If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording- Page 4
If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
#75re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 1/8/10 at 8:41pm
I thought I would bump this thread, since it has so much helpful information on TOFT. Every time I've gone I've had a thorough excuse ready just in case, but all I've ever had to say is that I'm writing a paper for a class.
This is still one of the best ways to spend a non-matinee show day.
#76re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 1/10/10 at 1:40pmI just sat down and read every message on this topic. i'm going to try and view a few things there this coming semester. there's a lot of great information on this thread!
**I don't care what anyone says: I LOVE Million Dollar Quartet!!!!! Favorite** 4/10/10, 4/17/10, 5/8/10, 6/6/10, 6/16/10, 7/3/10, 8/14/10, 9/18/10, 10/10/10, 11/21/10, 12/4/10
#77re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 4:33am
I'm trying to plan a trip to New York in April to see all the wonderful shows opening. Since I have a few weeks, I thought I would ask for suggestions. What should I see at Lincoln Center this time?
As much as I love the new (live) shows that I see, this is almost becoming my favorite part of trips. Since I learned about Lincoln Center Archives (more or less the first post on this thread) I've seen:
- Grey Gardens
- Side Show
- National tour of the original production of Company
- The Wild Party (LaChiusa, of course)
- Hal Prince '74 Candide
Now I am ready for another batch. I'm going to try and at least see two since I'll be there during the week when they're open. Possibly three. Since I'm already seeing three Sondheim shows (Anyone Can Whistle, A Little Night Music, Sondheim on Sondheim), I'm thinking I should increase that number. Perhaps Follies? ...is there a recording of Follies at TOFT? I would think they'd have the most recent Encores! production, but then again I don't know if they record those.
Any suggestions or stories of great things you've seen would make my day. And make this awesome thread grow. So, kind of a win/win there in my book. :)
Updated On: 3/7/10 at 04:33 AM
#78re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 4:37am
I can't help you, but to say I'm also going to New York in April and I'm also seeing ACW, Night Music and Sondheim on Sondheim.
And it will be my first time at the archives too :P.
I didn't even consider Follies Encores!
http://catalog.nypl.org/iii/encore/record/C%7CRb16545850%7CSFollies+Sondheim%7CP0%2C1%7COrightresult?lang=eng&suite=pearl
But it appears they have it! Thanks for the idea.
Question: How many do you watch in one sitting? Over what period do you watch them all? (I want to watch as many as I can, but I don't want to seem suspicious or anything).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Updated On: 3/7/10 at 04:37 AM
#79re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 4:55am
qolbinau, I went to the link you provided and was happy...but only for a second. Apparently they do have the Encores! Follies, as well as the 2001 production with Judith Ivey and Blythe Danner. Heck, they even have (and this makes me smile) the Paper Mill Playhouse production with Dee Hoty, Kaye Ballard, and Donna McKechnie! My happiness hit a snag when I saw that all these productions say "Permission Required". This is something I haven't come across before, though I can kind of guess what it means. Damn.
And to answer your question, the most I've watched in one sitting is two. That being said, they were both really long and I'm sure if you have a plausible excuse you could watch however many you wanted to. The times I've gone I just call ahead of time and say I'm in town doing research for various papers and assignments I'm working on. Though I always have an extensive excuse ready (even coming up with ways to connect whatever I'm watching thematically or otherwise), they have yet to ask for it. I would suggest you watch a couple and if you can do the same another day later in your trip. Either way, it's quite the experience. Since you can just watch a video once, it's this strange feeling of stumbling upon something that closed so long ago and yet getting to see it for one night only. It's quite cool actually.
Updated On: 3/7/10 at 04:55 AM
#80re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 5:00am
Thanks, I can't wait!
RE: Follies. Damn. I bet it's a problem with the Goldman estate. In fact I vaguely remember reading something about it on this forum ages ago (maybe I'm just constructing a memory to serve this claim though).
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#81re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 5:47am
I'm definitely going to visit the archives during my trip in April...
mormonophobic, did you apply for an ACCESS card? What kind of ID(s) were they asking for?
Thanks!
"Movies will make you famous; television will make you rich; but theatre will make you good." - Terrence Mann.
