Merrily We Roll Along (Recording)
Louise Gold starred as Gussie, on the Leicester Haymarket Cast album
recording, recorded on 28, 29 and 30 April 1993 at Abbey Road Studios in London.
Catalogue
number: (Double CD) CDJAY2 1245, (Single CD) CDTER 1225,
(Cassette) ZCTER 1225
Cast
Mary - Maria
Freidman
Frank Sheppard - Michael Cantwell
Gussie - Louise Gold
Charley - Evan Pappas
Joe - Gareth Snook
Beth - Jacqueline Dankworth
Waitress & Evelyn - Julie Armstrong
Terry & Minister - Jon Clairmonte
Meg - Lucy Dixon
K.T. - Kate Copstick
Ru - Phillip Day
Mrs Spencer - Michelle Fine
Bunker - Daniel Gillingwater
Make-up Artiste & Reporter - Deirdre Forrest
Scotty & Mr Spencer - Matthew White
Dory - Dwan Kastelle
Jerome - Phillip Wrigley
Dresser & Secretary - Karen Skinns
Tyler - Alan Mosley
Frank Jnr - Scott Bradley,
Dominic Burr, Matthew Fraser
Party Guests, reporters, TV crew etc - played by members of
the company.
Production Team
Music and
Lyrics - Stephen Sondheim
Book - George Furth
Based on the original play by George S Kaufman and Moss
Hart.
Directed and Staged by - Paul Kerryson
Designed by - Martin Johns
Orchestrations by - Jonathan Tunick
Musical Direction by - Julian Kelly
Executive Producer - John Yap for JAY/TER
records
Recording and mixing engineer - John Kurlander
Track Listing
Double CD:
CDJAY2 1245
CD1/Act One
1. Overture - Orchestra [238]
2. Merrily We Roll Along - Company (The Cast) [350]
3. That Frank - Company (The Cast) [534]
4. Scene - Gussie with Company (Louise Gold with The Cast)
[031]
5. Transition 1 - Company (The Cast) [113]
6. Old Friends/Like It Was - Mary and Charley (Maria Friedman and Evan
Pappas) [408]
7. Franklin Sheppard Inc. - Charley (Evan Pappas) [549]
8. Transition 2 - Company (The Cast) [050]
9. Old Friends - Frank, Charley, and, Mary (Michael
Cantwell, Evan Pappas, and, Maria Friedman) [405]
10. Growing Up Part One - Frank with Gussie (Michael Cantwell with
Louise Gold) [359]
11. Growing Up part Two - Gussie (Louise Gold) [259]
12. Transition 3 - Company (The Cast) [057]
13. Not A Day Goes By Act One - Frank and
Beth (Michael Cantwell and Jacqueline Dankworth)
[215]
14. Now you Know - Scotty, Mary, Tyler, Frank, and Company (Matthew
White, Maria Friedman, Alan Mosley, Michael Cantwell,
and The Cast) [425]
CD2/Act Two
1. Entraacte - Orchestra
[131]
2. Act Two Opening (Good Thing Going) - Gussie (Louise
Gold) [200]
3. Its A Hit! - Frank, Charley, Mary, Joe, Beth,
Theatregoers (Michael Cantwell, Evan Pappas, Maria Friedman,
Gareth Snook, Jacqueline Dankworth, and
the chorus) [405]
4. Transition 4 - Company (The Cast) [054]
5. The Blob - Gussie and Guests (Louise Gold and The Company)
[235]
6. Growing Up Act Two - Gussie and Frank (Louise Gold and Michael
Cantwell) [306]
7. Good Thing Going - Charley and Frank (Evan Pappas and Michael
Cantwell) [221]
8. The Blob Conclusion - Company (The Cast) [139]
