Follies - The Complete Recording 1998 New Jersey Cast

Excellent recording of a spectacular show.The original Broadway cast recording left out several numbers from the show, much to the chagrin of the show’s fans.This 1998 revival cast recording includes the full 31-song score, including previously unrecorded numbers cut prior to the original Broadway run.

Children, children, can we not agree to disagree, admitting there will never be any one definitive FOLLIES for the ages (discophiles will recall that even the Flagstad/Furtwängler TRISTAN was ultimately superseded). Each recorded production (even the campy London cast, even the ingenuous Bernadette Peters Edition) has individual strengths, and weaknesses too, which don’t always overlap or preclude another ambitious mounting. Distinctive personality turns in variant FOLLIES slowly accrete, establishing a performance “template,” if you will, for further revivals and recordings of this profligate score, a work of theatrical gravitas and pure showbiz genius.The Jersey revival is unique: The score is indeed complete, and the cast uniformly strong, especially for a production slightly remote from the Broadway main stem. I treasure the 1985 concert performance (RCA) for Lee Remick's sophistication, Phyllis Newman's tapdancing spunk and the gutsy playing of the NYPO. The live audience reaction, too, conveys some of the opening-night excitement—and butterflies—any good FOLLIES presentation entails.Overall, this is the strongest cast yet assembled for FOLLIES. The experience and professionalism of, in alphabetical order, Kaye Ballard, Laurence Guittard, Donna McKechnie and Phyllis Newman (even spunkier thirteen years on) is a given; all are consistently impressive and idiomatically theatrical. But dear old Carlotta invariably brings down the house, and Miss Ann Miller--a true Star (official job description: STAR, Freed Unit, Culver City) as she was fond of reminding her many acolytes--confidently rises to the challenge. I am too much in thrall, too much a gentleman to calculate her age when this recording was made: you do the math, then marvel at the pure Texas pizzazz, showbiz electricity and Star Power the ageless hoofer summons up. Miller practically pirouettes out of the speakers--and she is vocally steadier (speaking of FOLLIES butterflies) than miscast Carol Burnett or the irreplaceable original, Miss Yvonne de Carlo, or the workaday Elaine Paige. When La Miller sings of weathering the decades "stinko, by my pool," we recognize bittersweet truths about Carlotta's--and Miller's--life in La-la Land. Carlotta's been through Reno, been through Beverly Hills (Malibu too), and as her avatar Ann Miller demonstrates, being a bigger Star is a grueling fulltime occupation.We hope the Garden State audiences savoured this production, for it's clear the savvy cast were having the time of their lives (you will too). This mounting may not be definitive, but it certainly is exceptional. Mr. Sondheim surely must be gloating retroactively, for his misbegotten “Broadway baby” seems destined for ongoing rebirth. It deserves permanent repertory status, a deeper theatrical spectacular you'll not see ineptly mounted by high-school amateurs or civic-theatre quasiprofessionals anytime soon.

While the brutally truncated original-cast recording will always be of value for the performances it partially captures (particularly Dorothy Collins' Sally) this Papermill Playhouse revival sweeps the field. For one important thing, Stephen Sondheim is the album's executive producer and what's on CD represents his final, settled thoughts on the score. For another it appends seven songs ditched during the show's gestation, as well as "Lucy and Jessie," replaced for the London production by Sondheim's preferred "Ah, But Underneath." The latter is sung by Dee Hoty, the Phyllis we have been waiting for, crisp of rhythm, secure of voice and whip-smart. Also, Donna McKechnie's Sally is the best since Dorothy Collins. No one other than Collins sings "Losing My Mind" as affectingly as McKechnie, who conveys throughout both Sally's vulnerability and suppressed desperation. It's a deeply moving interpretation. Her husband, Buddy, is acceptably voiced by Tony Roberts but Gene Nelson (Capitol) is still the gold standard. Mandy Patinkin (RCA) would claim the palm were it not for his egomaniacal appropriation of the "Buddy's Blues" trio as a solo turn for himself. Laurence Guittard, however, is an impeccable Ben, debonair and perfectly in style for numbers like "The Road You Didn't Take" and "Live, Laugh, Love."The supporting cast is a veritable who's-who. Operatic tenor Vahan Khanzadian has the vocal chops for "Beautiful Girls" but is less tonally appealing than his RCA counterpart, Arthur Rubin. Phyllis Newman and Liliane Montevecchi are carryovers from RCA and perform, if anything, even better here. While there was only one Ethel Shutta (Capitol), Kay Ballard's "Broadway Baby" is affecting in its youthful enthusiasm and optimism. Then there's Ann Miller, in her last stage appearance, giving her all to "I'm Still Here" (the ghost of Yvonne DeCarlo is thoroughly banished) and treating us to a tart rendition of the excised "Can That Boy Foxtrot." Jonathan Tunick, who knows the score as well as anybody other than Sondheim, conducts ably. The Sondheim completist will want this for obvious reasons and the newbie should consider this a starting point. Recommended without reservation.

