What’s The Best Production/Cast Recording of Follies?

[NameGreg]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:35pm

Im a huge Sondheim fan but Ive yet to get too familiarized with Follies. Id like to amend that but I dont have any idea what version I should try and start with. Any recommendations?

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:41pm

The original, and read the book Everything Was Possible.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:48pm

opinions vary wildly with this one, but here's mine:

 

-- if you're only interested in the greatest performances of the core songs, get the original cast recording.  And if you're able to find one, definitely go with remastered disc from the Kritzerland label --- it sounds AMAZING http://www.kritzerland.com/follies.htm

 

-- if you're a newbie, check out the 2011 Broadway revival recording.  It's most complete, contains a good chunk of dialogue between the songs, and gives a good overview of the book.  Plus Jan Maxwell is STELLAR as Phyllis, Danny Burstein is heartbreaking as Buddy, and Bernadette Peters is, well, Bernadette

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:50pm

If I’m being honest, really the only recording I ever listen to is the 4/4/71 opening night recording.

[binau]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:54pm

By far the best and most comprehensive recording is the 2011 revival with stunning performances by every single lead and supporting cast member - including Bernadette Peters - who despite the critics gave an incredible, layered, fractured performance as Sally and her intricate performance of “In Buddy’s Eyes” has never, ever been matched on any other recording and among the best work in her career - Dorothy Collins might come close. The recording (and production) in particular was far more musically deep than the most recent London revival. The recording also has a lot of dialogue to help understand what’s happening. Sondheim himself once said it’s like a radio play.

I would rank recordings:

1. 2011 Broadway revival
2. OBC recording (so much cut though, otherwise it would be easier to sympathise why it would be the best).
3. 1980s concert (mainly because of the energy though I don’t think this feels like the real show at times)
4. 1998 papermill (very very solid recording but sometimes lacks the energy for me
5. London revival
6. London original cast

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 2:55pm

Yes, definitely start with the Original Broadway Cast recording. It was remastered about 8 or 9 years ago, but the remastered version is out of print I believe. 

The OBC album is not complete. It's missing a lot of music, dance music, etc. It's considered a real loss that it was not recorded properly...but at least the remaster improved the sound.

A 2 CD recording of the last big revival was recorded and released by PS Classics. It's available digitally and physically. It's a great recording with, I believe, all of the music and a lot if dialog, too. Definitely worth having.

The book EVERYTHING WAS POSSIBLE, by Ted Chapin, is a great read. It chronicles the out of town tryout in Boston...some great stories!

[Ravenclaw]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 3:53pm

The original definitely has the best performances, but all the cuts make it hard for me to listen to. I like the completeness of the 2011 album, but some of the performances are uneven. For me, the winning album is the 1998 Papermill Playhouse album. Besides having its very strong cast, the complete score, a slew of bonus tracks (cut songs), it also is the recording with the largest orchestra.

But the nature of this show is that you'll get sucked in and become curious about them all, and they're all worth having for different reasons.

[binau]

Posted: 7/30/21 at 5:04pm

That said, if the goal is to familiarise yourself with the show surely the best place to start is the NTlive recording of the London revival (is this widely available?). You can watch Imelda Staunton steal Bernadette’s performance with none of the vocal ability but I’m sure actually seeing it will be the best introduction. A few people have also uploaded bootlegs of the 2011 recording on YouTube that you could also look at. 

Updated On: 7/30/21 at 05:04 PM

[Martijn-j]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 5:20am

When it comes to exploring a new Sondheim show I always like to start at the beginning with the original recording, so I can enjoy all the changes that were made over the years. That's why I love Sondheim. A show is never finished which makes every new production interesting. So I wouldn't worry about finding the best recording to start with. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 6:15am

Skip the OBC recording. With that cast and that production, it should be heaven. Would have been if Thomas Z. Shepard recorded it for Columbia. But Prince stupidly, stupidly, stupidly gave the rights to Capitol because he was miffed at Columbia over another project, and the  ensuing crappy audio and ridiculous cuts (not just numbers, but portions of numbers actually recorded) make it worthless. NOTHING of the greatness, or even the meaning, of the show is conveyed. One neat thing: the original orchestrations for "Beautiful Girls" had the on-stage band being fairly 1970's up-to-date, so that it makes the number sound wrong (there's what sounds like an electric guitar, at one point); this is an incredibly clever intentional example of how standards get ruined over the years by second rate nightclub bands, and no other recording reproduces it. All other versions just have piano until the full orchestra comes in.

