Lincoln Center Archives

[backwoodsbarbie]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 1:57pm

Before anybody rips me a new one, I did find the old thread for this topic using the search function, but I was unable to click on it. That being said, one of my goals for this summer is to visit the archives and watch a few recordings. There are so many options that I'm not sure where to begin. I know I want to look for the original cast of A Chorus Line but other than that I'm open to any suggestions for musicals of plays. Does anyone have suggestions of shows (specifically pre-2009 as I've seen most shows since then) that you would consider "necessary viewing"? Any suggestions would be a great help in narrowing down my list. 

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 2:04pm

I personally loooooved  watching the pro-shot of the original Side Show. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 2:04pm

The revival of BELLS ARE RINGING

BABY, IT'S YOU

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 2:09pm

I personally prefer watching plays at the archive rather than musicals, party because I find them to be more difficult to access via cast albums and bootlegs, and also because plays are often more specific to the actors and directors than musicals are. 

I'm planning to watch a lot of Shakespeare at TOFT this summer, personally. That's sort of my self-assigned summer project this year. 

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:09pm

At one point any of Michael Bennett's shows were fairly heavily restricted (I believe that you had to show proof that you would be doing the show that you requested to view). This may have changed, but just a heads up to not get your hopes up on viewing A Chorus Line. 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:28pm

Seriously, folks?   The pre-Broadway archival video of the original cast of A CHORUS LINE has been accessible everywhere for ages.  

https://youtu.be/uu6D3Y2O7cs

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:46pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Seriously, folks?   The pre-Broadway archival video of the original cast of A CHORUS LINE has been accessible everywhere for ages.  

https://youtu.be/uu6D3Y2O7cs

 

"

I actually thought of trying to see that one--has anyone seen it at Lincoln Center?  As Brody points out, the production has been available to see for ages, but the quality is *awful* (certainly not remotely as sharp as the B&W Company I mentioned).  Is the TOFT archive edition in the same state?  I always assumed it just had gone through too many generations of being copied....

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:48pm

Maybe we can close that rival thread--this is what I said in it:

I was in NYC for my first extended visit time in Nov--with a large group of family (though I managed to see 6 shows, a couple on my own) but was pressed for time.  Still, I made sure to find time to visit the archives to see one of their earliest videos--a B&W recording made in DC at the end of the original Company tour (Donna McKechnie was back in her role).  I've wanted to see this for at least a decade, and honestly, it didn't disappoint.  The quality was very high, even if recorded B&W and gives a good idea of the iconic original Prince/Bennett staging (and makes me think even less of the revised version of the show).

I had been told different things about how easy it would be to access the archive--it was completely easy.  I filled out, online, a temporary library card, and then went down and spoke to them, prepared with my reason for going (I am a grad student at a university here in Canada and have done theatre research as part of my English work) but wasn't even asked.  Honestly, at this point I can't imagine not going to NYC and not seeing something there--if I lived in the city I'd probably be there as often as I could until they got suspicious.

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I will add that I did make an appointment via phone two days in advance, although when I was there and talking to the woman who was working she said that on Tuesdays (when I went) you could pretty much just walk in.  I only saw a few other people when I was there.  I did have to leave my phone (otherwise, I hate to admit, I would have had a hard time not filming as much as I could from that video to re-watch.  it really is a treasure for any Company/Sondheim fan)

 

This is the Company listing.  I have no idea why it was chosen to be filmed (and it is pro shot--albeit with cameras at the back of the theatre) but thank God it was.  If only those other early Prince/Sondheim shows had been.

https://browse.nypl.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb14388223__Scompany%20sondheim__P0%2C6__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def

 

Company [videorecording] / Harold Prince, in association with Ruth Mitchell, [and Theater Now] presents ; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim ; book by George Furth ; musical numbers staged by Michael Bennett ; production directed by Harold Prince ; [videotaped by Directors Circle] ; [video producer, Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, Betty L. Corwin, director]

Imprint

Washington, D.C., c1972.

Description

3 videodiscs (DVD) (139 min.) : sd., b&w NTSC ; 4 3/4 in.

Note

Performed in Washington, D.C. as part of a 1972 national tour.

Access

Restricted to qualified researchers.

Credits

Set design, Boris Aronson; lighting, Robert Ornbo; costumes, D. D. Ryan ; orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick ; dance music arrangements by Wally Harper ; musical direction by Arthur Wagner.

Cast

Barbara Broughton, J. T. Cromwell, Tandy Cronyn, Rolly Fanton, Louisa Flaningam, Joy Franz, Del Hinkley, Jane A. Johnston, Gary Krawford, Bernie McInerney, Donna McKechnie, Mary Roche, and Julie Wilson.

