"A Weekend in the Country" - A Little Night Music

[thumbalina991]

Maureen looks like Sarah Brightman :P But she is wonderful! I love her.

[90lysander]

@thumbalina991 Hmmm, I think Beverly Lambert looks like Sarah, not Maureen.

[Fraga1ma]

Damn... the guy playing Henrik at 5:35 is damn good

[sianround]

Best version of this song out there

[pudgeuncle]

@sianround Agreed. Even better than the original..which I loved. Everyone is perfect here.

[morthim]

lovely

[TMikelL]

This is my favorite production of A Little Night Music, in great part because of Maureen Moore, whom I have the privilege to meet several times. I agree, this role was made for her and it is a pity it did not transfer.

[UncleCharlieOakley]

@TMikelL Were you lucky enough to see the original production?

[TalkBackGirls]

DANIELLE FERLAND! <3<3<3

[kwmv]

Thank goodness. The Library of Congress has three copies of this production! Call number: [VBH 0761-0763]

[Theatrerick]

Awesome and incredible performance!

[MsSoundguy]

God, I love live theater!

[TheLilliJacobs]

Beverly is my vocal teacher! ( the one with black hair and the pink dress) i love her so much! she is PHENOMINAL<33

[sweeney60]

This is a spectacular show stopper.

[1066anglophile]

I love how it takes the audience a measure to laugh at the "Watching little things grow" (it took me that long too :D)

[stevethepirate78]

The young girl was also in Sunday in the Park with George. Sondheim must love her. I find her annoying, but the rest of the cast was flawless. Best ever for this show.

[rkt739]

when I saw this on Broadway, the actress playing Petra had been in the Garfunkel episode of Flight of the Conchords

[bigblonde26]

This. Is. FLAWLESS.

[woahjustintime]

the 'Oh no!'s are brilliant!

[thespian1466]

Is the daughter the actress who was Little Red in "Into the Woods"?

[broadwaybaby1986]

@thespian1466 Yup and she is acting just like Little Red too.... haha Not much variety in her acting

[GahoolienFlyte208]

im gonna b in this!!!!!!

[woahjustintime]

@GahoolienFlyte208 And me! :D

[SuperRandomAccount12]

who ever played charlotte was great :)

[bookwo3107]

For people asking for a DVD of this production: this performance doesn't come from the Live at Lincoln Center broadcast (which is not available on DVD), but rather from the Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall which you can get easily on Amazon. Note that it's just numbers from a variety of his shows done by a few different performers, which range from excellent to... completely skippable. Still the excellent ones are really excellent.

[venusazaboy]

That was just AWESOME! Sondheim is at his best with this musical number. I just love his stuff. I am going to see it on Broadway this weekend with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch and I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! Such complicated music and very clever. LOVE IT!!!

[companythemusical]

best production ever

[MrRobertofesta]

i've just seen the current Broadway revival. But the Lincoln edition remains the best one

[mkohram]

Does anyone know how many times I have to watch this to get tired of it? It's simply amazing but I have a lot of work to do!

[vgman10101]

@mkohram No I can not tell you, because I have yet to grow tired of it.

Favorite part: after Henrik's solo and everyone is lined up and rushes downstage in their 'weekend' outfits. Shows that simply the action of walking in unison can alter the mood of a stage. :) LOVE THIS.

[hpdramareader91]

The girl playing Fredrika is in Into The Woods as well! So funny there.

[90lysander]

@hpdramareader91 So annoying here. Gosh.  Can she BE any more annoying?

[Simplysims001]

@hpdramareader91 Lol ya once she started talking I knew it! But Sondheim likes to reuse his actors so that's probably why but I love Danielle Ferland she's really funny!!

[sweeney60]

@Simplysims001 True, and you have to admit that Danielle is a dead ringer for Sally's daughter.

[bway1497]

@hpdramareader91 I probably wouldn't have noticed that if you didn't say it. That's awesome! Both excellent shows...

[bannanahamock99]

petra is far too old, since when should she be older than anne?

[EightballRus]

@bannanahamock99 Why not? She's her maid dear.

[andrewwinans]

BRILLIANT!

