Evening Primrose

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 10:14am

Finally Netflix got around to sending me "Evening Primrose". What an interesting show it is. It's amazing what can be packed into a 1 hour tv show, and also how far tv has fallen.

You can hear the Sondheim signature all the way through the music. I had heard "I Remember" before (Cleo Laine does a nice version), but this was the first time I heard "Take Me To The World".

It's a shame that the show couldn't be expanded. There's a song in there somewhere for the Dorothy Stickney character.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 10:16am

If you can find it, Neil Patrick Harris headed a studio recording of PRIMROSE some years back: well worth it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 10:27am

The NPH recordings are on the site that shall not be named.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 10:56am

Voldemort.com/evil ?!!

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 12:29pm

I have always loved Evening Primrose. I have a few different recordings. The original, Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, Gary Beach and Liz Callaway, and then Neil Patrick Harris and Theresa McCarthy (The best recording of it).

It's actually my favorite Sondheim score.

[Dawn Davenport]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 2:04pm

You can find the CD recording of Neil Patrick Harris' Evening Primrose songs on the album "The Frogs/Evening Primrose", it's available for loan at the NY Public Library (go to www.nypl.org and search for "Evening Primrose", you'll find the recording listed as:

"The frogs [sound recording] ; Evening primrose / Stephen Sondheim"

They have the DVD (Anthony Perkins) for loan as well.

The NY public library system cannot be beat. I'm eternally grateful for it!

[binau]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 6:28pm

Or you can buy it from the nonesuch website. I bought it from a Borders (or B&N) in NYC a couple of weeks ago, so it seems pretty easy to find (I mean in response to: "If you can find it"). I feel like we'd have more recordings if we bought more CDs :P.

I hadn't heard of the Gary Beach/Liz Callaway Primrose, lol. What CD is that on?

I'm partial to the Patinkin/Peters one. I like that the pairing kind of mirrors George/Dot too (kind of).

Updated On: 12/29/10 at 06:28 PM

[JOak]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 6:35pm

The Liz Callaway/Gary Beach recordings are on the Sondheim at the Movies CD.

[Overkill]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 8:37pm

As someone who heard the NPH and Mandy Patinkin ones first, hearing Gary Beach warble through the songs, is very interesting. I LOVE Gary Beach, but his singing for Charles is very strange if you're already a fan of the music. Liz does a fine job.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 8:41pm

I love the movie so much. It's a shame Sondheim has no desire to expand it into a stage version.

[bk]

Posted: 12/29/10 at 8:55pm

Even if he had the desire, he told me long ago that the Collier estate was not interested. He wasn't either, but that's beside the point, really.

[SallyF]

Posted: 1/18/11 at 9:03pm

Everyone has their favorite interpretation of a song but there's something special about the original one. That's the first voice the songwriter gets to hear and write for. I just got it from Netflix as well. It's incredible and there's so much future Sondheim in it. "I Am Here/I'm Still Here," "When/Now-Sooner-Later," "I Remember/Liaisons."

And for ABC to air it...

Any info to share on the production itself? I'd love to know why David Shire is listed as Assistant to the Conductor but I don't think I see the name of the conductor or who did the orchestrations. What was involved in syncing the "Ella" voice overs with the acting? I love that "I Remember" is done in one take.

[AADA81]

Posted: 1/18/11 at 9:17pm

The NPH recording is wonderful. It's part of a double recording on Nonesuch that includes the 2001 Nathan Lane (& Brian Stokes Mitchell) recording of the original score to "The Frogs", without the additional songs written for the 2004 revival. That's OK though it's not one of Sondheim's gems, but "Primrose..." is excellent.