Follies (Highlights from the 1971 Original Broadway Cast) [Cast Recording]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
The scene: an abandoned theater, where a group of performers--alumni from the fictional musical revue The Weismann Follies--is holding a reunion shortly before the building is to be turned to rubble. The long-retired players relive their careers through Stephen Sondheim's brilliant pastiches of past songwriters, sometimes accompanied in song or dance by the ghosts of their previous selves. At the same time, four of the people (two married couples) are remembering their pasts and wondering whether they chose their spouses--and the course of their lives--correctly. The 1971 original cast of Follies included many former Broadway and Hollywood stars--Dorothy Collins, Gene Nelson, Alexis Smith, Mary McCarty--and the pedigree and sheer size of the cast kept the show from profitability despite a decent run (and also keep it from being frequently revived).

This recording of Stephen Sondheim's legendary show has become something of a legend itself. The score included 22 songs, but because the cost of recording a two-LP set was considered prohibitive, a number of songs were omitted and others were abridged. As a result, this too-brief 58 minutes can't be considered the final statement on Follies (for more music, try the uneven but sometimes electric 1985 concert recording or the 1998 New Jersey revival), but listen to Yvonne DeCarlo sing the anthem "I'm Still Here" or Collins sing the heartbreaking "Losing My Mind" and you'll know that the original cast had a special magic that has yet to be surpassed. --David Horiuchi

Tracks:

Fantasy For Violin And Orchestra On Porgy And Bess
Three Preludes: I. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Three Preludes: II. Andante
Three Preludes: III. Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: I Got Rhythm
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Embraceable You
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Nice Work If You Can Get It
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Liza
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: But Not For Me
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Sweet And Low-Down
Songs For Violin And Orchestra: Love Is Here To Stay

Amazon.com essential recording

On Gershwin Fantasy, Joshua Bell's Stradivari embraces the lyrical spirit of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with more success than most vocalists. Accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra, Bell's violin literally sings through "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Summertime," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay," while John Williams (Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List) serves double duty as conductor and pianist on several tracks. Three Preludes employs the violin and piano transcription by Jascha Heifetz, a longtime Gershwin friend, and features Bell at his jazziest. Even Gershwin himself--well, the recording of a 1926 piano roll of the composer--joins the virtuoso on the swinging "Sweet and Low-Down." --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Bell & Gershwin.......2007-05-20

Two of my faves, George Gershwin and Joshual Bell -

Can't beat that!

Also, "Porgy" is a fave opera... so three out of three isn't bad!

Enchanting.......2007-03-24

A very talented (to say the least) young musician playing the beautiful music of a very talented composer. I listen over and over again and especially like his rendition of "Embraceable You" and "But Not For Me" . . I'm a romantic!

Joshua Bell's playing is exquisite.......2005-07-08

Joshua Bell's exquisite playing turns these arrangements into Gold. In the hands of Perlman or Shaham these arrangements would be pure shmaltz, but Bell's playing is of the highest caliber.

S'Wonderful.......2004-10-20

Love it! I had heard of Josh Bell but never had purchased any of his music. I am a full fan now. This cd is wonderful. I am a Gershwin fan and have been for years. Bell breathes new life into the old classics and the result is breathtaking. His touch with the violin is beyound discription. He even plays with George in one cut, Sweet and Low Down. That alone is worth the price of the cd. Buy this cd and expect to be enchanted. It has been in my changer for weeks now, I can't get enough.

My Starter Bell CD.......2003-11-05

This CD was my introduction to Joshua Bell after hearing a track on our local Washington, DC, classical radio station. It was hard not to be struck not only by the warmth of Mr. Bell's playing but also by his phrasing. He is almost never flashy, but his nuances made me find new musical possibilities which I hope -- but somehow doubt -- Gershwin intended. This is Gershwin as you have never heard him before, and it desires a place in anyone's classical or jazz collection.

Follies (Highlights from the 1971 Original Broadway Cast)

Average customer rating:

For all Sondheim fans
Enjoying Folly of Follies
Follies: In memory of Yvonne DeCarlo
too bad they left out material
Hats off, here it is, Sondheim's greatest achievement

Follies (Highlights from the 1971 Original Broadway Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Dorothy Collins , and Alexis Smith
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Company - A Musical Comedy (1970 Original Broadway Cast)
A Little Night Music (1973 Original Broadway Cast)
Anyone Can Whistle (1964 Original Broadway Cast)
Passion (1994 Original Broadway Cast)
Follies in Concert (1985 Live Performance) + Stavisky Film Score

ASIN: B000002SNP
Release Date: 1992-11-17

Tracks:

Prologue: Beautiful Girls
Don't Look At Me
Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
Ah! Paris/Broadway Baby
The Road You Didn't Take
In Buddy's Eyes
Who's That Woman?
I'm Still Here
Too Many Mornings
The Right Girl
One More Kiss
Could I Leave You?
You're Gonna Love Tomorow/Love Will See Us Through
The God Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues
Losong My Mind
The Story Of Lucy & Jessie
Live, Laugh & Love/Finale

Amazon.com essential recording

The scene: an abandoned theater, where a group of performers--alumni from the fictional musical revue The Weismann Follies--is holding a reunion shortly before the building is to be turned to rubble. The long-retired players relive their careers through Stephen Sondheim's brilliant pastiches of past songwriters, sometimes accompanied in song or dance by the ghosts of their previous selves. At the same time, four of the people (two married couples) are remembering their pasts and wondering whether they chose their spouses--and the course of their lives--correctly. The 1971 original cast of Follies included many former Broadway and Hollywood stars--Dorothy Collins, Gene Nelson, Alexis Smith, Mary McCarty--and the pedigree and sheer size of the cast kept the show from profitability despite a decent run (and also keep it from being frequently revived).

