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Stephen Sondheim's Follies in Concert

Stephen Sondheim's Follies in Concert

List Price: $24.99
Your Price: $22.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Aging Gracefully.
Review: "Beautiful Girls". What a fantastic opportunity for lovers of Broadway musicals to see the behind the scenes creation and making of a successful musical in four days. This film is in part documentary combined with hi-lights of the finished performance at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic. The story line of "Beautiful Women" attending a Follies Reunion so many years into retirement is powerful and awakens thoughts of aging. Mandy Patinkin, Carol Burnett, Barbara Cook and Lee Remick lead an all star cast in this Steven Sondheim Classic. You might want to view this film more than once.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: CLASSIC!...
Review: All that needs to be said about this concert is that there will never be anything like it again.

The only problem with the product is it is not a replication of the concert in whole, it is documentary look at the days leading up to the concert and then several snipets from the actual concert.

If you want to see the whole thing, your out of luck; but you do get to see several great performances by the leading actors of then AND now.

It's great!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: I saw the actual concert at Avery Fisher Hall in New York and than purchased the video. The video includes both the actual performance and behind the scenes making of the concert, which I always enjoy. The interviews were delightful. My copy of the video was stolen and I have not had any success finding it. The same story, no longer in production.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Follies In Concert
Review: I saw the PBS special of Follies and was blown away (no reference to the Clinton Administration intended) at the incredible talent onstage. I have the CD and was a disappointed when I purchased the VHS tape to discover I had the "rehearsal" video. I'd give anything to get the tape of that fantastic performance (my CD says it's a compilation of two night's performances). If anyone finds the PBS video, please post a message.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Old Friend
Review: I saw this on British TV back in 1985 and loved it. Bought the album, then cd, now the DVD. It has always held special memories in my mind and watching this was like reuniting with an old friend. Sondheim is a genius and its a toss between this and Company as to which is his best show. Recently i was lucky enought to see Barbara Cook do a Sondheim one woman show in London. Awesome! Best bit of Follies in Concert, Lee Remick doing Lucy and Jessie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stephen Sondheim's Follies in Concert DVD
Review: I was there at Lincoln Center in 1985 when the record was made! this is a magic documentary of a magic show that has grown and grown in stature since it's original mediocre play on Broadway. Here is entertainment at it's best, wonderful players singing wonderful music with a wonderful orchestra...you couldn't invest in better entertainment.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: it's a keeper
Review: if only for the nostalgia! the video is of poor quality. Very grainy! The sound is less than ideal. Someone should have gone through the trouble of remastering the video and the audio before releasing it! Age of the concert is not an excuse! I own DVD's whose program content is older than the follies in concert and they sound better and the video excellent.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As Good as it Gets
Review: If you really want an awe-inspiring, uplifting insight into the arts and the artistic process, this is it! An amazing behind-the-scenes glimpse at genious and talent. Pray it becomes available again some day. (I liked it.)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Follies Documentary
Review: It has been noted several times that this DVD is not a recording of the famous concert at Lincoln Center, but a documentary of that concert including rehearsals and some of the concert. The concert was used as the platform to make the first full recording of this incredible score. Many may not realise that in order to preserve the show on 1 LP, the original Broadway cast recording had substantial cuts made while it was being recorded. The OBC cd's released later include only one cut song from that original cast recording. The OBC recording of Follies is a crime to be sure.

But back to the DVD. This is an interesting behind the scenes look at the mad house it took to present a full stage concert of Follies in about a week. It is interesting to watch Thomas Z. Shepherd at work here as the record producer. (An interesting comparison would be to buy the documentary of the recording of Company to see a younger Sheperd at work) There are scenes in the rehearsal halls, the terror of opening night and wonderful scenes on stage.

If you are a theater lover, this DVD is a wonderful documentary of how a show like this is put together. And there are wonderful clips of Carol Burnett singing "I'm Still Here" and Elaine Stritch singing "Broadway Baby". And who can ever resist Barbara Cook?

The packaging may be confusing for die hard theater fans. The DVD cover uses the famous David Byrd logo from the original Broadway cast and not the photograph cover from the recording. But dont let that fool you, this documentary is worthy of any serious theater lovers collection.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Follies Documentary
Review: It has been noted several times that this DVD is not a recording of the famous concert at Lincoln Center, but a documentary of that concert including rehearsals and some of the concert. The concert was used as the platform to make the first full recording of this incredible score. Many may not realise that in order to preserve the show on 1 LP, the original Broadway cast recording had substantial cuts made while it was being recorded. The OBC cd's released later include only one cut song from that original cast recording. The OBC recording of Follies is a crime to be sure.

But back to the DVD. This is an interesting behind the scenes look at the mad house it took to present a full stage concert of Follies in about a week. It is interesting to watch Thomas Z. Shepherd at work here as the record producer. (An interesting comparison would be to buy the documentary of the recording of Company to see a younger Sheperd at work) There are scenes in the rehearsal halls, the terror of opening night and wonderful scenes on stage.

If you are a theater lover, this DVD is a wonderful documentary of how a show like this is put together. And there are wonderful clips of Carol Burnett singing "I'm Still Here" and Elaine Stritch singing "Broadway Baby". And who can ever resist Barbara Cook?

The packaging may be confusing for die hard theater fans. The DVD cover uses the famous David Byrd logo from the original Broadway cast and not the photograph cover from the recording. But dont let that fool you, this documentary is worthy of any serious theater lovers collection.


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