Every Little Step on DVD (musical DVDs in general): Wasted Opportunity

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 12:37pm

OK so despite some problems I have with the film itself, I'm thankful to have this documentary on DVD and with some great extras, but...

I know it was foolish to even dream this kinda thing , but I was hoping among the extras they'd include the professionally filmed clips from Chorus Line's original and revived productions--stuff like TV performances, maybe even tv commercials, etc. Most of all though I was hoping to get the wonderful 7 minute opening they did for the 1976 Tony Awards.

Yeah I know we can see this easily online right now, but surely the quality would be much better (despite old video source tape) on DVD. I suspect the reason we didn't get this clip (or the terrific Dreamgirls Tony clip, or even the wonderful Promises Promises Turkey Lurkey Time Tony clip) on any of the Broadway's Lost Treasures DVDs (since Chorus Line is one of the best known Broadway classics ever) is due to the notoriously tight control of the Michael Bennett estate...

But surely including them on this documentary (where the clips are included partially anyway) would be the ideal place? At this point, with them easily viewable in bad quality online for free, why not allow fans to finally get at them? I know often it's a rights issue but didn't the Estate already sign off many of those for the documentary?

Similarly I'm always dismayed when even the two disc editions of recent musical theatre film adaptations have ZERO footage from the original stage version. Chicago, Rent, Dreamgirls, even musicals I'm not so keen on like Mama Mia and Hairspray are all guilty of this at best only including still images (Chicago does have that cool bit with Liza on the Dinah Shore show). In this case I do get that it's probably a licensing/rights issue, the film owners rarely having anything to do with the people who own the original imagery (the Phantom of the Opera 2 disc set does have that great documentary about the stage musical which has many great clips). Still I really feel for any truly "collector's edition" DVD of these adaptations of very famous stage musicals, to not include any of the clips out there really is just a wasted opportunity...

[Basely Tearful]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 12:40pm

This may be slightly off your topic Eric, but I had one huge question after watching Every Little Step (I admit I've watched it about 5 times since purchase).

Why is the search for Diana not in the documentary? I don't think she was precast because I think I see several potential Diana's at the final callbacks. But it seems odd they didn't really even mention the role (which third to Cassie and Paul is the most crucial).

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 12:45pm

In some cases (I can only venture to guess which) I'm sure there's a desire to distance the movie from the stage production.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 1:14pm

I wondered about Diana as well--it's not in the cut scenes either.

Phyllis, you're dead right there. But in the case of Every Little Step that wouldn't be true (as it might be in a potential reissue ofthe Chorus Line film on DVD--not that I could ever see that getting a deluxe release anyway)-- nor in the case of Chicago or Dreamgirls where they go on at some length about the stage origins. But you do raise a great and valid point.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 1:34pm

It was pointed out to me by a friend that perhaps the casting of Morales just wasn't compelling enough to include in the film.

Perhaps it was very easy to cast her. When they saw her there was no question that she was Morales. Probably the same with Zach and all the others whose casting process they didn't highlight.
Updated On: 11/10/09 at 01:34 PM

[Basely Tearful]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 1:38pm

From what I gathered Berresse and Yazbeck were cast prior to the mass auditions.

[Anakela]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 1:48pm

Why is the search for Diana not in the documentary?

The Every Little Step filmmakers have said that Morales was cast early on, there was nothing to 'show'...

Q. Why didn't we see auditioners going out for the role of Morales? That character sings two great songs in the show. And did you interview Priscilla Lopez, the original Morales?

Stern It's incredibly simple. Natalie Cortez sewed the role up so early. She didn't compete with anybody on the call backs...
Filmmakers follow 'Chorus Line' to Broadway

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 2:29pm

I'm not sure why Stern would say that. Now, it may well be that Avian, Baayork, and Breglio never seriously considered anyone else for Morales, but other people were seen for the role. Natalie Cortez attended several auditions, 3 months apart. For whatever reason, Yazbeck and Berresse were cast very early on. I don't believe anyone else was ever seen for Al or Zach. I'm pretty sure that they were first choices and were cast right away.

"We interviewed a bunch of people [from the original show], and the ones we ended up using were the ones who Michael kind of relied on - Marvin Hamlisch, Bob Avian, Baayork Lee".

Stern again, from Anakela's linked article. Interesting comment. It is well-known that there's a lot of bad blood between many (if not most) of the original surviving cast members and Bennett's estate. Possibly Ms Lopez didn't have anything positive to say.

Eric, you pretty much had it right the first time - it's a licensing/legal matter issue most of the time. Breglio, the sole executor and part heir with rights to most of Bennett's estate, doesn't own the Tony clip or the many TV performances. He isn't going to pay for those things when he has free access to so much material from the estate. It isn't about the fans, it's about the bottom line - dollars and cents.

And as regards to what Phyl said, at least in the case of the ACL movie, it was just so god-awful that I can't imagine why they would include anything from it in the documentary Every Little Step.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:03pm

From what I gather, Natalie Cortez was cast pretty early on and so there really wasn't anything to show in terms of the auditions.

There may have been girls who looked like potential Dianas at the callbacks because they were casting understudies from that as well...as I remember they were originally looking at Jessica Lee Goldyn as a understudy for Cassie and Val and she was at the final callbacks.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:22pm

I don't know where you get that, perfectlymarvelous. She wasn't cast as early as Berresse and Yazbeck, and she attended several auditions, months apart. Ms. Cortez herself says that her auditions were grueling and there were documentary cameras present.
From Natalie Cortez' ACL blog

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:24pm

It's a wonderful film. Saw it 4 times, and just ordered it on Amazon. Love the moment where the 1 gal, who's called back for Val, watches through the curtain, and realizes that she didn't get the part, as she watches the other gal NAIL IT.

Perhaps the rights for filmed clips/portions of the original production aren't/weren't available, too costly, etc. Who knows?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:35pm

Yeah, I don't expect anything from the ACL movie to make the docu (nor would I want it to though it would be interesting I suppose to see why so many bad decisions were made for the movie--but really we mostly know the answers to that anyway).

I assumed the Estate did own the Tony clip for some reason only because back when they still were making the Broadway Lost Treasures DVDs (before that all became yet another mess) someone, I think on here, claimed one reason neither of those two famous Bennett clips (Dreamgirls and ChorusLine) nor Turkey Lurkey Time (instead they just used the non dance She Likes Basketball) were on any of them was issues with the Bennett estate. But I'm not sure if they actually had facts or that was just an assumption.

I'm just selfish--I'd kill to have in particular that opening Chorus Line clip in as good as possible quality on DVD. Updated On: 11/10/09 at 03:35 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:44pm

The Bennett estate had to give permission for the clips to be used on Broadway's Lost Treasures (which they denied) but they didn't actually own the clips.

I would imagine that its also possible that some actors denied signing a waiver at the auditions allowing them to be video recorded for the documentary.

Also, there just wasn't much need to interview further members of the OBC for this. I don't think there needs to be speculation about 'bad blood' keeping certain OBC members from participating. The documentary balances the past and the creation of the new production quite well in my opinion.

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 3:49pm

You're probably right about the clips. It's all about MONEY! That's the bottom line. The "Dreamgirls" clip that you mention is on Youtube. At least it was - so many times those clips come and go.

Jason's call-back is brilliant. The entire creative team is in tears after his audition. He was so wonderful....so touching, panicked, innocent and real. Amazing!

Could you imagine if the record breaking "Chorus Line" performance was on the dvd - with all the various Cassies, Vals, Pauls, etc. WOW! That would be historic! I'm sure it was filmed. How could it not have been?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:06pm

It was filmed for the theatre archive or whatever for viewing there--and I believe some of it (the finale?) aired on tv.

MB I agree that the documentary does do a good job of mixing the two. I wish though that if the Bennett estate wasn't going to approve the use of those clips for Lost Treasures they would approve of its use for something like this--just frustrating having them sitting there gathering dust (and I'm sure they're not keen on them being so easy to see online in lesser quality but giving people an option to buy them would make a small difference...)

[Basely Tearful]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:08pm

andy Blankenbuehler can't be pleased that they turn his head shot over and simply say "no".

