Sweeney Hyde
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OH MY WORD I'M IN LOVE WITH FOLLIES!!!!! WEEEEEEEEE!!!!I JUST READ FOLLIES FOR THE FIRST TIME AND I AM AWESTRUCK!!
AAAAAHHHHHHH!!! SUCH BRILLIANCE!!!
WHEN I HAVE LESS CRAZY MIND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT!!!!!
WWWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!
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lanilovesyew
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I just bought sheet music for this the other day, but I haven't seen it or read the full script. I love the songs, though. Loads of fun to sing.
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Pannic
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I've been singing "The Road You Didn't Take" for awhile. Brilliant song.
I've also tried to sing "The Right Girl." Can't do it to save my life. But still a brilliant song.
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Sweeney Hyde
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This piece is not a piece that one can separate the music from. This is truely an example of how the music, lyrics, and book (story) are and should be connected in a musical.
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lilmissbroadway
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Did you hear how it's gonna be a movie next year? At this point, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing but it kinda worries me.....
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Mungojerrie_rt
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I think I've heard some songs from Follies and didn't think much of them, but I might be mistaken.
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Salome
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You are mistaken.
Its the best musical written next to my Fair Lady.
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Mungojerrie_rt
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Is 'I'm Still Here' from Follies? The problem is I got a box set of 20 discs of musical songs, and I only kept the ones I like. So I can't remember where the others all came from.
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Joshua
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| Mungojerrie_rt wrote: | | Is 'I'm Still Here' from Follies? The problem is I got a box set of 20 discs of musical songs, and I only kept the ones I like. So I can't remember where the others all came from. |
Yes it is.
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Sweeney Hyde
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| Mungojerrie_rt wrote: | | Is 'I'm Still Here' from Follies? The problem is I got a box set of 20 discs of musical songs, and I only kept the ones I like. So I can't remember where the others all came from. |
I'm going to try and be as polite as possible when I say this.
You are clearly a Webber fan.
Webber's music is not always directly connected to the book and lyrics.
It's often aboslutely mindless and inane no matter what the most avid CATS or PotO fan says (I'm bashing myself a bit because I love PotO).
However, what you have got to understand is that it's a musical PLAY. The music and lyrics must intertwine perfectly with the book! I wasn't crazy about Follies's music either until I read the script. It is the absolutely perfect example of how these three elements combine to make one work of art.
That said: Please start at least reading a synopsis of the show you're listening to for the first time. The music of a musical means very little without the story...and that is a HUGE reason, I believe, that more people don't really have a high regard for Follies without reading or seeing it...as opposed to Sweeney Todd where most of the story is told in music...same with Into the Woods...or, if we want to involve different composers, CATS and Les Miserables.
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Mungojerrie_rt
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I know what you mean about needing to know what it's about, or the song won't make sense. That's why cd booklets often have a summary of the plot or what's happening for each song (my Cabaret and Rent cds do).
I also agree that Lloyd Webber music is a lot more self explanitory in the songs. For example, there is no summary in my OLC StEx booklet, but I still know what's going on despite never having seen the show.
That said, I still feel that songs should be able to stand on their own and not need explinations to make them good. It wasn't a bad song, it just wasn't one that stood out to me.
(And why is it that POTO seems to be ALW most popular. It's my least favorite musically of the ones I've seen)
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Dvarg
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| Mungojerrie_rt wrote: | | That said, I still feel that songs should be able to stand on their own and not need explinations to make them good. It wasn't a bad song, it just wasn't one that stood out to me. |
The book in a musical (like Follies at least) isn't an explanation of a song, it's the context. And in musical theatre (in the R&H tradition of integrated musicals) the key aspect is the integration of book and music.
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Salome
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Sondheim adamatly feels a song needs to work in context..it shouldnt stand on its own outside the play. if it does anyone can sing it..not only the character its written for.
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Dvarg
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| Salome wrote: | | Sondheim adamatly feels a song needs to work in context..it shouldnt stand on its own outside the play. if it does anyone can sing it..not only the character its written for. |
And I'm Still Here (which is the songI assume we're talking about?) happens to be a song that stands perfectly on it's own anyway 
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Melindaisy
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I've always loved "Follies" the best out of alll of Sondheim's work. Just an awesome show!
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LaGataNegra
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Random Follies questions:
What is the purpose of 'Listen to the Rain on the Roof' and 'The Story of Lucy and Jessie'?
I've only seen the concert DVD so I don't know the context of these songs. The others pretty much made sense to me, but these two I just don't get.
'Rain on the Roof' is sung by two old vaudevillians, not main characters----why are they here? Just revelers at the reunion? Showing off their old schtick? To what end?
The Lucy and Jessie story might coincide with Phyllis and Sally's past somehow. Maybe one lady is represented by Lucy and the other is Jessie, each wanting to be the other? If so, Phyllis is singing an awfully peppy song while revealing her inner troubles. 'Course that wouldn't be the first time Sondheim wrote pained words to a happy sounding song.
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Salome
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Rain on the Roof/Ah Paree/Broadway Baby is the pastiche of old vaudevillians doing their famous act. in the actual show its quite haunting.
Lucy and Jesse is Phyliss' Loveland sequence number reflacting on her life..Lucy is her young seldf,Jesse is her current self.
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LaGataNegra
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I see! sez the blind girl.
Thanks!
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Pannic
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| Salome wrote: | | Sondheim adamatly feels a song needs to work in context..it shouldnt stand on its own outside the play. if it does anyone can sing it..not only the character its written for. |
Probably the main reason that he hasn't really had (m)any 'hit' songs, despite them being amoung the best songs in musical theatre. They simply don't make much sense outside of the show.
For example, "The Hills of Tomorrow" or "Our Time," from Merrily We Roll Along. Out of context, they're inspiring. In the show, they're devestating.
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Sweeney Hyde
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| Pannic wrote: | | Salome wrote: | | Sondheim adamatly feels a song needs to work in context..it shouldnt stand on its own outside the play. if it does anyone can sing it..not only the character its written for. |
Probably the main reason that he hasn't really had (m)any 'hit' songs, despite them being amoung the best songs in musical theatre. They simply don't make much sense outside of the show.
For example, "The Hills of Tomorrow" or "Our Time," from Merrily We Roll Along. Out of context, they're inspiring. In the show, they're devestating. |
You know Hills of Tomorrow isn't even included in the show anymore?
It wasn't in the show when I saw it back in October and it wasn't in the off-broadway "revival".
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Pannic
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I'm aware. I just really like the song. Granted, I'm not familiar enough with the show to be able to judge whether or not it belongs...
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Xack
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I recently bought the obc recording and script and I enhoy this show immensely.
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