Operation Mincemeat and Sony Masterworks Broadway today released a special live recording of “Dear Bill,” the breakout Broadway showstopper hailed by Vulture as “the best new song on Broadway.” Captured live at London’s Fortune Theatre, the release is in celebration of the Olivier Award®-winning Best Musical’s four Tony Award® nominations: Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score, and Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Olivier Award® winner Jak Malone, who delivers the powerful ballad as MI5 secretary Hester Leggatt.
Inspired by a real letter written by Leggatt in WWII, “Dear Bill” tells the story of a heartfelt message to a fictional lover—placed on a corpse as part of a top-secret British intelligence ruse. While the mission has long been credited to agents Ewen Montagu (played by Natasha Hodgson) and Charles Cholmondeley (played by David Cumming), the musical shines a spotlight on Leggatt’s previously unsung role. Since the show’s debut, fans have unearthed Leggatt’s true identity—officially recognised by MI5 in 2023. This rediscovery culminated in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the Fortune Theatre, attended by over 1,000 fans. To mark the occasion, Sony originally released the “Dear Bill” live recording as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl on International Women’s Day last year, which sold out instantly.
Since then, “Dear Bill” has become one of the most talked-about moments of the Broadway season and became the fastest-growing, most-streamed track on the cast album over the past month. Produced, arranged, orchestrated, and with musical direction by Grammy Award® winner Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), the song is written and composed by SpitLip —Cumming, Felix Hagan, Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.
“Dear Bill,” Live From the Fortune Theatre, is available now – listen here.
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