Follies on NPR- Page 2

[binau]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 5:40pm

The thing about dialogue is that for the most part you can always remove it later...just uncheck the dialogue tracks on iTunes (I know there are a couple, namely "Buddy's Eyes" that has the dialogue on the track, but still). It's always better to preserve more than less, IMO!

If you had to listen to it in a CD player you could burn a CD without the dialogue, too. I know it's a bit of extra effort but still. I like the dialogue and I want it there. We can have it both ways, this way.

Updated On: 11/22/11 at 05:40 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 5:41pm

"ALittleCareless- ok so WHY should I care? "

You either do, or you don't. It's that kind of show. I dunno, I find the characters fascinating and even often relatable. But I've never subscribed to that argument some critics have; "Are these the kind of people you'd want to invite to a dinner party?" (think of some of the negative 1950s Tennessee Williams reviews). I wouldn't want MacBeth or Hannibal Lecter at my dinner table either--doesn't mean I'm not happy to pay to spend a couple of hours watching them on stage or screen. It's maybe not what you intended,. but the whole argument about characters (be it in musicals, books, ewhatever) being "unlikeable" is pointless to me.

But it's either what you find interesting, and so enjoyable in your entertainment, or it's not. Simple as that.

I don't agree with any of the music sounding like one note (at all), or Company warmed over (though the "contemporary" songs do have some elements of the Company sound I suppose, which makes sense since they take place in 1971 New York, a year after when Company is set).

I never noticed the "Last Midnight/Could I leave You" thing but that's interesting--there is some similar music there, as long as you change the note lengths, rhythm, etc, etc. Not close enough to remotely count as stealing from himself, but still interesting. As you say though, you can find similar, and often much more blatant examples with every composer.

[theeatah]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 7:52pm

First thought: I like it.

The dialogue cuts were judicious. However, I really missed Heidi's "facts never interest me" monologue (I would've cut one of Carlotta's speeches in favour of it) and also the Whitman's "acts are real" dialogue. Heigh ho.

I think Bernadette Peters performance comes across better in the studio. She's more touching even if some of her line readings are odd and even embarassing (ugh! the way she says "Buddy, you came") and the in-ear experience exposes her vocals from a technical standpoint even more. Nevertheless, parts of Losing My Mind are heart-wrenching, especially because she's not overdoing it.

Jan Maxwell sounds more girlish, which is a bit jarring at first. But she gives a fine performance. And I still wonder how she's able to "go there" every performance with Could I Leave You? and not show vocal strain.

Danny Burstein's performance is heartbreaking. Man, does he dig deep. And Ron Raines suffer in comparison. Of course, Ben is a sketchier character but Raines hasn't filled in the details sufficiently. His singing is very fine though.

Elaine Paige's I'm Still Here is much more intimate. I'm not sure if I find her performance a little too laid back for much of the song. Storytelling-wise, I don't think it's sharp enough. I'm glad it's less "suddenly I'm angry" in the last third.

Terri White is good on "Who's That Woman?". I like the way she sings the final "lord, lord, lord" straight rather than cutting off the last "lord" as she's been wont to do onstage. In fact, that's an example of a playfulness I found refreshing throughout the recording. None of the actors were stuck on giving the same line/lyric readings that have worked for them in the theatre (Jan Maxwell even pronounces Boca Raton differently, funnily enough). Oh, and I'm really pleased that there's more weight to the taps on this "Who's That Woman?" (the taps are far too light/sparse on Papermill), which is crucial to the build of the number.

Rosalind Elias has been dismissed by some because of her "man voice" but I find her mezzo combined with Leah Horowitz's soprano more poignant somehow - the gulf between Heidi and her younger self is wider.

I was really struck by the fine acting of the young Durant-Plummers and Rogers-Stones, they're the best I've heard in those roles. Jenifer Foote and Kiira Schmidt were also real standouts in Buddy's Blues (it may well be the best version).

I could quibble about some of the tempos (the dance break in Lucy & Jessie, for instance), but they're easily alterable in this age of audio freeware.

