It is amazing that I remember Gemma Craven's songs perfectly after not having sung them since the late 70's! They are all in my mind, ready to be summoned upon hearing the music. 40 years have not erased them. This is an English production, and I think the beautiful pronunciation was part of its charm. I had never seen such a musical before and it enchanted me. So glad to see it again.
I saw this in 1979 on PBS. I also remembered it for all these years, never seeing it again until the recent revival! Gemma Craven's vocals are exquisite, all cast members are outstanding! Thanks for posting it!
Not mentioned in the description but that's Aubrey Woods (the candy shop owner in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) as the Head Waiter! Great performance, he makes the most of "Romantic Atmosphere"
Oh wow! I haven't seen this for at least 25 years!!! When i was a very young girl my mom recorded this off channel 9, KQED the local PBS. For years at some point around Christmas someone would pop it in the VCR. To this day, my brother and I still quote all sorts of random parts as well as burst out in song, sharing our memories, bonding anew. I know the entire thing, word for word!!! (very few errors, but some). After i moved out on my own, "home" changed. Proving in a literal sense that you can't ever go back home. My mother ended up remarrying, they moved and at some point the VHS tape was lost -to my horror! I had been trying to figure out how to go about trying to locate a copy of it for a year or two now. Just on a whim today i decided to search here on you tube. I found this in under 3 minutes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This is wonderful!!
I too originally saw this on my local PBS back in the Seventies and copied it on VHS. I have watched this link several times around Christmastime and would like to thank the uploader for the thoughtful gift!
Now THIS is a real treat! Not every day you get to see a complete '70s episode of Great Performances! (This is, of course, coming from a fan of old-school PBS.)
When I saw this on PBS in 1978, I simply loved it! I learned all the songs, how I don't know as they go by so fast. The musical was charming and unconventional. My mother told me it was based on The Shop Around the Corner, a 1940 film I had never heard of, unsurprisingly. I adored Robin Ellis and Gemma Craven, and sang all her songs - they were perfect for my voice, then at least. What memories!
SHE LOVES ME has been on the top of my list for THE BEST MUSICAL COMEDIES AROUND. In fact, in the early 80's a friend lent me a tape he'd made of the PBS screening of the BBC production, including the interview after the show. Looking at your copy I'd swear they were the same copy. At any rate, I just transferred it to a dvd so it can last longer....in't it the most wonderful confection....truly makes the MGM film with Jimmy Stewart grail like. Thanks for sharing it with so many!!!!!!!!!!!
I just watched my blu Ray of Gemma Craven’s performance in The Slipper And The Rose and then went searching specifically for this. Thanks for uploading this little gem since I couldn’t find it anywhere else. It’s too bad it hasn’t not been released on dvd.
Bless you for posting this. It's perhaps my favorite stage musical adapted for television. Perfectly cast -- Robin Ellis and Gemma Craven as the leads in particular, but everyone -- smartly condensed, inventively directed and just plain wonderful. Thanks ever so much.
1:24:30 This is my second favorite moment in this musical. As a bibliophile, this might serve as anthem to all readers everywhere. Nothing like reading a book over hot chocolate or tea. It's great!
This has been our favorite musical since we saw the Roundabout revival a couple decades ago. We've seen a couple other productions, but didn't think there was anything recorded. Thank you, thank you, for finding and sharing this production.
Ooh I'm so glad you can at least see this! I'm not sure if they'll let me keep it up, but I've just uploaded a recording of the stage production too. I hope you get to see it live someday though!
I'm weeping at the beautiful concluding scene! So well acted and presented! Such a sweet joy in a difficult era. Thank you for posting this poignant and lovely musical.❤
Amalia, thank you so much. I saw the original Broadway production starring Barbara Cook, Daniel Massey, and Jack Cassidy. Sadly, that was not put on video or film, and I'm certainly glad that this was, and that you're sharing it with us.
I saw this movie way back when it was aired on pbs tv. Back then you saw it once and that was it. Especially being a BBC production. I thought about it for years, even remembered some of the tunes. I thought I would never find it. And lo here it is posted. It was a great musical, with great performances, staging and music to match. A real gem. Thankyou Amaliia Nowack.
This BBC production was the very reason I bought a VCR to record it.... and I still have that reproduction. Thank you for uploading it so others can enjoy this musical too. A+ performance for everyone, especially Gemma Craven.
"She Loves Me" is currently running at The Court Theatre Tring, Herts, U.K., presented by the Tring Festival Company. I had the pleasure of seeing it last night, it's a wonderful production of this little known musical, labelled by the production team, , "the best show you've never known". A delightfully refreshing production.
Two songs are missing (but not really missed), and a few more are abridged, but it's possibly the most all-around satisfying version of this charming musical that somehow fell just short of success. MGM toyed with making a film version in the '60s, since they already owned the rights to the source material, but never got around to it, MGM's legendary musicals department having disbanded several years earlier. This TV adaptation works cinematically; is the right length; and never lapses into slapstick, meant to offset the musical's gentleness, as so many recent stage revivals have done. Why this was never released commercially is beyond me. If only videotape could be restored.
saw this production once on pbs in the 70s. remember thinking it was just ok. saw "shop around the corner" in the 80s - and totally fell in love with it. subsequently learned that these two titles were related. just watched this production again after some 40 years. couldn't help but miss Frank Morgan Felix Bressart and William Tracy. but i was pleasantly surprised to find that this production gives a more believable transition from the hostile into the amorous relationship between the pen pals Amalia/Klara and Georg/Alfred. favorite musical moment - twelve days to christmas.
Thank you! I just recently discovered Robin Ellis on the 1971 Sense and Sensibility and am delighting in his many talents and abilities and personality.
Thank you very VERY much for uploading this. Learning songs from this musical is much easier now with context :) And the quality isn't an issue at all. It's good enough :)
Gemma Craven kind of breaks your heart as Amalie - it is my favorite performance of this role. And it's nice to see she's still alive and kicking in her 70s!
49:40 Believe it or not, this is my favorite part of this musical. The rest of the musical deals with UST, adulterous love affairs and love at no sight. This scene encapsulates all that and reveals both the gravity and comedic aspect of all that romantic fumbling.
Thank you for posting this to RUclips. This was the first production of the show I saw four years ago on this channel and I’ve watched it soo much. She Loves Me is my fav musical and I admire it soo much.
Certainly happy to help with context! This is a bit different than the stage production, in various ways, so I definitely recommend watching that as well (I have a full one from the 90s uploaded).
I love his take on Sipos. Especially the cute choreography between him and Ilona on "A Trip to the Library." It really conveyed a sweet friendship between them.
Great musical. Has always been a favorite of mine. I had the original cast album with Daniel Massey and Barbara Cook. Too bad they cut a couple songs for this 1978 telecast, which I remember seeing in 1978, especially "Tango Tragique."
"Tango Tragique" actually was cut from the show shortly after opening night of the original 1963 production. Remnants of the tune appear in the background music at the cafe.
Thanks. The only other version shared had audio sync problems. This version not only had the audio in sync but the video quality is a step up. Still waiting for the official video release but this is a nice option until then.
It's nice to finally see a decent looking version of this online since it's so hard to find a copy. Would it be ok with you if I use the footage from this for a video review I'm planning to do in the future?
This is great. But I swear I recall seeing a very nice AMERICAN production on PBS back in the early '80s. It would have been around Christmas time in '82 or '83. I found this looking for that. It was filmed something like a TV movie, with multiple cameras, but more stage-like sets. I can't remember if there was a live audience. Anyone else remember this?
Yes!! I've been looking for it for years! I am 99% certain that Jack Cassidy was playing Kodaly, the role for which he won a Tony - about two decades earlier. Neither Wikipedia nor IMDb makes any reference to that broadcast - which was shown twice, because I watched it both times. If it was a recording of the 1960s Broadway show, where is it? If it was a new production, why does no one else think it exists?
All but suggesting seeing an American version, you are describing this production. When I was a little girl, in Sunnyvale, California, this production aired on channel 9, KQED, the local PBS.
I feel like Zachary Levi is a way better fit for Mr Nowack, he's way more emotional and fun. The actor in this one has the same face the whole musical Also: WHAT IS the She Loves Me number? He's supposed to be this man stroke by love, instead he's just dancing looking at the camera.
This is a very English reading of the characters, all politely repressed emotion; I think in this context Robin Ellis is a very good pairing with Gemma Craven. It's a pity they cut the first part of the title number, where Georg's "Well, well, well... will wonders never cease?" echoes Amalia in the previous number, and highlights Georg's astonishment at his own change of heart. I agree that Zachary Levi was terrific in the Roundabout telecast... definitely channeling early (ie sexy)Jimmy Stewart to spectacular effect!
@@treesny I was about to comment the same thing. It's a very English reading for all of the characters. An actor's reading will always be at least partially colored by their own culture and, really, that helps them portray characters appropriately for the culture they're performing in.
Well, this is quite sweet indeed. No where near the quality of 1963 original cast Barbara Cook (who could ever compete with Ms Cook in any role or song), Daniel Massey & Jack Cassidy & Barbara Baxley. First show Hal Prince ever directed. But still this version is very light & sweet.
Steve Tuttle, thanks for your reply. As an American, I had no way of knowing that the BBC's attitude towards art not only included bowdlerizing but a strong "lie back and think of England" attitude. In THIS case, the artist's concept requires the play to have a "foreign" feel to it in production....if not Hungarian, American will do. But certainly NOT British.
Does anyone know if there was ever a filming of the musical SONGBOOK, from around the same time, which also starred Gemma Craven (alongside Diane Langton, David Healy, Andrew C Wadsworth and Anton Rodgers)? I used to have the album, and my parents actually saw it live at the time, but it sank without trace...
Not quite without a trace. After a nice London run it (SONGBOOK) was produced (ill-advisedly - the gentle satire was more geared to British theatre traditions than American) at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway in 1981 with a solid cast of soon-to-be Broadway and film stalwards - Jeff Goldblum, the wonderful Judy Kaye, Timothy Jerome, Gary Beach, Annie McGreevey, Philip Hoffman, Audrey Lavine, Brenda Pressley (Christopher Chadman and Maureen Moore as standbys!) and, as in London, the recorded voice of producer/director Harold Prince. It closed Opening Night.
I'd be totally fine with that! I put it out here for people to enjoy and do whatever they'd like with it, it's not mine. I'm just happy to help She Loves Me fans in whatever way I can. =]
Much better, I think, than the 2017 PBS version. Better acting all around. Ellis acted like a normal guy; Levi was far too goofy - a cross between Gomer Pyle and Tommy Tune. Gemma so pretty and could sing. This version is not as hysterical as 2017 because it was filmed on BBC or Granada or whatever sets, no audience. You've got to overdo it on stage in front of an audience to be heard and seen and when a stage production is filmed the histrionics really show. I love this intimate '78 version. Plus the late great Peter Sallis (Wallace of Wallace and Gromet fame) is in it. Also 2017 was lip-synched in part. Let's us not forget "The Shop Around the Corner". What a cast and what a Christmas classic! Glad this is on youtube for backup. I've got two DVDs (not the best quality), but they're better than nothing.
What a beautiful, delicate voice Gemma Craven has in the Dear Friend ballad. Especially those difficult high phrases, which aren't actually high for a soprano, but squeezing in the words creates a logjam between music and lyrics! It takes practice to perfect, how I know! I'd love to hear how Barbara Cook sang this song. (I just did, and it was a disappointment, Gemma Craven had the delicacy that Barbara Cook entirely lacked.)
I really hate the cuts they made to the score, especially Tango Tragique. These cuts have become institutionalized in the succeeding revivals and IMO have weakened the show. These cuts probably only would have added 5 minutes at most to the production. Why?