This recording of Stephen Sondheim's legendary show has become something of a legend itself. The score included 22 songs, but because the cost of recording a two-LP set was considered prohibitive, a number of songs were omitted and others were abridged. As a result, this too-brief 58 minutes can't be considered the final statement on Follies (for more music, try the uneven but sometimes electric 1985 concert recording or the 1998 New Jersey revival), but listen to Yvonne DeCarlo sing the anthem "I'm Still Here" or Collins sing the heartbreaking "Losing My Mind" and you'll know that the original cast had a special magic that has yet to be surpassed. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

For all Sondheim fans.......2007-03-29

Wonderful performances of Sondheim songs, especially from Dorothy Collins. There are other recordings with equally good performances, especially the one with Barbara Cook, and what one hears in listening to different recordings is how many valid ways there are of performing the songs.

Enjoying Folly of Follies .......2007-02-18

Being a lover of Sondheim's music, I have enjoyed "Follies" many times already, and expect to enjoy listening to this CD again and again.

Follies: In memory of Yvonne DeCarlo.......2007-01-13

I didn't know there were so many other FOLLIES fanatics out there until I read all those reviews and I must say, I'm greatly surprised at the diverse number of opinions about who sang what best and which is the best recording! I was raised on the music of Broadway back in an age when the Great Broadway Composers were still active (The 1950's). Sadly, Steven Sondheim is the last of his breed, at least up until now. In those days, Broadway songs dominated the pop Charts as well and Dorothy Collins was a TV singing star on "Your Hit Parade". In 1971, although "Your Hit Parade" was gone and my eclectic tastes now included C&W and Motown, I still had a love for Broadway and truly great singers like Dorothy. This is why I bought the OC of "Follies" on vinyl. After a long lull, Dorothy was experiencing a career revival as Sally Rogers singing a show-stopper called "Losing My Mind" in FOLLIES. I wanted to hear this song. It wasn't available as a 45. When I bought the LP, I jumped right to this track. I Loved it. To date, "Losing my Mind" remains my favorite song and Dorothy's performance, perhaps eclipsed by that of Barbara Cook, is still a classic example of the torch song. Gradually, I began sampling the other tracks on the LP and I realized that I loved "I'm still Here","Buddy's Blues","Broadway Baby","Who's that Woman" and all the others. This LP expanded my tastes to include songs that did not necessarily fit the three minute beginning-middle-end formula of the Pop single like "Waiting for the girls upstairs", "The Road You didn't take" and "You're gonna love tomorrow/Love will see us through". Although the LP notes said that the songs were "abridged", having not seen the show, I didn't know what I was missing and thought I was familiar with the score. Yes, it's a shame that the entire score wasn't recorded and edited down because now it could of course be restored. It's been rumored that a bootleg tape of the entire show exists. I have never seen one but even if it did exist, can you imagine what the sound quality would be like? I mean, Cassettes? Still, This CD is real and has the original performances and if one looks at it only as a "sampler", it is still nonetheless excellent and belongs in the collection of every FOLLIES fanatic and Sondhiem Fan. There is always only one original performance and this CD captures at least part of that. For many years, this LP was Out of Print. When it was finally released on CD, Justine Johnson's performance of "One More Kiss" was added to the mix. Don't get your hopes up. This performance is from another album but it's an album that you should buy if you are a fan of this album. It's called "A Sondheim Celebration". The title is spelled out in scrabble tiles against a blue background. This was a benefit done on the West Coast in 1973 when FOLLIES had only just opened out there. This album contains the aforementioned "One More Kiss", Ethel Shutta performs the full-length version of "Broadway Baby", John McMartin and Dorothy Collins sing "Pleasant Little Kingdom" (cut from the show) with "Too Many Mornings", Larry Blyden, Chita Rivera and Donna Mckechnie sing "Buddy's Blues", Alexis Smith reprises "Too Many Mornings" and Dorothy reprises "Losing my Mind". You'll also find Nancy Walker's version of "I'm Still Here" (surprisingly, not nearly as good as Yvonne deCarlo). Dorothy Collins opens the evening with the best version of "Do I Hear a waltz" that I have ever heard (Yes, I know it's not from FOLLIES but Dorothy is! There are 20 other tracks on this CD that I won't discuss here but it really is a companion piece to the OST's of FOLLIES and COMPANY. By the way, Capitol contractee Al Martino recorded a version of "Losing My Mind" as a stereo single in 1971 or so. The tempo was slightly accelerated giving it a more contemporary (for 1971) sound. It was a juke-box favorite (remember those) in NYC. It's a great single and was included on Al's "Summer of '42" LP; However, the single is the one to have because the flip side is Al's version of "Too many mornings" which has never been included on any LP. I bought a pristine single from Germany via GEMM and burned it onto a CD. It's one of my all-time favorite records. I keep checking Al Martino's catalogue in the hope that one day one or both of these tracks will turn up on a CD compilation. Oh, and one more collector's item from this era... Look for a VHS called "That's Singing". It's a compilation of Broadway numbers hosted by Tom Bosley. It's a great tape which hasn't thus far made it to DVD. One of the performances is Alexis Smith in "Could I Leave You". Get one while you can! As I write this, Yvonee DeCarlo has just left us. A True Original! Rest in Peace, Yvonne. We'll always remember you.

too bad they left out material.......2007-01-10

it is great we have the original Broadway cast on record. But Capitol skimped and never recorded all the songs which we got later, but not with the original cast.
A great score, one of Sondheim's very best

Hats off, here it is, Sondheim's greatest achievement.......2006-12-24

Everything that needs to be said about this singular masterpiece has already been said. I missed the show when I was younger. I would give away probably every other performance I have ever seen on the Broadway stage to have seen this show.
Mr. Sondheim's score is rich, diversified, complex and staggering. It is a combination of popular theatre music, jazz, impressionism, vaudeville, torch song. You name it, it's there. Jonathan Tunick shows of his incomparable orchestration talents by creating such a beatifully woven fabric to display Mr. Sondheim's score. The casting was perfect -- no one on any of the other recordings matches any of the performances by the original cast.
It is a pity that we did not have Great Performances around to capture this one on film. Even though "Follies" is purely theatrical, I wish it had been preserved. It is also a greater pity that we were short-changed on the length of the recording and the amount of cutting that went into it. It is unfortunate that the producer was not able to at least record it completely, initially release this shorter recording, and then when all of the clamoring started for more of the show's music, he could have released a more complete recording of the original performances. How regrettable. Yet, what we have is priceless.
Hats off!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Broadway: The American Musical
Broadway: The American Musical
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
Somewhere over the Rainbow: The Golden Age of Hollywood Musicals

ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)

Average customer rating:

Great CD
Simply the Best
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000003FDW
Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
Being Alive--Patti LuPone
Good Thing Going--The Tonics
Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."

The Will Rogers Follies: A Life In Revue (1991 Original Broadway Cast)
Average customer rating:

Never heard a musical I didn't like!

charming show

BRILLIANT BROADWAY CAST!

A wonderful homage to Will

Will Rogers Follies on CD

The Will Rogers Follies: A Life In Revue (1991 Original Broadway Cast)
Cy Coleman , Betty Comden , and Adolph Green
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000283D
Release Date: 1991-09-03

Tracks:

Let's Go Flying - Ensemble
Williminia - Ziegfeld's Favorite Ensemble
Never Met A Man I Didn't Like (Short Version) - Keith Carradine
Give A Man Enough Rope - Keith Carradine/John Ganun/Troy Britton Johnson/Jerry Mitchell/Jason Opsahl
It's A Boy - Dick Latessa/Six Single Sisters/Keith Carradine
So Long Pa - Keith Carradine
My Unknown Someone - Dee Hoty
Wild West Show/Dog Act - Cady Huffman
We're Heading For A Wedding - Keith Carradine/Dee Hoty/The Four Wedding Couple
The Big Time - Keith Carradine/Dee Hoty/The Rodgers Children
My Big Mistake - Dee Hoty
The Ziegfeld's Follies (My Big Mistake) - Roxane Barlow/Marcia Calabrese/Mary Lee DeWitt/Rebecca Downing/Colleen Dunn/Sally Mae Dunn...
Marry Me Now/ I Got You/ First Act Finale - Keith Carradine/Dee Hoty/Cady Huffman/Ensemble
Entr'acle/ Give A Man Enough Rope/ Rope Act - John Ganun/Troy Britton Johnson/Jerry Mitchell/Jason Opsahl
Look Around - Keith Carradine
Our Favorite Son - Keith Carradine/Cady Huffman/Ensemble
No Man Left For Me - Dee Hoty
Presents For Mrs. Rogers - Keith Carradine/John Ganun/Troy Britton Johnson/Jerry Mitchell/Jason Opsahl
Will-A-Mania (Reprise)/ Without You - Keith Carradine/Dee Hoty/Paul Ukena, Jr./Ensemble
Never Met A Man I Didn't Like - Keith Carradine/Company

Customer Reviews:

Never heard a musical I didn't like!.......2007-03-17

On my birthday in 1992, I enjoyed this show at the Palace Theatre in New York with Keith Carradine. I fell in love with the music, the rope tricks and the set. A month later I purchased the cassette. Fast forward to 2007. I now have the CD and enjoying reliving every minute of watching this show! It certainly brought back memories of one of the finest musicals in the 1990s. It's a C.D. that I know you are going to like. Who knows...it might be revived in the future! Stay tuned!!

charming show.......2006-12-07

A grand return to the golden heydey of Broadway musical comedies, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES features a suitably-nostalgic score from Cy Coleman, with attractive and comedic lyrics from Betty Comden and Adolph Green (one of their last major efforts for the stage).

