Dorothy Collins Appreciation Thread

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:22pm

For me, she will always be the best Sally. Such a heartbreaking, wonderful performer. I'm reading Ted Chapin's Follies book and she sounds like she was the most gracious, giving performer possible. Anyone else have love for Ms. Collins?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:24pm

I love her. She has the best LOSING MY MIND. And her voice was amazing.

Eventually I'm going to buy some of her solo stuff.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:28pm

I haven't been able to track any of her solo stuff down. Is it all out of print?

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:29pm

I think some label in London has it in print. Ebay usually has some CDS of her work.

[ljay889]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:30pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/DOROTHY-COLLINS-BABY-CAN-ROCK-Coral-Sessions-31-cuts-CD_W0QQitemZ280081793559QQihZ018QQcategoryZ307QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/DOROTHY-COLLINS-60s-Pop-CD-w-Snooky-Lanson-UK-Import_W0QQitemZ280081373013QQihZ018QQcategoryZ307QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:30pm

Loved her in FOLLIES and on YOUR HIT PARADE (yes, I am that old).
Also saw her in HELLO DOLLY (so old I don't remember where) and she was very funny.

[AC126748]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:36pm

She did it first. She did it best. I've yet to listen to her "Losing My Mind" without crying.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:48pm

I love her on "Losing My Mind" and agree with BobbyBubby. She sounds like she was a wonderfully gracious performer.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:50pm

Beautiful voice and the Sally by which all Sallys must be compared.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 5:58pm

She was indeed great in Follies

I really feel old as I remember her from "You Hit Parade"

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 6:07pm

She was terrific in "Ballroom," rivals Loudon in her "Fifty-Percent"

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 6:07pm

Her tremulous vulnerability as Sallie made you want to reach out over the footlights and hug her.

Supposedly, Hal Prince had always wanted to cast her in the Barbara Cook part in She Loves Me, and he couldn't imagine anyone else as Sallie.

If the "Sondheim: A Musical Tribute" CD is still in print--the one collectors call "The Scrabble Album"--you can hear her sing "Too Many Mornings"--and the song it replaced: "Pleasant Little Kingdom." She also does a gorgeous "Losing My Mind" and a beautiful rendition of "Do I Hear a Waltz."

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 6:24pm

I love her "Pleasant Little Kingdom" with John McMartin and the live version of "Too Many Mornings" is definitive.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 8:33pm

Aww gotta bump this, she is too adorable. It was her "In Buddy's Eyes" that started me into Follies and whenever I've seen footage of her in Follies, it is always her that I am drawn to. Remember those videos on youtube that got deleted of the out-of-town tryout, the one face she made when Phyllis calls her and the ghosts have their brief scene. Thats all I need to solidify how affecting she must have been, to make me tear up from that one expression.

And I also agree Bobby that reading Chapin's book absolutely gave off that impression. Theres also an interview out there with her and Alexis and Yvonne at a hotel discussing the show and the current times back in 1971. Dorothy came off so warm, Alexis seemed very brief, and Yvonne seemed like a riot. I'll try and track it down again.

Updated On: 2/14/07 at 08:33 PM

[ahmelie]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 9:02pm

Oh she is just too magnificent, as much as I love Victoria Clark, listening to her Sally really bothered me. Something about Dorothy was just so touchable and human that no one else has been able to achieve without sacrificing the beauty in their voice. I love her.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 9:45pm

I LOVED her in the Follies Recording!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 9:49pm

Didn't she have a dreadful first marriage? I somehow remember reports that her husband kept her tied up in a closet form time-to-time.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 9:52pm

Wasn't he the one who brought her to stardom by training her after seeing how she could be used as a wholesome image for "Your Hit Parade"

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/14/07 at 10:18pm

Don't know.

I loved Collins in FOLLIES. but has anyone else noticed her slight speech impediment? Was it caused by bad dentures?

[mike L G]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 8:46am

Yes I nthink her rendition of Losing my mind the best,
again I got to see Dorthy in her post Follies club act marvelous. Iwas recently listening to her do a redenition of
Count Your Blessings Iving Berlin and it was like I nerver heard the song before.

[kjklo]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 10:56am

Collins's first husband was the brilliant, still very underrated composer/bandleader Raymond Scott (Harry Warnow). They divorced in the sixties, but I don't remember ever hearing anything about alleged abuse.

[WalkOn]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:32pm

Ever see you on the David Frost show where he interviews the female leads in FOLLIES?

Collins comes off a the most dedicated to her character. She REALLY understands Sally inside and out.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 4:39pm

It says in the Follies book that her ex-husband verbally abused her.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 6:58pm

Dorothy Collins was the best Sally Durant and I've seen a lot of them. In later years, Collins was also wonderful in Ballroom in summerstock.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 2/16/07 at 7:03pm

Everyone talks about her "Losing My Mind," but I prefer her untouchable rendition of "In Buddy's Eyes," I don't think I've heard such a perfect version of that short but important song.
I can only imagine what her "Fifty Percent" must've been like.