An Illinoise Original Cast Recording, Featuring the Onstage Band, Is On the Way

The Tony-nominated dance musical Illinoise is to release an original cast recording. Illinoise: A New Musical, featuring new arrangements of the 2005 Sufjan Stevens album Illinois and performed by the onstage band, will be released digitally on May 31 through Nonesuch Records.

Two album tracks are available to stream: “Chicago (Reprise)” and “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!” Details of the CD and LP release date will be announced shortly.

The Illinoise band features the three principal vocalists Elijah Lyons, Shara Nova and Tasha Viets-VanLear in addition to Christina Courtin, Sean Peter Forte, Domenica Fossati, Daniel Freedman, Kathy Halvorson, Nathan Koci, Eleonore Oppenheim, Brett Parnell, Brandon Ridenour, Kyra Sims and Jessica Tsang. Frequent Stevens collaborator Timo Andres provided the new arrangements.

The album is produced by Dean Sharenow, Timo Andres, Nathan Koci, Garth MacAleavey, and executive produced by Orin Wolf and Nate Koch. It was edited, mixed, and mastered by Dean Sharenow at Steel Cut Audio and Garth MacAleavey served as recording engineer.

Andres and Nova recently spoke with Broadway.com for a deep dive into the original Sufjan Stevens record.

The show itself, currently playing at the St. James Theatre, features a book by Tony Award-winning director-choreographer Justin Peck and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, with direction and choreography by Peck.