# Broadway: Here I'll Stay — The Words of Alan Jay Lerner

Broadway: Here I'll Stay — The Words of Alan Jay Lerner is the tenth studio album by English singer Julie Andrews. It was released in 1996 by Philips Records. The album was the second (and last to date) in a series of Broadway-themed records that Philips proposed for the singer. The first one was Broadway: The Music of Richard Rodgers, a tribute to Richard Rodgers, whom Andrews admires.
This second album features a repertoire centered on the compositions of Alan Jay Lerner, with songs from Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, My Fair Lady, and Camelot. The CD is structured into four suites, each based on a specific soundtrack, without the use of medleys, allowing the full performance of each song. The instrumentation includes instrumental sections interspersed with solo and choral performances. There is also an unplugged section, in which Julie Andrews performs some songs accompanied only by piano, including a recording made in London. The arrangements were created by Ian Fraser, who had worked with Julie since she was 24 years old. According to Andrews, the album includes all the people Lerner ever worked with, such as Kurt Weill, Frederick Loewe, and Leonard Bernstein".
As a promotional effort, the singer appeared in a record store, in October 1996, showcasing and speaking to the public about her new CD and the cast recording of the musical Victor/Victoria (1995).
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at the 40th Grammy Awards, held in 1998.
During the interviews given to promote the album, the singer mentioned that the upcoming albums in the series would include tributes to George Gershwin, Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. However, due to a problem with her vocal cords, the artist was unable to sing again, and the project was abandoned. A compilation featuring the best moments from the two released albums in the Broadway series and the soundtrack of The King and I (1992) was released in 2001, under the title Classic Julie, Classic Broadway.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Billboard | Favorable |
| Jornal do Brasil | Favorable |
Rodney Batdorf of AllMusic rated the album four and a half out of five stars and wrote that Here I'll Stay matches the quality of Broadway: The Music of Richard Rodgers. He praised Andrews for revisiting iconic songs from My Fair Lady and Camelot while also exploring other Broadway hits. Batdorf highlighted the crisp production, lively music, and Andrews’ theatrical conviction, calling it a wonderful experience for fans of show tunes.
The critic from Billboard praised the album as a well-crafted tribute to Alan Jay Lerner’s lyrics, allowing Julie Andrews to explore beyond her iconic roles in My Fair Lady and Camelot. They highlighted the richness of Lerner’s work, including "Brigadoon" and "Paint Your Wagon", and commended Andrews for performing lesser-known but beautiful collaborations. The review also noted her playful take on "My Love Is a Married Man" from The Day Before Spring.
The Brazilian critic Frávio Marinho from Jornal do Brasil wrote that the album presents a selection of Alan Jay Lerner’s works, emphasizing love songs and themes of self-discovery. He pointed out that some tracks convey a sense of loss and longing, while others focus on ideals and emotional resilience. He also observed that the arrangements maintain a theatrical quality, blending orchestral passages with moments of more intimate interpretation. Additionally, he noted that the album does not simply compile well-known songs but offers a structured listening experience that highlights different aspects of Lerner’s songwriting.

## Commercial performance

Unlike its predecessor, which managed to appear on the Belgian music chart, Broadway: Here I'll Stay – The Words of Alan Jay Lerner failed to chart.

## Track listing

* All lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner