re: Julie Benko re: What would the performers who dropped out have performed?
Posted by: AlanScott 07:37 pm EDT 06/21/24
In reply to: Julie Benko re: What would the performers who dropped out have performed? - Marlo*Manners 04:55 pm EDT 06/21/24

What was performed last night was the original Broadway version of "The Right Girl." The ending you are talking about was performed when the tryout opened in Boston. For some reason, that ending was used on the cast recording, and also the dance music was largely cut on the recording.

At a public question-and-answer session once, I asked Sondheim why this change was made for the cast recording, and he had no idea what I was talking about. He had completely forgotten. I guess we all listened to the cast recording more than he did.

Later, he seemed to prefer the Boston and cast recording ending, yet in Finishing the Hat, he included only the original Broadway ending, seemingly having forgotten what he by then preferred or perhaps he just didn't check the galleys very carefully. It amazes me that no one who was working on the book noticed this and mentioned it to him, but the editorial team seemed to have been inept at fact-checking or even knowing Sondheim's scores very well.

The other ending was included Look, I Made a Hat in an appendix of oversights. Although, oddly, he wrote that the ending in Finishing the Hat was the original one he wrote, which I am pretty sure is not correct.

In the 2001 TCG publication of the revised script (more or less what was used in the Roundabout production), the Boston and cast recording ending is there, as that is what was used in that production. Most productions nowadays do not cast a dancer as Buddy and so the dance music is largely cut, necessitating this ending.
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