The show revives the one and only Will Rogers (played by Keith Carradine) a talented, homespun entertainer from the midwest who found great success on Broadway, hosting and headlining the annual "Ziegfeld Follies" revues (and later became a mainstay character-actor in movies). Playing his wife Betty Blake, is the charming Dee Hoty; with game, scene-stealing support from Cady Huffman, as Ziegfeld's Favourite. Appearing as the voice of legendary Ziegfeld himself is Gregory Peck.

The score is littered profusely with charming material, but highlights include Betty's introductory ballad "My Unknown Someone", Will's "Give a Man Enough Rope", Betty's "My Big Mistake", and Will's "Look Around". Cady Huffman dazzles with the more earnest numbers like "Willamania" and "Wild West Show". THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES was embraced by critics and audiences, and enjoyed a very solid Broadway run as well as an extensive tour.

A delightful musical.

[COLUMBIA CK 48606]

BRILLIANT BROADWAY CAST!.......2006-08-22

I HAPPENED TO BUY "THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES" BY CHANCE, AND NOW IT IS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE BROADWAY CAST RECORDINGS
(AND I HAVE A LOT OF THEM, AS ANY MUSICAL-FAN WOULD HAVE)!
THE PERFORMANCES ARE GREAT, WITH GREAT ORCHESTRATIONS
AND SOUND. FOR ME THIS IS A CLASSIC! HIGHLY RECOMMENDABLE!

A wonderful homage to Will.......2006-03-12

Will Rogers was simply a great American. He had his finger on the pulse and understood the zietgeist long before that word had come into popular usage.

Admittedly, doing stage biographies is tough (witness the Peter Allen show from a few seasons back and imagine it without the tour-de-force called Hugh Jackman) and this proved no exception. But, one cannot take these shows literally...that's the magic of the theatre...and if you just hunker down in your seat and take the spirit and the essence of what they're trying to get across, then you'll be both entertained and touched by the show and the man who Will Rogers was.

Several of the on-line reviewers are critical of the material...yet if you give this CD a listen to more than once, it completely grows on you. Coleman, Comden & Green have captured well the times that Will Rogers lived in and brought it into a Revue format that completely works as a vehicle to present the story.

The comic numbers are great, the bluesy numbers given to Dee Hoty (as Betty Blake Rogers) are classic Broadway showstoppers and Keith Carradine gives a tremendous performance as Will Rogers -- conveying the simple truths and down home honesty and observations that were Rogers' trademark.

I've seen many, many shows over the years and have a huge collection of Broadway cast albums. I love the art form. And, perhaps I'm charmed by the oft mentioned "Ah shucks" personality that Mr. Rogers embodied in an age so much less cynical than today, but this show got into my craw and has stayed there since I first saw it. It's a winner. Will Rogers shines again here and when compared to what we have now that are presented as role models and heroes, we could use another one of him any day.

Will Rogers Follies on CD.......2005-10-24

This CD was very enjoyable. The songs were fun. I recomend it to anyone who enjoys broadway musicals.

Average customer rating:

you cant beat an Ira lyric.
A Wonderful CD
Quiet and elegant
Disappointed
they can't take that album away from me

Pure Gershwin
Michael Feinstein
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live at the Algonquin

ASIN: B000002H4W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

S' Wonderful
Our Love Is Here To Stay
Liza
The World Is Mine
They Can't Take That Away From Me
Isn't It A Pity?
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
Embraceable You
What Causes That?
He Loves And She Loves/How Long Has This Been Going On
They All Laughed
The Girl I Love
Someone To Watch Over Me

Amazon.com

Pure Gershwin was Michael Feinstein's first album, and it remains one of his best. It may not have the production values of his later Gershwin tributes, Nice Work if You Can Get It (1996) and Michael & George (1998), but it simply and directly presents Feinstein in his piano-bar days, singing to his own tasteful accompaniments with occasional contributions from bass and drums and a second piano. Establishing the patterns for his later albums, he sings unjustly neglected verses to familiar songs, uncovers some never-before-recorded gems ("The World Is Mine," "What Causes That"), and provides song-by-song notes. Longtime friend Rosemary Clooney guests on "Isn't It a Pity?" --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

you cant beat an Ira lyric........2007-01-05

this is good...and just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. I REPEAT: just to hear a REALLY GREAT "Isn't A Pity" duet with Rosie is well worth the price of admission. listen & enjoy some great american music. you cant beat an Ira lyric.

A Wonderful CD.......2005-05-19

PURE GERSHWIN is just that, pure!. Feinstein interprets Gershwin the way it was meant to be performed. This is pure delight!

Quiet and elegant.......2003-04-20

Michael Feinstein's thin voice is compensated by his apparent enthusiasm for the material and a spare arrangement of piano, bass, and drum that gives this recording the ambiance of an intimate piano bar. Before hearing this disc, I knew only Gershwin's biggest hits, so many of the numbers here were new to me and increase my appreciation of that great American composer.

