FROM BROADWAY TO THE GRAMMYS.

Byline: - Fred Shuster

The making of the Grammy Award-nominated ``Cabaret'' cast album was no picnic.

Normally, such Broadway musicals are recorded in a single day. With the ``Cabaret'' revival, however, the producers were faced with a unique problem.

``We had a band made up of actors that couldn't play very well - as dictated by the story,'' says Jay David Saks, the BMG Classics/RCA Victor producer who has received 37 Grammy nominations for cast albums and classical work, including two this year for ``Cabaret'' and the long-running ``Ragtime.''

He adds, ``Some of the cast learned an instrument for the role. So that was an obstacle before we recorded a single note.''

The solution: Call in some ringers.

``We recorded it right in the theater, but we hired extra professional musicians for some of the numbers,'' Saks explained. ``You don't want to put bad playing on a permanent document.''

After two years at Columbia Masterworks, Saks joined RCA in 1974 as artist-and-repertoire producer for the respected Red Seal classical imprint. Of the seven Grammys he has won, four are in the category of best musical show - ``Into the Woods,'' ``Jerome Robbins' Broadway,'' ``Guys and Dolls'' and, most recently, ``Chicago.''

At BMG/RCA, Saks produces new classical and musical show albums and supervises the company's staff of classical producers for new and reissue releases. He's currently working on the album for ``Fosse: A Celebration in Song and Dance,'' now on Broadway.

``Generally, a Grammy nod - especially if it wins - means a significant bump in sales,'' Saks offers. ``It really helps. There's a lot of recognition in the press, and the record stores put Grammy stickers on the CDs.''

Compared to ``Cabaret,'' the making of the two-disc ``Ragtime'' album went along traditional lines.

``We always knew when it came time to record the show we'd make a few changes and expand some tunes,'' Saks said. ``Some Broadway albums are more elaborate and developed like this one. But it's not so wildly unique.''

With so many ``Cabaret'' albums on the market, Saks' concept involved making the listener feel as if he were actually sitting in the theater. The national touring version of the show opens next month at the Wilshire Theatre.

``We thought the ideal would be to record it live one night,'' the producer said. ``But although we did cut it in the theater without an audience, we created an audience atmosphere later on. I'd never done a cast album that way before.''

The 41st annual Grammy Awards show takes place Wednesday at the Shrine Auditorium and will be telecast on CBS. Rosie O'Donnell is the host.

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Photo

Photo: Producer Jay David Saks' work on the ``Cabaret'' and ``Ragtime'' cast albums has yielded him two Grammy nominations.