Follies OBC: What was Cut/Changed/Slowed Down/etc.

I was just wondering what was changed for the Follies OBC. I've done research and can only find general discussion of the fact that things were altered. What verses, choruses, songs were cute or altered? What was slowed down? And any other general things about it.

As Roxy implied, almost everything has been tampered with or removed. Keep in mind, most songs are performed at an accelerated tempo as well. I've only listed the textual cuts.

The Overture is missing, although a minute and a half of the Prologue were recorded as part of the beginning of "Beautiful Girls."

"Beautiful Girls" is missing its big instrumental section and the first verse after it.

"Don't Look at Me" is missing some instrumental breaks and the dialogue in the middle of the song.

"Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" is complete.

"Rain on the Roof" is missing.

"Ah, Paris" is missing its entire first half.

"Broadway Baby" is missing everything from "slaving at the five-an-ten" to the final verse, and the montage ending is of the three songs is not included.

"The Road You Didn't Take" is missing only small instrumental bits and the dialogue in the middle of the song.

"Bolero d'Amour" is missing.

"In Buddy's Eyes" is missing only small instrumental bits and the dialogue in the middle of the song.

"Who's That Woman?" is missing its big three minute dance break, but all the lyrics are there.

"I'm Still Here" is missing quite a few bits of music AND two important verses before the "J. Edgar Hoover" verse!

"Too Many Mornings" is thankfully complete.

"The Right Girl" is missing much of its dance music.

"One More Kiss" (available on the CD re-release, but not the LP) is only missing its lead-in, but its absence detracts from the haunting quality of the song.

"Could I Leave You" is complete.

"Loveland" is missing!

"You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through" is missing some music and a couple of verses in the quartet.

"Buddy's Blues" is very odd. All the breaks are gone and the last verse is changed. If I recall correctly, Nelson just repeats the previous verse.

"Losing My Mind" is only missing small bits of music and no lyrics.

"The Story of Lucy and Jessie" is cut to shreds, but all of Smith's lyrics are preserved.

"Live, Laugh, Love" has the nervous breakdown finale removed and the opening chorus as well.

Yes, I'm a Follies obsessive. I know. Glad to help.

Yes

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If you don't get the OBC, Edna, I think I'm gonna die.

And read through this whole thread--and download the files at the links.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=982568&id=3702495&boardname=bway&boardid=1

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Such a disaster of a recording. It's such a shame. That cast deserved so much better.

Ljay--imagine being 15 and obsessed with the show and then that album comes out. (They were still 33 1/3 albums then.)

It was a crushing disappointment, a tremendous let-down. The "adults" who were supposed to be in charge had failed. But it was all there was.

And there were no soundboards, no bootlegs--no other audio or video record of my beloved show, other than an audio cassette recorder held up to the various talk shows on which the performers appeared.

Then the "Scrabble" album, the benefit came out, and at least there was some more. But it has always been sad to me that no representation of Follies since has ever been close to adequate.

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temms, for some reason, that really put any unsure feelings out of my head. Thank you for that oddly beautiful post.

Actually, frontrow, the 1985 concert version is not an unabridged version of the score. Much dance/instrumental music is missing, as is the written ending for the Montage (Rain On the Roof, Ah Paree!, Broadway Baby).

And, if you're a real purist, the key changes made for several singers affects the spirit/meaning of some pieces, as does Patinkin's unsung, gasping "Buddy's Blues."

For a complete version of the score, as written, you need either the live recording from Broadway, or the Paper Mill recording.

I like the Papermill album too, but find some of the tempos slow

I think they were Sondheim's approved tempos. If I'm not mistaken he battled with Ann Miller, who wanted to record "I'm Still Here" at a faster tempo.

And I think you are right about Goldman's widow. I seem to remember Smaxie saying they were going to record some dialogue, like Sally's during the prologue, but Bobbi Goldman hung them up.

Granted, everyone has their own opinion and own favorite recordings, but what recording, other than the original would each of you suggest to get with it? Most of my albums come in the digital format from iTunes because it is simply the cheapest and easiest way to get them (even if they don't have everything.)They have the concert recording, but not the Papermill. What would each of you say to get?

temms--that was one of the most perfect things ever written about Follies, possibly one of the most perfect things aver written about live theater in general.

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My point was that I think the tempos were faster on stage than they were on the recording.

Composers are sometimes not the best judges of tempi. They also sometimes have different senses of tempi during different periods of their lives. Perhaps tempo is not a fixed quality.

I was present for several orchestra rehearsals for the 1980 West Side Story revival either attended by--or in one case, led by--Leonard Bernstein.

Not being either a musician or a dancer, I couldn't count out or describe the tempi at which he got the orchestra to play, but I will never forget the electricity of the music under his baton, particularly the Latin rhythms, which he pretty much danced to as he conducted them.

Five years later he conducted the "operatic" studio recording with Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras. I was shocked and disappointed to hear tempi that even my unmusical ears could recognize as "wrong."

Yet he was the Maestro.

Back to Follies...

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