The Best of Broadway

The Broadway Kids are just that: a group of preternaturally gifted young habitués of the stage (and television). They now have several CDs under their belts and this one combines songs from two of them, Sing Broadway and Back on Broadway. A lot of the material, like medleys from Annie and Oliver, is an obvious choice, but that doesn't make it any less welcome. Other songs are simply kid-friendly, like "You Gotta Have Heart." Then there are choices you don't immediately associate with children, like Hair (the original of which appears on Celebrate Broadway, Volume Seven: Kids, with the note that the song is "just a lot of fun to sing") and "Seasons of Love" from Rent. Overall, the album is best when you don't feel that the material's a stretch for children, as interpreters or listeners. For budding fans who need to hear their peers to relate to a show, this CD is a perfect introduction to Broadway, a first step toward what may well turn into a lifelong love. --Elisabeth Vincentelli