by Nadia Trousdale

Created on: April 28, 2007

"And I will live forever," stated Lestat star Hugh Panaro on May 28th, 2006. With tears in his eyes, Panaro, a Broadway favorite, knew that with the fall of the curtain his too-short time as the musical's title role was at an end. The show, however, would go on! A week before Lestat's closing, the cast (comprised of Panaro, Carolee Carmello, Drew Sarich, Jim Stanek, Roderick Hill, Allison Fischer and Micheal Genet) and ensemble gathered at Sony Studios to record the songs from the show, all of which were composed by famed team Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Both longtime fans of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, they worked with great vigor and excitement on the score for Lestat, presenting perfectly the life-changing events and complex emotions of the immortals they so loved. Along with John and Taupin, Warner Brothers, Anne Rice, fans, cast and crew had high hopes that the Lestat legacy would continue on long after the show's two-month run at the Palace Theatre. The Original Broadway Cast Recording was set to release on July 11th. And yet, two weeks after the 11th had come and gone, Elton John's official site reported that there are no plans to release the album at present.' Neither Elton John or Mercury Records gave an answer as to why an album that received over 1,000 pre-orders (from fans in America, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and South America) would be kept on the shelf.

Lestat's dedicated and widespread fanbase have since been diligently working to discover the reasons behind this negligence, and to gain support for the efforts of the show's talented cast. The Release Lestat campain includes fliers, petitions, posters, wristbands, a store at cafepress.com, letters to Mercury Records and Warner Brothers, and a website (www.releastlestat.net) encouraging the public to aid the growing campaign. Many of these are fans who saw the show either on Broadway or in San Francisco previews, some more than ten times. Others are fans of the cast or the Chronicles who live too far away to have seen the musical, but would still love to experience its brilliance through the music. "Sadly, I was unable to travel to New York in time to see the show I'd been anticipating for months," says Carolyn E., a fan from Las Vegas currently working on the campaign. "From watching the hilarious video blogs and hearing clips of the songs, I instantly fell in love with all of the charming performers in Lestat. Having never met any of the cast or heard then belt out each exquisite song in person, the cast album is the only cherished piece I'd have to hold onto." Similar sentiments have been expressed from fans worldwide, who wish to make certain that Lestat really does live forever.

To learn more about the campaign or to join the fight to preserve a wondrous piece of Broadway history, visit www.releaselestat.net.

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