Best Cast Recording of Gypsy? — Page 2

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#26

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 1:33am

Yeah that "bounce" in Lansbury's Rose's Turn cracks me up every time. But for me I also wish Lansbury made some different acting choices at times. For example, maybe it's because they keep taking it further/exaggerating it in recent revivals or recordings, but her "Everything's Coming Up Roses" isn't quite as ferocious as Patti's or Bernadette's in my opinion (Patti's probably being the most ferocious I've heard). I know Lansbury could have done it if she wanted to - she was more ferocious singing "Me and My Town" 10 years earlier in ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. And her "Rose's Turn" is pretty intense.

What I love about all these GYPSY recordings though is that the lead vocalists are so unique/individual/special. The performances are so different that (with the exception of Tyne's recording, unfortunately - wish I could have seen her) all of the recordings are compulsory listening! This discussion has been had before, but there seems to be much more personality in the voices of stars-gone-by than the new 'divas' (if there is even such a thing today).

As for the 'best'. I'd also vote LuPone's recording. The orchestra sounds great, LuPone is a monster vocalist and the supporting cast are excellent. I'm also partial to Bernadette's vocals (of course). However, it would have been great if she could have played the role as little as 5 years earlier, you can hear the deterioration in her voice from this performance in 1998 to the cast recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSbfSXHLAxs

Her Carnegie hall performance in 1995 is even more impressive. By 2003 her vibrato seems to have become slower and her belt a little strained. LuPone makes the score sound so easy to sing, while Bernadette is being stretched to her limits. I don't really mind though. She still is a powerful vocalist and was able to sing the score.

Give me claws and a hunch, just away from this bunch.

Updated On: 8/30/15 at 01:33 AM

#27

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 11:14am

The Tyne Daly recording is actually my favorite.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#28

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 12:15pm

No discussion of Gypsy recordings is complete without referencing the divine awfulness that is the Kay Medford recording.

#29

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 12:19pm

And the stunning audacity and gasp-inducing self-indulgence of Dolores Gray singing and diva-splaining "Rose's Turn" to a benefit audience. (And playing Louise as well as Rose.)

Ms. Gray once dug her fingernails into my palm, almost to the point of drawing blood, and said, "I was the BEST. ROSE. EVER. Why? WHY? YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? Because I was the only one who understood the PSYCHOLOGY."

#30

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 4:17pm

I wonder how dear old Arthur reacted to Dolores' rewrite of his dialogue, "psychology" be damned.

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

#31

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 6:28pm

Probably pretty much the same things he had to say about Ernest Lehman's rewrite of West Side for the screenplay.

#32

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 6:54pm

Well, the difference is Ernest Lehman's rewrite was good. :P Dolores, may she rest, was either really bad at paraphrasing, or really thought highly of herself as a writer.

Formerly gvendo2005
Broadway Legend
joined: 5/1/05

Blocked: After Eight, suestorm, david_fick, emlodik, lovebwy, Dave28282, joevitus, BorisTomashevsky, Seb28

#33

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 8:28pm

I didn't see this myself and didn't even know who Dolores Grey was at the time, but a number of members of the Lansbury cast did GYPSY at Papermill with Grey in 1976 and I heard the story from several sources.

Apparently, Papermill had "Papa's living room" on a wagon, which made for a tight fit. One night, toward the end of "Some People", Grey got her coat caught on the scenery and took most of the 7 bars before "But not Rose!" untangling herself. Then she still had to go to the door, turn around and come back for the plaque on the wall. Trying to do it all in a couple of seconds, she dropped the plague and had to bend over to pick it up.

This left her hind-end pointed at the audience as she sang upside down from between her ankles: "But not Rooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooooooose!" The image still cracks me up, but I have to give the lady credit for carrying on in the face of adversity!

#34

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 8:32pm

As I've said elsewhere, members of the Lansbury company attributed the lackluster orchestra on her recording to Jule Styne's decision to conduct the recording himself. They adored Styne personally but said composers have a tendency to slow tempos so that the listener gets to hear every flourish. I've since had the same experience with composers conducting their own work.

#35

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/30/15 at 11:50pm

That is most clearly seen with Leonard Bernstein... Obviously one of the greatest conductors--and I love many of his earlier recordings he conducted (the 1960s On the Town is impeccable, even a controversial piece like Mass,) but by the 1980s--perhaps I think feeling his age and wanting to make those definitive WSS and Candide recordings--the ridiculous casting of WSS aside--the tempi are EXCRUCIATING...

#36

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 12:11am

Yet, when critiquing conductor John DeMain during orchestra rehearsals for the 1980 Broadway revival, Lenny had John increase the tempi, at least for the Latin rhythms, the Prologue and "Cool."

#37

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:42am

To be fair, we may be used to slightly faster tempi for the dance music in WSS because of the original cast album. In the fascinating book about the music of WSS they reprint Sondheim's letters to Bernstein about the recording session--Bernstein was overseas conducting so couldn't attend. He warns Lenny that he may not like what Godard Lieberson did to the music which was slightly speed it up, Lieberson's reasoning (which makes sense to me) being that without the visuals of the dance you need to punch up the music to carry over the excitement to the listener. So the tempi did not match what was on stage (and indeed that awesome Ed Sullivan clip of Cool from WSS's 1959 return engagement is slightly slower than what's on the cast album.)

#38

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 10:31am

The tempo for THE DANCE AT THE GYM on the 'West Side' OBC is insanely fast. I've always wondered how the hell those dancers kept up with it for 8 shows a week. When I finally saw the film I suspected that it must have been 'sped up'.

#39

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 4:44pm

patti lupone and imelda

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#40

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:00pm

Didn't you Leave us?

#41

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:01pm

no, dont worry, i will never leave you ljay889!!!

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#42

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:02pm

This is probably easier for him than switching between usernames.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#43

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:03pm

Thank God

#44

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:05pm

can you believe the mods banned me?? and they said they did it because i was "violating our single name per user policy." Ive never even had another user name

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#45

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:10pm

I would say skip Immelda. Her performance may be great, but she doesn't have the vocal flourish of others.

I think Merman's cast album can do it all. She shows incredible force and you can tell that she still has a hold on the comedy of the piece, whereas someone like Patti seems to be performing it like Medea.

And Pinto, I can't believe the mods didn't ban you sooner, and that they lifted the ban. I don't care about multiple usernames, but you're so disruptive to the boards in general

#46

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:11pm

Lmao so Philly was temporarily banned!

#47

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:12pm

I am not disruptive, and ive never had another username. They should be banning those people with several usernames (mr smith, bilbo, hamilton22, meagan hilty wanabe)

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#48

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:16pm

ljay889 said: "Lmao so Philly was temporarily banned!"

yeah i had to email them like 3 times before they got back to me

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Updated On: 8/31/15 at 05:16 PM

#49

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:17pm

So let me get this straight.
You post a big "I'M LEAVING BYE" message.
And then you vanish for a week.
...and it was because you were banned.
And those two things just happened to correspond.

"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

#50

Best Cast Recording of Gypsy?

Posted: 8/31/15 at 5:20pm

I know right. I think one of the mods just banned me for the sake of banning me, and the person that emailed me probably just came up with some BS reason as to why I was banned

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