[2] Make Me a Song premiered in April 2006 as a regional production at Hartford's TheaterWorks, where Rob Ruggiero, who conceived of and directed the show, served as associate artistic director.

The cast featured four singers: Sandy Binion, Joe Cassidy, Adam Heller and Sally Wilfert, as well as an on-stage singing pianist, John DiPinto.

[4][5] Instead, the off-Broadway production premiered on November 12, 2007, at New World Stages; the show was cut down to 90 minutes and played without an intermission.

The cast included Louise Dearman, Sally Ann Triplett, Frances Ruffelle, Simon Thomas and Ian "H" Watkins.

[10] The double disc set includes live recordings of every song in the revue, liner notes written by theatre writer Steven Suskin, and a bonus track of William Finn singing "Mister, Make Me a Song," which was played from a recording to open the show before transitioning into Heller's live rendition.