Event

Videotaped by The New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C., May 20, 1972.

Funding

Recorded with the financial assistance of Harold Prince.

 

I was in NYC for my first extended visit time in Nov--with a large group of family (though I managed to see 6 shows, a couple on my own) but was pressed for time.  Still, I made sure to find time to visit the archives to see one of their earliest videos--a B&W recording made in DC at the end of the original Company tour (Donna McKechnie was back in her role).  I've wanted to see this for at least a decade, and honestly, it didn't disappoint.  The quality was very high, even if recorded B&W and gives a good idea of the iconic original Prince/Bennett staging (and makes me think even less of the revised version of the show).

I had been told different things about how easy it would be to access the archive--it was completely easy.  I filled out, online, a temporary library card, and then went down and spoke to them, prepared with my reason for going (I am a grad student at a university here in Canada and have done theatre research as part of my English work) but wasn't even asked.  Honestly, at this point I can't imagine not going to NYC and not seeing something there--if I lived in the city I'd probably be there as often as I could until they got suspicious.

I will add that I did make an appointment via phone two days in advance, although when I was there and talking to the woman who was working she said that on Tuesdays (when I went) you could pretty much just walk in.  I only saw a few other people when I was there.  I did have to leave my phone (otherwise, I hate to admit, I would have had a hard time not filming as much as I could from that video to re-watch.  it really is a treasure for any Company/Sondheim fan)

This is the Company listing.  I have no idea why it was chosen to be filmed (and it is pro shot--albeit with cameras at the back of the theatre) but thank God it was.  If only those other early Prince/Sondheim shows had been.

https://browse.nypl.org/iii/encore/record/C__Rb14388223__Scompany%20sondheim__P0%2C6__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=eng&suite=def

 

Company [videorecording] / Harold Prince, in association with Ruth Mitchell, [and Theater Now] presents ; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim ; book by George Furth ; musical numbers staged by Michael Bennett ; production directed by Harold Prince ; [videotaped by Directors Circle] ; [video producer, Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, Betty L. Corwin, director]

Imprint

Washington, D.C., c1972.

Description

3 videodiscs (DVD) (139 min.) : sd., b&w NTSC ; 4 3/4 in.

Note

Performed in Washington, D.C. as part of a 1972 national tour.

Access

Restricted to qualified researchers.

Credits

Set design, Boris Aronson; lighting, Robert Ornbo; costumes, D. D. Ryan ; orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick ; dance music arrangements by Wally Harper ; musical direction by Arthur Wagner.

Cast

Barbara Broughton, J. T. Cromwell, Tandy Cronyn, Rolly Fanton, Louisa Flaningam, Joy Franz, Del Hinkley, Jane A. Johnston, Gary Krawford, Bernie McInerney, Donna McKechnie, Mary Roche, and Julie Wilson.

Event

Videotaped by The New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive at the National Theatre, Washington, D.C., May 20, 1972.

Funding

Recorded with the financial assistance of Harold Prince.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:49pm

I really enjoyed revisiting GREY GARDENS for a paper. 

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:51pm

AEA AGMA SM said: "At one point any of Michael Bennett's shows were fairly heavily restricted (I believe that you had to show proof that you would be doing the show that you requested to view). This may have changed, but just a heads up to not get your hopes up on viewing A Chorus Line. 

 

"

I believe when I was making my request for Company, and did a search via Bennett, Dreamgirls is still for some reason very strongly restricted.  Which is a shame since the iconic ACL staging is so well known now, but not Dreamgirls'

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 7:56pm

Backwoodsbarbie--if you have any interest in Company, or, indeed, Bennett's work on it, I would really recommend that Company.  I am surprised that more people I know who live in NYC and talk about the production, without having seen it, haven't booked their way down to see it.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:06pm

Sadly, the quality of A CHORUS LINE at the library is similar to this one posted on YouTube.  Nothing noticeably better. 

 

As for DREAMGIRLS, they didn't film the original 1981 Broadway cast nor the original Broadway staging.  They filmed the 1985 Broadway return engagement which featured the hand-moved tour staging as well as the new Act 2 opener.  The entire original Broadway production/staging and cast does survive in a home-made bootleg video.  

[cmorrow]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:58pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Sadly, the quality of A CHORUS LINE at the library is similar to this one posted on YouTube.  Nothing noticeably better. "

I don't know how recently you saw TOFT's 1975 A CHORUS LINE, but the library's playback material was remastered in 2013, and looks & sounds better than the version linked above. Not great, but better.

Also, BABY IT'S YOU was mentioned above, but TOFT does not have a copy of that show. If you saw a tape of it, you saw it somewhere else.