[americanboy99]

Maureen Moore was born for this role. If this would've transferred, a Tony would've been hers.

[Tallypt]

@americanboy99 Yet she wasn't even nominated for the drama desk award! (though Regina Resnik was)

[missjackson9191]

We're performing this at my college for the Fall semester show! I cannot wait to see it put together! Sondheim is a God amongst all theatre people!

[Broadway3]

watching little things grow! ahahahahahaha

[kmilacl101]

Sondheim, why so brilliant?!

Seriously though.. I love this man. Saw the revival and probably it was the best 3 hours I've ever lived

[thearter12]

@kmilacl101 I AGREE!! I'm only 14 years old, and saw the revival.. It was AMAZING! Which is kinda weird for a 14 year old to say about a musical with this theme... haha.. Best musical i have ever seen. Trust me i have seen A LOT! :)

[HelenaKoonings]

It's that woman, it's that Armfeldt!

Oh, the actress?

No, the ghoul!

and

Wear your hair down, and a flower,

Don't use makeup, dress in white.

She'll grow older by the hour

And be hopelessly shattered by Saturday night.

LMAO, genius



[HelenaKoonings]

It's that woman, it's that Armfeldt!

Oh, the actress?

No, the ghoul!

LMAO

[Eponine24601]

Charlotte is wonderful.

[3Love86]

The girl playing Fredrika should be talking brittish as well.

[tonywrestles2]

@3Love86 That's Danielle Ferland--aka, the original Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods.

[Sixmonte]

I'm obsessed with 6:41

[Sixmonte]

I'm obsessed with 6:41

[Sixmonte]

AMAZING stage direction! WOW! This is the best

[Dalthis555]

I love Sondheim's music! It's so complex and enticing. =D

[wannabe1491]

I keep asking you, but I'll ask again... GET THE REST UP! Especially with the revival out, you have the opportunity to share this awesomeness with a lot of people!!!!

[martinjp1958]

That soprano!!

[jimvince2]

Always cheers me up - and makes me want to cheer! Such timing at the end.

[sailboi69]

Wasn't this the New York Opera Company production?

[moorewjr]

McFarland seems so utterly uncomfortable with her body and voice.

[dudewheresmydignity]

Danielle Ferland :)

[WWEQAF]

GOOSEBUMPSSSSSSSSSSS

Favorite song from this show

[Shroder98]

AMEN Tenortobe...I'm all about the huge orchestras...sounds freakin amazing!! The current broadway production sounds so blahhh...sounds like they only have 5 orchestra members!

[cnmaster01]

@Shroder98 there's a time and a place for everything. on the stage of the Lincoln center a large orchestra with lush orchestrations does wonders, but in the Walter Kerr a smaller more intimate arrangement is called for, but i did think they went too small at moments especially send in the clowns. as for a recording i wouldn't pay a cent for the new cast record when the purchase cost of could let me hire some piano trio and chamber choir to play it for me personally

[tenortobe]

I agree, Splurge! Pretty boss. The orchestra's spot on, too. Maybe because they use all the instruments. Not a fan of the recent trend of scaling down the orchestra. Regina Resnick iz the shiznit!

[Splurge24]

Pardon my language... BUT THAT WAS SOME FUCKING WORLD CLASS SHIT!!!!!! BRAVO!!!

[afboyfw]

let me ammend my comment to say that maureen moore is fabulous in this role...

[afboyfw]

this is obviously a group of singers, not actors.... hearing them talk hurts my ears it is so forced and "im in a play". I also dont think a maid of this period would wear her hair down....

[Mangalsews]

You're absolutely right servants and maids only wore their hair loose or "down" on Bank holidays when on holiday and off the work premises- hence the expression: letting your hair down. Anne, the adult wearing her hair down isn't a maid. For this production it's a form of en déshabillé indicating that she's is a newly married and very, very young wife probably married in her first débutante season, to Fredrik Egerman, a middle aged man.

[delidude1999]

@afboyfw i agree i likethe singing but the acting is not great--but sally anne howes is an actress

[trappa]

how do I get my hands on a copy of this?