Disappointed.......2003-04-10

I bought this cd because I am a huge Gershwin enthusiast and am always on the lookout for versions of one of my favorite pieces, "Liza". I'd heard a lot of buzz about Feinstein and the supposed wonderfulness of his Gershwin interpretations, so I thought I would give this album a shot.

I was extremely disappointed. Feinstein seems to suck the life out of Gershwin's compositions, a feat I would have previously thought impossible. Though I concede that vocalists are free to reinterpret songs (many to a great success, as in Louis Armstrong's and Ella Fitzgerals's enjoyable versions of Gershwin), I think Feinstein's lazy tempos "loungy" voice make the tracks on this album boring and annoying.

I have loved to listen to and sing these songs my entire life. I just wanted to warn listeners who perhaps, like myself, enjoy George Gershwin's music for its beautiful clarity and energy (as easily experienced through Gershwin's own recordings, early interpretations by artists such as the Astaires, and even recent broadway "Crazy For You") that they will not experience any feeling of the sort from Michael Feinstein.

Amidst all the gushing that has recently been done over him, I found Michael Feinstein to have attempted to murder "Liza" and the other songs on this album. He merely displays a very unexceptional voice and poor interpretive taste. Fans beware, Feinstein proves that it is possible to make a bad cd of Gershwin songs. I'd recommend listening elsewhere.

they can't take that album away from me.......2002-05-09

they say the third time's a charm, but in this instance, it is the first time -- michael feinstein's first gershwin album -- that is the charm. this album is by far better and more listenable than the next two -- "feinstein sings gershwin" and "nice work if you can get it".

the listenability of this album may stem from the fact that it is a bare-bones arrangement, with two pianos, a bass and drums, a la a jazz trio, with no embellishment, so michael feinstein's then sincere and unsophisticated voice is the featured instrument.

i heartily recommend this album, as every song on it is a gem and feinstein's voice is more appealing than on the two later albums, when he jazzed it up with what sounds like an echo chamber and other electronic enhancements and he seems to be doing the songs by the numbers.

feinstein's version of "liza," slowed down to ballad form and plaintively phrased, is the best i have ever heard. the duet with rosemary clooney on "isn't it a pity," again brings out the best of feinstein's then-new voice and shows why george's (clooney) aunt is rightfully considered a jazz legend.

the combined "he loves and she loves/how long has this been going on" is another melodic/poignant highlight, while the album's finale, "someone to watch over me," is a stirring anthem to wanting and needing someone and is done with vocal and instrumental passion; it brings this collection of songs to a fitting crescendo.

for a lawyer's kid from columbus, ohio who started out cataloguing gershwin estate material for the reclusive ira and then began singing the songs for family and friends, michael feinstein has done all right for himself. he has become the recognized interpreter of the gershwin legacy, sort of the same way his pseudo-cousin, john, jr. feinstein, has become the recognized interpreter of the bob knight legacy... .

michael feinstein may have hit a home run his first time up with this album, and it may be his best, as it is the purest and most joyful celebration of gershwin tunes, while the others are fancier, more jazzed up and ponderous and less appealing.

Tracks:

Send In The Clowns (From 'A Little Night Music') - Cleo Laine
Losing My Mind (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
I Remember (From 'Evening Primrose') - David Korman
Liasons (From 'A Little Night Music') - Hermione Gingold
With So Little To Be Sure Of (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Jerry Hadley
Not A Day Goes By (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Bernadette Peters
Pretty Women (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Michael Rupert
In Buddy's Eyes (From 'Follies') - Barbara Cook
No One Is Alone (From 'Into The Woods') - Cleo Laine
Johanna (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Victor Garber
So Many People (From 'Saturday Night') - Suzanne Henry
Sorry-Grateful (From 'Company') - Stephen Collins
Too Many Mornings (From 'Follies) - Barbara Cook
Finishing The Hat (From 'Sunday In The Park With George') - Mandy Patinkin
Not While I'm Around (From 'Sweeney Todd') - Angela Lansbury
Like It Was (From 'Merrily We Roll Along') - Julie Andrews
Unworthy Of Your Love (From 'Assassins') - Annie Golden
Anyone Can Whistle (From 'Anyone Can Whistle') - Cleo Laine

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful songs.......2003-02-07

If you're a Sondheim ballad fan, this a must-have. While there are a few renditions that aren't great (Not a Day Goes By is way overdone), the selections from Follies sung by Barbara Cook are outstanding. The Cleo Laine version of "Send in the Clowns" is lovely and Stephen Collins does an amazing good job on "Sorry-Grateful" from Company. Still, it's the Follies songs that truly shine!

Average customer rating:

Amazing, ecclectic album
Warning: This CD Is Addictive
Well worth buying
Good variety of American Choral Music
Absolutely wonderful!!

