Joy Machine Records will release the original cast recording of the award-winning one-woman musical My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend this fall. Written by Christian Duhamel (Kleban Award for Most Promising Musical Theatre Librettist for his work on My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend) and Ed Bell (BMI and The Song Foundry) and directed by Drama Desk Award-winner Sean Daniels, My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend has received four critically acclaimed regional productions, winning Best New Work and Best Actress in a Musical from the DaytonMetro Awards and Best Solo Performance from the IRNE Awards.
Recorded by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer at 2nd Story Sound, the album features originator Charissa Bertels (Broadway’s A Christmas Story, First National Tour If/Then) and Pianist/Music Director Brett Ryback (Murder for Two). Bonus tracks on the album feature arrangements and guitar by Drama Desk Award-winner Benjamin Schueur (The Lion) and orchestrations by Simon Nathan (London Musical Theatre Orchestra Principal Orchestrator), with additional recording at RiverRock Studios in Minneapolis. Sign up to pre-order the album October 10 at https://www.joymachinerecords.
Hailed as a musical “that reminds us how life affirming and important theater is,” the original cast album for MY 80-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND will be available on streaming platforms October 17 and will celebrate with an album launch party in New York City on October 21.
In this delightful new musical, Charissa, a quirky, young actress, meets Milton, a quick-witted, eighty-something millionaire who loves Schubert, Shakespeare, and Dallas BBQ.From a chance encounter to the unlikeliest of friendships, Charissa discovers there’s much she can learn from her surprising new companion. Based on the true story of performer Charissa Bertels, MY 80-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND reveals the thrill of chasing a dream, the power of living in the now, and all that can happen when we let ourselves say “yes.”
My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend was developed at Merrimack Repertory Theatre and received rave reviews in subsequent productions at Arizona Theatre Company, Human Race Theatre Company and Idaho Repertory Theatre.
ABOUT JOY MACHINE RECORDS
Joy Machine Records is a record label seeking to change the way we think about theater music. The venture from Ian Kagey, Sonny Paladino, Brian Usifer and Will Van Dyke calls itself Joy Machine because they love making records. The music they release embraces the joy of authenticity, both in style and genre for today’s artists and audiences. The label’s focus on process and collaboration stems from the founders’ collective experience in the recorded music industry as well as their work on Broadway. Their hands-on approach to each project allows artists at every level to develop their own voice. Artists are greeted with kindness and transparency as they explore the best solutions for their unique musical projects. Joy Machine’s services provide the ability for artists who have typically worked within the space of musical theater to explore where they fit within the recorded music industry. It is a company of theater music artists for today.
This post was last modified on October 16, 2025 11:08 am