Advanced look at Thoroughly Modern Millie Blu-Ray (1 Viewer)

[Will Krupp]

(good God! Try to listen to that "Ribbons Down My Back" thing without retching!)

I never enjoyed that sung until I heard Kate Baldwin sing it in on Broadway in the 2017/2018 revival (she's the only cast member who stayed for the entire run) and I was blown away by how much I loved hearing her sing (and act) it. To each his own, though.

I WILL say that, onstage, her rendition was closer in power and force to this clip (more defiant) than the one she sings on the cast recording (sweeter.)

 

[usrunnr]

I liked everything Eileen Brennan did. From "Little Mary Sunshine" to Mrs. Molloy in "Dolly" to "Sergeant Benjamin", "At Long Last Love," to "Will and Grace". I think "Ribbons Down My Back" is one of the better songs from "Hello, Dolly".

 

[roxy1927]

I don't know which rendition TJPC is referring to. The original Broadway cast?

 

[Will Krupp]

I don't know which rendition TJPC is referring to. The original Broadway cast?

Not to speak FOR him but I get the impression he doesn't care for the song itself.

 

[roxy1927]

I see now. He wrote 'thing.'

 

[TJPC]

I see now. He wrote 'thing.'

I also usually loved Eileen Brennan. I just find the song grating. Remember these shows are on Broadway when Mr. Sondheim is around as well, and I see no comparison.

 

[TJPC]

We are way off topic here, but I think my feelings about “Hello Dolly” were caused by my aunt. In the late ‘60s she bought one of those coffin like “Hi Fi”s. With it came a set of 5 “Broadway” records, which my aunt gave to me.

If a show was popular there were often cheap knock off recordings made. This set was 5 of these recordings. One purported to be “Fiddler on the Roof” there were two others, and one was “Hello Dolly”. This last was originally the only recording I had of the show and it was terrible. When I think of this show I still remember it sung by this talentless bunch.

 

[ptb2017fr]

Awful songs in it? Are you serious? Send in the Clowns is one of the most memorable songs ever written. Stephen Sondheim is my all time favourite composer. He gave us WEST SIDE STORY and many more classics. Such a pity that the film was disappointing as it had one of my favourite songs deleted from it- Liasons!

Same with Sweeney Todd. A masterpiece that was turned into an awful film by Tim Burton who cast two stars who can't really sing and cut so much of the music as to make me very very angry!

 

[TJPC]

I attended a performance when I was on a trip to New York with students. Sweeney Todd was in previews and opening night was the next day. In discussions after seeing it, we all agreed that it had potential, but was way way too long. (We also hated the factory whistle, which blasted every so often and made us poop ourselves!).

Months later I bought the original cast album, and noted that they did cut a lot, which I thought really improved the piece. It also played better when I saw the road show production a couple of years later. As for the movie, my wife and mother-in-law, who had never seen the play, loved it. I thought it was really good as well except for cutting "Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd". Chacun à son goût!

 

[haineshisway]

I attended a performance when I was on a trip to New York with students. Sweeney Todd was in previews and opening night was the next day. In discussions after seeing it, we all agreed that it had potential, but was way way too long. (We also hated the factory whistle, which blasted every so often and made us poop ourselves!).

Months later I bought the original cast album, and noted that they did cut a lot, which I thought really improved the piece. It also played better when I saw the road show production a couple of years later. As for the movie, my wife and mother-in-law, who had never seen the play, loved it. I thought it was really good as well except for cutting "Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd". Chacun à son goût!

If you saw it the night before it opened, nothing was cut from what you saw, because the show was locked the previous week.

 

[TJPC]

I know my timing is correct, because a group of the students went to stand outside the theatre to see the “swells” on opening night.

 

[haineshisway]

I'm glad you know your timing is correct. Except that nothing was cut between the final preview and opening night. The show was locked a week earlier. Critics had already seen it. So, while you may have seen the final preview, all I'm telling you is that the following night the exact same show was played and there were no changes after that. Not really an arguable point.

 

[TJPC]

Did they do major cuts for the 2 disk set, or for touring?

 

[TJPC]

Perhaps I am getting confused. It is possible we saw ST earlier, and I am mixing it up with a similar situation with "There Playing Our Song" which I also saw in preview with students. We went 3 years in a row with my school.

 

[Malcolm R]

I've always thought all touring versions were "condensed" versions. Kind of like the Reader's Digest version? Both due to expenses and to enforce the idea that if you wanted to see the full show, you needed to get to Broadway.

But maybe not. I've never been a big theater buff (and nothing comes touring to my neck of the woods anyway).

 

[ptb2017fr]

I attended a performance when I was on a trip to New York with students. Sweeney Todd was in previews and opening night was the next day. In discussions after seeing it, we all agreed that it had potential, but was way way too long. (We also hated the factory whistle, which blasted every so often and made us poop ourselves!).

Months later I bought the original cast album, and noted that they did cut a lot, which I thought really improved the piece. It also played better when I saw the road show production a couple of years later. As for the movie, my wife and mother-in-law, who had never seen the play, loved it. I thought it was really good as well except for cutting "Attend The Tale of Sweeney Todd". Chacun à son goût!

If you’re going to film a musical film it and don’t cheat those who love what all musical theatre fans call a masterpiece, which it is. The film, wife and mother in law liking it apart, wasn’t the Sondheim musical but an abortion.

 

[TJPC]

I've always thought all touring versions were "condensed" versions. Kind of like the Reader's Digest version? Both due to expenses and to enforce the idea that if you wanted to see the full show, you needed to get to Broadway.

But maybe not. I've never been a big theater buff (and nothing comes touring to my neck of the woods anyway).

I have seen many touring productions, and a few on Broadway and Touring. The touring productions are full productions of the full show. What is different is the physical production which is usually much flimsier (is that a word?). A show can run for years in New York, so sets etc. are very substantial. A touring show may only stay for a week or less, so a magnificent set in NY can be replaced by a backdrop.

Case in point: I saw the astonishing production of “On The 20th Century” in NY. The “She’s a Nut” number, which is a chase scene looked like it had full sized locomotives going back and forth on the stage and coming at you.
Several years after a bus and truck production came through our area. There were the same songs and story. Some of the actors were even the same (Judy Kaye). I was anxiously waiting the number.
A flimsy curtain came down with holes in it through which the actors poked their heads and sang the song. I had talked about this show for years. My wife was not impressed!

 

[haineshisway]

Bus and truck tours were always on the cheap, set-wise. Proper first national tours have full sets replicating the B'way version. While they may be slightly scaled down to fit various venues, first nationals usually play at least two weeks in every city and usually more than that. The only time sets are occasionally adjusted, other than for size, if there are things that rise from below the stage, as some theaters can't do that. Sweeney in LA did not have the rise from the grave and Chicago here did not have Chita rising up at the beginning of the show. Unless a show has been revised specifically for the road, i.e. The Addams Family and Big to name two, you get the same show that everyone got. Finally, no cuts were made to Sweeney Todd for the road. In later productions, there are occasionally things put back or removed, but that's another story.

 

[usrunnr]

What is different is the physical production which is usually much flimsier (is that a word?).

Exactly. "Sunset Boulevard" in Los Angeles and New York had incredible sets including "the mansion" which moved stage left and right, backwards and forward, AND up and down. Touring versions, including the one with Petula Clark, had lots of drapes and curtains. "Phantom of the Opera" touring sets likewise were less enveloping than in New York and Los Angeles.

 

[usrunnr]