The Follies in Concert recording is quite good, if also not quite complete. It's only rival is the Paper Mill Playhouse version, which is complete but not quite as good (not quite as energetic, not quite the cast, but a very good cast--and lots of additional songs that never made it to the final show in 1971).

The 2011 album is not good. The performances aren't there. And for some reason Peters gives Sally a voice like she's recreating Marie from Sunday in the Park. Sally's about 50, not 80. Maybe they should have cast her as Hattie.

Updated On: 8/1/21 at 06:15 AM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 10:29am

Of course the OBC recording, faults and all is simply the best...I was in attendance during the Summer of 1971 and yes the original cast is still the best!!!

The Lincoln Center concert performance from the 1980's is a good 2nd!!

Updated On: 7/31/21 at 10:29 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 11:12am

The PS Classics/Tommy Krasker-produced 2011 revival recording is beautifully done, gives a sense of the complete show, and restores parts of the original book that were not performed onstage in that production. 
 

But… the original cast album, warts and all, is the best. And if you can find the recording Jordan C. mentions, that’s really the best audio document of the original production. 
 

I don’t like the Philharmonic recording at all. Barbara Cook and Lee Remick (and Betty and Adolph!) are ideal, but the rest of it is badly and bizarrely miscast. Oh, Arthur Rubin is great, too. But the two men and Stritch are particularly wrong. That puts a damper on it for me. 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 11:29am

I adore me some Bernadette and others' opinions obviously vary, but to me her voice is too strained oin much of the 2011 cast recording, so I'd go with some of the other options first.

[Martijn-j]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 11:49am

Has anyone seen the French production (performed in English) that was released on dvd some years ago? 

[temms]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 1:32pm

If you don't already know the show then the OBC is great - once you know what's missing it's a frustrating experience but if you don't know what's not there you can appreciate the performances which are definitive. I'd say start with that one. There are big chunks missing and virtually every song has a trim somewhere but as far as I'm concerned the power of the performances come through. Take advantage of this moment in your life and enjoy the OBC without any of the annoyance you'll eventually feel. And then you'll have all sorts of new things to hear once you move on to a more complete version.

 

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 1:37pm

Martijn-j said: "Has anyone seen the French production (performed in English) that was released on dvd some years ago?"

Yeah it's rubbish. The cast isn't bad, but the direction and production values are abysmal. The camera work too.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 4:16pm

>I don’t like the Philharmonic recording at all. Barbara Cook and Lee Remick (and Betty and Adolph!) are ideal, but the rest of it is badly and bizarrely miscast.<

I love Barbara Cook in general, but I don't much like the higher keys she's singing in for Sally's songs. There have been very good Sallys on the other recordings but... I don't think anyone touches Dorothy Collins. 

[binau]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 4:40pm

I like the sound of Cook’s voice singing the songs but is she really singing a character? I just don’t feel it.

The other person that we should credit in my opinion is Victoria Clark - a combination of amazing singing and acting. An official recording is not available but a soundboard exists of the LA 2012 Dollies. The clip of her ‘Losing my Mind’ from Encores is also on YouTube and I’ve never heard anyone sing the low note ‘brightttt’ like she does.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 5:16pm

TotallyEffed said: "The original, and read the book Everything Was Possible."

The Original and the 2011 Broadway revival are my favorites.

I also second reading "Everything Was Possible". I read it in one sitting. An incredible book that is worth reading a few times.

 

[jv92]

Posted: 7/31/21 at 5:43pm

Smaxie said: ">I don’t like the Philharmonic recording at all. Barbara Cook and Lee Remick (and Betty and Adolph!) are ideal, but the rest of it is badly and bizarrely miscast.<

I love Barbara Cook in general, but I don't much like the higher keys she's singing in for Sally's songs. There have been very good Sallys on the other recordings but... I don't think anyonetouches Dorothy Collins."

