The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization and acoustic cover producer, stories, has announced the release of a four-track EP entitled “songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein.” The recording will be released on streaming and digital platforms on Aug. 25. It commemorates the 80th anniversary of the duo’s partnership, dating back to 1943 when “Oklahoma!” (their first Broadway collaboration) debuted on the Main Stem.
The four tracks are “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music,” performed by “The Voice” alum India Carney; “Impossible” from “Cinderella,” sung by Hunter; “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel,” featuring singer-songwriter Mario Jose; and “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” performed by Maeve Touhey. The music video for Carney’s track was released on Aug. 21.
Each track has been reimagined by stories’ team of musicians to allow fans to hear the songs in a new way while keeping elements of the original tune intact.
Stories, founded by Ryan Lermand and Jack Conte, takes well-known songs and strips them back, resulting in simpler acoustic versions. They have previously created covers of songs from Neil Diamond, Ariana Grande and Judy Garland, among others.
The new “songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein” is produced by Lerman and features Lerman and Greg Leisz on guitar and David Maemone on keys. Audio engineering and mixing is by Caleb Parker.
The Rodgers & Hammerstein song catalog is owned and represented by Concord Music Publishing.
“For decades, Rodgers & Hammerstein have been synonymous with the magic of musical theater, creating some of the most seminal songs of all time,” Imogen Lloyd Webber, SVP of Concord Theatricals on behalf of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, said in a statement. “Our collaboration with stories allows us to honor the history of these songs while embracing opportunities for creative interpretation.”