No.In 1963 there were Barbara Cook Daniel Massey Barbara Baxley and Jack Cassidy and in the 1964 London performance there were Anne Rogers Rita Moreno David Kernan and Im.sorry but I dont remember who played Georg. Its a 1978 film
Itsa a good performance because the original 1963 performance wasnt filmed.Gena Craven and Rob Ellis were good but not compared to Barbara Cook and Daniel Massey the Original performers
I haven't watched this one since listening to the 1964 London cast recording for the first time, but I'm guessing some of the changes are the same ones made for that one. Not sure why they were made though, it can be rather surprising and jarring. Luckily the 1994 London one used the Broadway book/libretto again.
Amalia Nowack By ignoring "Young, Strong, Oh I Was Something," the show harms the audience's overall impression of the Maraczek character and his real relationship with Georg. This story takes place in Budapest, not London! Too often, we see distinctly British usage of words and phrases (which were) beautifully supplied in "American" by Harnick in the original (i.e. correct) version.
Michael Miano Why, in referring to the musical box, do the British substitute the word "chocolates" for "candy" in this version of the show? Don't they have candy in London? If you are going to change the words of the original writer, you'd better have a damned good reason.
Michael Miano Actually, the British generally don't use the word "candy" meaning small chocolates or hard candies- they use the word "sweet." And, although I can't prove it, I would imagine such a major change (and others, like the last verses of the opening were probably done with the full knowledge and cooperation of Sheldon Harnick.
Andrew Horn Thanks, Andrew. But, I have to say that there is no reason whatever to place this show in Britain. The story takes place in Hungary! Even IF Harnick was involved in the changes, he made a serious mistake. He wouldn't be the first to become sadistic to his "children." Look what Bernstein did to "Candide" when he got old and sloppy. Why spoil perfection? I suspect that a good deal of the problems with this version of the musical is that it was designed for television. Though they don't have to deal with commercials breaking up programs like Americans, and though programs don't ned to be cut into nice half-hour increments, directors in Britain, like everywhere else, think they know more than the original creators.
This is best version of this show, ever. The Broadway revival was great, but fkr me this is the gold standard. I watched it near daily as a kid.
You're welcome! There is a terrible lack of She Loves Me in the world, and I'm doing my best to remedy that.
It would be fabulous if the BBC would step up and release a DVD, or at LEAST air it again so we can get cleaner copies!
i saw it on Broadway with Barbara Cook and Daniel Massey when I was 19....lovely. Later, I played Ilona..very much fun.
It is amazing that I remember Gemma Craven's songs perfectly after not having sung them since the late 70's! They are all in my mind, ready to be summoned upon hearing the music. 40 years have not erased them. This is an English production, and I think the beautiful pronunciation was part of its charm. I had never seen such a musical before and it enchanted me. So glad to see it again.
I saw this in 1979 on PBS. I also remembered it for all these years, never seeing it again until the recent revival! Gemma Craven's vocals are exquisite, all cast members are outstanding! Thanks for posting it!
Not mentioned in the description but that's Aubrey Woods (the candy shop owner in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory) as the Head Waiter! Great performance, he makes the most of "Romantic Atmosphere"
Oh wow! I haven't seen this for at least 25 years!!! When i was a very young girl my mom recorded this off channel 9, KQED the local PBS. For years at some point around Christmas someone would pop it in the VCR. To this day, my brother and I still quote all sorts of random parts as well as burst out in song, sharing our memories, bonding anew. I know the entire thing, word for word!!! (very few errors, but some).
After i moved out on my own, "home" changed. Proving in a literal sense that you can't ever go back home. My mother ended up remarrying, they moved and at some point the VHS tape was lost -to my horror! I had been trying to figure out how to go about trying to locate a copy of it for a year or two now. Just on a whim today i decided to search here on you tube. I found this in under 3 minutes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This is wonderful!!
this is wholesome
I too originally saw this on my local PBS back in the Seventies and copied it on VHS. I have watched this link several times around Christmastime and would like to thank the uploader for the thoughtful gift!
One of the best musicals ever. I will be directing a local production soon and this is an INSPIRATION.
Now THIS is a real treat! Not every day you get to see a complete '70s episode of Great Performances! (This is, of course, coming from a fan of old-school PBS.)
When I saw this on PBS in 1978, I simply loved it! I learned all the songs, how I don't know as they go by so fast. The musical was charming and unconventional. My mother told me it was based on The Shop Around the Corner, a 1940 film I had never heard of, unsurprisingly. I adored Robin Ellis and Gemma Craven, and sang all her songs - they were perfect for my voice, then at least. What memories!
Poldark and Wallace in a musical together!
wow, this is so great! Thank you for uploading!
SHE LOVES ME has been on the top of my list for THE BEST MUSICAL COMEDIES AROUND. In fact, in the early 80's a friend lent me a tape he'd made of the PBS screening of the BBC production, including the interview after the show. Looking at your copy I'd swear they were the same copy. At any rate, I just transferred it to a dvd so it can last longer....in't it the most wonderful confection....truly makes the MGM film with Jimmy Stewart grail like. Thanks for sharing it with so many!!!!!!!!!!!
It is a great show! Barbara Cook's performance on the OBC is a joy. I have probably seen more productions of this musical than any other.
I just watched my blu Ray of Gemma Craven’s performance in The Slipper And The Rose and then went searching specifically for this. Thanks for uploading this little gem since I couldn’t find it anywhere else. It’s too bad it hasn’t not been released on dvd.
Bless you for posting this. It's perhaps my favorite stage musical adapted for television. Perfectly cast -- Robin Ellis and Gemma Craven as the leads in particular, but everyone -- smartly condensed, inventively directed and just plain wonderful. Thanks ever so much.
1:24:30 This is my second favorite moment in this musical. As a bibliophile, this might serve as anthem to all readers everywhere. Nothing like reading a book over hot chocolate or tea. It's great!
I loved Gemma Craven in the film The Slipper and the Rose. Her voice is lovely.
One of my favorite musicals - thank you for posting it so others may enjoy it!
So glad you found it! :)
I remember watching this production when I was 13,it still has the same magic I experienced when I was a kid.Thank you for posting it.
And I love you for appreciating this. I'm always glad to see other people loving this musical!
This has been our favorite musical since we saw the Roundabout revival a couple decades ago. We've seen a couple other productions, but didn't think there was anything recorded. Thank you, thank you, for finding and sharing this production.
Saw the same production: Gorgeous !!
This production is very well done! I much prefer it to the most recent Broadway revival as shown on PBS! Very talented cast! Thanks for posting!
Please, please, please, release a DVD of this production for those of us who are keen to see it....
Ooh I'm so glad you can at least see this! I'm not sure if they'll let me keep it up, but I've just uploaded a recording of the stage production too. I hope you get to see it live someday though!
I'm weeping at the beautiful concluding scene! So well acted and presented! Such a sweet joy in a difficult era.
Thank you for posting this poignant and lovely musical.❤
Amalia, thank you so much. I saw the original Broadway production starring Barbara Cook, Daniel Massey, and Jack Cassidy. Sadly, that was not put on video or film, and I'm certainly glad that this was, and that you're sharing it with us.
Sadly there isnt a video of the 1963 original production.There is this one and also the 2016 revival with Laura Benanti and Zachary Levi.
I saw this movie way back when it was aired on pbs tv. Back then you saw it once and that was it. Especially being a BBC production. I thought about it for years, even remembered some of the tunes. I thought I would never find it. And lo here it is posted. It was a great musical, with great performances, staging and music to match. A real gem. Thankyou Amaliia Nowack.
This BBC production was the very reason I bought a VCR to record it.... and I still have that reproduction. Thank you for uploading it so others can enjoy this musical too. A+ performance for everyone, especially Gemma Craven.
The ending always makes me weepy. 😭😭👏🏻
"She Loves Me" is currently running at The Court Theatre Tring, Herts, U.K., presented by the Tring Festival Company. I had the pleasure of seeing it last night, it's a wonderful production of this little known musical, labelled by the production team, , "the best show you've never known". A delightfully refreshing production.
I wish this were available on DVD!