[fawningfan]

This show was part of "Live From Lincoln Center" on PBS. All of the performances from that series are one-shot deals. They appear on PBS once, no repeats, no DVDs, no nothing. This has to do with costs mostly - rights and royalties and such, as well as contracts and agreements. All you can hope for is a bootleg. This used to be available on eBay but they've really cracked down on bootlegs. One slips through occasionally, you have to be diligent-and ready to pay a LOT!  Hope this helps.

[joetresh]

I LOVE this production! I wore out my VHS recording of it.

[RyanFrenk]

Beverly Lambert's voice is magnificent in this show! I wish there was a recording of her Fiona in Brigadoon from the same opera company.

[SamSkii14]

DANIELLE FERLAND!

I didnt know she was in this!

[ev13191]

the last chord is ridiculous. i think they're singing eight parts (including octaves)...so amazing.

[Splurge24]

@ev13191 What a surprise to see you commenting on a Sondheim clip! ;)

[ev13191]

@Splurge24 I JUST realized that "splurge" rhymes with Serg. I'm brilliant, no? And yes, huge surprise to see me commenting on one of the most amazing musical theater clips that exists on youtube. =]

[Splurge24]

@ev13191 I am now obsessively watching clips from this production, lol :) ...It's a wink and a wiggle and a giggle in the grass and I'll trip the light fandango!

[beckerman88]

Is there a DVD of this production??

[beckerman88]

I saw a preview performance of the Zeta-Jones/Lansberry revival last week. Petra is much younger and racier in that version. Also, in the revival, the three main characters are great, but the supporting characters are weaker than those here. Maureen Moore is perfect here as the Countess.

[linnetgoon]

Charlotte is perfect here, but I disagree with Petra's casting.

[KaraokeKid22]

what exactly is this, because there hasnt been a broadway revival ever and the date's 1990, not 1973, so can someone please help me, i did read the description bar, im just not clear

[yaypartyline]

This is the New York City Opera, so not technically a Broadway revival, on a Live From Lincoln Center broadcast.

[adamskyb]

@KaraokeKid22 Angela Lansbury is in this month. Also with Catherin Zeta Jones

[KaraokeKid22]

thanks, but i know about the current revival, i was just asking what this was

but thatnks for responding

[aqtimmy89]

@KaraokeKid22 This is the New York Opera's production. It is not technically considered a revival because an Opera company did it, and Opera houses are not considered legit Broadway theatres.

[Scott89119]

I can't get over how perfectly done and classy this production is.

[davidleavell420]

And what about the DIVINE Sally Ann Howe as DESIREE??? :O)

This was a FABULOUS PRODUCTION--Indeed!! LOVE IT....:O)

The REVIVAL will, SURELY, be a SMASHING TRIUMPH!!! :O)

LONG LIVE "A Little Night Music" and its FATHER, MSR. SONDHEIM!!! :O)

[cbiswhite]

Can't wait to see the Broadway revival next month! It better be flawless!

[gpedraza93]

flawless. the woman that plays charlotte is so good, excellent/

[Melensko]

and dont forget the ever wonderful angela lansbury behind the wheels of the character Madame Armfeldt. :)

[Psyprass]

Ah! I recognise one of the actors, the character with the gun. He played Enjolras in the 10th Anniversary Les Miserables concert. I KNEW I recognised that voice.

[VBLiteratureLovaVB]

i know i love his voice! his name is michael maguire

[banthonywhite]

The "Aha, Aha! Aha?" gets me every time.

[elphabelle07]

I was thinking how much I would LOVE to play Anne. And then I thought...Petra's an awesome part too. THEN I thought when I'm older Charlotte would be a blast. There are very few musicals where every female part is awesome. I love this musical.

[carolineorchange21]

there ARE only a few - and they're mostly Sondheim shows :) there isn't even A bad role in 'Follies'. So rare to achieve.

[gpedraza93]

o my god, that was awesome, incredlible......im performigmn this in decemeber

[OldieMusicMan]

Wonderful! Who are you playing?

[OldieMusicMan]

:) That's good. How's your singing?

[gpedraza93]

real good!