9. Transition 5 - Company (The Cast) [103]
10. Bobby And Jackie And Jack - Charley, Frank, and, Mary (Evan Pappas,
Michael Cantwell, and, Maria Friedman) [444]
11. Not A Day Goes By Act Two - Frank, Beth,
and, Mary (Michael Cantwell, Jacqueline Dankworth,
and, Maria Friedman) [219]
12. Transition 6 - Company (The Cast) [035]
13. Opening Doors - Charley, Frank, Mary, and, Joe (Evan
Pappas, Michael Cantwell, Maria Friedman, and, Gareth
Snook) [713]
14. Our Time Part One - Frank (Michael Cantwell) [359]
15. Our Time Part Two - Frank, Charley, Mary, and Company (Michael
Cantwell, Evan Pappas, Maria Friedman, and, The Cast) [341]
16. Bows - Company (The Cast) [133]
17. Exit Music - Company (The Cast) [144]
Single CD:
CDTER1225
1. Overture - Orchestra [238]
2. Merrily We Roll Along - Company (The Cast) [346]
3. That Frank - Company (The Cast) [342]
4. Transition 1 - Company (The Cast) [113]
5. Old Friends/Like It Was - Mary and Charley (Maria Friedman and Evan
Pappas) [321]
6. Franklin Sheppard Inc. - Charley (Evan Pappas) [512]
7. Transition 2 - Company (The Cast) [052]
8. Old Friends - Frank, Charley, and, Mary (Michael
Cantwell, Evan Pappas, and, Maria Friedman) [353]
9. Growing Up Part One - Frank (Michael Cantwell) [334]
10. Growing Up part Two - Gussie (Louise Gold) [246]
11. Transition 3 - Company (The Cast) [047]
12. Not A Day Goes By Act One - Frank and
Beth (Michael Cantwell and Jacqueline Dankworth)
[145]
13. Now you Know - Scotty, Mary, Tyler, Frank, and Company (Matthew
White, Maria Friedman, Alan Mosley, Michael Cantwell,
and The Cast) [407]
14. Entraacte - Orchestra
[131]
15. Act Two Opening (Good Thing Going) - Gussie (Louise
Gold) [200]
16. Its A Hit! - Frank, Charley, Mary, Joe, Beth,
Theatregoers (Michael Cantwell, Evan Pappas, Maria Friedman,
Gareth Snook, Jacqueline Dankworth, and
the chorus) [405]
17. Transition 4 - Company (The Cast) [054]
18. The Blob - Gussie and Guests (Louise Gold and The Company)
[148]
19. Growing Up Act Two - Gussie and Frank (Louise Gold and Michael
Cantwell) [253]
20. Good Thing Going - Charley and Frank (Evan Pappas and Michael
Cantwell) [152]
21. The Blob Conclusion - Company (The Cast) [132]
22. Transition 5 - Company (The Cast) [045]
23. Bobby And Jackie And Jack - Charley, Frank, and, Beth (Evan Pappas,
Michael Cantwell, and, Jacqueline Dankworth)
[444]
24. Not A Day Goes By Act Two - Frank, Beth,
and, Mary (Michael Cantwell, Jacqueline Dankworth,
and, Maria Friedman) [200]
25. Transition 6 - Company (The Cast) [035]
26. Opening Doors - Charley, Frank, Mary, and, Joe (Evan
Pappas, Michael Cantwell, Maria Friedman, and, Gareth
Snook) [713]
27. Our Time (Parts One & Two) - Frank,
Charley, Mary, and Company (Michael Cantwell, Evan Pappas, Maria
Friedman, and, The Cast) [525]
The Cassette ZCTER, follows the same listing as the Single CD CDTER1245, with tracks 1 to 14 on Side A,
and tracks 15 to 27 on Side B.
