OBCR of FOLLIES remixed and remastered!- Page 6

[bk]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 2:05pm

Dorothy Collins' performance in Follies was one of the greatest I've ever seen anywhere, on any stage, and I've seen some great performances.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 2:16pm

I had the exact same thought as followspot upon listening to it again. There are a lot of revelations here, but the biggest for me was the clarity and emotional depth of Dorothy Collins. I felt like I was sitting in the front row.

[HistoryBoy2]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 2:31pm

I've just ordered my copy (international here). So incredibly excited to finally hear it as it should always have been.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 3:20pm

drums fingers... :)

[Scripps2]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 3:47pm

"Scripps if you get yours before me, it will be handbags at dawn!"

If you carry your long, boring diary in your handbag I'm sure I'll be floored instantly.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 5:01pm

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 7:31pm

There are a lot of revelations here, but the biggest for me was the clarity and emotional depth of Dorothy Collins.

Absolutely!

We've been singing Victoria Clark's praises for weeks now and, by the end of the LA run, I thought she owned the revival. But as we listened to bk's new recording last night, I turned to my husband and said, "Which do you think is--" and he interrupted with "Dorothy Collins!"

This is to take nothing away from Clark; I still consider it a privilege to have seen and heard her. But listening to Collins with the renewed clarity, I was struck again with how deceptively simple her renditions are.

And because she is deceptively simple, it is more believable that Sally was "just a chorus girl" in 1941, waiting to get married and give up show business. (This is by no means to fault modern members of the ensemble, who have to do everything, often better than the principals. But ensembles were much bigger in 1941 and there was room for pretty girls with pleasant voices, especially in revues where the choristers weren't necessarily playing roles.) Collins cleverly impersonates such a girl, while slyly being so much more than merely "pleasant".

***

bk, I hope you are properly proud of yourself! You aren't just illustrating musical theater history, you are actually making it. I can't adequately express my gratitude, but thank you, thank you, thank you.

GavestonPS

------

BTW and FWIW, my stereo and speaker are 20 years old. And, yes, the new recording is that much better even on old equipment. And how wonderful to finally have "One More Kiss" included! Updated On: 7/29/12 at 07:31 PM

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 7:34pm

Dorothy Collins' performance in Follies was one of the greatest I've ever seen anywhere, on any stage, and I've seen some great performances.

I'm ashamed to admit that at age 17, Alexis Smith and Yvonne de Carlo dazzled me to such an extent I didn't really appreciate that Collins was doing the heavy lifting. Thank goodness for time and recordings, especially this new one, that have helped me to realize my error.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 9:57pm

Your "chorus girl" point is a great one. I kept thinking about how girlish Collins sounds with her soprano voice, vulnerable, quavering, how seeing Ben instantly brings her back to that point in her youth, longing for it now that she's just a dumpy middle-aged housewife. What an underrated talent.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/29/12 at 11:17pm

^^^Amen! And good God, Collins' phrasing is exquisite!

[mrcacou]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 10:21am

I must admit I am a bit jealous of you all as mine has not arrived here in Paris yet. Can't wait to get mine and listen to it while waiting for the first production ever of that masterpiece in France in a few months.

[followspot]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 10:53am

PERFECTION

[mamaleh]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 11:09am

I've played mine numerous times since receiving it over the weekend. I have only blissful memories of the four times I saw the original production during my student days. John McMartin and Dorothy Collins provided such emotional highs that they've never been repeated in any subsequent productions I've seen. So glad to have this gorgeously redone CD. Thank you, Bruce.

[bk]

Posted: 7/30/12 at 4:50pm

The overseas copies, of course, will take longer and you're kind of at the mercy of your customs folks.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 12:57am

I have just been obsessed with listening to this incredible remix ever since I got mine last Friday. I have revisited every version I have to compare renditions of songs and one that has intrigued me is Mary McCarty's version of "Who's That Woman". It led me to this video that I found of when I saw "Follies" for the 1st time with her in that theatre which is now a parking lot--talk about irony! It actually reflects (pun) why the song is called "Mirror Mirror".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgvoAr0_gt4

And it can't be said enough Dorothy Collins' vocals are perfection. I absolutely adored her portrayal of Sally and strangely enough I just don't remember much about it from when I saw it! Like GavestonPS I must have just been too caught up with all the hype around Alexis Smith and Yvonne DeCarlo.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 3:42am

I hadn't seen that clip, wicked, so thank you very much. It's much clearer than the YouTube clip from the Winter Garden, even though the reflections off the mirrors still tend to overwhelm the film.

I don't know enough about film to know how one would accurately capture the full brilliance of that number, but obviously it would take some thought. (Suffice it to say that wasn't a problem live.)

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 4:26am

So, after this unprecedented triumph, where next bk???

[bk]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 1:28pm

Looking at a few things, but it took a solid year to do the Follies deal - hopefully if we look at something else it won't take that long. :)

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 1:46pm

If mine arrives today, I'll be listening to it nonstop in Provincetown.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 3:57pm

Mine still hasn't arrived, but no surprise--I can't wait. Gaveston, did you not own the previous CD release? One Last Kiss has been included since at least the Angel pressing.

[tazber]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 4:31pm

Got mine today. Importing now!

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 6:02pm

Eric, I have so many version of FOLLIES and Sondheim anthologies, I probably just forgot what was released when. Probably still thinking of the original vinyl.

Thanks for the correction.

[gcal]

Posted: 7/31/12 at 6:07pm

This is incredible. I haven't listened to my copy of the OBC in years-- since I got the soundboard-- it's wonderful to hear everything so clearly.
I judge all Follies on Sally's line reading of "If you don't kiss me, Ben, I think I'm gonna die." Beautiful.

[bk]

Posted: 8/1/12 at 3:18am

And no one has ever spoken the line as well as Miss Collins. It's funny, but especially in the most recent revival, that leads were all playing the end of the show from the beginning, which is fatal for Follies. That's what was so incredible about the original four-some - to see them one way and then see it all begin to crack - slight at first, slowly, and then growing. If you see all the cracks from the top there's nowhere for the characters to go and the audience is on to it all way too early.

[jv92]

Posted: 8/1/12 at 3:20am

I liked the last production a lot, but I will agree, bk, that Bernadette started off crazy and ended ready to be institutionalized. I ordered my copy yesterday (God knows why I waited) and I cannot wait to hear what I am sure will be a revelation to me!