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Just the Beginning, the debut album from rising Broadway star Kennedy Caughell – currently playing Jersey on the national tour of the hit Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen – in streaming and digital formats today, Friday, July 24. Just the Beginning, featuring both vintage and contemporary theater music, is a beautifully orchestrated showcase for Caughell’s dynamic vocals and nuanced interpretations. The album is produced by Robbie Rozelle, Brian Spector, and Kennedy Caughell. Stream or download the album at orcd.co/justthebeginning.
Just the Beginning highlights a variety of stellar musicals in which Caughell has appeared, including Wicked (“I’m Not That Girl” / “Defying Gravity”), Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”), 9 to 5 (“Get Out and Stay Out”), Waitress (“You Matter to Me”), and Paradise Square (“Heaven Save Our Home”). The album also includes “I Dream of Janey,” a number cut from the Broadway production of Paradise Square. The Paradise Square tracks, both world premiere recordings, are arranged and orchestrated by the musical’s composer Jason Howland.
Also represented are selections from classic musicals such as Company (“Being Alive’) and Annie Get Your Gun (“I Got the Sun in the Morning”), in addition to newer works like The Notebook (“My Days”) and Violet (“Let It Sing”). The album’s title number, a world premiere recording from the new musical Far from Canterbury, has music and lyrics by Danny K. Bernstein.
Just the Beginning features guest vocal appearances by Jason Gotay (Floyd Collins), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Shoba Narayan (Aladdin), and Isaiah Bailey (National Tour, The Phantom of the Opera). Additional vocals by Nyla Watson (Waitress), Gabrielle Elisabeth (Galileo), Emily Tucker (Frozen), and Andrew Cekala (Pippin).
“Growing up, I always felt most understood by the melodies of musical theater,” says Kennedy. “I would lose myself in those stories and, for a little while, become the hero — the one who saves herself and those around her. She laughed without fear of the future, loved fiercely, and faced the world as her truest self. This album is for her. If I’ve learned anything, it’s how easy it is to let fear and self-doubt keep us from becoming who we’re meant to be. That’s part of being human. But eventually, we all have a choice: to keep shrinking ourselves or to step into the person our younger selves always believed we could become.”
“This album is my invitation to choose courage,” she continues. “It’s a love letter to the music that shaped me — from Broadway and beyond — and a celebration of the stories that remind us who we are. In a world that can feel heavy, my hope is that these songs bring a little more joy, a little more hope, and a little more light. If someone walks away feeling seen, inspired, or simply believing in themselves again, then this album has already become everything I hoped it would be. May these songs remind us that our story is still unfolding. This is just the beginning.”
Kennedy Caughell is a Broadway and voiceover artist with Oklahoma roots who has captivated audiences nationwide with her powerhouse vocals and magnetic stage presence. Currently on tour as Jersey in the Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen, she was recently seen as Jenna in Waitress and has performed iconic roles such as Carole King in the national tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Elphaba in Wicked, and Elsa in Frozen.
Her Broadway credits include Paradise Square; Beautiful; and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Kennedy made her Carnegie Hall debut in the leading role of Super You, returning just a month later to star in Mozart: Her Story – The New Musical. Other favorite regional credits: MTWichita, NLB, 9 to 5 at the Fulton (Judy), Tick, Tick… Boom! at the Kennedy Center (dir. Neil Patrick Harris), and Great Comet at PCLO (Sonya). On screen, she’s appeared on “Law & Order: SVU,” “Parked for Love,” and “The Outlier.” Beyond the stage, Kennedy is a passionate educator, offering master classes and private coaching across the country. BFA in Music Theater from Elon University.
Center Stage Records is the new label from Broadway Records founder, Grammy Award and Tony Award winner, Van Dean. The label is dedicated to the preservation of Broadway, London, Off-Broadway, new musicals in development and theater-related solo albums. Center Stage Records premiered with the original Broadway cast recordings of How to Dance in Ohio and Gutenberg the Musical, Steven Pasquale’s Some Other Time with John Pizzarelli, and the Original London Cast Recording of Mandela the Musical. Latest releases include the Broadway cast albums of Pirates! The Penzance Musical, Floyd Collins starring Jeremy Jordan, Once Upon a Mattress starring Sutton Foster, Lea Salonga’s Sounding Joy – The Holiday Album, JC Chasez and Jimmy Harry’s Playing with Fire, Patti LuPone’s new double album A Life in Notes, and the London recording of The Lightning Thief. To peruse the entire catalog, please visit CenterStageRecords.com. Follow Center Stage Records on all social platforms @centerstagercds.
Kennedy Caughell “Just the Beginning” — Track Listing
1) Just the Beginning (by Danny K. Bernstein, from Far from Canterbury)
2) My Days (by Ingrid Michaelson, from The Notebook)
3) I’m Not That Girl / Defying Gravity (by Stephen Schwartz, from Wicked)
4) Catch My Breath (by Kelly Clarkson, Jason Halbert, and Eric Olson) / This Is Me (by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, from The Greatest Showman)
5) I Dream of Janey (music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Masi Asare and Nathan Tysen – cut from Paradise Square)
6) Get Out and Stay Out (by Dolly Parton, from 9 to 5)
7) Being Alive (by Stephen Sondheim, from Company)
8) I See the Light – duet with Jason Gotay (Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater – from Tangled)
9) (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (music by Carole King, lyrics by Gerry Goffin – from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical)
10) Heaven Save Our Home (music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Masi Asare and Nathan Tysen – from Paradise Square)
11) You Matter to Me – duet with Ben Fankhauser (by Sara Bareilles, from Waitress)
12) I Got the Sun in the Morning (by Irving Berlin, from Annie Get Your Gun)
13) A Dream Worth Chasing Trio – with Isaiah Bailey and Shoba Narayan/
Into the Unknown (by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, from Frozen 2) /
How Far I’ll Go (by Lin-Manuel Miranda, from Moana) /
Go the Distance (music by Alan Menken, lyrics by David Zippel, from Hercules)
14) Let It Sing (music by Jeanine Tesori, lyrics by Brian Crawley, from Violet)