#82re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 9:25amOkay, knowing that their whole archive isn't listed on the website, is Tom O'Horgan's staging of Superstar available in the archive?
"There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from."
~ Charles M. Schulz
Borstalboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/9/04
#83re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 1:42pmI throw in my vote to watch the Lincoln Center revival of CAROUSEL. Absolutely divine.
"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
~ Muhammad Ali
#84re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 5:53pm
Borstalboy, that's an excellent suggestion. I've only seen one clip of it on that site, featuring Audra McDonald, and it really looks great.
TaleofTwo, I did end up getting an ACCESS card. And although I don't recall exactly what I used to get one, I do know I was worried for nothing. I think all I ended up needing was my driver's license. It only takes a few minutes and then you can go anytime you want. I would definitely recommend making an appointment though. It saves so much time!
#85re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 6:39pmRagtime revival. hands down.
#86re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 8:10pmaasjb4ever, I would normally agree with you. The Ragtime revival was truly remarkable. I was lucky enough to see it when I was in New York this past November (along with Finian's Rainbow, another perfect revival) and so don't really feel the need to see it again. I was considering the original Ragtime, but I really like discovering shows I know nothing about. When I went to see The Wild Party, I had heard a lot of the score, but was shocked how little I knew of the story. To date, that is still my favorite thing I've ever seen (live or on tape). Collette was truly magnificent!
#87re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/7/10 at 9:22pmI also suggest Carousel. Definitive production of one of THE best musicals ever written. It's also perfectly filmed. You won't regret it.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
#88re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/8/10 at 5:02pm
Carousel is now a lock. Thank you so much for suggesting it. And wickedfan, you've actually seen the recording? Awesome. So good quality and easy to understand even for someone not fully familiar with the show?
Apparently they also have the 2002 Encores! production of Carnival with Anne Hathaway. Since I've been trying to track this down for quite a while (pretty much ever since I stumbled upon Ms. Hathaway singing "Yes, My Heart" on that site), I'm oh so happy it's there.
As I said earlier, I liked the archives exposing me to a show I'm not that familiar with. The following are shows I (embarrassingly) know little to nothing about. With some I have heard bits and pieces of the scores, while others I'm completely in the dark about. Out of these, which do you think are the most important to see/know as a theater dork?
- The Secret Garden
- Grand Hotel
- City of Angels
- 110 in the Shade
Thank you!!
#89re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/8/10 at 11:55pm
I can't speak to most of the shows you asked about, but I love the music from City of Angels, and the concept of it. I was in a production of Secret Garden and hated it, but apparently it was popular. I don't know the other two except by name, so I would recommend City of Angels.
Thank you for this thread. I went through and read and will be viewing "Light in the Piazza" on Thursday and "Carousel" on Friday.
I can go back and look through the thread, but if you wouldn't mind reiterating the info on how to get an access pass and perhaps exactly where the library is located (i made my reservations with a lot of street noise in the background and no pen/paper). Thanks!
#90re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 2:33am
CockeyedOptimist2, I would suggest going back and reading all of the thread, but that's just because I do so/ask for new suggestions before any trip to NY. That being said, it's REALLY easy to view these and that's why I try to spread the word so much. Had some nice person on here not explained this easy, free way to see some ridiculously wonderful shows, I'd have no idea. The place is located in the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts. It's in Lincoln Center (same basic place you go for South Pacific if that helps at all) and really big and hard to miss.
I believe the address is:
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023
Once you find the huge Lincoln Center Plaza (again, hard to miss and on the cross-streets of 65th and Broadway), you want to ask a security guard or walk around until you find the Library building. I believe Theater on Film and Tape (TOFT) is located on the third floor, but it will be written on the elevator. Once there you need to check your coat and/or bags. Inside, walk past all the computers labeled DANCE (I think) and go towards the back, where you will see another darker, enclosed room with glass doors. Go inside there and the person will be very helpful. Just say you need an ACCESS Card and they will help you get one. It takes about five minutes and just requires your driver's license/state ID. For the actual videos, you will just need to fill out a little sheet with your name, address, reason for viewing, and a brief explanation of why you are viewing it. You then sign it at the bottom, if I remember correctly.
