good, while Sondheim can be grateful that Mathis makes him sound so accessible.

Track listing

From the liner notes for the original album:

1. "On Broadway" from Smokey Joe's Cafe (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:24 William Ross – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Al Schmitt – recording engineer, mixing engineer Randy Waldman – piano David Boruff – saxophone Dean Parks – guitar Chuck Domanico – bass John Robinson – drums Paulinho da Costa – percussion Alex Acuña – percussion Efrain Toro – percussion Maxine Waters – background vocals Julia Waters – background vocals Oren Waters – background vocals
2. "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" from Fosse (featuring Forever Plaid) (Lew Brown, Ray Henderson) – 2:46 Jorge Calandrelli – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Al Schmitt – recording engineer, mixing engineer Randy Waldman – piano David Boruff – saxophone Dean Parks – guitar Chuck Domanico – bass John Robinson – drums Leo Daignault – Forever Plaid David Engel – Forever Plaid Jason Graae – Forever Plaid Michael Winther – Forever Plaid
3. "Loving You" from Passion (Stephen Sondheim) – 4:38 Jonathan Tunick – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Frank Wolf – recording engineer, mixing engineer
4. "They Live in You" from The Lion King (Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin) – 4:13 Randy Waldman – producer, arranger, recording engineer; keyboards and programming Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Lebo M – coproducer; choir arranger and conductor Kevin Clark – recording engineer Ray Bardini – recording engineer Frank Wolf – mixing engineer Neil Stubenhaus – bass Nandi Morake – choir Ntombikhona Dlamini – choir Lindiwe Dlamini – choir Lindiwe Hlengwa– choir Bonginkosi Kulu – choir Ronald Kunene– choir Anthony Manough – choir Philip McAdoo – choir Rema Webb – choir
5. "Bring Him Home" from Les Misérables (Alain Boublil, Herbert Kretzmer, Claude-Michel Schönberg) – 3:23 William Ross – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Frank Wolf – recording engineer, mixing engineer
6. Medley (featuring Betty Buckley) – 5:45 a. "Children Will Listen" from Into the Woods (Stephen Sondheim) b. "Our Children" from Ragtime (Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty) William Ross – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Frank Wolf – recording engineer Al Schmitt – mixing engineer
7. "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera (Charles Hart, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Richard Stilgoe) – 4:15 William Ross – producer, arranger, conductor Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Frank Wolf – recording engineer Al Schmitt – mixing engineer
8. "Once Upon a Dream" from Jekyll & Hyde (Leslie Bricusse, Steve Cuden, Frank Wildhorn) – 5:10 Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Megan Cavallari – arranger Frank Wolf – recording engineer, mixing engineer William Ross – conductor
9. "Seasons of Love" from Rent (featuring Nell Carter) (Jonathan Larson) – 4:08 Randy Waldman – producer, arranger, recording engineer; keyboards and programming Jay Landers – producer Richard Jay-Alexander – producer Megan Cavallari – choir arranger and conductor Kevin Clark – recording engineer Frank Wolf – mixing engineer Nathan East – bass Maxine Waters – choir Julia Waters – choir Oren Waters – choir Luther Waters – choir Sally Stevens – choir Terry Wood – choir Bobbi Page – choir Carmen Twillie – choir Angie Jaree – choir Ginger Freers – choir Susan Boyd – choir Jeffrey Polk – choir Jim Gilstrap – choir Rick Logan – choir Josef Powell – choir Jon Joyce – choir

Personnel

From the liner notes for the original album:

• Johnny Mathis – vocals
• Jay Landers – executive producer
• Richard Jay-Alexander – executive producer
• Robbie Buchanan – additional vocal production
• Bill Smith – associate producer and engineering
• Martie Kolbl – production coordinator
• Patti Zimmitti – orchestra contractor
• Debbi Datz-Pyle – orchestra contractor
• Jo Ann Kane – music preparation
• Matt Della Polla – scoring coordinator for William Ross
• Lenny LaCroix – rehearsal pianist
• Charlie Paakkari – assistant engineer
• John Sorensen – assistant engineer
• John Hendrickson – assistant engineer
• James McCrone – assistant engineer
• Alan Sanderson – assistant engineer
• Jenny Knotts – assistant engineer
• Doug Sax – mastering
• Laura Grover – liner notes editor
• Peter Fletcher – product manager
• Bob Semanovich – product manager
• Christine Wilson – art direction
• David Vance – photography
• Mastered at The Mastering Lab, Hollywood, California