Our American Journey
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Lost in the Stars

ASIN: B00006K11A
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Tracks:

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Credidi
Versa Est In Luctum
Jefferson - Chanticleer
David's Lamentation
Soar Away
Whispers
Voices Of Autumn
The Un-Covered Wagon
Fuggi, Fuggi, Dolor
Labbra Vermigile E Belle
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Camptown Races
Love Walked In
Willow Weep For Me
Calling My Children Home
Wayfarin' Stranger
I'm A Pilgrim

Amazon.com

This is Chanticleer's 25th recording and also marks its 25th anniversary season. The title refers to the group's wide-ranging repertoire; this disc includes Mexican baroque, traditional American songs in various styles and music commissioned by Chanticleer itself. A program that tries to please everybody is bound to disappoint somebody; however, no one could be disappointed by the singing. The sound of these 12 unaccompanied male voices has an unearthly, celestial beauty and purity; their blend is perfect. Though the singers rarely use vibrato, their intonation is impeccable both together and in solos. Their expressive range and stylistic versatility are incredible: they can project tenderness, pleading, and bitter protest and are equally at home in plainchant, Latin hymns, blues, spirituals, shouts and crooning. Among the highlights are the three opening hymns, settings of two poems of Torquato Tasso by William Hawley, commissioned by Chanticleer, which combine 16th- and 20th-century styles, and the two final folksongs, the last with a stride-style piano accompaniment, making a rousing, exuberant ending. The booklet, in three languages, is well laid-out and informative. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Amazing, ecclectic album.......2007-07-11

This CD is a great example of Chanticleer's phenomenal versatility, and it has something for everyone to appreciate. The Appalacian twang on the two Billings pieces is a bit much, but otherwise Chanticleer is in top form here and really shows what they are made of. As for the recording itself, something about the micing or acoustics in the recording process causes the countertenors to be just a tad too strong on a few tracks, but it's not a major problem.

To me, the most extraordinary tracks are: The Un-Covered Wagon with it's surreal effects and incredible array of vocal techniques, Willow Weep For Me, Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Michael Lichtenauer's solo floats so effortlessly in a mixed vocal register, I have never heard anything like it!), and Whispers.

Warning: This CD Is Addictive.......2006-12-10

I purchased this CD after hearing this magnificent choral group sing "Calling My Children Home" in a recent concert. Written by Doyle Lawson (from the group "Quicksilver"), Charlie Waller and Robert Yates, the song is a standard bluegrass number I had known for years (Emmy Lou Harris for one has recorded it); but I had no idea it had found its way to San Francisco. Chanticleer has made this song their own. I cannot imagine anyone else's version coming close to theirs.

The group sings 17 other songs on this CD, most of them arranged by Joseph Jennings, Chanticleer's music director. Their version of William Billings' "David's Lamentation," a Sacred Harp work, will blow you away. Another favorite of mine is "Wayfaring' Stranger." There are also two Stephen Foster songs included, "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" and "Camptown Races" as well as Gershwin and other American composers.

There seems to be no kind of music that this group cannot sing better than most other groups. They remind us that there is no musical instrument more beautiful than the human voice.

This CD should be one for the time capsule.

Well worth buying.......2005-08-16

Chanticleer fans know what to expect in terms of vocal quality, and won't be disappointed. I agree with another reviewer that the Appalachian accent is a little over the top, but I thought the shape-note style was perfect: brilliant sound, but not that nasal.

I enjoyed the many styles of music in this CD, but since I tend to listen to CDs straight through as albums, I found it a little disconcerting to go so suddenly from one style to the next (e.g., Mexican Baroque to shape note).

That being said, everything is splendidly, sensitively performed. The renditions of "Whispers" and "The Un-Covered Wagon" are breathtaking. By all means, buy and enjoy this!

Good variety of American Choral Music.......2005-01-03

This album features a wonderful selection of "American" choral music. I'm not a big fan of the "stylized" singing of the shape-note pieces (with the nasal voices), but that is my only complaint. My favorite piece is Steven Stucky's "Whispers" which is an artfully crafted homage to Orlando Gibbons' "Drop, Drop, Slow Tears" and William Byrd's "Ave Verum Corpus." Joseph Jennings and Chanticleer effectively demonstrate that there is no "defining" American choral music and it is this rich panoply of variety which is so enchanting!

Absolutely wonderful!!.......2003-10-25

This album shows Chanticleer's great talent and it displays they're wonderful voices. I've seen them perform pieces from this album and they do it with such passion. It's wonderful. If you don't get this or any of their albums you truly are missing out!!

Average customer rating:

Brava Dame Kiri!
Who could ask for anything more?
i was made to listen..now im hooked
I love it!
Classic Gershwin

Kiri Sings Gershwin

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Kiri Te Kanawa - Greatest Hits ~ 14 Favorites of Opera, Popular & Traditional Song

ASIN: B000002SJI
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Somebody Loves Me
Boy Wanted
Things Are Looking Up
Love Walked In
Love Is Here To Stay
Someone To Watch Over Me
But Not For Me
Summertime
The Man I Love
Soon
Meadow Serenade
Nice Work If You Can Get It
By Strauss
Embraceable You
I Got Rhythm

Customer Reviews:

Brava Dame Kiri!.......2007-03-11

This is a delightful CD. Esteemed soprano Kiri Te Kanawa sings Gershwin. One hook making this CD interesting is the use of the original scores and choral arrangements. It adds a most pleasant element to this recording. In essence, this is simply a lot of fun to listen to. Kiri Te Kanawa takes the music for what it is, sings it with gusto, and produces a very satisfying CD.

