| re: “Merrily We Roll Along: Cut Songs | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 03:06 am EST 01/30/19 | |
| In reply to: “Merrily We Roll Along: Cut Songs - kieran 12:40 am EST 01/30/19 | |
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| To my knowledge, only of the songs has been recorded: "Honey." There are at least three recordings of "Honey," although one — in the Book-of-the-Month Sondheim — is just an instrumental. The one that gives you the best idea of the song was recorded (I think) for the TER/JAY cast recording of the Leicester Haymarket production but it was never issued on either release of that recording, neither on the original one-disc version nor the annoying later two-disc version. I refer to the later issue as annoying because the recording had been announced as a two-disc issue that (IIRC) would be of the entire show and would include cut songs. But it was first issued, disappointingly, on one disc, which was obviously not complete (although it was a nicely full CD that had a lot on it). Later there was two-disc version with a bit more, mostly dialogue excerpts, but it was only around 10-15 minutes longer than the one-disc version. But completists needed to get that one, too, even though they'd already bought the first. There were no cut songs even on the two-disc issue, but "Honey," sung by Michael Cantwell and Jacqueline Dankworth from the Leicester cast, was issued on the JAY CD The Musicality of Sondheim. I think that recording of "Honey" was made for the announced issue of the Leicester Haymarket recording that would have documented the complete show and included cut songs. The singers are accompanied by piano. I can't say that I love what they do, but it does give you the song more or less (but not quite) as it was heard in the show (absent the orchestration). "Honey" was also included on Lost in Boston III, but unfortunately they used the sheet-music version of the song, which completely cuts the important interjections through the entire song. As written and performed in previews for at least three weeks, the first part has Beth singing the main melody, but with interjections by Frank after just about every line (and often in the middle of lines), and the second part reverses that, with Frank singing the main melody and Beth continually interjecting. (And that is the way it was published in Finishing the Hat.) It's unfortunate that this recording doesn't use the show version as I think I think the singers (Liz Callaway, who of course was in the original production, and Jason Graae) do a basically better job, even though they hadn't played the roles (Callaway understudied Mary, not Beth, although she later played Beth in the reunion concert). Also, the recording has the advantage of a nice orchestration from Steven Orich. By the way, in case anyone is wondering, I know that Sondheim wrote in Finishing the Hat that "Honey" was cut before previews, but he was misremembering. It was performed for more than three weeks during previews. Neither recording really gives you the song as performed in the show. In between the two parts came "Not a Day Goes By," sung as a solo by Frank to Beth. There were also some dialogue bits in between parts of the songs, spoken by other characters, but I wouldn't necessarily expect those on a recording. To my knowledge, neither of the other songs has been recorded, unless something has changed relatively recently and I've missed it. "Thank You for Coming" was restored in the 2002 reunion concert. I think it would make a lot of sense to restore it to the show. Although not a cut song, the original longer version of "The Hills of Tomorrow" perhaps should be mentioned. This had an AABA structure. It was published in the vocal selections (along with "Honey," which was later included in All Sondheim, Vol. 3) and perhaps on its own as sheet music. It has been recorded at least twice. Fortunately, one of those was in a choral version that is probably close to how it would have been performed in the show had the longer version ever been performed for audiences (but it wasn't, not even during previews). That choral version was by the Los Angeles Vocal Arts Ensemble on an LP titled A Little Sondheim Music that has never been issued on CD. There was also a solo recording by tenor Marc Heller on a CD titled Take Me to the World. The song has been recorded a couple of other times outside of cast recordings, but I haven't heard those other recordings. |
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