What’s The Best Production/Cast Recording of Follies?- Page 2

[bk]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 5:37pm

joevitus said: "Skip the OBC recording. With that cast and that production,it should be heaven. Would have been if Thomas Z. Shepard recorded it for Columbia. But Prince stupidly, stupidly, stupidly gave the rights to Capitol because he was miffed at Columbia over another project, and the ensuingcrappy audioand ridiculous cuts (not just numbers, but portions of numbers actually recorded) make it worthless. NOTHING of the greatness, or even the meaning, of the show is conveyed. One neat thing: the original orchestrations for "Beautiful Girls"had the on-stage band being fairly 1970's up-to-date, so that it makes the number soundwrong (there's what sounds likean electric guitar, at one point); this is an incredibly clever intentional example of how standards get ruined over the years by second rate nightclub bands, andno other recording reproduces it. All other versions just have piano until the full orchestra comes in.

The Follies in Concert recording is quite good, if also not quite complete. It's only rival is the Paper Mill Playhouse version, which is complete but not quite as good (not quite as energetic, not quite the cast, but a very good cast--and lots of additional songs that never made it to the final show in 1971).

The 2011 album is not good. The performances aren't there. And for some reason Peters gives Sally a voice like she's recreating Marie from Sunday in the Park. Sally's about 50, not 80. Maybe they should have cast her as Hattie."

Apparently you are unaware of the remix we did - clearly. It's a whole different thing now and I'm shocked there are still people who are clueless about it. 

[bk]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 5:41pm

MichelleCraig said: "Yes, definitely start with the Original Broadway Cast recording. It was remastered about 8 or 9 years ago, but the remastered version is out of print I believe.

The OBC album is not complete. It's missing a lot of music, dance music, etc. It's considered a real loss that it was not recorded properly...but at least the remaster improved the sound.

A 2 CD recording of the last big revival was recorded and released by PS Classics. It's available digitally and physically. It's a great recording with, I believe, all of the music and a lot if dialog, too. Definitely worth having.

The book EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE, by Ted Chapin, is a great read. It chronicles the out of town tryout in Boston...some great stories!"

To be clear, we still have copies and it's not OOP. It's not merely "remastered" it's a whole new mix from start to finish from the original eight-track tapes. And considering the length of time it's been out in the world, it's hard to fathom that there are still people who are unaware of it. Mr. Sondheim called the remix a miracle. The original mix was horrible - the recording itself, technically, was fantastic. The original album producer mixed it in a day and it was surely one of the worst mixes ever.

http://www.kritzerland.com/follies.htm

[gypsy101]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 6:36pm

favorite recording is Follies in Concert

every recording of the show is flawed imo, there isn't a perfect recording of the show. i wish i could get ahold of the morons that recorded the original production and ask them why they felt it necessary to cut the stuff they cut.

i don't care if he was almost 20 years too young for the part, Mandy Patinkin is the only actor who on the recording I believe when he says "...Max! I remember!" Because it was a concert they took liberties with ages while casting, I think everyone in the cast sings the score better than just about anyone ever did

I didn't see it but wish the Encores! production had been recorded, Victoria Clark, Victor Garber, Donna Murphy and Michael McGrath are all terrific and Donna's Could I Leave You from Sondheim's 80th is my favorite rendition of the song, would have been cool to hear the rest of that cast

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 7:39pm

For my two cents, the original cast recording -- as flawed as it was -- is still the one I go to when I need a little Follies fix.  However, I think the Papermill production is the best.  Dee Hoty, who I never thought this way or that about, was great as Phyllis (though I too wish there were a Donna Murphy recording), Lilianne Montevecchi killed it again as Solange, Ann Miller WAS Carlotta, Phyllis Newman was as good as Mary McCarty (something I never thought I's say).

The Carnegie Hall version is also generally excellent, although Lee Remick was not up to the (limited) vocal demands as Phylis, and I thought Carol Burnett ruined I'm Still Here.  Also, on repeated hearings, I got tired of all the applause.  Mandy P., Carol C., and Elaine S. were in top form.

I don't really like any of the others I have heard, particularly the most recent revival.  For me, it was like the production...a mediocre attempt all around.

[gypsy101]

Posted: 8/7/21 at 6:03am

Jarethan said: "The Carnegie Hall version is also generally excellent, although Lee Remick was not up to the (limited) vocal demands as Phylis, and I thought Carol Burnett ruined I'm Still Here. Also, on repeated hearings, I got tired of all the applause. Mandy P., Carol C., and Elaine S. were in top form."

always thought the applause was done very cleverly, with it only occurring after the numbers that existed in the follies themselves

[jwsel]

Posted: 8/19/21 at 6:18pm

gypsy101 said: "I didn't see it butwish the Encores! production had been recorded, Victoria Clark, Victor Garber, Donna Murphy and Michael McGrath are all terrific and Donna's Could I Leave You from Sondheim's 80th is my favorite rendition of the song, would have been cool to hear the rest of that cast"

There was (or is) a YT audio recording of the entire Encores concert.  Clark and Murphy are phenomenal.

[StylishCynic]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 1:35pm

Can someone please settle something for me about the In Concert recording?

Did Stritch mess up The Montage, which resulted in more than half of Broadway Baby plus the trio montage at the end being swept up in an effort to save the song???

From watching the recording, it seems to me like she flubbed under pressure and cut to the lyrics at the end of her song. The band had no choice but to skip to the last 30 seconds or so, and the Rain and Ah, Paris performers scrambled to make it back to their places for the finale. 

I can't imagine that Sondheim approved the song cuts that result in almost all of BB being scrapped as well as the Montage trio at the end. But it also seems that he modified Lucy & Jessie to cut around the song, so who knows...

[Martijn-j]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 3:12pm

Isn't that just the video edit? On the recording she sings the whole song. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 8/20/21 at 5:25pm

StylishCynic said: "Can someone please settle something for me about the In Concert recording?

Did Stritch mess up The Montage, which resulted in more than half of Broadway Baby plus the trio montage at the end being swept up in an effort to save the song???

From watching the recording, it seems to me like she flubbed under pressure and cut to the lyrics at the end of her song. The band had no choice but to skip to the last 30 seconds or so, and the Rain and Ah, Paris performers scrambled to make it back to their places for the finale.

I can't imagine that Sondheim approved the song cuts that result in almost all of BB being scrapped as well as the Montage trio at the end. But it also seems that he modified Lucy & Jessie to cut around the song, so who knows..."

There is no ending Trio Montage in the In Concert recording. Solange, Emily and Theodore simply join her on "...in a great big Broadway show!" But Stritch does sing the entirety of "Broadway Baby."