Some examples. . . . "Somebody loves me" demonstrates her lush voice. This is a nice version of a fine Gershwin tune. The orchestral backing is solid and enjoyable. All in all, very satisfying. "Summertime," from "Porgy and Bess," is well known. This is well sung; her operatic voice handles the song most satisfactorily. A very fine version. . . .

"Nice work if you can get it" is a clever bob-bon. Dame Kiri sings this in a most sprightly fashion. She sings in the proper spirit for the song and seems to be enjoying herself in the process! There is a nice high note at the end which does not seem simply for effect (compare with Mario Lanza's efforts at ending almost any song with a high C).

"Embraceable you" is charming and well done. "I got rhythm" closes this CD. Again, very nicely done with lush orchestration and choral singing. The song is taken at a quick pace and the result is delightful. Her rich voice works well on this cut. The chorus is energetic and the orchestra sparkles.

This is a most enjoyable album. Great music sung in a charming style by a great singer

Who could ask for anything more?.......2005-12-29

That says it

i was made to listen..now im hooked.......2003-04-21

i was made to listen to this album as a requirement for my A Level course into perfrming gershwin songs...its amazing..the way kiri sings each one in a different style and makes it her own..go and buy it..u wont take it out of your CD player

I love it!.......2002-05-14

If you like Gershin and Kiri Te Kanawa you'll probably enjoy this album as much as I do!

I can imagine Nick and Nora Charles listening to this at one of Nick's favorite dives! It will transport you to a sophisticated time and place that may have never existed except in literature and debutante coming out parties.

Gatsby would have loved it, and surely would have invited Kiri to all his parties!

Classic Gershwin.......2002-04-05

Original arrangements of Gershwin tunes are rare these days, but that's what you'll hear in this album by Kiri Te Kanawa. Granted, the arrangements sound somewhat dated according to 21st century tastes, but that's what makes them fascinating. These were like nothing anyone else was writing when the George and Ira first brought them to life. Kiri uses a different, somewhat breathier voice than you might be used to on her classical albums, probably not the type of voice Gershwin had in mind, but I think it generally works pretty well.

Follies in Concert (1985 Live Performance) + Stavisky Film Score

Average customer rating:

A Sondheim spectacular - Follies in Concert
GREAT PERFORMANCES!
A Good recording.
FOLLIES - the best recording ...so far
My Favorite Follies

Follies in Concert (1985 Live Performance) + Stavisky Film Score

Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002WB6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Overture
Beautiful Girls
Don't Look At Me
Waiting For The Girls Upstairs
Rain On The Roof
Ah, Paree!
Broadway Baby
The Road You Didn't Take
In Buddy's Eyes
Who's That Woman
I'm Still Here
Too Many Mornings
The Right Girl
One More Kiss
Could I Leave You?
Loveland
You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through

Tracks:

Buddy's Blues
Losing My Mind
The Story of Lucy and Jessie
Live, Laugh, Love
Finale: Waiting for the Girls Upstairs and Beautiful Girls (reprises)
Stavisky: Theme from "Stavisky"
Salon at the Claridge #1
Arlette by Day
Auto Show
Easy Life
Secret of Night
Erna
Distant Past
Arlette by Night
Airport at Biarritz
Trotsky at Saint-Palais
Montalvo at Biarritz
Operetta
Arlette and Stavisky
Recent Past
Salon at the Claridge #2
Suite at the Claridge
Old House
Goodbye Arlette
Hideout at Chamonix
Erna Remembered
The Future
Women and Death
Theme from "Stavisky"

Amazon.com

Since the original Broadway cast recording of Stephen Sondheim's Follies was a truncated affair that turned out to be both a disappointment and a disservice to a brilliant show with a brilliant cast, this 1985 concert performance from New York's Avery Fisher Hall set out to record the whole score, a set of pastiches of old songs and songwriters as performed by a cast of faded stars and the visions of their younger selves. The result was a star-studded roster backed by the New York Philharmonic led by Paul Gemignani, with principals Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin, Lee Remick, and George Hearn, supported by the likes of Carol Burnett, Liliane Montevecchi, and Liz Callaway. Even these stars can't quite match the original cast, and the results are somewhat uneven--from Cook's yearning "Losing My Mind" to Patinkin's you-love-it-or-you-hate-it schizophrenia in "Buddy's Blues." Other highlights include Elaine Stritch's wry "Broadway Baby," the two young couples' interplay in "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through," and the electrifying audience reactions to "Beautiful Girls" and "Who's That Woman?" (A documentary video was released, but unfortunately, it did not contain the complete show.) As a bonus, this two-CD set includes 45 minutes of instrumental music Sondheim composed for the 1974 French film Stavisky, including two melodies that had been cut from the original production of Follies. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