According to the sleeve notes the only additional items included
on Double CD:
CDJAY2 1245
that are not on Single CD CDTER1245 are: the scene at the party where Gussie attacks Meg and tells Frank
they are finished, Michael Cantwells Our Time solo, and the Bows and Exit Music at the very end. However, in
actual fact, there is also around a further 7 minutes on the double CD that is
not on the single CD. This has been arrived at by cutting the lengths of
various tracks on the single CD. Although the sleeve notes give the track
lengths on the single CD as being the same as the double CD this is in fact not
the case. For example, on the track Growing Up part one, the dialog scene between Michael
Cantwell and Louise Gold (when Gussie announces that she has done
it - left Joe) is omitted from the single CD version, as is the spoken
dialogue by both Louise Gold and Michael Cantwell on the track Growing Up part two. Although the sleeve notes for
the single CD still list Louise Golds Gussie as featured on the Growing Up part one track, her part on that track is
omitted altogether from the single CD version. Similarly on the track where Evan
Pappas and Michael Cantwell sing Good Thing Going, part of Louise Golds
introductory dialogue, involving the line You are going to be able to say
I was there when... is cut. . It should also be mentioned that on the
single CD the two parts of the number Our Time are merged and cut. In the track listing above an attempt has
been made to give the actual lengths of the tracks on the single CD (which in
around half the cases are not those stated on the sleeve notes).
It is perhaps
worth noting that in Merrily We Roll Along, Gareth Snooks
character, Joe is that of a producer of Broadway Musicals. It turns out that in
the same year that he played Joe in MWRA, Gareth Snook (along with the
Queen of West End Musical Directors, Kate Young) produced a charity
production of The Hired Man at The Palace Theatre in London,
he also worked as a producer on a production of The King Of Comedy.
Michael Cantwell,
Louise Gold, Gareth Snook and Michelle Fine would be
reunited later that year in another Stephen Sondheim
musical Assassins
.
Maria Friedman and Louise Gold
had previously appeared together in: Kids At Heart,
they have gone on to appear together in A Time To Start Living, and, Sondheim At The Barbican. They also
appeared separately in Chicago & Company, and may have
appeared together in Will-Aid
Louise Gold and Michelle Fine were
also reunited on the JAY/TER recording of Stop The World I Want To Get Off.
Louise Gold and
Gareth
Snook later appeared on the JAY/TER recording
of On The
Town and Anything Goes (recording) - Website
Recommended Album.
Michael Cantwell, Louise Gold and Daniel Gillingwater were reunited several years later in One Touch Of Venus.
Louise Gold returned to The Leicester
Haymarket theatre two and a half years later to head the cast
(which included Alan Mosley) in Calamity Jane.
Louise Gold, Maria Friedman,
Jacqueline
Dankworth, Michael Cantwell,
Kate Copstick, Lucy Dixon,
and, Gareth
Snook subsequently appeared on the JAY/TER recording of Cabaret .
Maria Friedman is also featured on The History Of The Musical
John Kurlander
was also the engineer on Nunsense (recording)
Julian Kelly was also the conductor on
some of the tracks on Simply Musicals, The
Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales, The Great Musicals Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens,
and, The Best Of The Musicals.
Louise Gold under the
direction of Paul Kerryson
and the musical direction of Julian Kelly went on to appear
in the Sondheim musical Follies
Orchestrator Jonathan Tunicks own conducting can be found on The Greatest Musicals of the 20th Century.
Lucy Dixon, and, Michelle Fine
may have gone on to appear in Dear Ralph.
Jacqueline Dankworth,
Maria
Friedman, and, Louise Golds recording
credits include Centre Stage Showtime!.
Michael Cantwell, and, Louise Gold went on to appear in Mary Poppins,
and as part of The Company Of Mary Poppins
in a late night FUNdraising special.
Jacqueline Dankworths
recording credits include The Great Musicals Laughter And
Tears.
Jacqueline Dankworths
recording credits also include Magic Of The Musicals,
on which Julian Kellys conducting can also be found.
Gareth Snook,
Jacqueline
Dankworth, Evan Pappas,
and, Deidre
Forrest may have previously taken part in Thing A Thon,
which Maria Friedman was
involved with.
Jacqueline Dankworth,
Maria
Friedman, and, Julian Kellys recording
credits include 100 Hits Musicals.
.
