(UMOD)

When did musical theatre suddenly become cool? Growing up nobody I knew would admit to owning a copy of West Side Story or Evita (“It’s my mum’s!”), but today the tunes of Broadway and the West End are not only acceptable additions to any music collection, but they’re pretty much de rigueur.

So here we have a compilation covering all the classics, including Phantom, Les Mis, Cats, Grease, Miss Saigon, Wicked and Matilda, belted out as if their lives depended on it by the likes of Elaine Paige, Jason Donovan, Michael Crawford, Alfie Boe, Michael Ball and Sarah Brightman, plus a few less predictable additions.

These are songs we all know (and yes, love), so don’t expect any shocks in the track listing, and nobody’s going to agree on everything included here, but as a small sample from the soundtrack of stage then it’s a pretty good selection.

It also coincides with a couple of landmark anniversaries – the 20th anniversary of The Lion King and the 40th anniversary of Don’t Cry for Me Argentina – both of which are represented here.

So there’s no excuse not to unleash your inner entertainer, pretend you’re enjoying your moment in the limelight, and sing along to some of the best-loved songs in musical theatre.