[dqmargerit]

In my opinion, this production is the definitive one of this, my favorite, musical. All of the cast is incredible, but of special note is Maureen Moore who plays the Countess. Her comic timing is amazing. Her best moments in this number are "Oh My God..." and when she passes the invitation without even looking at it. She's brilliant! So dry and acerbic, and at the same time, able to deliver poignant lines with such passionate repression. Brava!

[MrPEIcanada]

thanks so much for posting this... i've loved this song for years but i've never seen it live on stage...much appreciated

[Melensko]

haha its little red riding hood from into the woods!

[uberdork987]

I KNEW IT!

[multimill]

This has to be one of, if not THE best musical theatre song ever written.

[SondheimFanatic1]

Not as charming as the original.

[wannabe1491]

you really must upload the rest.  I'm so excited now!!!!!

[jackybbe90]

danielle ferland is the only dissapointing thing in this video, she seems so wooden and out of place

[delidude1999]

they should have cast somone closer to the character's age

[joca67]

yes it is her

[misspinaberry]

Is the little girl who talks to Desere played by the same girl who played Little Red Riding Hood in the production of Into the Woods that was taped with Bernadette Peters as the witch?

[littlelovely4]

Yes!

[wshutes]

Yes, that is her

[Scott89119]

Yes thats the same actress.

[Iselledoll]

Yes. I think so.

[GreyEyesCrying]

yupp, Danielle Ferland

[SeanMan87]

YES!

[HelenaKoonings]

@misspinaberry Yup, that's Danielle Ferland. She plays Frederika here.

[Scott89119]

Oh this is amazing. I cannot wait till it gets its revival on Broadway later this year.

[savira]

How can I get a copy of this whole thing??

[AtLastOnTheGround]

"Guess what, an invitation!"

-"Guess who begins with an 'A'? Armfeldt. Is that a relation to the decrepid Desiree?"

Okay, seriously Sondheim, how do you do it?! This is BRILLIANTLY written.

[trictrac320]

Perfect cast, best production

[Capricaquarius89]

Amen!

[die4meandonlyme]

I absolutely love this. I'm currently playing Petra. We have three more shows to do this weekend, and oh no, I'm sick! O_O What a horrible time to get a head cold! Good thing The Miller's Son is all chest voice. =P

[lorkell]

2 things....

I love the inhale Anne takes after, "Madame Leanora Armfel- OH NOEZ!!!!"

And I love "nyaha!!!!"

[lilyluvsdawestend]

this is class! the production in london atm is amazing! go and see it! jessie buckley is brilliant as anne. 10 times better than this anne. (:

[FridayNightGirl307]

that anne is my singing teacher

[Frog114]

Wonderful song. Beautiful performances by all! :) "watching little things grow" oh my. Stephen Sondheim you make my life!

[kudos4kkms]

My god. That ending chord. Goosebumps every time.

[EtrangerStranger]

UGH!

This is absolutely brilliant!

I have watched this dozens of times and I swear it only gets better.

The Charlotte in this production isn't the best singer but she acts the HELL out of that role, she's great.

Bravo to everyone in this truly spectacular show!

[lorkell]

LITTLE RED!!!!

[emmypoo9210]

oh my gosh! i think so =]

[Drelnis]

Best version on YouTube yet, of course with all the university and minor theatre productions, what could beat a Sondheim at the Lincoln Center?

[BleakleyCutler]

saw it on saturday...ITS AMAZING!

i had thing song in my head all through the interval, its so catchy!

Jessie Buckley is wicked as Anne :)

[chicago2]

Did we see the same production? The Menier production lacked SO much humor (at least in Act 1).

[Ekir75]

I totally agree.  It was a very dry production IMO.

[jackchristierules]

this is good! but the production at the menier is soooooo much better!!!! loved it!

[frenchbartender]

Maureen Moore as Charlotte is truly brilliant.  The perfect amount of sass and subtlety.

[LaMusicaVa]

This song is exactly like the first half of a good Agatha Christie novel! Honestly, it makes me wonder if Sondheim ever read 'The Hollow' or 'The Shadow On the Glass.' :)

[meredithchandler73]

I love this number so much! Maureen Moore is especially wonderful as Charlotte.