A Sondheim spectacular - Follies in Concert.......2007-03-14

I have very definite views on this - in other words, my word rules, ignore the others. Random thoughts - pay no attention to those who disparage Mandy Patinkin singing "Buddy's Blues." This is an album of brilliant pastiche songs, right? Patinkin is giving us the old vaudville, split week in Jersey, performance. Of course he's over the top! Outstanding. However - sorry, I love Barbara Cook, and it's a lovely rendition of "Losing My Mind," but no one, I repeat no one, does it like Dorothy Collins from the original cast. Dorothy Collins, the Hit Parade lady? Come on! Well, OK, I don't know how she did it, what she pulled up from inside herself, but it tears your heart out. The song belongs to her. "Beautiful Girls" is ... well, if you're a woman (or not!) I dare you to listen to this and not get up and pretend you're strutting down an imaginary runway (particularly if your kids are in diapers and you haven't been out of the house for 82 weeks and my husband better start helping out or I'll GO MAD)... Sorry,got carried away there. I could go on and on (remember, it's been 82 weeks), but those are just three highlights ... oh, and the overture, oh, and "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" and heartbreaking George Hearn and absolutely terrific Lee Remick and of course, Elaine Strich!! and you've got to get this so we'll enjoy it over and over together, vicariously, and I better stop now, it's almost spring, maybe I'll get out. A girl can hope.

GREAT PERFORMANCES!.......2006-11-21

A WONDERFUL RECORDING OF "FOLLIES" WITH A LOT OF BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES
BY THE STARS ON STAGE. A "MUST" FOR ANYONE WHO CARES FOR THIS GREAT MUSICAL.

A Good recording........2004-06-23

The original is my perferred version, even though it is very watered down. Here, all the songs are complete, but it comes out uneven somehow. The really great performers here are Carol Burnett and Barbra Cook. They really shine. The rest do mediocre performances. Out of the rest, Lee Remick, and Elaine Strich do a great job. Buy this you want the "complete" version and four stellar performances, but the original is the one to get performance wise.

FOLLIES - the best recording ...so far.......2004-02-04

If any one album makes a case for FOLLIES is is this set of FOLLIES IN CONCERT. It is not the definitive FOLLIES, but about as close as we're likely to get. The sound is very VERY good, especially for a live recording, but as such there is quite a bit of applause on this disc.

Producer Thomas Shephard originally taped the dress rehearsal so he would have quiet endings for all the numbers but when the audience nearly tore the roof off Avery Fisher Hall, he decided that eliminating applause would negate the event that led to the album. So, he comprmised and used applause after the "follies" numbers but not after plot songs. If you didn't know this you might wonder why "Beautiful Gilrs' gets such a huge hand and the next song "don't Look at me" seems to be met with stoney silence.

The cast is sensational. Perhaps not in the same league as the originals but a fine "revival" cast. Lee Remick and Barbara Cook are ideal as leading ladies Phyllis and Sally and its a joy to hear Cook's glorious voice in "Losing My Mind." Mandy Patinkin effectively uses his energy to put a new spin on "Buddy's Blues. " I know some object to his over-the-top style but it was effective on stage. Elaine Stritch has fun singing "Broadway Baby" and Carol Burnet makes the most of "I'm Still Here." Really, there isn't one bad track in the whole package.

Completists may quibble with the slight cuts here and there..the last bit of the Overture (including a segment of "Can That Boy Foxtrot") has been cut, as has "Bolero D'amour." The original montage ending of "Rain on the Roof/Ahh Paris/Broadway Baby" was dumped, and the spoken interludes in "Loveland" have been re-arranged. NONE of this will impair your enjoyment of this wonderful show.

As a bonus RCA has filled out the second CD with the soundtrack of Sondheim's score for STAVISKY. Many cut songs from FOLLIES were used in this film score, so its a natural tie-in.

The booklet has all the lyrics but no synopsis to place the songs within the context of the story. It is a minor flaw in an otherwise first rate package.

My Favorite Follies.......2003-12-24

This is, in my opinion, the best recording of Follies you can buy. The quality of the recording isn't the best for reasons of staging and the lack of wireless mics back then, but who cares? Take a look at the list of famous singers in this cast. A big plus of this recording is the complete overature that wasn't on original. Barbra Cook is absolutely wonderful. Her voice doesn't age! I like the fact that they raised the key of a few of Sally's songs for Barbra since Sally is supposed to be the soprano of the two female leads anyway. Babra sings every single song with feeling and vocal perfection. I feel that her rendition of Losing My Mind is the definitive version of that song. Her final, "you said you loved me," is gorgeous and really shows the pain that Sally is feeling in her dramatically perfect interpreation of the song.

Lee Remick is wonderful as Phyllis. She has the icy beauty that really makes her song, Story of Lucy and Jessie really make sense. Her version of Could I Leave You? Is great! She is just really great.

George Hearn is absolutely wonderful! He sings every song like a god and it's nice to hear him sing something other then Sweeney Todd, which he tended to scream a lot in. I adore his voice and think he is perfect for the character of Ben.

Mandy Patinkin is so annoying. He emphasizes things that aren't supposed to be emphasized and he's just ridiculous in all of his songs. His voice isn't the problem, it's his high voltage, uneccasary dramtization that turns me off.

The supporting cast is wonderful. One More Kiss sounds so much better when it's sung by Opera singers, and these two are amazing. I mean look at their names and you'll go, Oh my god! Elaine Strich's interpreatation of Broadway Baby is very different for she truly sees the true irony of the song and portrays it very well. Everyone else is wonderful also. This CD is a must buy!

Music:

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