Broadway’s Rachel Potter will release a new album, “Stages” under the label Joy Machine Records. The album will debut on streaming and digital formats and on CD on Friday, May 16.
Stages, produced by David Wise, is a curated collection of reimagined Broadway classics, showcasing Rachel’s roots in musical theater and her passion for reinterpreting these iconic songs with full symphonic arrangements. An exciting full throttle listening experience that feels both classic and contemporary, Stages embraces recent stage musicals whose songs aren’t often heard outside the context of the show.
Stages features an all-star lineup of guest vocalists, including Tony Award winner Ali Stroker (Oklahoma!, Spring Awakening), Christine Dwyer (Wicked, Waitress), Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture, Wicked), Omar Cardona (“The Voice,” From Here), Matt DeAngelis (Swept Away, Hair), Marty Thomas (Xanadu, Wicked), Marissa Rosen (Water for Elephants, Kristin Chenoweth’s For the Girls), Brandon Kalm (Swept Away, American Psycho), Jamey Ray (Voctave, London Symphony Orchestra), EJ Cardona (“The X Factor”), Jenifer Thigpen (Broadway Inspirational Voices), Voctave (acclaimed a cappella group), and The Young Fables (Nashville duo Laurel Wright & Wesley Lunsford). Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, a veteran of 21 Broadway musicals, is also featured on cello.
Rachel comments: “I have always dreamed of signing a record deal – in fact, it’s what fueled my moving to Nashville in 2013. I think it’s perfectly poetic that after all these years of chasing that dream, ultimately, being my authentic self as an artist and honoring my Broadway roots on this album has made that dream a reality, I am so honored to partner with the creatives at Joy Machine Records for Stages. They are incredible champions of Broadway artist community, while also being a part of our community themselves, and I couldn’t be happier to have them on my team. Their vision for boosting Broadway works in the recording industry is beautiful, and I can’t wait to see all the JOY they truly create in this space. Thank you, Joy Machine, for believing in Stages, and in me!”
Will Van Dyke of Joy Machine Records adds: “As part of our continued mission to reshape how the theater interacts with recorded music, we are thrilled to add Rachel Potter to our roster of Joy Machine artists. Rachel has created a glorious album that marries the tradition of large orchestral music with contemporary scores. We can’t wait to share her vision with the world!”
Three singles from Stages have already been released: “Come What May / The I Love You Song,” a mashup from Moulin Rouge! and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, featuring Omar Cardona and Marty Thomas; “Pulled,” which Rachel sang on Broadway in The Addams Family; and “My Days,” written by Ingrid Michaelson for the Broadway musical The Notebook.˜
Stages, engineering by Garth Justice and mastered by Alan Silverman, features orchestrations by Ned Ginsburg (tracks 2 and 10), Bradley Knight (tracks 1, 6, 7, 11, and 14), Rob Potorff (track 3 and 5), Nathaniel Semsen (track 8), David Shipps (track 4), and Greg Sims (tracks 12 and 13).
Track List
1. The Life of the Party (Andrew Lippa, from The Wild Party)
2. Pulled (Andrew Lippa, from The Addams Family)
3. Part of Your World (Alan Menken & Howard Ashman, from The Little Mermaid) / Disneyland (Marvin Hamlisch & Howard Ashman, from Smile)
4. Come What May (David Baerwald & Kevin Gilbert, from Moulin Rouge! The Musical) / The I Love You Song (William Finn, from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – featuring Omar Cardona & Marty Thomas)
5. Some Things Are Meant to Be (Jason Howland & Mindi Dickstein, from Little Women: The Musical – featuring Ali Stroker)
6. House of the Rising Sun (Traditional)
7. Animazement Trio (featuring Jamey Ray & EJ Cardona)
8. My Days (Ingrid Michaelson, from The Notebook)
9. Matilda Medley (Tim Minchin – featuring Voctave, Jude Kroenung & Cree Hasse)
10. On My Own / I Dreamed a Dream (Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boublil, from Les Misérables – featuring Natalie Weiss)
11. He Was Mine (Laurel Wright & Wesley Lunsford, featuring The Young Fables)
12. Waitress Medley Pie (Sara Bareilles – featuring Matt DeAngelis, Marissa Rosen, Marty Thomas, Jenifer Thigpen, Christine Dwyer, Brandon Kalm & Omar Cardona)
13. Maybe This Time (John Kander & Fred Ebb, from Cabaret)
14. For Good (Stephen Schwartz, from Wicked – featuring Christine Dwyer and cellist Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf)
With a successful career in both musical theater and country music, Rachel Potter has showcased her talent on stages of all sizes.
Rachel’s impressive resume includes her turn as the ever “popular” Glinda understudy on the National Tour of Wicked. Next, she made her Broadway debut as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, where she shared the stage with Bebe Neuwirth and Brooke Shields as Morticia. She then went on to originate the role of the Mistress in the Tony Award-nominated revival of Evita, alongside Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris. Her standout performance on the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the production, singing the poignant song “Another Suitcase in Another Hall,” further solidified her place in the Broadway community.
Hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, Rachel’s journey in the entertainment industry began on at Walt Disney World, where she portrayed iconic characters such as Ariel, Belle, and Nemo. She later gained national attention as a top 15 finalist on MTV’s “Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woods.”
Transitioning from Broadway to Nashville, Rachel pursued her passion for country music and achieved success as a Top 12 finalist on season three of Fox TV’s “The X Factor.” Her audition with her version of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” earned international praise, and continues to amass millions of views since the season aired. The song is featured on her solo album, Not So Black and White, which showcases her unique artistry, songwriting, and musical style. Her music videos have been featured on “CMT” and “Entertainment Tonight,” and she has garnered attention from publications such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Huff Post.
Most recently, Rachel was the featured soloist on “Journey to Fantasy Springs,” the theme song for Tokyo Disney Sea’s new land “Fantasy Springs,” further expanding her global reach and musical accomplishments. In addition to her solo career, Rachel has collaborated with renowned Acapella groups VoicePlay and Voctave. With many of their videos achieving viral status, most notably, her “Moana Medley” collaboration with VoicePlay remains an internet favorite.
Rachel has been featured as a guest soloist with many symphony orchestras all over the world, including the Dallas Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Utah Symphony, among many others. She and fellow country artist, Patrick Thomas, have been celebrating the past icons of country music in their pops symphony show, “Country Legends,” for the past 10 years. Residing in Nashville, TN, Rachel remains focused on recording and writing music, as well as enjoying a successful career in real estate. Balancing her professional endeavors with her most important role as “mommy” to Jude, Elliot, and Myla, Rachel’s passion for music and family shines through in all aspects of her life. Stay connected with Rachel on social media @therachelpotter.