Finally, I liked the pace of dialogue on this recording. I'd even go so far as to say I found the pacing better than that which can be found onstage at the Marquis.

[binau]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:02pm

teeatah, Heidi's lines leading up to and including "Facts Bore Me" are included on ""I never get to talk...""?

RE: "Buddy, you came", to me the point of her line reading is to show contempt towards Buddy (not sure if her character would be doing this intentionally or not, it is interesting either way). So it makes sense to me/seems fine/good. I personally think the "I don't have you fight with you Phyl" line is much stranger.

But cool review. Particularly agree about Danny's performance.

Updated On: 11/22/11 at 08:02 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:13pm

The one that I won in that contest arrived yesterday and I'm just now uploading it to my ipod. I did laugh when I saw that the album information that downloaded classifies the album as a soundtrack, not because I think it's so egregious but because I know some board members' heads must have burst when they saw it.

[Miranda3]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:22pm

Phyllis: Perhaps we should interpret that as another fortuitous "sign" that Follies will be filmed . . .

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:28pm

Sometimes I wonder if the revival will spark interest in trying to get a film film going again. A movie version of Follies is both my biggest dream and my worst fear.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 8:45pm

"I could quibble about some of the tempos (the dance break in Lucy & Jessie, for instance), but they're easily alterable in this age of audio freeware."

Ha, I never thought to, or heard of anyone manipulating tempo on their cast albums to listen to the way they want, before...

[theeatah]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 9:05pm

qulibinau, you're right of course about Heidi's "facts".

I can kind of see your interpretation of Peters' "Buddy, you came" line reading. Still, I think it's indicative of BP's many calculated/inorganic line readings. I almost think she's hyperaware of playing someone who's mentally unhinged and she's determined to signal it to the audience.

EricMontreal22, The soundboard was my primer, so the Papermill tempos could NOT stay as Sondheim/Tunick intended

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 9:32pm

I did find it odd that Tunick conducted the papermill (and co-produced?) and played some of it so slowly... I know some of the tempos were sped up for the one disc original Broadway cast album, but as you say it doesn't reflect the soundboard either.

[binau]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 10:01pm

I thought I read somewhere (on this forum?) that the soundboard sounds so fast because of the deterioration of tapes and things not because it actually was that fast in the theatre, hehe.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 10:31pm

I know what you're talking about, qolbinau. I think it was PalJoey who said that.

I also think I read on here that the tempos on the Paper Mill recording were what Sondheim wanted.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 10:33pm

Te main soundboard floating around definitely is pitched a bit up the way taped recordings can be--which does slightly speed things up too (I've heard people call it the Mickey Mouse effect though it's not that bad with Follies).

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 10:46pm

I know what you're talking about, qolbinau. I think it was PalJoey who said that.

What I said was I have other soundboards (like the Company and Judy Garland tapes) that have to be showed DOWN or sped UP, depending on what's happened to the audio tape since then--it stretches in heat, it compresses in col

[noradesmond]

Posted: 11/22/11 at 11:27pm

Just finished and am delighted with this. The OBC, in spite of it's well documented shortcomings, is still the gold standard for the performances of the original cast but this is absolutely fabulous. Loved it loved it loved it. The performances are great and unlike some posters here, I appreciate the dialog. I think it adds continuity and gives the numbers greater depth and context. Really thrilled with this.

[raker]

Posted: 11/23/11 at 11:17pm

I’d never imagined Sally as unhinged, just an unhappy mess, like Ben, Phyllis and Buddy—four deluded people having their pipe dreams shattered. The Weisman Cometh.

[binau]

Posted: 11/23/11 at 11:24pm

(Buddy to Sally) "Like how it is at home with you. The Mess, the moods, the spells you get. In bed for days without a word - or else you're crying. God the tears around our place. Or Flying out to Tom or Tim and camping on their door step just to fight. It's Crazy" {grateful this is on the recording} suggests some kind of psychopathology to me....

Updated On: 11/23/11 at 11:24 PM