Dorothy Loudon - Sondheim Losing My Mind Medley

[Dionaysia]

Fabulous performance, true to both songs in their originals, and coming up with a new meld of her own, deeply creative and wonderful in itself. Bravissima Magistra!

[jmd26]

I was there. 18 years old. It was totally sold out but I waited in the lobby for 7 hours for a cancellation. Finally one came in. A great night.

[GothamFlack]

It is criminal that this lady died in her prime -- enduring years and years of flops, finally a hit, then a flop, and never really got the chance to be recognized as the bona fide A-List talent she was. I was lucky to catch her in ANNIE, SWEENEY TODD (after Angela Lansbury), and an Ernest Thompson play WEST SIDE WALTZ (w/Kate Hepburn). She might have been able to make SUNSET BOULEVARD a hit (and could have demanded better material where she thought she needed it from ALW & Co., and gotten it) .

[PureSoapCleans]

Fantastic!!! I am applauding from my chair here at home.

[bc9021010001]

A true original. No one like her before or since.

[megarouge2001]

I saw her on Broadway in Annie waaaaay back when.

[cjm608]

POSITIVE PERFECTION

[boynamedalexxx]

That dress is....ugh. But this woman is amazing, and no one else but her could meld these two numbers in a fashion that feels so organic yet so insane...but oh, so right.

[Reblexable]

Class ;-)

[tg34728]

I never knew her in person but I miss her.

[blockra55]

More than brilliant.

[popazz1]

Listen to this and WEEP Liza Minnelli!

[masonmcfadden]

This is one of the best performances I've ever seen. I have watched it many times, and I feel so many emotions when I watch it - want to laugh, want to cry, want to laugh, want to cry. SHEER GENIUS. It makes me want to be a performer and an audience member. Her facial expressions are BRILLIANT. And then her voice and the weight of the composition. BRAVO, BRAVO!!!!

[OldHollywoodLove]

wonderful!

[flight69twa]

she is awesome

[hillevifan]

The one person that dislikes this performance could REALLY drive a person crazy. DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO

[sesresu]

BRILLIANT - THE BEST POSTING ON YOUTUBE EVER

[Merkin4pres64]

One of the best Sondheim performances. Period.

[646guy]

The epitome of American musical comedy enveloped in 2 songs by the same composer and sung by a theatre legend.  This performance should be studied, dissected and looked upon how to sell a line, a lyric, and a song by anyone who dreams of stepping foot on a broadway stage...

[24Headsup]

Amazing

[jamielen68]

One of my favorite performances of all time. Dorothy Loudon. A treasure.

[Tazal]

i always loved dorothy loudin since Annie. i truely miss her! she could bring down a house

[2563titus]

Fantastic!!!

[genia106]

Exquisite...

Two Masters

Louden and Sondheim....

[dago942]

BRILLIANT. I am obsessed wit this. she is such an incredible performer.

[carolineorchange21]

1:05 bliss

[Peter125o]

I think they laugh at the word "Drag" because she sings "I can understand a person, if the person is a .... drag" and she gives the impression that she does not understand a Drag at all. At least that's what I hear in it and I think she does that so brilliantly, makes me laugh everytime (and I've watched this a lot).

[1618hp]

@Peter125o No they're laughing because in Sondheim's original lyrics for Company the song goes "I could understand a person if a person is a f**" which was obviously a more socially acceptable lyric in the 70s when the show was originally produced. Most later versions of You Could Drive a Person Crazy are censored.

[Joeinps]

@Peter125o FAG...IT'S IN THE ORIGINAL LYRICS !

[harry1923]

brilliant!!!!!!!

[sbrownie]

Good God!...one of the best performances EVER.

[stormybeirut]

I keep coming back to this video and understanding it more every time.

[fontenayperi]

why do people laugh at 3.52??

[dirtyblondny]

@fontenayperi the original word is fag not drag. the audience knows this. however on television you couldn't say fag....

[fontenayperi]

@dirtyblondny thanks a lot :)

[boynamedalexxx]

@dirtyblondny Well, Sondheim said that when he wrote the song, 'Fag' didn't carry the same weight it does today. He explained that when the show was revived, the lyric made the show seem dated, so he changed it. The intent of the line always meant "if he happened to be gay", but if it was sung as it was originally now, the 3 girls would seem homophobic, which they're not, and people would stop and think about it. It takes away from the song. The revised lyric is superior.

