Posted: 8/13/16 at 5:20pm
Annaleigh Ashford's performance of Another Hundred People, and Laura Benanti's performance of I Know Things Now are two that come to mind.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 7:31pm
Judi Dench- Send in the Clowns
Meryl Streep- Last Midnight
Bernadette Peters- Not A Day Goes By
Mandy Patinkin- Finishing the Hat
Patti Lupone- By the Sea
Donna Murphy- Losing my Mind
Elaine Stritch- I'm Still Here
Audra Mcdonald- The Glamorous Life
Posted: 8/13/16 at 7:50pm
The one I always go back to is Judy Collins's rendition of "Send in the Clowns." It's such a pure rendition of a non-singer's song that so many legit singers tend to over-sing.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 8:16pm
icecreambenjamin said: "Judi Dench- Send in the Clowns
Meryl Streep- Last Midnight
Bernadette Peters- Not A Day Goes By
Mandy Patinkin- Finishing the Hat
Patti Lupone- By the Sea
Donna Murphy- Losing my Mind
Elaine Stritch- I'm Still Here
Audra Mcdonald- The Glamorous Life
"
4 of those choices are actors singing a song from a role they were cast in. The whole point of this thread is to explore song choices from roles actors weren't cast in.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 8:43pm
Andrew Rannells singing "Being Alive" (of course*): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE0nFX1IQnc
This one is meant for laughs, but I really enjoy Carly Sakolove singing "Send In The Clowns" while impersonating multiple familiar Broadway voices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ9YDl8xbxQ
*"Of course" because I'm clearly a huge fan of his, not because I expect his version to be everyone else's favorite too.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 9:07pm
I'm no purist- I love Tom Waits's rendition of "Somewhere" as a jazz ballad. His voice was never rougher than there, but his tender bleeding heart was never more evident either.
For a guiltier pleasure, in terms of crooners and vocal stylists who have covered "Send In the Clowns" devoid of context, I think Tom Jones gets more than anyone that the song is about both the twilight of a relationship and the twilight of a performing career. (Although the Prince of Wales has managed the knack of reinventing himself successfully in a way that his ancestor Sinatra never fully pulled off.)
Posted: 8/13/16 at 9:21pm
qolbinau said: "icecreambenjamin said: "Judi Dench- Send in the Clowns
Meryl Streep- Last Midnight
Bernadette Peters- Not A Day Goes By
Mandy Patinkin- Finishing the Hat
Patti Lupone- By the Sea
Donna Murphy- Losing my Mind
Elaine Stritch- I'm Still Here
Audra Mcdonald- The Glamorous Life
"
4 of those choices are actors singing a song from a role they were cast in. The whole point of this thread is to explore song choices from roles actors weren't cast in.
"
I shared my favorite Sondheim song performances. I'll post what I want.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 9:30pm
icecreambenjamin said: "qolbinau said: "icecreambenjamin said: "Judi Dench- Send in the Clowns
Meryl Streep- Last Midnight
Bernadette Peters- Not A Day Goes By
Mandy Patinkin- Finishing the Hat
Patti Lupone- By the Sea
Donna Murphy- Losing my Mind
Elaine Stritch- I'm Still Here
Audra Mcdonald- The Glamorous Life
"
4 of those choices are actors singing a song from a role they were cast in. The whole point of this thread is to explore song choices from roles actors weren't cast in.
"
I shared my favorite Sondheim song performances. I'll post what I want.
"
I mean, yes you will - but what I am suggesting is that 1. It makes you look a little stupid that you couldn't follow the topic of the thread and, 2. It makes it boring for others (or at least, me) if you were to follow your more general criteria because I pretty much know every Sondheim cast recording, so I was hoping that people's responses could direct me to things I might not have heard (e.g., Rannels Being Alive - I didn't know he had sung it).
If you want to continue being annoying about it, feel free. It's only making you look bad.
Updated On: 8/13/16 at 09:30 PM
Posted: 8/13/16 at 9:46pm
Too Many Mornings - Nathan Gunn & Audra McDonald
Side note: Regarding the OP's 'criteria' for this thread; as I understood it, they preferred not mandated the performances be out of context. They even went as far as to say "happy to hear any and all favorites." Sure, it's great to see/hear other interpretations of great songs but sometimes the original version is truly the best.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 9:52pm
I suppose that seems true :), apologies.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 10:34pm
I love Julie Wilson's renditions of Sondheim, but I especially like this take on "I'm Here." She manages to convey the spirit of the song in such a straightforward manner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd3UtltqLgA
Also, just for fun, Sarah Vaughan's "I Feel Pretty" is a treat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxH6SXeBI
Posted: 8/13/16 at 10:39pm
FlySkyHigh said: "Too Many Mornings - Nathan Gunn & Audra McDonald
Side note: Regarding the OP's 'criteria' for this thread; as I understood it, they preferred not mandated the performances be out of context. They even went as far as to say "happy to hear any and all favorites." Sure, it's great to see/hear other interpretations of great songs but sometimes the original version is truly the best.
