Original Cast Recording. The key reason I got this recording, and the main reason that I pull it out to listen to is the incredibly strong cast. First and foremost is Victor Garber as John Wilkes Booth, but the rest of the cast is wonderful as well, particularly Terrence Mann and Debra Monk. Sondheim's songs are in a variety of different styles, and there are some really strong melodies here, compared to a lot of his other work. The recording is only 9 tracks long, and ends with a 15-minute final sequence from the show that is great - just goes to show there's no reason why you can't include some more dramatic moments in a cast recording!

Original Broadway Cast Recording. This show was one of the most fulfilling theatrical experiences I've had - it's a challenging, interesting subject, with a challenging, interesting score, and an absolutely fantastic cast. Luckily, a lot of this comes across on the CD, which includes all the songs that are on the original recording, a bit more dialogue in the first act, and the "new" song, "Something Just Broke". The scene with Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassins ("November 22, 1963") has been really cut down compared to the original recording though. Musically, the cast is superb, and I can't argue with their interpretations of any of the songs. The orchestrations are also fantastic here, miles better than the original. With all that said, I still think the original recording is absolutely worth owning - I don't know if I could choose one, I'll just have to highly recommend them both.