Sondheim Songs cut *during previews*- Page 2

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 6/1/07 at 11:45pm

Boom Crunch was once in ITW? Was Last Midnight in at the same time?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/1/07 at 11:49pm

"Boom Crunch" was in early previews of Into the Woods on Broadway and was replaced during previews by "Last Midnight".

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 6/1/07 at 11:51pm

oh ok thanks.

Posted: 6/1/07 at 11:53pm

Yeah the crappy liner notes for the new ITW are misleading--while I think those tracks were re-recorded for the 90s demo or whatever--all three are workshop tracks

E

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:06pm

Anyone know for sure if Bang! was performed? I *love* the song (but love the song that replaced it too) and would love ot hear it fully orchestrated

[Boq101]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:20pm

Silly People was cut in previews, but Bang! and My Husband The Pig were cut right before rehearsals. I got the info form the Secrest biography.

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:27pm

Thanks! I haven't read that in a bit. Shame--for some reason I was sure it made early previews

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:43pm

For the record, both "Bang" and "My Husband The Pig" appear on the Putting It Together DVD.

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:49pm

is there a CD, similar to "Lost in Boston", of cut songs from Sondheim's shows? there are a lot of titles, and i would love to hear them.

as far as the Judge's "Johanna" in "Sweeney" - I have seen 2 local productions in Dallas and both had the Judge singing Johanna - Theatre Three staged it with the Judge pulling out an enormous phallus and then whipping himself, WaterTower staged it with the Judge in bondage gear under his costume and again the self-flagelation.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:51pm

There is a CD entitled " Unsung Sondheim" and a lot of cut songs appear on compilation albums.

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 6:56pm

oh really, well Amazon.com here i come!

[Boq101]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 7:01pm

Usually it's just flagellation with the Judge's Johanna...wow. I saw a production were when he did it they put a light on him but it looked like the light was coming in through a stain glass window, like in church. It's was in red's and stuff and he kept hitting hismelf with a whip while holding the bible...

Posted: 6/2/07 at 7:02pm

Marry Me a Little is also recommended--a 2 person revue made up entirely of Sondheim songs.

I know Bang has been recorded (there and on PIT among others) but being the sap I am I'd love to hear it with Tunick's orchestrations--then again maybe he never did any (of course for the FOllies recording he did orchestrate a few songs for the appendix that he never had before...)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 7:25pm

Eric, I feel like such a bad Sondheim fan, but what song replaced "Bang!"? I love "Bang!" "Two Fairy Tales" and "Silly People," I think my favorite Sondheim cut songs come from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

[Boq101]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 7:40pm

I love silly people so much I wish they could put it back in...maybe give Frid lines earlier on or have a scene with him and Fredrika or with Petra or something....it's too good a song to waste..

Bang! was replaced by In Praise of Women, I think.

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:12pm

It was--that's why I was certain Bang made it to previews because I read they changed the song when they needed a better song to change scnees during (Praise of Women somehow gave them that--it changes scenes about midway thru with the dialogue bit with Charlotte).

I adore SIlly people and am so pleased we have a recording of it with the original orchestrations and performer but I hate to say I think cutting it was wise. Miller's Son fills the needs more than adequately--is a better song for the "11 O'clock" position (I think Silly people may be just too demanding for mainstream audiences so late in the show) and its more upbeat "message" prob suits the show better too (from a commercial standpoint)

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:15pm

My favorite cut song is "There's Always A Women" from Anyone Can Whistle, for the record. But even Sondheim's cut songs are gold.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:17pm

Oh, Rockabye, you just keep on rocking. "There's Always a Woman" is just brilliant. If there were a revival of ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (not that it would ever happen but a boy can hope), both "There's Always a Woman" and "There Won't Be Trumpets" should be added.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:26pm

"There Wont Be Trumpets" is absolutly fantastic as well! And I know I'll probably be flamed for this, but I like "Marry Me A Little" as much, if not more then "Being Alive." Although I'm not sure if "Marry Me A Little" actually counts as a cut song. And Ray, I always love ya darling, thanks:)

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:36pm

Did "That Old Piano Roll" from Follies or "Mama's Talking Soft" from Gypsy, make it to previews?

Posted: 6/2/07 at 8:43pm

Old Piano Roll didn't even make it to the first Follies draft--it was cut between the time it was Girls Upstairs and Follies.

I know nothign about Gypsy's previews sadly

Yeah I dont' count Marry Me a Little because it didn't make to to rehearsals. I'd love to know about Company outa town though (I'd love to hear Happily Ever After with full orchestrations--it bugs me that Kert only sings a brief bit on the Sondheim concert) - I know a copy fo the program shows that Side by Side by Side happened at the END of the show (I think anyway) and there were a few other bizarre changes--but I know outa town song lists often don't match the actual performances.

I also wonder how far Woman got in Whistle--Thankfully because it was recorded on the OBCR, I doubt Whistle is ever performed now without Trumpet

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 9:49pm

To be honest though, after reading the ANYONE CAN WHISTLE libretto, it is a bit clear why "There Won't Be Trumpets" was cut, it is basically the big speech that Nurse Apple has but put into song. Is this speech cut or edited in the licensed script?
Rockabye, I'm 90% sure that "Momma's Talkin' Soft" was never performed. The song was supposed to be sung by the two younger daughters on the roof looking down on Rose as she was seducing Herbie during "Small World." The girl who was playing young Louise was afraid of heights so Jerome Robbins decided to cut the number altogether. Now, maybe they got to perform the song out of town and it got cut, but if I remember correctly they never even got the young actresses on the roof where they were supposed to sing this song.
Eric, it has always bothered me as well that Larry Kert only sings a few bars of "Happily Ever After" in the Sondheim benefit. Thankfully we have a full rendition on the MARRY ME A LITTLE cast recording.

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 9:57pm

Thanks, but "Mama's Talking Soft" is cute, even if it's not as good as "If Mama was Married" The girl who does the part of Louise in the version heard on The Sondheim Collection CD has such a pretty voice.

Posted: 6/2/07 at 10:05pm

"To be honest though, after reading the ANYONE CAN WHISTLE libretto, it is a bit clear why "There Won't Be Trumpets" was cut, it is basically the big speech that Nurse Apple has but put into song. Is this speech cut or edited in the licensed script? "

Agreed and apparantly this is why it was cut--the speech before got applause already. I wonder if it could be moved somehow (the song placement?) though I guess not...

E

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 6/2/07 at 10:28pm

I see the potential for an Anyone Can Whistle revival ( or at least an ENCORES! production), in a few years. I would love to see it happen, personally.