Review
by Emma Shane
This is one of
those Sondheim albums where you either love it, or you hate it, and for
those of us who love it, it has often been a case of having grown to love it,
once one has got accustomed to it. For me this is best illustrated by my own
reaction to the song Good Thing Going. The first time I heard Good
Thing Going as sung by Louise Gold on the track Act Two
Opening, I hated it. The second time I heard it, thought (to borrow a
stock phrase from The Muppet Show) Well it wasnt that bad.
The third time I heard it, I could appreciate that the song, and in particular
Ms Golds interpretation of it was very clever, even though it was not to my
taste. The fourth time I heard the song (to borrow a phrase from Statler and Waldorf) I kinda liked it. And by the time I had heard it five
times, I had come right round to admiring and liking the song very much indeed,
and to thinking it is one of the most effective pieces of sheer performance
on the entire CD. The truth of the matter is Stephen Sondheim is such an
extraordinary subtle sophisticated song writer, and similarly Louise Gold
is such an extraordinary subtle sophisticated singer that sometimes it can take
a while for a listener to acquire the insight and understanding, necessary to
appreciate the ingenious complex artistry of an individual piece of their work,
especially when their incredible talents are combined.
Not all the
interpretations on the album, are quite as complicated as that. The three
ladies in particular each have their own moment at expressing sweet sincerity
combined with potent frustration: Jacqueline Dankworth
with the powerful Not A Day Goes By. Maria Friedman does
an incredible job with Like It Was sounding as if she really does
want it the way that it was, and who, after all hasnt sometimes felt such a longing.
While Louise Golds Gussie shows an unexpectedly tender side and sweet
voice singing Growing Up, which, besides being a wonderfully deep
and meaningful song in its own right, is one of the most beautifully sung
pieces on this recording.
There is much more
to this album, though, than moving lyricalness, Stephen
Sondheim is one of those very versatile songwriters, capable of writing
many different sorts of songs, and this album also abounds with some really
good, though sometimes quite dark, comedy numbers, such as: That Frank,
Franklin Shepard Inc, Now You Know, Its A
Hit, The Blob, Opening Doors, and one of my
favourites Bobby And Jackie And Jack. All of these seven stand
out in their own individual ways. That Frank is basically a
hilarious envious riot about a successful man. Sondheim describes the same
character in a much more sophisticated manner in Franklin Shepard Inc.
Brilliantly performed by Evan Pappas (it would be hard to find anyone
who could equal that performance of the song) it is a great number about the
frustrations of trying to work in partnership with an entrepreneur who is
always on the go with other projects. There is also an amount of sophistication
in Opening Doors, although mainly a hopeful song about young
people setting out to make their way in the world, they do encounter problems
and do not necessarily overcome them. Similarly Its A Hit,
although a cheerful upbeat number celebrating a successful opening night, also
reminds us of the down side to show business failure. It is put across by Michael
Cantwell, Evan Pappas, Maria Friedman, Gareth Snook, Jacqueline
Dankworth and the company with much heartfelt
feeling. Darker humour can also be found in the deceptively upbeat Now
You Know. The tune is upbeat, and this is basically a song about making
a fresh start and moving on in life after a trauma (such as divorce). New Yorks in set is
wickedly portrayed in The Blob. Sondheim is possibly one of the
greatest satirical writers to grace the America
musical theatre stage, and this number is performed by one of Britains
finest political satire performers, Louise Gold, here making some brave
efforts at fast tempo singing. More political satire can be found in Bobby
And Jackie And Jack, sung with great enthusiasm by the moderately good Michael
Cantwell, the excellent Evan Pappas and the marvellous Maria
Friedman. On the surface the song seems to be just a jolly romp about Richard
Nixon loosing a presidential election to the Kennedy clan. But on closer
inspection the song turns out to be a political satire about the Kennedys, and
a great introduction into learning who was who among them all, and in some ways
might even be seen as a sort of anthem to them (well if you enjoy political
satire it might). Its also noticeable on this particular track that Maria
Friedman does a good job with voices.
