While we here at the GROHNs happily soundtrack our lives with Patti LuPone belting “Rose’s Turn” on loop, we admit it’s not exactly the vibe when you’re trying to focus in a quiet café.
So, we’ve brewed up the perfect solution with a curated playlist of our favorite showtunes that trade the power-belt for a softer aesthetic. From jazzy covers to quirky character pieces, these tracks offer the perfect atmosphere for writing your next novel, powering through a staff meeting, or just unwinding.
The full playlist is linked below but here are a few noteworthy moments from the mix:
Regina Spektor and Ben Folds may not be Broadway regulars—yet—but their contribution to the Hamilton Mixtape has us ready for them to blow us all away.
Rachel Bay Jones has given us a delightful album of folksy Broadway covers, and a few of our favorites made the playlist.
On a side note: After her April 2020 show was canceled, the GROHNs committee finally got to see her in a cabaret performance in 2026! She didn’t perform any of these tracks… BUT did an amazing rendition of “No More” from Into the Woods which was cut from the album. Watch out for that performance competing at this year’s GROHN awards!
We’re sorry-grateful for the quantity of Sondheim on this playlist. But can you blame us? With so many artists putting their own spin on the master’s work, it’s impossible to resist.
Country star Jennifer Nettles is such a massive Broadway fan that she eventually wrote her own musical to star in. While we hope her new work is fab, we love her earlier homages to the art form.
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… here’s the playlist!
We hope you enjoy the mix as much as we enjoyed putting it together!