[sbrownie]

@fontenayperi

i think 'drag', as in 'drag queen'...

[Joeinps]

@sbrownie THE WORD WAS FAG...TRUST ME , SHE SANG IT MANY TIMES IN MY LIVING ROOM !!

[rawmark]

Dorothy, what a tremendous talent you were. I'm so sorry you left us so soon but thankful that we have a few movies you were in and a few videos to remember you by. Cheers.

[BlanchFury]

best ever!

[Pywacket2]

What a fabulous comedianne and performer. Love those sleeves too.

[Peter125o]

BTW great coordination with the excellent orchestra!

[Peter125o]

She made herself immortal, at least on my hard disk. This is interpreting a song at its fullest. Numerous little things are great (a .... drag / ... want you even more..).

My all time favorite youtube movie.

Thanks Dorothy...

[Ringkichardthethird]

I love this. Going from a deeply felt, serious rendition of one of the great torch songs, then turning it on it's head to make it, when it returns, into a comic masterpiece.

[pkring]

OUTSTANDING! Listen to that CROWD going NUTS at the end! Simply amazing.

[edwardjames50]

I remember seeing this when it was first broadcast; was it a Sondheim tribute, or the Tony Awards? When I was a child Ms. Loudon was a regular on "The Garry Moore Show;" who knew she would be come a Broadway legend? I agree with other posters; she is sorely missed!

[SmileyFace4646]

@edwardjames50 it was an all sondheim concert. my dad got the dvd for christmas and I was bored so I decided to watch it

[MRDINK513]

A truly crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy wonderful performance! Her vocal skill and her heart felt acting make this performance spectacular.

[Brent227]

I can see why she won a Tony... fantastic voice and acting!

[bushnjail]

One of the true greats of the stage. What a joy to watch. As a previous poster noted, Dorothy Loudon was of a different era when talent wasn't created by editing and mixing. God rest your soul, Dorothy. You are greatly missed.

[VJTOMYAZ]

YES! amazing!

[kylejerel]

I give this a standing O!!!!

[Joeinps]

Not only did she " NAIL' the songs , as she always did , but she made the dress too !

[Splurge24]

GOD, THIS WOMAN IS SO AMAZING!!!!! Dorothy Loudon, you are a legend and I will never forget you!

[jaimicakes]

She's just so mind-blowingly good.

[etraig]

she knitted them together so well, and looked like she was having an emotional breakdown while doing it.

saw this when it aired. loved it, thanks for posting.

[amassey4]

I think I'm in love.

[banthonywhite]

Perfect

[illinoisalex]

No one can do this like she did...

[azgr8chest]

BRAVO...THE BEST...GENIUS...

ORIGINAL....A TRUE TALENT..

and if she were on american idol she would be voted off...THA'TS HOW LOW THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS SUNK

DOROTHY WAS ONE OF A KIND

WE MISS YOU...

[randomjunglist]

i know, right? american musicals have degraded to Shrek and Borat the musical :\

[602funnybone]

The fabulous Ms Loudon came from a time when you had to be truly talented, and want to actually put effort into your career. Getting on stage was the goal, not instant fame. I love the TRUE divas that have graced the stages of theateres around the world, not the posers that have to be remixed, overdubbed, and half naked in order to sell a cd these days

[joshmans14]

those wild EYES make the performance

[11777766]

Dorothy Loudon can't be matched with this clever medly and its delivery.  .She opened this Sondheim celebration at Carnegie Hall444444444

[11777766]

in 1992. She was always this appealing, with a voice that you never could forget, And she really stole the spotlight from CArol Burnett, Barbara Cook, George Hearne, Lee Remick and Hadley on that great night !

[kenmb109]

Wonderful, thanks so much. I believe this was Ms. Loudon's last Broadway show...a revue called 'Comedy Tonight.' Sublime as always.

[Kevn520]

As the info accompanying this states, "This video is an excerpt from the highly recommended 1992 concert DVD "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall"."

It is indeed sublime, and is one of my favorite performances of both songs.