Follies in Concert--DVD and cassette tapes

It's a sort of two-fer for today's entry. I had hopes that the Follies in Concert DVD would be a full-fledged taping of the concert, but as it is mostly a behind the scenes documentary with some snippets of the performance, I've had to rely on the two cassette recording I bought back in the 80s, when a Walkman was the height of technology.

I've never seen Follies on stage. It is not produced very often. Sondheim himself comments on why in the documentary. The size of the cast is daunting--given that many roles are represented by a young version and a middle aged version.

I think the idea of this show is fantastic, with characters constantly confronting their memories and their earlier selves. I love most of the score, too, with its collection of pastiche songs and dances in the manner of the earlier era meeting a more contemporary musical idiom in songs the older cast sing.

The cast is also top-notch throughout. While many of the older cast members are significantly younger than their characters should be, everyone is superb at communicating the core of their characters, primarily through music. The young company gets a little bit of the short stick, I have to say, both in the structure of the show and in face time in the behind-the-scenes documentary.

A highlight for me is the Heidis duet "One More Kiss" sung in this concert by Licia Albanese and Erie Mills. I don't know the backgrounds of either performer well, but they seem to perfectly capture the essence of this song from a vocal standpoint. Ms. Albanese was a Met Opera performer long past her prime when this concert was given in 1984. The ghost of a voice is still there, but with many wobbles. Ms. Mills is a young coloratura soprano who handles the runs and high notes quite well.

I've always been curious about the 1971 recording of this show. Apparently it excluded many of the songs to fit onto one record. I'd love to hear Yvonne de Carlo sing "I'm Still Here". I'd also like to hear the 2001 Roundabout Theater cast, which included Kelli O'Hara, Treat Williams, Gregory Harrison, Erin Dilly, Blythe Danner and on and on. Was it recorded?

Follies in Concert
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Goldman

Premiered in 1971

This concert took place at Lincoln Center in 1984

Cast: Carol Burnett, Elaine Stritch, George Hearn, Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin, Liz Callaway, Howard McGlinn, Daisy Prince, Lee Remick,

My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies on DVD

This is another of those special concerts at a prestigious venue, drawing in the glitterati of the musical theater world, performing for the creme of society paying top dollar, with the resulting performance being film and presented on PBS or somewhere, followed by the DVD being sold to the general public (and fortunately, Netflix). It's a formula.

With My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies filmed in 1998 it's a formula that works very well:

• Prestigious venue? Check-Carnegie Hall.


• Glitterati of Musical Theater? Check-Julie Andrews, Faith Prince, Liza Minnelli, Audra McDonald, Marin Mazzie, Jennifer Holliday, Judy Kuhn, Bebe Neuwirth, and a host of others including the Rockettes, who are the most literally glittering of the -ati.


• Creme of society? I'm not in a position to identify who is in the audience or what they paid to be there, but the hall is full, and most rows seem to include several giddy gay men clapping wildly for Liza.

The main reason this formula works so well in this example is that the fare offered includes a good balance of the usual, the expected, and the unique. Yes, there is Andrea McArdle singing "Tomorrow" and Jennifer Holliday singing her song from Dreamgirls (and blowing the roof off the place, BTW) and Elaine Stritch toasting the "Ladies who Lunch", but there is also the phenomenal Debra Monk, nailing every bit of "Everybody's Girl" from Steele Pier, and Audra McDonald singing a wonderful, clever arrangement of "Down with Love". Ms. McDonald is also joined by Marin Mazzie and Judy Kuhn for a clever medley of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs.

I could have done without Tony Roberts and Robert Morse opening the concert with a number in drag (I assume from a musical version of Some Like It Hot that I don't know). These women can hold their own without any help from the Y chromosome.

Company--a documentary film about recording the Original Cast Album

Forbidden Broadway has an hilarious version the title song from Company in its most recent incarnation: "No strings, no drums, unaccompanied." The only version of the show I've seen is the pared down "unaccompanied" version, so I was interested in hearing the full orchestrations as presented in this documentary film from the long night of recording Company: The Cast Album.

Firstly, I have to get this out of the way: Dean Jones is sexy. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it, but the dimples, the soulful brown eyes, the long lashes--okay I'm back now. That said, he seems to make a very good Bobby with the boyish appeal, the vulnerability and the singing voice I want from Bobby. I was surprised how well he sang "Being Alive". This is a difficult song (emotionally, too, but I'm mean musically) with a high range that lies so much of the that danger-zone of middle C to F above it. Mr. Jones handles it all very well, and has a lovely sound to boot.

I had wondered why I've seen more pictures of Larry Kert playing Bobby in the original production than I have of Mr. Jones. Mr. Kert was also nominated for the Tony Award for the role. I had to listen to the commentary track to this documentary to find out; in an arrangement with Hal Prince, Mr. Jones was let out of his contract two weeks after the show opened because his marriage was falling apart and his wife was in California with their kids.

