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[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 6:27pm

The Papermill recording was tolerable only because it was so much more complete than the OBC. I quickly removed it from my ipod once this new recording began giving me eargasms.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 6:28pm

But will someone please tell me why Bernadette is doing her William Shatner impression in this and each night at the Marquis?

"I. Don't. Want. To. Fight. With. You. Phyl."


I love you Bernie, but some of the choices you make in this are just strange.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:08pm

I literally just heard that track Jordan. Lol.

I'm finally listening to it and all I can say is..rapturous.

I never thought anything would come close to the OBCR but this recording is perfect.

[binau]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:27pm

I really love some of her other line readings though. For example, in the prologue, and in the "Men are so Sweet" track, ("He held me, and the band was playing..I'm getting married"..so sad), and in the "You'll make a good wife, Phyl..." track ("Please Ben, I'd like to go now"....) and the "End of Show" lines..

While I won't dispute that the OBCR captures some moments of the original performances that some people may find hard to forget, as a whole I think this recording is exponentially better. Those moments on the OBCR do not outweigh the completeness/quality/performances of the new recording IMO. If someone has never heard FOLLIES before they should buy the newest recording because it just *feels* like it captures what the show is, as opposed to the OBCR which to me seems like a scattered fragmentation of the show.

So while this production and performances may not have matched the original (the general theme of comparisons on this forum suggest no production or performance ever will be good enough), can we at least admit that we finally have a better recording than the horrific mess that is the OBCR?

Updated On: 11/19/11 at 08:27 PM

[Jackson Upperco]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:37pm

This recording is, I would say, the best representation of the show and score. I would still play the Original Broadway Cast (or one of the audios) to someone who had never heard the score, because of the beauty and magic of the original performances. But I would recommend this recording next to someone who wanted to better understand the material. I really, really am impressed with this CD. It's the best produced recording, even if it's not my favorite.

As for the Papermill recording, I like it a lot. It has a sense of grandeur; everything is BIG. I really like some of the performances - Hoty and McKechnie (although, I liked her better in the BBC Production as Phyllis.) Also, I prefer this rendition of "Ah, But Underneath" to Riggs' on the Original London Cast recording. But it's all the bonus tracks that really make the Papermill recording a must have.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 8:59pm

Two words: Bolero D'amore

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 9:13pm

^I keep meaning to ask. Was that cut from this production?

[binau]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 9:16pm

Yes it was.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:35pm

After several listens, it still baffles me the difference between Elaine Paige's "I'm Still Here" on the recording and her "I'm Still Here" every night at the Marquis. It's like two completely different people singing the song. Someone apparently finally told her to sing it more or less as written...

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:40pm

How is it different? She sang it as written two months ago. She sounds great on the recording, btw.

[binau]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:42pm

I don't know how she performs it today but there was once a lot of shouting and back phrasing and missing lyrics :P.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:42pm

When I saw her perform the song in DC and in the first few weeks of previews, she was backphrasing beyond all belief, and growling half the song. I liked the interpretation, but it's not at all what she's doing on the recording. And, for the record, I am a huge fan of both "versions", I was just noting how markedly different they were.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:42pm

She sang it as written on wednesday.

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:46pm

If that's the case, then it's different than the other times I've seen her. And it's interesting that it's changed so much over the course of the run. I'm sure there has to be someone who saw her do it with all the backphrasing, right?! Unless I'm pulling something of a Sally and going crazy here...

[binau]

Posted: 11/18/11 at 11:53pm

Yeah, well I mean she was definitely backphrasing and shouting at the first preview.

E.g. She'd say "Black sable one day....*PAUSE* [quickly] Next day it goes into hock [shout] BUT I'M HERE* .....she doesn't do any of this on the recording. It is much different. It might even be on the B-roll, I can't remember.

Updated On: 11/18/11 at 11:53 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 12:11am

A lot of that is Sondheim standing behind her at the recording session. He's a total stickler about his work in the studio - if you want to back phrase or paraphrase a lyric or two in the theatre - he's fine but on a recording he pretty much demands it be performed as written.

He actually did the same thing with Ann Miller who in the theatre had gotten into some of the same habits.

[BroadwayFan12]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 12:18am

She seemed to have stopped the backphrasing and shouting soon after it opened.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 12:24am

Sondheim worked directly with Paige in late August to perfect her interpretation of the song. From then on, most of the backphrasing and shouting have been completely excised from her performance.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 12:34am

For what its worth, a report on ATC from a performance last night mentions that she's still backphrasing (at least that that performance.)

I actually don't think its an interpretive choice; I think she is just really challenged by the sequence of the lyrics and backphrasing buys her time to remember.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 1:02am

She got read the riot act by Mr. Sondheim so she has - apparently - doing it as written since then; it was glorious the last time I saw her do it about a month ago

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 1:07am

But I agree -- this is, by far, the best-sounding orchestral recording (just something missing on the Papermill recording which is odd because Tunick conducted it), and it finally fully captures the essence of the shows with the little monologues and scenes interspersed throughout. Tommy K knows what he's doing.

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 11:35am

I got my recording yesterday...

I can just see Jan Maxwell slinking across the stage in my head every time I play "Lucy And Jessie". Theatregasm!

[AMH]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 11:49am

I can't believe I didn't pre-order this! I suck.

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 3:12pm

Got mine yesterday (in Florida). It is so rich, so full of little moments of greatness. And the booklet is heaven-lots of pictures, nice essays, every spoken and sung word included. I LOVE this recording. I got the same chills as when I was at the Marquis last month.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 11/19/11 at 5:01pm

After a busy couple of days, I was finally able to sit down and listen to this all the way through today. There were a lot of things that annoyed me (especially when comparing it to the amazing Chicago Shakespeare production, which I preferred), but overall, it's a great listen. The inclusion of the final scene is what really makes this a good cd, in my opinion, because it makes it feel complete. All the other cast recordings of the show just leave me waiting for the rest when they're done.

I don't really like Bernadette as Sally. I was surprised by her head voice, but it felt like it was a bit uncomfortable for her. She has developed a lot of bad singing habits over the years that really annoy me. In the future, I might replace her tracks with Donna's from the Papermill recording, who was a far superior singer. The Chicago Shakespeare production had a near-perfect Sally, and Bernadette just disappointed me.

Ron Rains didn't feel right as Ben. He didn't have the charm I think he needs. He seems like an odd pair with Jan Maxwell as Phyllis. He was also trying way to hard when he was singing, which is especially bad for The Road You Didn't Take, which I think should be a more understated curiosity.

Danny Burstein and Jan Maxwell were both very effective in their roles and fine singers. Their tracks were my favorites, but the dance break in Lucy & Jesse needed a faster tempo.

Elaine Paige gets and "eh" from me--not awful, but nothing amazing. Again, the Chicago Shakespeare production did it better.

For the most part, the pastiche numbers were quite enjoyable, especially the trio. The exception would be One More Kiss. If I hadn't known the lyrics before hand, I would have no idea what Old Heidi was singing. She sounded like a man in falsetto. It was relieving when her young counterpart, who sounded great came in, but I missed the original key.

If no dialogue had been included, I would have been pretty disappointed, but the inclusion of the dialogue made it satisfying and gave it the emotional impact the show has. Simply because of that, this will probably be the recording I listen to the most for a while.