© The Star-Ledger June 11, 1998
"Waiting around for the girls upstairs," sang Tony Roberts and Laurence Guittard, as Donna McKechnie and Dee Hoty looked on. They had just come upstairs at the Edison Recording Studio in New York to record the Paper Mill Playhouse's smash-hit production of Follies. "Tony," composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim observed, "you're putting an 'h' in front of the word 'up.' Try not to, if you would." Roberts adjusted, and the session went on. Also in the booth, waiting around to sing their lyrics, were the four performers who played the younger selves of the above-named foursome: Michael Gruber, Danette Holden, Billy Hartung, and Meredith Patterson. For Holden and Patterson, this was their first recording session, and they were enjoying it immensely. Sang Patterson, to the tune of the familiar Cole Porter song, "It's delightful, it's delicious, it's Dee Hoty," praising the leading lady who had just sung particularly well. Holden was musical even when her earphones failed. To the tune of that "Chorus Line" song, Holden sang, "And I hear . . . nothing." But the technicians got her and everyone else back on track. "Quick," said musical director Jonathan Tunick, "let's start again before I forget the tempo." Incidentally, having Tunick at the baton was atypical. He's made his career as an orchestrator, and won the first-ever Tony as Best Orchestrations for Titanic when that award was instituted in 1997. Fans of Follies will find nine more songs on the album than they heard at Paper Mill. Gruber and Patterson did "Who Could Be Blue?," Guittard and McKechnie sang "All Things Bright and Beautiful." Ann Miller did "Can That Boy Fox-Trot," the song her character sang in Boston before Sondheim decided that he should write a song called "I'm Still Here." Follies will be released by TVT Records in late August. As for that long-rumored move to Broadway for Follies? Producer Roger Berlind — who has been exploring the possibilities of taking it to New York — was asked about it Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall, after he won the Best Play Revival Tony for moving A View from the Bridge to Broadway. "A theater hasn't been made available," he said, before adding an even more pressing concern: "Nor have the first-class rights." That suggests that Sondheim and bookwriter James Goldman haven't yet made up their minds if it's in their best interests for this production of Follies to play Broadway. Both are out of the country and could not be reached for comment. Says Paper Mill Playhouse executive producer Angelo Del Rossi, "As I understand it, there are some technical things that Goldman and Sondheim have to work out. I honestly don't know what they are. It's delicate at the moment." main Follies page

"Waiting around for the girls upstairs," sang Tony Roberts and Laurence Guittard, as Donna McKechnie and Dee Hoty looked on. They had just come upstairs at the Edison Recording Studio in New York to record the Paper Mill Playhouse's smash-hit production of Follies.

"Tony," composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim observed, "you're putting an 'h' in front of the word 'up.' Try not to, if you would." Roberts adjusted, and the session went on.

Also in the booth, waiting around to sing their lyrics, were the four performers who played the younger selves of the above-named foursome: Michael Gruber, Danette Holden, Billy Hartung, and Meredith Patterson. For Holden and Patterson, this was their first recording session, and they were enjoying it immensely.

Sang Patterson, to the tune of the familiar Cole Porter song, "It's delightful, it's delicious, it's Dee Hoty," praising the leading lady who had just sung particularly well.

Holden was musical even when her earphones failed. To the tune of that "Chorus Line" song, Holden sang, "And I hear . . . nothing." But the technicians got her and everyone else back on track.

"Quick," said musical director Jonathan Tunick, "let's start again before I forget the tempo." Incidentally, having Tunick at the baton was atypical. He's made his career as an orchestrator, and won the first-ever Tony as Best Orchestrations for Titanic when that award was instituted in 1997.

Fans of Follies will find nine more songs on the album than they heard at Paper Mill. Gruber and Patterson did "Who Could Be Blue?," Guittard and McKechnie sang "All Things Bright and Beautiful." Ann Miller did "Can That Boy Fox-Trot," the song her character sang in Boston before Sondheim decided that he should write a song called "I'm Still Here."

Follies will be released by TVT Records in late August.

As for that long-rumored move to Broadway for Follies? Producer Roger Berlind — who has been exploring the possibilities of taking it to New York — was asked about it Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall, after he won the Best Play Revival Tony for moving A View from the Bridge to Broadway.

"A theater hasn't been made available," he said, before adding an even more pressing concern: "Nor have the first-class rights."

That suggests that Sondheim and bookwriter James Goldman haven't yet made up their minds if it's in their best interests for this production of Follies to play Broadway. Both are out of the country and could not be reached for comment.

Says Paper Mill Playhouse executive producer Angelo Del Rossi, "As I understand it, there are some technical things that Goldman and Sondheim have to work out. I honestly don't know what they are. It's delicate at the moment."

main Follies page