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

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 Amazon.com

A Sondheim spectacular - Follies in Concert

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. March 14, 2007

GREAT PERFORMANCES!

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.
November 21, 2006

A Good recording.

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. June 22, 2004

FOLLIES - the best recording ...so far

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. February 4, 2004

My Favorite Follies

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! December 23, 2003

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