CHORUS LINE vocal score -- bit of a mystery

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:19pm

I came across a copy of the full score (not selections) for ACL at a thrift store this morning. Didnt think too much about it until I looked at it and realized it *wasnt* published by Hal Leonard but instead by some outfit called "Larry Shayne Enterprises" in California. It's not pirated: this edition of the full score is in a number of university libraries, so it's legit. But I cant find out anything about where/when the publishing rights were re-assigned.

It lists the NYSF cast, not the Broadway cast. It looks to have been published in 77 (from the copyright data), but that could have been a revised edition that added a different version of "What I Did For Love".

Any idea what this is? Was it published just for copyright protection? As a study score? Very weird find.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:28pm

The NYSF cast IS the Broadway cast.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 7:31pm

Fine. But all it says is First performance at the Public Theatre April 16, 1975. No mention of the B'way opening. And certainly not the usual publisher.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 8:27pm

I can't answer for the publisher, my copy is done by MPL and distributed by Hal Leonard. Mine does have the same cast and date info.

Honestly, the score didn't change very much at all from mid-May of 75 until it opened and since the only change was the addition of John Mineo as an u/s for a few of the male roles, it's not something that surprises me.

With regards to the revised "What I Did For Love." I have absolutely NO idea when that was ever used. I've only heard it performed once (by a college), every other time is the version we know. It's also worthwhile to point out that no recording of that has ever been made, live or studio, legal or bootleg. I don't know when they started using it (they say 1977, but again, no where have I seen this to be true) or even where.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/13/11 at 10:10pm

Thanks, husk. That info's appreciated. I guess it'll just sit on the shelf as "this curious thing Sean found for cheap".

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 1:07am

^ I can't tell you how many times I've done that.

If anyone can shed light on the "What I Did For Love" mystery, I'd love to know more.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 2:33am

BTW: fun YouTube channel you got there.

Posted: 7/14/11 at 4:11am

OK now I have to ask, what is the revised What I Did For Love?

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 8:07am

The score titles it as "No. 23: NEW - WHAT I DID FOR LOVE - 1977 / VERSION A-FLAT"). Some of the orchestra annotations dont quite match up with what I remember of the number (I no longer have the album, so I'm kinda going on sense memory more than anything else.).

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 9:40am

It has a distinct ending. The standard is:
Diana and Chorus:
Won't forget, can't regret, What I did for love (orchestra) What I did for love (orchestra)
Diana:
What I Did For Love (chorus comes in a beat later with harmony)

the revised is:
Diana:
Won't forget (beat), Can't regret (beat) What I did for
All in harmony:
Love

I actually really love the revised version, but no one ever does it.

And thanks, SeanMartin!

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 11:12am

Can someone post a youtube link to this said revised version, please?

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 11:51am

Considering, as noted in the string, that it seems to appear only in the score and was never used (at least not to anyone's knowledge), that'd be kinda tough.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/14/11 at 6:54pm

KirbyCat-
As I stated earlier, there is no known recording of the alternate ending. You might search around on YouTube, maybe a college/school production used it...but to my knowledge it's rarely done and unrecorded.