Grand Hotel:the Musical

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 10:14pm

The twenty-fifth anniversary of one of my favorite musicals, "Grand Hotel" made me do some surfing on YouTube and I found something amazingly wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hqPvY6dP24

A complete very good video recording of the original German cast with Leslie Caron as Grushinskia with the original staging and on a replica of the original set. I'd forgotten how incredible Tommy Tune's staging was. I can't tell you how many times I've watched it since.

[Feste]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 10:18pm

This IS wonderful! AND I feel old now! This was such a delightful show. So glad I got to see the wonderful David Carroll and Michael Jeter, along with the rest of that wonderful cast.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 10:21pm

WOW! That's amazing!

[Feste]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 10:31pm

Most thrilling voice I've ever heard on Broadway...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsJnkAmZBqE

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 1:13am

I still think this is one of the better musicals I've seen. Really enjoyed it a lot.
And seeing Michael Jeter again in the Tony Awards performance (also available on youtube) is really special. What a huge talent and very deserving of the award. Glad to find "We'll Take a Glass Together" on youtube. That number kicks! And Jeter is amazing, along with the rest of the cast.

Updated On: 11/15/14 at 01:13 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 9:39am

Agree about the late David Carroll's voice. Here's Seth deconstructing what was so extraordinary about it:

Posted: 11/15/14 at 6:36pm

Thanks for sharing! Such great memories of the Bway production. Gosh, the chorus never stopped moving- must have been quite the workout. Poor Leslie Caron wasn't terribly good but what a treat to see her.

[morosco]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 7:03pm

At 1 hour in you can see one of my favorites moments of the show. It's the first time when the orchestra stops playing and all you hear are the dancer's footsteps. In the theater that was a stunning moment.

Posted: 11/15/14 at 7:14pm

LOVE that part!!!

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 9:04pm

This thread has made both happy and sad. David was a dear friend and I still miss him.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 9:33pm

This needs to return with the full original staging

[beilis32]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 11:23pm

I will add my voice to the chorus of those who say David Carroll is absolutely amazing and superb. I just heard him for the first time a few weeks ago and I practically have a crush on his voice it's so good!

[Spil.Berg]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 4:28am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceOm_Cq6KEI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QUCt4t92Zs sure you seen the 2nd one but its amazing

[devonian.t]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 5:49am

This is a prime example of the show that needs to be fully recorded and used as teaching material on any course that wants to inspire exemplary musical theatre.

Just bliss.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 7:32am

A glass together, really is pure broadway magic, I beam from ear to ear overtime I watch.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 10:20am

And Jeter's Tony acceptance speech right after performing the number at the Tonys was great. Moving.
With regard to this number, I also like the youtube link where he and Carroll actually performed the number together in the street at Macy's parade…in the snow.

[Erzlump]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 11:21am

Just leaving this here in reponse to scrojan65's post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTbWru3i8o4


I still marvel at such sheer talent.

[beilis32]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 1:15pm

That song has the most amazing dancing. Seriously everyone, what is UP with Michael Jeter's legs? Even more amazing in the snow, since they must have been freezing! So much talent.
Also, in an alternate universe where I was extremely talented and could dance, I'd love to play Falemchen (sp?) She's pretty bad-ass, in a 1920s way.

[dwirth]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 1:33pm

Grand Hotel is #1 on my list of "wish I could go back and see the original production again" shows... I saw it only once in NY (a week after David Carroll left... darn)- and once on the road - but made a lasting impression. Beautiful beyond words in look and feel - with a brilliance in staging that's rarely been equaled. The tango. The twirling chandeliers. The glow of the glass columns. The moody, evocative music... The cast/onlookers... A shows that, in some ways, is always very good - but, as a whole, is undeniably great.

[sctrojan65]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 3:02pm

The musical definitely left an impression on me, too. And thanks for posting the video, erzlump.

[Feste]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 5:05pm

Erzlump - Thank you so so much for posting that clip.. I'd never seen that one before. It makes me very happy to see!

[The Other One]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 7:05pm

I believe this was the first Broadway musical I saw after a trip to London, and it was the perfect antidote to the horribly bloated "Miss Saigon", which I still easily consider the worst hit show I have ever seen. The creativity of the staging, the frequently gorgeous score, the superb cast, the three-dimensional characters..."Grand Hotel" was a gem.

David Carroll did look a little thinner than he had during the run of "Chess", but he sounded magnificent in late '89 and I just assumed he had taken on more of a pre-war look. How wrong I was. It is a shame he did not get to record the score, but videos of "Love Can't Happen" and "We'll Take A Glass Together" are glorious reminders of his talent.

Posted: 11/16/14 at 7:15pm

Seems like they must have recorded something because the Macys clip shows Jeter and Carroll lip-syncing to their voices.... hmmmmmmm

[jayclay]

Posted: 11/16/14 at 11:52pm

My nephew got married in Michael Jeter's hometown last year (Lawrenceburg, TN). We went to the local museum and they had a display about Michael Jeter. My nephew's father-in-law and our guides at the museum all grew up with the Jeter boys and everyone in town went to his dad who was the town dentist. I was pleased to see the articles about Michael, and they were pleased someone knew who he was!

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 11/17/14 at 12:50am

I think I read once that Carroll had gone into the studio and started recording but became too sick and couldn't go on so they stopped and resumed later with Barrett (I can't remember where I read it though). I've always wondered that if that were true if there's some of his performance lying unheard somewhere in the Sony vaults.

Though obviously the parade performance would have to have been recorded years earlier.