Two songs are missing (but not really missed), and a few more are abridged, but it's possibly the most all-around satisfying version of this charming musical that somehow fell just short of success. MGM toyed with making a film version in the '60s, since they already owned the rights to the source material, but never got around to it, MGM's legendary musicals department having disbanded several years earlier. This TV adaptation works cinematically; is the right length; and never lapses into slapstick, meant to offset the musical's gentleness, as so many recent stage revivals have done. Why this was never released commercially is beyond me. If only videotape could be restored.
saw this production once on pbs in the 70s.
remember thinking it was just ok.
saw "shop around the corner" in the 80s - and totally fell in love with it.
subsequently learned that these two titles were related.
just watched this production again after some 40 years.
couldn't help but miss Frank Morgan Felix Bressart and William Tracy.
but i was pleasantly surprised to find that this production
gives a more believable transition from the hostile into the amorous relationship
between the pen pals Amalia/Klara and Georg/Alfred.
favorite musical moment - twelve days to christmas.
"We're not the sheeple who popped in time..."
Thank you, darling Amalia, for posting this glittering gem in its entirety. What a lovely Christmas present. 🎄🎁 🎄
That was truly lovely. I'm all aglow. I grew up on "old school" Broadway before it became spectacle.
I adore the orchestrations in this version
Thank you! I just recently discovered Robin Ellis on the 1971 Sense and Sensibility and am delighting in his many talents and abilities and personality.
Would expect nothing less from Mrs. Georg Nowack.;-) Thanks again.
Thank you very VERY much for uploading this. Learning songs from this musical is much easier now with context :)
And the quality isn't an issue at all. It's good enough :)
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing this marvel. It's truly stunning.
THANK YOU! This is my favorite version and they stopped showing it at Christmas the same year I got my vastly huge bulky VCR
Gemma Craven kind of breaks your heart as Amalie - it is my favorite performance of this role. And it's nice to see she's still alive and kicking in her 70s!
49:40 Believe it or not, this is my favorite part of this musical. The rest of the musical deals with UST, adulterous love affairs and love at no sight. This scene encapsulates all that and reveals both the gravity and comedic aspect of all that romantic fumbling.
Best musical ever!
Favourite show - so happy this exists!! Thanks for posting!!!
Thank you so much for posting this. Wonderful show!
Barbera Cook, you will be missed.
I have been looking for this FOREVER. Thank you!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this. One of my favorite musicals ever and I'm so glad I got to see this production!
Went to see this last Thursday. Great musical. :)
Thank you for posting this to RUclips. This was the first production of the show I saw four years ago on this channel and I’ve watched it soo much. She Loves Me is my fav musical and I admire it soo much.
I love this and am now watching it for a second time!
This was wonderful I really enjoyed it.
Wow!!!! What a find!!!!! Thank you!
Certainly happy to help with context! This is a bit different than the stage production, in various ways, so I definitely recommend watching that as well (I have a full one from the 90s uploaded).
Hi. I'm from the Philippines and i love this musical .thanks for posting.
Peter Sallis who plays Ladislov Sipos is also the voice of Wallace of Wallace and Gromit.
I love his take on Sipos. Especially the cute choreography between him and Ilona on "A Trip to the Library." It really conveyed a sweet friendship between them.
Yes, it is chopped up a bit- especially missed the verse of The Trip to the Library, but it's a fine cast. I loved Gemma Craven.
Thank you so much for posting this!!
Great musical. Has always been a favorite of mine. I had the original cast album with Daniel Massey and Barbara Cook. Too bad they cut a couple songs for this 1978 telecast, which I remember seeing in 1978, especially "Tango Tragique."
"Tango Tragique" actually was cut from the show shortly after opening night of the original 1963 production. Remnants of the tune appear in the background music at the cafe.
30:11 Can anyone imagine Wallace singing this song?
Thanks. The only other version shared had audio sync problems.
This version not only had the audio in sync but the video quality is a step up.
Still waiting for the official video release but this is a nice option until then.
I love you for this.
This is awesome! Thank you :D
THIS is a 'charmer'. Thanks
It's nice to finally see a decent looking version of this online since it's so hard to find a copy. Would it be ok with you if I use the footage from this for a video review I'm planning to do in the future?