This documentary focuses a lot of attention on Elaine Stritch, who goes from being a car wreck-- as she tries to sing "The Ladies Who Lunch" at the end of a 16-hour recording session--to being a revving Rolls Royce as she completes the song. Ms. Stritch is one of the voices on the commentary track, and she does provide some insight into what was going on, why it was going badly, and how it got righted. But this is only one song (albeit a great one) from this score, and I would have liked a little more time with some of the others.

One beef with the film. It lists identifiers for the producers, composer, director and playwright as they appear on screen, but doesn't have the same courtesy for the performers. Am I supposed to know them all? The ones I recognize are from their later TV roles: Charles Kimbrough (Murphy Brown), Beth Howland (Alice), Barbara Barrie (Barney Miller). The others are a bit of a mystery to me. The commentary track does identify Pamela Meyers who is phenomenal singing "Another 100 People."

One of the other unidentified cast members is Charles Braswell, with a robust baritone voice I've encountered before. Company was his final Broadway show, as he died at the age of 52 folling his run in the show.

Company
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Opened in 1970
Documentary film made in 1970 by DA Pennbaker
Cast from the show: Dean Jones, Donna McKechnie, Beth Howland, Pamela Meyers, Elaine Stritch, Charles Braswell, and others.
Show producers in the film: Stephen Sondheim, George Furth, Hal Prince, Thomas Z. Shepard

Follies in Concert on CD

I've never heard the original cast album of Follies; apparently it was missing many songs in order to fit onto the vinyl of the day. So this 1985 concert version of the show is much more complete and gives a better impression of the score.

The format of Follies fascinates me. I've never seen it on stage, but the idea of "ghost" chorus girls floating through scenes, and the past and the present inhabiting the same space is very cinematic and endlessly intriguing to me. Its not often staged and understandably when so many characters are doubled with young and old versions.

There is so much music I like in this score--and surprisingly for me, I like the "contemporary" songs of the score as often as the follies-era songs--"In Buddy's Eyes", "The Road you didn't Take", "I'm still Here", "Losing My Mind", and "Too Many Mornings" are all good or better.

The number of wonderful performers in this concert also makes this recording a gem. About the only cast member I have issues with is Mandy Patinkin--and that's more for his being much too young for the role. Although I believe his ultra-manic version of "Buddy's Blues" is a drastic change from the original stage version.

I bought this concert album soon after it was released in 1985, the version I own is on two audio cassettes. I'm listening to it today on CD, because I don't even have a cassette player any more. I remember being so taken from the very start with Arthur Rubin's robust tenor in "Beautiful Girls" and with the two Heidies singing "One More Kiss". This was before I'd ever been to an opera, but I was still attracted to the most "legit" singers in the cast.

Of course, in 1985, I wouldn't have known any of the famous names in the cast (except Carol Burnett and Mandy Patinkin, which is probably why I bought the thing in the first place). No, I wouldn't have known George Hearn, or Barbara Cook, or even Elaine Stritch.

So, I came a long way even before starting my Year of Musical Thinking.

Follies

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Book by James Goldman

Opened in 1971, this stage version recorded in 1985

Cast: Arthur Rubin, Barbara Cook, George Hearn, Jim Walton, Howard McGillin, Mandy Patinkin, Lee Remick, Liz Calloway, Daisy Prince, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Lilane Montevechhi, Elaine Strich, Phyllis Newman, Carol Burnett, Licia Albanese, Erie Mills

Sail Away--1962 Original London Cast Album on CD

What better to spend a Saturday afternoon than with a frothy Noel Coward musical? I believe this cast album of Sail Away marks Coward's first appearance in my Year. It also is the first time I've had Elaine Stritch here. Both are long over due.

I've often had trouble differentiating Noel Coward from Cole Porter--unfair since one was a Brit and the other just wanted to be. They both seem witty, urbane, musical, gay--how to tell the difference?

Well, if Sail Away is any indication, Coward is funnier, and Porter is a better songsmith. This score works best when playing on the funny bone. The non-comic songs are likable, but not great--with the possible exception of "Something Very Strange" which seems made for a big band or cabaret setting. The gold standard for humorous song in this score is "Why do the Wrong People Travel?" But the two songs for John Hewer as the Pursor "The Passanger's Alway Right" and "The Customer's Always Right" are also very funny.

Ms. Stritch is a pressed-upon cruise ship director. Elaine Stritch recreated her Broadway role in London, but the rest of the cast changed. David Holliday is the passanger who falls in love with her. Sheila Forbes and Grover Dale play a secondary love couple. But don't look for too many loves songs in this score, stick to looking for comedy and you'll come out alright.

Sail Away
Music, lyrics and book by Noel Coward
Opened on Broadway in 1961

London Cast opened in 1962.
Cast: Elaine Stritch, David Holliday, John Hewer, Sheila Forbes, Grover Dale