Elegies-A Song Cycle: Questions

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 10:11am

1. For those who saw it: Were there more songs than on the Cast Recording?

2. Why do you think Buckley and Carolee don't duet together? It seems like a wasted opportunity with those 2 powerhouse voices.

3. Also, is is just me, or does Buckley sound awful on this recording? I adore her, I think she's superb. But here she sounds hoarse, and seems to be straining her voice. Any thoughts?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:23am

Well, according to Falsettos.net there was a duet between Carolee and Buckley called Dear Reader. What was it about/like? Any idea why it's not on the recording?

http://www.falsettos.net/elegies.php
Updated On: 11/28/05 at 11:23 AM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:30am

It was called Dear Reader and apparently was cut as Betty didn't want to be immortalised singing the word that starts with c and rhymes with blunt.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:31am

Really? Grrr....Now I want to hear this song.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:34am

It was a great song, I believe it was based on Finn's correspondence with a dying author but I could be wrong. Personally I would rather they cut My Dogs and included Dear Reader.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:38am

I hate My Dogs. Ick.

Grrrr, Yet another Carolee performance not on disc. Ugh.

[BwayLover]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:50am

What a gorgeous avatar, Bobby.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 11:55am

Wow. You too Bwaylover. Stunning. She was on Law and Order last night.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:45pm

"Dear Reader" was a fabulous song. I've always been pissed that it was never recorded.

And yes, Bobby, kudos on the av.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:50pm

Grr...There are some clunkers on Elegies, so it pisses me off they didn't record it. So Buckley didn't want to say a swear word on disc, but she allowed herself to be recorded putting that much strain on her voice? Hmmm...

Thanks Mef, I knew you'd like it!

[GClef2]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:53pm

I would pay top dollar to hear Betty Buckley say C*nt LOL

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:56pm

Those who know Betty can testify that that (and other choice words) are in her regular vocabulary...

[Danielm]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:56pm

There was a production in Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) with Maureen McGovern and Steven Bogardis among others that I thought was much better sung. Buckley does strain and oversing on the recording in my opinion. If I remember correctly the "Dear Reader" song is quite cute and funny. I think that was the only song not on the cd.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 5:59pm

Hey, I LOVE my Dogs!!!!!!

I saw it in Dallas this year, and then I brought the CD. In the version I saw My Dogs was sung by the older lady, Mark and Monica was done by two guys (infact, they had 2 guys and 3 women, the opposite of the Recording), and they sang a song called Fred, I believe was the title.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 6:05pm

McG has done it several times (don't know if it was a tour or if she just played several engagements of it). I've heard she was superb (as always). Buckley sounded stupendous in the theatre; sadly, she was really straining when the recording was made.

[keatonbynumbers]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 6:05pm

Yes, Dear Reader was fantastic. I'd trade that for My Dogs!

About Betty Buckley, I think she sounds all right on the recording but I seem to recall her being MUCH better live. The recorded version of "Only One", for example, sometimes gets on my nerves but I remember wanting to FAINT when I saw it live, it was that good.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 6:06pm

From what I heard, the recording was done at the end of the run, and Buckley was doing concerts/cabarets as well, so her voice was just taxed.

Carolee however, sounds amazingly perfect.

[Creative Lunatic]

Posted: 11/28/05 at 6:14pm

I agree that I also was disappointed and perplexed by Betty Buckley voice and phrasing on recording. I also usually love her work.
Dear Reader was performed this summer during Barrington Stage Company's production of Elegies. I found it to be thematically a bit out of context from the rest of the song cycle.

[WChafin]

Posted: 11/30/05 at 4:29pm

Bobby, the reason "Dear Reader" and "Fred" were left off the recording were due only to time. The show is 90 minutes sung-through. The CD running time is 77 minutes and 58 seconds, which only leaves 2 minutes and 2 seconds a blank space left on the disc. Fynsworth Alley (as well as a lot of labels) wanted to put out a single disc, not a double disc, so those 2 numbers were left off.

Updated On: 11/30/05 at 04:29 PM

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 2:49pm

Cool info...I didn't even realize the CD to ELEGIES was that long. I actually really liked "Dear Reader" in the show, and "Fred" was a hoot! Was there any cut songs?

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 3:05pm

There should be a new Equity rule that you can't cut any songs from a cast recording that are sung by Carolee Carmello.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 3:08pm

Now see, when I read the review of the Elegies recording, I remembered it mentioned 2 songs being cut. Then I saw it in London and the only song that was not on the CD that was performed was Dear Reader, so I figured I'd just mis-remembered.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 3:09pm

I agree...I also agree with Creative Lunatic that it was kinda "out of context" for the show...But I enjoyed the song, none the less.

[WChafin]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 4:14pm

Waitress, ELEGIES had only one song cut before it went into performance (if there were songs that were written but were cut before rehearsals started, I don't know). The cut song was titled "The Person In The Elevator". Some of the song still exists in the production during the transistion after "Fred" into "Dear Reader". This was also another song between Betty and Carolee with the others joining in. Other changes that happened during the rehearsal process - "Goodbye" and "Boom Boom" were originally two different numbers and then Bill & Vadim, the musical director, did (I think) make the wise choice and they put the two together. Also, Carolee was first going to sing "When The Earth Stopping Turning" (you can hear her do this on Bill's live Joe Pub recording INFINITE JOY) but it was decided that it worked better in the show if Christian sang it. Hope you found that of interest.

[AuditioningWaitress]

Posted: 12/1/05 at 5:00pm

WOW! Thanks for the info!!! You're amazing! BTW, I love your MySpace page!