I tried my best to explain here, but I would suggest calling them back and asking for more specific directions (if that's even possible). That number (for CockeyedOptimist2 and anyone else who needs it) is (212) 870-1642.
If you have any other questions, just let me know. I'll answer what I can. Oh, and thank you very much for your helpful suggestion. :)
#91re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 3:27amDo you have to have a legit reason, such as doing research, or do they let you watch shows regardless?
#92re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 5:23amYou have to have a legit reason. But it can be anything and they don't require proof, so you could just say you are a student researching the show. You will have to tell them the name of the school and class though. I believe you can also watch them if you are researching a role when cast in a production. I always just say (and sometimes it's true) that I am writing various papers for my theater class. There are certain restrictions about which shows you can watch, as well as how many times you can view a production, but beyond that it's all very easy.
#93re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 6:15amUgh, I'm not a good liar. Thanks for the info though.
#94re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 6:30am
It's really not that complicated. Like I said earlier in the thread, I always come ready with this complicated explanation that connects the few shows I see. Not once have I needed it. Especially if you call and schedule it ahead of time, all you have to do is make up some sort of reason. And it's so incredibly worth it to get to see these captured moments of long-gone productions.
Updated On: 3/9/10 at 06:30 AM
#95re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 8:20amThanks, mormonphobic! I actually had read the whole thread, but for some reason didn't feel like going back through all of it. I already have my appointments to watch these movies, I just couldn't really hear exactly where the guy told me to go. I am extremely excited. Elphaba, I don't know what it will be like when I get there, but the reason I gave when I called was that I am studying Richard Rodgers and his legacy (watching "Carousel" and "Piazza" by his grandson). I cannot wait! I have wanted to do this for years, but didn't know it was a real option until I read this thread. Thanks all!
#96re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/9/10 at 11:26pmmormonophobic-Yes, I did see the Lincoln Center taping. I actually gave a pretty lengthy review of the production via the taping about a year ago. It's easy to understand, perfectly clear, and really expertly filmed. They did a great job of capturing almost everything that happens on stage. Even Michael Hayden's voice is in strong shape for the recording. The only tiny thing is that Kate Buddeke was out as Mrs. Mullin the night they filmed it. She was excellent, but her understudy is just as wonderful. Also, see if you can find Taye Diggs, Natascia Diaz and Brian D'arcy James (in a beard) in the ensemble.
"Sing the words, Patti!!!!" Stephen Sondheim to Patti LuPone.
#97re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/10/10 at 12:00am
CockeyedOptimist2, have fun and be sure to write how it was on here when you're down. The first time I sat down at the archives, I was watching Side Show. The moment it started, a title came up saying it was filmed at the Richard Rodgers. I got this little flutter in my heart knowing that I had been in that same theater before, watching In the Heights, unaware of what else had played there. I know I stress this point a lot, but I just can't get over the magic of these little windows through time showing us these shows. I love it.
wickedfan, thank you so much for the reply. I'm so glad to hear (or at least read) that the recording is in such good shape. I know it's heresy to say, but I'm really not that familiar with the show and was slightly worried I wouldn't be able to follow along if the quality wasn't great. That being said, it was only recorded in 1994. Even when I saw the '74 Candide I was amazed not only the superior quality, but also just how much was captured when they made the recording. For that particular show, it was presented at the Broadway in the round, so it was quite interesting to see them cut away to different areas and really show everything. When I see Carousel I will be sure to look out for those three. Are they given a lot to do or are they only in a few Ensemble numbers?
As usual, thanks to all the responses. Keep 'em coming! Since Follies is apparently only possible with permission and A Little Night Music wasn't recorded (I believe I read more about that on here a while ago), are there any other Sondheim shows people have seen at the Archives?
#98re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/10/10 at 1:14amSo I could say I'm taking a theatre class at NYU for example even though that's a total lie? I hate lying, but there are several shows I would love to watch.
threetwoone
Featured Actor Joined: 7/30/09
#99re: If you could see one Lincoln Center Recording
Posted: 3/10/10 at 1:19amSo I would be fine if I actually DO go to a University, actually AM taking a theatre course, and actually DO write essays on live shows? Even if I'm not writing about anything I'm seeing?
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