Broadway Maybe - Available on all Streaming Platforms

Album Cover

This is a little bit of a different medium for this blog, but you'll understand soon enough why I had to write this review.

Earlier this week, I was invited to get a first look at Henry Patterson's new album, Broadway Maybe, and I can tell you that I fell in love almost instantly with this music. Recorded in a single day at Abbey Road Studios, this album fuses jazz and musical theatre hits to create a brand new sound, one that is accessible to Broadway lovers and novices alike.

The premise is relatively simple: the entire album is framed as an audition room narrative, with Broadway Performer Jim Caruso opening the show with a casual "Ok Henry, whenever you're ready" before Henry launches into a small excerpt from the most famous audition tape of all, 'I Hope I Get It' from A Chorus Line. The songs take us on a journey, highlighting the hopes and dreams of a performer.

Although it features famous songs like 'I Could've Danced All Night' (My Fair Lady) and 'Something's Coming' (West Side Story), it also features songs that have never been covered in this way before, like the stunning 'In My Life' from Les Misérables. To say that the jazz influence breathes a whole new life into these songs is an understatement. Take my personal favourite, 'I Know Him So Well': though the song comes from the famous musical Chess, Henry decided to blend it with influences from the stunning 'Maybe This Time' from Cabaret, fusing the two into a whole new jazz number. It brings a unique dimension to these songs, making for an incredible listen.

Speaking of the artist himself: he is just 22 years old, and already boasts a more than impressive career. He first came to the public's attention after publishing his first book at the age of 9 and launching an international public speaking tour, before eventually turning to musical performance when his musical parodies went viral during COVID. With no formal vocal training, Henry drew influence from musical superstars to forge his own vocal identity. The result is just so soothing to hear, one of those voices that instantly impresses and relaxes.

Broadway Maybe is, in short, an album that has absolutely no right to be this good, and yet here we are. It is the kind of record that sneaks up on you: you think you know these songs, and then Henry does something unexpected with them and you find yourself hearing them for the first time all over again. Whether you are a lifelong devotee of the musical theatre canon or someone who has never sat through a cast recording in your life, this album will find you. It is warm, inventive, and genuinely joyful, and I would urge anyone reading this to seek it out now. If this is what Henry Patterson sounds like at 22, with no formal training and a career that has already taken more twists than most people see in a lifetime, I cannot wait to see where he goes next. Keep an eye on this one.

Overall Score: 100% - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5*)

(AD | gifted in exchange for an honest review)

Album Information

Available NOW on all streaming platforms or to purchase on Vinyl or CD here.

Run Time: 33 min

Track List:

1. Prologue: I Hope I Get It

2. I Could Have Danced All Night

3. Something’s Coming

4. Matchmaker

5. Not A Day Goes By

6. In My Life

7. I Know Him So Well

8. Losing My Mind

9. Another Hundred People

10. Wait

11. You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

12. Encore: I Hope I Get It (Reprise)