Clearly it is quite an album, especially if you admire the
sophisticated satire of Sondheims lyrics, and want to hear them
performed by sophisticated talented performers. That said, some people may
prefer to hear even Sondheims satire sung more directly, than some of
the artistes on this album do it. Louise Gold is a particularly good
example here, of a performer whos clever interpretations of Sondheims
highly intelligent work, may be too subtle and sophisticated for some
listeners. It is also the case that when listening to the album one may need to
persevere for a while, you will not necessarily get it the first time, or
even the second or third time. That said, if you admire the kind of performers
who appear on this album, especially either: Maria Friedman, Louise
Gold, or Evan Pappas, then it is certainly an album well worth
getting, because they have some terrific material to display their talents
with.
This leaves one with the important question, when
considering the CD, of whether it is worth getting the Double CD or if the
Single will suffice. By and large the single CD does give a very good summary
of recording, and of all the great performances. Of the four tracks that are
cut completely I think that 3 of them one can certainly do without. The only
one which I really miss on the single CD is the half a minute scene from the
party, where Gussie tells Frank they are finished. If one of your main reasons
for choosing this CD is that you are a fan of Louise Golds, then this
scene makes the double CD something of a must, as she has a superb half a
minute displaying her dramatic acting skills as Gussie gets her revenge on Meg,
and Frank. Then there is the matter of the 7 minutes made up of cuts from
various tracks, most of these are dialog bits, and the songs are certainly
listenable and understandable without them. However, this is a cast album
recording of songs from an actual show, made by a group of actors who were
actually in the production, and personally I think the dialog excerpts help to
give one an idea of what it must have been like to see them perform this show.
In addition some of these actors, such as Evan Pappas, Michael
Cantwell, and Louise Gold, really do speak good dialog rather well,
with much feeling, so it is a shame not to hear them do so. Therefore although
the single CD is certainly satisfactory in giving a good summary and flavour of
the show, it is much more than a mere highlights album; if you can afford it,
then the double CD is just that bit better and well worth having; especially if
you are a fan of either Louise Gold or Michael Cantwell, in
particular. But the single version is certainly better than not buying it at
all.
Critics Comments
The off-Broadway
cast recording (Varese-Sarabande) has immense clarity
and authentic American accents, something distinctly lacking in the Leicester
Haymarket recording (TER), aside from the excellent Evan Pappas and a sparky Louise Gold. Still the Leicester
actors make up for that in sheer guts, giving this recording an edge on its
rival. David Benedict, BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE, July 1996, pages 50 to 53 (Article
titled: Building A Library: Musical Theatre Works Of Stephen Sondheim).
"Well
mostly Louise Gold sings the hell out of Good Thing Going as Gussie in
Merrily doing the stage version of Good Thing Going, which is mostly not a
good thing, but it is very very funny, as you see
this nice sensitive song sung at the piano by these two guys becoming anything
but sensitive in her approach to it" Gordon Carruthers
(Castrecal List Member)
Links about Merrily We Roll Along
(Recording)
JAY Records page for this recording: http://www.jayrecords.com/jay/site/pages/recordings/merrilyweroll/recording.htm
Eur.Com Musicals
listing for this recording: http://www.eur.com/musicals/rec.cfm?TNumber=407&RNumber=1496
Sondheim
Guide page for Merrily We Roll Along: http://www.geocities.com/sondheimguide/merrily.html
About Maria
page for Merrily We Roll Along: http://www.aboutmaria.com/merrilywerollalong.html
Cast Album.org
databases entry for this album: http://www.castalbums.org/recordings/1624
Hit That CDs
review including one for this album: http://www.germanbooks88.com/music61/hit_that_cd_single_import.html
FYE.coms
page for the album: http://www.fye.com/Merrily-We-Roll-Along--1992-Leicester-Haymarket-Theatre-Cast---Complete--Front-Page_stcVVproductId1083858VVcatId455366VVviewprod.htm
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