[airinkincaid]

Does this exist as a video one can purchase?

[AtLastOnTheGround]

"Guess who begins with an 'A'? Armfeldt. Is that a realtion to the decrepit Desiree?"

Oh, Sondheim; you are a God among men. : ]

[jmartin18rdb]

Not seeing Danielle Ferland in red is soo weird. lol.

[cmjohnson513]

agreed! soo strange, how uneasy i feel lol

[BakingAccident]

This is just one of the funniest things I have ever seen, its sufficiently brilliant for my likings ;)

Favourited etc :)

x

[MissiCharli]

Could you please tell me which one Anne is on the video because I think Jessie Buckley is playing Anne and I want to know which one she is. Thank you. x

[ashcass]

The girl with the dark hair in the lilac is Anne

[missboulay]

Actually, Anne is played by Beverly Lambert and, as already answered, is the woman in lilac.

[MissiCharli]

Yes, I understand that. Jessie will be playing Anne in the new cast at Menier Chocolate Factory. That was why I was asking.

[PunkNDisorderly3]

and Jess is miles better than this girl.. but my view is bias lol

[MissiCharli]

I'm going soon!!!!!!!!!

[Christinasvenska]

Maureen Moore is absolutely fabulous!!!

[phoenixnyc]

Yes, she is. At the risk of committing sacrilege, I saw her when she was subbing for Bernadette Peters in Gypsy, and I didn't regret it at all.

[EugLoven]

UTTER HAIR-RAISING CHILLS!!!

[woodburyu]

this videp makes me cry!!! i love it!

[solisef]

where little things grow :)

[CrazyPiccilist]

This song is one of the highlights of the show. It carries much more energy than the rest. The counterpoint is great too, sondheim could always pull it off better than andrew lloyd weber.

[phoenixnyc]

And what's really funny is that this is the number that gave Sondheim the hardest time in the show. He couldn't figure out what to write for this, because the only thing these people had in common was that they were spending a weekend in the country.

(cue sound of light bulb going on over head :D)

[jaspar38]

The story that I heard was that Sondheim could not get this song to save his life, so he told the actors to improvise the scene as their characters. He observed, and that night the song was created. I'm not sure if it's just theatre lore, but either way, great song!

[BakingAccident]

thats an interesting story nonetheless!

[jollified]

If that's true that is one of the greatest things I've ever heard. I love this song!

[phoenixnyc]

Never heard the improvisation part, but I do know that the song itself gave him fits--Sondheim writes songs very specifically for his characters, and the only thing all these people had in common was that they were going to be in the same place at the same time.

[safeinpants]

What I read is that Harold Prince, the director, worked out the action with the actors first, and then Sondheim wrote the song to fit what had been planned out on stage.

[PSgirl21]

heyy the girl in the pink dress was from into the woods! she played little red..

[BroadwayTJ]

she also was in Sunday in the Park with George.

[bohemiawelcumsyou]

Maureen Moore is such a fantastic actress, perfect comedic timing as well.

[TexasPhoneMan]

Wonderful show and wonderfully complex song to bring the first act curtain down!

Supposedly the only "humable" song from a Sondheim show..... Sondheim responded with something like: "Why shouldn't they (the audience) hum it? They just heard it 32 times in the last twelve minutes." ROFL

[ElissaandMelissa]

the lady with the basket is my voice teacher! :)

[showersinger34]

that is SO COOL!!!

[VonCouch]

Got to play the Count in a concert version of this. Damn that was fun. Nothing like feeling seething hatred radiating from the audience.

[GreyEyesCrying]

lol, well if they hated your character it means you played it well ;D

I played a murderess in a show once and had kids in the hallways shooting me dirty looks!

[VonCouch]

Oh, I loved it. Nothing like playing a great villain. In Praise Of Women got the energy flowing, but by the time Every Day A Little Death went on the hate was so palpable I could taste it :)

[bibilymelo415]

this is the hardest number to perform ever

its quite the hardest song sondheim ever wrote

i have to perform it, and ive just started it and its a challenge!