Little Me: OBC Recording vs. Revival Recording

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 8:58pm

I recently listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording and the Revival Cast Recording of "Little Me", and I was wondering, which do you prefer? I personally prefer the revival recording, not only for it's "completeness", but also for it's performers. I think the OBCR lacks a lot of energy and spark. Am I the only one who feels this way?

EDIT: I must admit the versions of "Be a Performer" and "Dimples" on the OBC are also just as energetic and hilarious as the versions on the BRCR.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 08:58 PM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:02pm

The revival has the annoying Martin Short on it.

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:04pm

As goofy and annoying as he is, I still think he is hilarious.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:11pm

Well, the Ralph Burns orchestrations for the original production are perfection. I really enjoy the London recording of the original playing version, where the orchestra is on fire, there are bits of dialogue and additional dance music throughout, including some fun alternate lyrics, the "Rich Kid's Rag" is included and there is a performance from the Young Belle, which is ... how can you put it? ... fully committed. Only detriment is Swen Swenson's toooo sloooooooooooooow version of "I've Got Your Number".

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:12pm

I'll have to look into the London Cast Recording. I'm interested in hearing that too.

[bk]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:22pm

Of course, I prefer the revival album, but then again, I produced it. :)

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:31pm

On that London recording, the Overture, reprise of "Other Side of the Tracks," and the title song are performed at breakneck speed. There is the lead-in dialogue before "The Truth," "Rich Kid's Rag," "Be a Performer," "Boom Boom," "Goodbye," and "Here's to Us". "Dimples" and "Boom Boom" have extra dance music. There is a key change for the last verse of "Be a Performer," which I think is really exciting. And the terrific inclusion of the dialogue between the Belles between the choruses of "Little Me," before the "When it comes to parlez vous..." verse. There are some Brit changes in the names, like Belle Schulmfert is Belle Hogsfather, and the Buxbaum Brothers are the Buxgrave Brothers. (I guess the Broadway version was too Jewish for the Brits?) There is some ear piercing distortion in spots, but fans of Little Me should really seek it out.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 09:31 PM

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:33pm

It sounds great! I'll definitely look for it.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:37pm

I saw the 1999 Revival .. I think it played in a Roundabout Theater that does not exist anymore.... STAGE RIGHT? - what happened to that theater...

Well- Actually I loved the show... Faith Prince was good, though she played the role as one.. meaning there's no younger her nor older...

Brooks Ashmanksas is in the cats too... I agree.. Steve Martin could be a bit over-acting, but his performance was just great onstage...

The "I Got Your Number" in the 1999 Revival was kinda sexy.. the guy stripped down and remove his shirt....funny! I remember that !

J*
Updated On: 1/17/08 at 09:37 PM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:42pm

The London, Bruce Forsyth production is pretty amazing and is regarded by many as the better album.

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:44pm

I would have loved to have seen the revival.

Although (and this is just based on the recording), doesn't Faith Prince play the role as younger, if only for a few scenes? From the song "The Other Side of the Tracks" to "Deep Down Inside" right? I know for the most part she plays the role as "one", but am I misinterpreting the recording?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:49pm

The Roundabout production had Faith Prince play Belle throughout. I think I like having Young and Older Belle, because it's so cool when they "meet" in the title song, but there was a consistency to having one Belle that worked too.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:51pm

Smaxie- what happened to that theater that look like a TV studio where LITTLE ME played? its called Stage Right? If my recollection is right - that's on Broadway (Ave)
same as Palace ...

J*
Updated On: 1/17/08 at 09:51 PM

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:54pm

Oh ok. That's really interesting. I'll definitely be checking the London production out.

And to Jay: I too am curious as to what happened to the theatre where it played. I believe that you are correct, that it played at "Stage Right", but what happened to it?

I'm also curious as to why the revival was played to be more "goofy". Did the Roundabout think that audiences nowadays could handle this better than audiences way back when? I know the show itself is a spoof, and I think the Roundabout revival really played on that.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 09:54 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 9:56pm

I did not see the Original..obviously

but the 1999 Revival was so over the top ...kinda like Xanadu & Spamalot now...

J*

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:01pm

Complicated history, but the building was called the Criterion. It had been a movie theatre, and was converted into two commercial legit theatres... Stage Right and Stage Left. One was a Broadway space (where the infamous Starmites played), and the other theatre was a smaller Off-Broadway or cabaret space. When it failed as a commercial theatre, Roundabout took it over until the space was redeveloped and they had to vacate. The building is now occupied by Bond 45, the Swatch Store, Foot Locker and Toys 'r' Us.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 10:01 PM

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:02pm

Oh, that's a shame.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:04pm

sondheimgeek- btw... If youre interested- Martin Short performed "Boom-Boom" on the 1999 Tony Awards eventhough the show was closed by then... I think you can still find that on YOUTUBE...

J*

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:05pm

I did see that. I thought it was hilarious. Although I cringe everytime he says "Boom-boom!", it oddly that makes it all the more enjoyable.

Updated On: 1/17/08 at 10:05 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:08pm

I remember the staging was very simple....I think there's a Filipina lady in the cast.. her name is Cynthia Orrubias..something like that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7anK6sHtIz4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGpDV6NNhIo

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 1/17/08 at 10:11pm

I saw those too, and it honestly looked amazing. Yes, the staging was simple, but definitely effective. Thanks!

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/20/08 at 7:10am

One other thing I love in the London recording... Mr. Pinchley has a line in "Deep Down Inside" about the shacks on Drifter's Row. On the original Broadway recording, he says "And starting this winter... heat!" The Broadway revival recording has a revised line where he says something like "you know those dirty bug-ridden shacks you live in? I'm building 10 more of them!" On the London recording, he says, "And starting this winter ... roofs!" The London line is my favorite. It still makes me laugh every time I hear it.

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/20/08 at 11:09am

I don't know.. doesn't the revival use the Harold Wheeler arrangements from the 80s? They're pretty good--99.99% of people performing "On the Other Side of the Tracks" are using his arrangement, not the less interesting one from the original.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 1/20/08 at 12:36pm

The Harold Wheeler stuff is very good and colorful, especially considering it's a much smaller arrangement. However, Ralph Burns orchestrated the original production, and I think his stuff is just one of the great sets of orchestrations of the 1960s. Exactly what a big Broadway musical should sound like.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 1/20/08 at 12:55pm

I was in high school when the original Little Me was in tryouts in Philadelphia (1962). I loved the show then and most of the crtics did (except the all-important NYT -- Kerr, then with the Herald Tribune, gave it the kind of rave that all shows die for). I subsequently went back three times when it played at the Lunt Fontanne. The Deep Down Inside number was spotlighted on the old Ed Sullivan show. It had a curtailed run because of a VERY poor publicity campaign and the fact that there was a newspaper strike shortly after the show opened. Trivia point: Dorothy Kilgallen had run pre-opening comments from the road and was enthusiastic UNTIL by some stupid mistake on management's part, she was relegated to the mezzanine for opening night. Hell had no fury like Dorothy in those days and she proceded to knock the show in her column continually until it closed.

There was a very inept revival in 1982, with the male roles split between James Coco and Victor Garber -- it was a mess and closed quickly.

IMO, the idea of Faith Prince doing both Young and Old Belle was a misfire. Virginia Martin and Nancy Andrews were fabulous in the original production. However, I preferred Martin Short to Sid Caesar.

Updated On: 1/20/08 at 12:55 PM