"
Exactly. qolbinau, your initial response was extremely rude and uncalled for.
Posted: 8/13/16 at 10:43pm
Michael Ball with LOSING MY MIND ( from the Cameron Mackintosh tribute concert called HEY, MR. PRODUCER) --
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFgngL8gIqc
Posted: 8/13/16 at 10:44pm
I think my follow up response was somewhat rude and probably uncalled for, but the initial one wasn't that rude and still remains mostly true.
However, to acknowledge my error and if it makes you feel better perhaps I can record myself singing the Judge's Johanna (Mea Culpa) and see if it worthy to make any of the lists in this thread :P.
Posted: 8/14/16 at 12:06am
OP Check-in
Part of my reason for creating the thread is to discover performances by those other than the original cast member because
1) I know there are great interpretations out there and love to hear more
2) Love original versions (and prefer them for the majority of Sondheims compositions for numerous reasons) and am always curious and very excited when someone takes a great original performance and finds something more, or extra or new in a song (like Barbra with Send in The Clowns)
3) I know this board is filled with some people who have been enjoying sondheim before I was even born, and have a deep love and passion and knowledge of all things Stephen Sondheim
Appreciate all the posts, and shared a link myself to Raul Esparza's Being Alive (well known of course for his lead role in the 2006 revival of Company) during the tonys because I had not heard before and it was just stunning
I think one of the greatest values of this group are sharing things we have experienced with others who love musical theatre as much as we all obviously do.
Posted: 8/14/16 at 6:21am
I enjoy both of these performances of Marry Me a Little.
Michael Cerveris
Gregg Edelman
Posted: 8/14/16 at 4:30pm
artscallion said: "Audra McDonald's - The Glamorous Life. She's done it many times, including the 80th birthday celebration. But this particular rendition is absolute perfection.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x302ukt"
Yes! That's my favorite, too. (I especially love the thrilling version on her "Go Back Home" album.)
Posted: 8/14/16 at 6:16pm
broadwaysfguy said: "Appreciate all the posts, and shared a link myself to Raul Esparza's Being Alive (well known of course for his lead role in the 2006 revival of Company) during the tonys because I had not heard before and it was just stunning"
I think that is my favorite version of all the ones I've heard. It absolutely trumps, for me, the Original Cast version.
Posted: 8/14/16 at 8:47pm
Darquegk, Tom Waits's version of Somewhere is an unexpected beauty, a perfect opener to a treasure of an album.
Aretha Franklin also recorded a gorgeous jazz-inflected version of Somewhere in the early 70's, highlighting her piano playing as well as her in-its-prime voice. It is beautiful (and not to be confused with the more bombastic diva version she recorded on a celebrity WSS studio album many years later).
I do think of Somewhere as Bernstein's more than Sondheim's, but of course they did both write it.
And I prefer reading about people's favorite cover versions of these songs as opposed to cast-associated versions. I took the original post as asking for those as well.
Posted: 8/15/16 at 12:42pm
flyskyhigh
thanks for audra and nathans too many mornings-first time hearing that and it is wonderful!
agree with you that often the original version is the best and many on this board seem to agree especially when it comes to sondheim. i think another poster on another sondheim thread went so far as to say the Original cast version of every sondheim song was the best, period!
thats what makes threads like this fun, is finding those gems where other artists, whether not associated with a show or through revivals took something already great and found something new or fresh or more in a song....
Updated On: 8/15/16 at 12:42 PM
Posted: 8/15/16 at 1:38pm
Jamie Cullum's take on "Not While I'm Around."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CWexVsa2ok
Posted: 8/15/16 at 1:59pm
Harry Nilsson's psychedelic version of "Marry Me a Little" is fun too.
Posted: 8/15/16 at 11:20pm
Rema Webb did a really cool rendition of "Move On" a couple of years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efZh4qUWYUs
Alice Ripley did an "all Sondheim" concert last year. I loved the entire show, but I think her "Rose's Turn" was the highlight for me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0olFv4dkUc4
Posted: 8/16/16 at 12:00am
Adding another one. I really love "Poems" sung by Mandy Patinkin and Michael Yukon Grody on Patinkin's "Oscar & Steve" album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9GBLp4ptDg
Posted: 8/17/16 at 11:20am
anyone can whistle
Bernadette peters
way back at 1995 carnegie hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1IgOImvHoM