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:13pm

It's also worth noting that Bennett directed the CHORUS LINE Tony segment as well, choosing the angles and the precise cuts he wanted made, and even had them bring in four or five extra cameras (16mm?) so he could get all the camera coverage he wanted. Those ten minutes (or whatever) is the closest we will ever get to a filmed version of A CHORUS LINE as Bennett would have wanted it (or at least a filmed version of the OBP, as he had different plans for an actual movie musical version of the show).

P

P.S. This documentary makes me feel REALLY bad for Rachelle Rak and REALLY dislike Natascia Diaz. And caused me to realize that Charlotte D'Amboise IS Chris Hargenson from CARRIE (overacheiving beyotch)!
Updated On: 11/10/09 at 04:13 PM

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:14pm

"The Bennett estate had to give permission for the clips to be used on Broadway's Lost Treasures (which they denied) but they didn't actually own the clips".

Exactly. What the poster Michael Bennett is saying, EricMontreal, is while that the Bennett estate doesn't own the clips you're talking about, they do have the power to refuse them to be re-shown. To use them themselves, they'd have to pay a fee. Breglio is executor of the estate as well as Executive Producer of Every Little Step. If he can't use it for free, he won't allow anyone else to use it, either.

"I would imagine that its also possible that some actors denied signing a waiver at the auditions allowing them to be video recorded for the documentary".

Do you mean they declined to sign a waiver? While that's possible, I seriously doubt that, especially regarding Natalie Cortez. This was potentially her first Broadway show. I would imagine there was a great deal of pressure to sign that waiver. Bennett/Zach's mindset of "You want the job, don't you?" was very present in this revival production.

"Also, there just wasn't much need to interview further members of the OBC for this. I don't think there needs to be speculation about 'bad blood' keeping certain OBC members from participating".

But they did interview many OBC members who weren't used in the documentary. The bad blood isn't speculation, it's common knowledge. They used the interviews that showed Bennett in a favorable light.

eta: I agree with pgenre regarding Rachelle Rak. I do believe her scenes were edited to make her look bad, but completely diasagree about Ms d'Amboise, who is a hard-working Broadway veteran and a very nice lady.


Updated On: 11/10/09 at 04:14 PM

[Daniel2]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:45pm

I agree that it would be great to have all that kind of stuff on DVDs, I suspect the reason they don't has to do with rights. It's not only the Bennett estates it's also the networks and whoever owns the shows the original appearances were on. Also, since you're dealing with writers, lyricists, orchestrations, performers, etc... most of these shows happened before the advent of dvds--or even home video, so getting the rights to these shows can be very difficult--even in finding out who controls those rights. It will, most likely, be easier for newer shows because those issues will be settled in the original contracts. There were a lot of great Broadway show numbers on old talk shows--Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas etc... but in those cases not only would you have to deal with the rights of the creaters of the Broadway show you would also have to deal with the networks or estates of whoever owned those shows.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:49pm

I'm just grateful that Tyce Diorio signed a waiver so that we could witness what an incredibly egotistical douche bag he is. He totally made an ass of himself.

Updated On: 11/11/09 at 04:49 PM

[Daniel2]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 4:54pm

Also, just one more thought--these kind of DVDs are usually considered "niche" so they're not going to go overboard in acquiring these things. It's too bad because I would love more comprehensive extras.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 5:00pm

Has anyone listened to the commentary yet? Do that and the extras make it more worthwhile? It's just not the kind of thing I see myself watching very often as I've seen it twice and enjoyed it both times but it's nothing earth-shatterring, so the extras make or break it for me on this one.

P

[nealb1]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 5:07pm

Pgenre, why do you dislike Charlotte? She sought out a role, studied for it, and nailed it. Should she not have gotten the part?

Always thought that Natascia wasn't right for Cassie. She's very, very talented - just not a Cassie.

Rachelle Rak's audition changed so much from the first time to the last call back. She was very harsh. Wasn't her time.
Updated On: 11/10/09 at 05:07 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 5:57pm

Daniel, I get that. Of course that's what got Broadway's Lost Treasures in trouble and ended the series--they weren't getting permission from the performers and Wendy and others all started complaining. So maybe now it's just an impossible dream.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 11/10/09 at 6:06pm

I don't dislike Charlotte, it just seems like she's an overachiever, not that there's anything wrong with that. I was just making a little joke, don't mind me...

And it's "coarse" not "course".

P