This is the best recording of Follies out there. It isnt totally complete. There are a few songs from the London version I wish they would've added and at least one song that didnt make it into the original, but this is probably as good as its going to get. I never got to see the original (if only) I was still a youngster then, but I loved the original recording (botch that it is/was) I loved the show and love it even more now that I'm closer in age to the characters. I still think this is Sondheim's best score and its one of my favorite musicals ever. I'd still recommend getting the original because some of the performers here arent quite as good (Kay Ballard is no Ethel Shutta and Dorothy Collins version of Losing My Mind is still the best). But there's little to not love on this. Dee Hoty is a great Phyllis and Tony Roberts and Laurence Guittard are very good also as Buddy and Ben. And who wouldnt love the great Ann Miller singing I'm Still Here? Most of the 2nd Cd is devoted to songs that were cut from the show and they are as good or better than the originals. A must for Follies fans and lovers of great musicals. I only wish I could've been there for the original!

Love the fact that it was extras at the end of the CD.

J'ai déjà eu l'occasion de dire tout le bien que je pensais de la nouvelle version de Broadway de ce spectacle légendaire  Follies / B.C.R .Il s'agit , ici , d'une version intégrale , datant du début des années 2000 , de la musique du spectacle comprenant toutes les parties composées par Sondheim.Certains airs furent remplacés par d'autres lors de la mise au point , d'autres furent adaptés et/ou déplacés en fonction des différentes productions.Ainsi les airs et l'orchestration de la version londonienne ont été un peu bousculés. Cette version a ses amateurs  Follies - Original London Cast Recording  sans avoir ses inconditionnels !Avec ce double cd , enregistré dans des conditions optimales par Jonathan Tunick ( orchestrateur original de FOLLIES) nous nous trouvons devant une somme de musique inimaginable composée pour un "musical" !L'oeuvre de Sondheim méritait un tel enregistrement , c'est certain.Le cheminement du spectacle est respecté et la moitié du second cd est consacrée à toute la musique "non utilisée" dans le spectacle original.Les légères modifications des arrangements et des orchestrations datent du début des années 80 , alors que le spectacles avait été donné dans sa 1ere version de concert avec the New York philharmonic orchestra et une pléiade d'artistes renommés pour leur sympathie envers la musique de Stephen Sondheim. Follies: In Concert / Ny Phil La version que je commente aujourd'hui est considéré par les amateurs américains comme la référence absolue de l'oeuvre.Musicalement c'est un pur régal et, si par ci /par là , on perd le sens dramatique de la pièce , le somptueux "filé", voix et orchestre ,procure un bonheur qui reste imprégné dans notre mémoireJonathan Tunick nous donne une version grandiose de FOLLIES .Je n'oublie pas de signaler la qualité des voix et si le sens théâtral y est légèrement gommé au profit de la musique , cela ne gâte rien !Au contraire ; certains airs tels que "the right girl" , "could i leave you" , "live , laugh, love" (avec sa fin énigmatique...) n'ont jamais été mieux interprétés !Livret , mieux que bien , très documenté et comprenant l'intégralité des textes chantés.Une référence ! Follies / B.C.RFollies - Original London Cast RecordingFollies: In Concert / Ny Phil

Love this dvd.

A truly wonderful recording. The cut songs recorded as extras are a real treat.A must for all fans.

Excellent