Why wasn't Grand Hotel OBC released with Carroll?

[tim10086]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 1:21am

Hi all,

I know someone will be able to answer this for me.

Grand Hotel opened in 1989 with David Carroll, who died a couple of years later. Why was a recording released with Brent Barrett (who is wonderful) so many years afterwards? Surely David would have been recorded and released early in the run?

Thanks,
Tim

Updated On: 8/16/05 at 01:21 AM

[harris007]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 1:28am

there were problems with murrey yeston and the other composer, plus poor david carrol was very ill when they finally recored the cd

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:00am

David actually died in the recording studio...God Bless Him.

[JulianHookbucks]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:06am

Did anyone see Rex Smith as the Baron? How was he?

sorry if that's off topic.

Did he actually die in the studio? Oh my god. That's awful.

Brent Barrett is still amazing though. Such a beautiful voice.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:26pm

Yes, they didn't record the show until much after it had opened. And, Carroll died in the recording studio bathroom. The OBC has him singing one song at the end.

Very sad.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:28pm

Rex does the role on the video at Lincoln Center Library and is quite good.

[wildcat]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:38pm

Who plays the ballerina on the archival tape?

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 12:38pm

David was such a sweetheart - it was so sad. He had finally gotten in a major hit after so many flops: Chess, Seven Brides..., Wind in the Willows.

It was also so painfully ironic in his big number from Grand Hotel, he played opposite Michael Jeeter whose character was terminally ill and in reality he was actually dying.

[jasonf]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:37pm

I saw Grand Hotel with Brent Barret and Chip Zien -- loved it, even though I was all of 12.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:41pm

Michael Jeter was amazing. "We'll Take a Glass" gave me such chills in the theatre and when he performed it on the Tony's. I have a tape of it and it still gets me every time.

[poodleboy]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:46pm

I cry everytime I listen to David's "Love Can't Happen", he was such a talented man, don't forget "Oh Brother!" in the flop list.
He did a concert at the 92nd Y, a night I will never forget. He was very ill at the time and needed to sit for most of the concert. He also had some freinds help him through, Karen Akers and Barabra Cook to name two.
He is greatly missed.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 2:50pm

The archival tape is the OBC, minus Carroll and Jane Krakowski. Its super, particualry Liliane, who gives a Tony worthy performance.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 3:04pm

Those of you who weren't around during those terrible Plague Years have no idea what it was like to see the brilliant work of someone once, twice or many times, then maybe meet them once twice or many times, maybe get to know them, even have a little crush on them or fall in love with them--and then lose them too early, at the height of their creative powers and personal magnetism.

David Carroll was a magnificent performer, with a beautiful, golden voice. Those of us who were lucky to have known him cherish the songs he sings on Chess and the one song he sings on Grand Hotel.

[morosco]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 4:46pm

When I saw Grand Hotel David Corroll was still in it and when he sang "Love Can't Happen" he had the rest of the cast (who when not in the spotlight typically sat off to the sides in full view of the audience) on the edges of their seats. When he hit those last glorious notes of the song you could sense all of them cheering him on. I can't remember if they actually applauded but their love and support for Carroll was obvious.

[justme2]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 5:28pm

Can someone go into more detail as to why it took so long to get the cast recording accomplished?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 10:16pm

Several factors contributed to the delay in getting GRAND HOTEL - The Musical recorded.

First the music publishing was delayed: The musical was originally written in 1958 and tried out as AT THE GRAND. When Tommy Tune took it one he wanted a lot of changes and when Wright & Forrest balked he brought in Maury Yeston to write new songs and re-write some of the surviving Wright/Forrest songs.

When the songs were published Maury Yeston's were in one book while the Wright/Forrest songs were published separately and they put some of the songs back to the way they had been written and not the way they were performed. They also were reluctant to allow the revised score to be recorded. By the time the issue was resolved the major labels had lost interest, assuming that GRAND HOTEL was destined to close soon and anyways it was considered a dance show.

After the Tony awards the show took a major upswing at the box office helped no doubt by Michael Jeeter's number which led off the broadcast. The show began selling out and fans began returning to see it again and again and to marvel at the staging and performances.

And the fans began clamouring for a cast album. It began to look as if GRAND HOTEL would not be recorded until it opened in London. Especially when the producers of GUYS AND DOLLS wanted the Martin Beck and it looked like GRAND HOTEL would be forced out. In the end it did move to the Gershwin (hardly the best theatre for this show) and it ran there another three months. The cast album was hurriedly put together and done in one day in April 1992, just weeks before the show played its final performance.

They planned to have David Carroll come in early t track his songs (he was in failing health at the time) but he collapsed and died in the studio before he could record anything.

It made for a bittersweet reunion for many of the OC member, several of whom had long left the show, and that contributed to the excitement you can hear on the CD.

You can also hear a number of wrong notes and sloppy transitions, not typical of the care RCA usually puts into its cast albums. (The label also did not bother with any kind of notes and merely reprinted the synopsis of scenes from the playbill!)

The recording could have been better. I think it would have benefitted from being done the way THE SECRET GARDEN or the 1994 DAMN YANKEES! were done with more dialogue linking the songs.
The CD came out in June 1992, 2 months after the show closed. And when it closed Variety listed it as a (financial) hit having played 1,019 performances.

[justme2]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 11:12pm

Finally! An answer!

Thank you so much for the additional info frontrowcenter...I was curious as to why they would wait that long before recording; I thought it was simply a "money" problem. Your insight is much appreciated.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 1:59am

Just to clarify, David Carroll died of complications from HIV, may he rest in peace.

[tim10086]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 3:08am

Frontrow, you never fail to deliver. Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it.

Perhaps you can help with this: Why did Peter Polycarpou refuse to record the role of Neville Craven on the OLC of The Secret Garden?

And: Does anyone know if the keys were lowered for Rex Smith, or was he comfortable with the A flat at the end of "Love Can't Happen"?

Thanks,
Tim

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 4:30am

Why did Peter Polycarpou refuse to record the role of Neville Craven on the OLC of The Secret Garden?

I had heard that he is known for being difficult with contract issues - as his contract didn't say that he had to do a recording, he didn't. It's a shame because he was actually much better than the understudy, 'Lily's Eyes' was certainly much more powerful live than on the CD (though the whole album suffers from some awful production in places)
Updated On: 8/16/05 at 04:30 AM

[tim10086]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 4:37am

Thanks for that, Eastwickian.

Awesome to see you're a fan of Witches, which (witch?) is an awesome show. But I believe the am dram premiere was in July of this year in Sydney, Australia - The Willoughby Musical Society, Inc.

Timbo

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 8:20am

LOL you're completely right - have changed my signature accordingly!

Dragging back to topic (kind of), how often does a record label actually bother to record a score after the original cast have all left and show is about to close?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 8/16/05 at 2:02pm

It is very unusual. The 1989/90 Broadway season had one sell-out hit CITY OF ANGELS, and two flops (ASPECTS OF LOVE and MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS) that were all nominated fr Tony Awards. ASPECTS had been recorded with its London cast so there was no need for 2nd CD of the Broadway production and DRG taped MEET ME IN ST LOUIS.

Once GRAND HOTEL won the 5 Tonys there was speculation that it would be recorded and apparently Robert Sher was working to get the money to see the project through. That never happened although every few weeks he was telling the cast that it was almost there. (Remember it costs about $250,000 to record a cast album and they sell slowly - but steadily - so it can take years to break even on the costs.)

One other show that was recorded late in the run was TAP DANCE KID and by the time it was made two of the stars had left the cast.