Mr. Cranky @ Large

See more shows! Buy more CDs!
Buying cast recordings online continued

This week's article is devoted to additions to last week's article, as well as some odds and ends of info.


To those of you who felt that last week's look at where to buy CDs online was a little North America-centric, I have this to add:

Discount Music Connection
Much like California-based All Music Services, Discount Music Connection in the UK has little in the way of geegaws and whizbangs on its web site. There's no catalog or complete list of offerings (although you will find a short list of "popular" items), since they keep little inventory on hand in order to keep down costs. And although they provide online ordering, the process is not yet secure. Of primarily interest is the fact that the site provides an e-mail link to allow you to make inquiries about price and availability of, well, whatever recording you're looking for. And they are prepared to ship anywhere in the world (if you use a VISA, MasterCard, or European debit card).

Dress Circle
London's Dress Circle claims to have "an unrivalled selection of international musicals on CD and cassette." Not only do they carry cast and theatrical recordings, but videos, posters, sheet music and lots of other theatre merchandise. They offer an online order form, although it's not secure. But (unlike the U.S. giants, CDNow and Music Boulevard.) they have an actual physical location for you to drop by and browse. You can also fax in an order or order by email. Best of all, they are so well set up for international shipping that the site even holds a link to a site that will help you figure out how much your local lucre will fetch you in Pounds Sterling at up to the minute rates of exchange!


 Here are some sites devoted to the catalogs of some of the smaller labels, who provide an enormous percentage of the available cast recordings:


These longtime fixtures of Suite 101 Theatre's list of links have recently had changes of addresses. Update your bookmarks accordingly:


Finally, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission maintains an excellent site. You'll find listings of regular events and very special events, funding information and an extensive list of links. You'll also find a massive list of L.A. area arts groups. (One word of warning: on the opening page of the site, in the boxes which seem to contain the links to other parts of the site, only the area around the actual names of the parts are linked. You'll see what I mean.)


Hey, isn't it time for you to go see a show?!


Originally published at Suite101.com Theatre, 8/12/97

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