You’re not wrong. I should be honest and say I worship Barbara Cook, so perhaps that seeps into my feelings. But Collins is just brilliant, and unsurpassed. 
 

That’s the problem with FOLLIES— the original casting was not just so apt, but those kinds of performers who had that kind of “Whatever happened to?” showbiz baggage (or is that a poor choice of word?) don’t exist anymore in quite the same way as in they did in 1971.

[MarkBearSF]

Posted: 8/1/21 at 3:15pm

My choices would be:

1) 2011 Revival - A solid work with lots of additional dialog. Complete (for the show that was presented)
2) OBC (especially if you can get one of the magically remastered versions)
3) Papermill - For all the extra dropped and alternate songs. [Especially "Country House" and "Hyphenated Harriet"]
4) London OBC - For the failed "positive" version of the lyrics
5) In Concert

AND read "Anything Was Possible."

Updated On: 8/2/21 at 03:15 PM

[justoldbill]

Posted: 8/2/21 at 8:29pm

I can't say this counts because it's not available (certainly not from me).  But what I listen to is this- in the 70's I acquired a copy of Steve Sondheim's archive tape from the Winter Garden sound board (he was somewhat generous with it when the score was in eclipse.).  It also had the recording session for the original Boston Prologue and the then-unavailable Capitol session of "One More Kiss".  Quite an archive tape. The tape had its issues, as did the bootleg I myself did during a performance I saw (I saw it 4 times).  I was able to graft the two into a pretty seamless note-complete performance with some audio sweetening, later adding "Can That Boy Foxtrot!" and "Uptown Downtown"  from Boston bootlegs for good measure as bonus material.

Nowadays, on YouTube, there's a decent complete run of the show (with Helon Blount as Hattie) and the cut material from Boston, so anyone can go wild.

Updated On: 8/2/21 at 08:29 PM

[¿Macavity?]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 6:52am

It's not the best by any means, but I really enjoyed the recent National Cast Album. It had some beautiful moments of orchestration. I love the solo violin in the Prologue around the 1:07 mark. And the Chaos section is really exciting. But, this album should be low on the priority list.

The original cast however, is simply exceptional. The performances are remarkable, and the whole album is appropriately haunting in a way that no other album could quite capture. Don't ask why, but the original album has always sounded like I was listening to a perfect piece of art, stuck in amber, or under a yellowed varnish. Again, exceptional.

[rattleNwoolypenguin]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 1:07pm

I really think the Paper Mill Album is terrific.

And the songs that they recorded that are deleted being FULLY orchestrated?

I mean there's such a rich discography of "Follies songs" 

All Things Bright and Beautiful is so haunting and chilling

[bk]

Posted: 8/3/21 at 5:37pm

joevitus said: "Skip the OBC recording. With that cast and that production,it should be heaven. Would have been if Thomas Z. Shepard recorded it for Columbia. But Prince stupidly, stupidly, stupidly gave the rights to Capitol because he was miffed at Columbia over another project, and the ensuingcrappy audioand ridiculous cuts (not just numbers, but portions of numbers actually recorded) make it worthless. NOTHING of the greatness, or even the meaning, of the show is conveyed. One neat thing: the original orchestrations for "Beautiful Girls"had the on-stage band being fairly 1970's up-to-date, so that it makes the number soundwrong (there's what sounds likean electric guitar, at one point); this is an incredibly clever intentional example of how standards get ruined over the years by second rate nightclub bands, andno other recording reproduces it. All other versions just have piano until the full orchestra comes in.

The Follies in Concert recording is quite good, if also not quite complete. It's only rival is the Paper Mill Playhouse version, which is complete but not quite as good (not quite as energetic, not quite the cast, but a very good cast--and lots of additional songs that never made it to the final show in 1971).

The 2011 album is not good. The performances aren't there. And for some reason Peters gives Sally a voice like she's recreating Marie from Sunday in the Park. Sally's about 50, not 80. Maybe they should have cast her as Hattie."

Apparently you are unaware of the remix we did - clearly. It's a whole different thing now and I'm shocked there are still people who are clueless about it.