I was an undergrad in Boston when I saw this at the Charles. I went away whistling the sets.
Amalia and Ilona remind me of Snow White and Betty Boop, respectively.
You're welcome! More She Loves Me is always a good thing!
Laura Benanti and Jane Krakowski next week!
Who played which role, may I ask?
Gemma Craven. Robin Ellis
+ShreadTheWeapon Laura plays Amalia and Jane plays Ilona. :)
They reprised the roles on the Tonys. :)
Watched this new version & it seemed rushed, but not romantic and well-paced like the BBC version is. Too bad.
Thank you so much for this.
You're welcome!
This is great. But I swear I recall seeing a very nice AMERICAN production on PBS back in the early '80s. It would have been around Christmas time in '82 or '83. I found this looking for that. It was filmed something like a TV movie, with multiple cameras, but more stage-like sets. I can't remember if there was a live audience. Anyone else remember this?
Yes!! I've been looking for it for years! I am 99% certain that Jack Cassidy was playing Kodaly, the role for which he won a Tony - about two decades earlier. Neither Wikipedia nor IMDb makes any reference to that broadcast - which was shown twice, because I watched it both times. If it was a recording of the 1960s Broadway show, where is it? If it was a new production, why does no one else think it exists?
All but suggesting seeing an American version, you are describing this production. When I was a little girl, in Sunnyvale, California, this production aired on channel 9, KQED, the local PBS.
I feel like Zachary Levi is a way better fit for Mr Nowack, he's way more emotional and fun. The actor in this one has the same face the whole musical
Also: WHAT IS the She Loves Me number? He's supposed to be this man stroke by love, instead he's just dancing looking at the camera.
This is a very English reading of the characters, all politely repressed emotion; I think in this context Robin Ellis is a very good pairing with Gemma Craven. It's a pity they cut the first part of the title number, where Georg's "Well, well, well... will wonders never cease?" echoes Amalia in the previous number, and highlights Georg's astonishment at his own change of heart. I agree that Zachary Levi was terrific in the Roundabout telecast... definitely channeling early (ie sexy)Jimmy Stewart to spectacular effect!
@@treesny I was about to comment the same thing. It's a very English reading for all of the characters. An actor's reading will always be at least partially colored by their own culture and, really, that helps them portray characters appropriately for the culture they're performing in.
The transition from Mr. Maricveck's scene to "A Romantic Atmosphere" was very confusing
Well, this is quite sweet indeed. No where near the quality of 1963 original cast Barbara Cook (who could ever compete with Ms Cook in any role or song), Daniel Massey & Jack Cassidy & Barbara Baxley. First show Hal Prince ever directed. But still this version is very light & sweet.
Steve Tuttle, thanks for your reply. As an American, I had no way of knowing that the BBC's attitude towards art not only included bowdlerizing but a strong "lie back and think of England" attitude. In THIS case, the artist's concept requires the play to have a "foreign" feel to it in production....if not Hungarian, American will do. But certainly NOT British.
Thank you!!!!!!
thank you
Does anyone know if there was ever a filming of the musical SONGBOOK, from around the same time, which also starred Gemma Craven (alongside Diane Langton, David Healy, Andrew C Wadsworth and Anton Rodgers)? I used to have the album, and my parents actually saw it live at the time, but it sank without trace...
Not quite without a trace. After a nice London run it (SONGBOOK) was produced (ill-advisedly - the gentle satire was more geared to British theatre traditions than American) at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway in 1981 with a solid cast of soon-to-be Broadway and film stalwards - Jeff Goldblum, the wonderful Judy Kaye, Timothy Jerome, Gary Beach, Annie McGreevey, Philip Hoffman, Audrey Lavine, Brenda Pressley (Christopher Chadman and Maureen Moore as standbys!) and, as in London, the recorded voice of producer/director Harold Prince. It closed Opening Night.
I'd be totally fine with that! I put it out here for people to enjoy and do whatever they'd like with it, it's not mine. I'm just happy to help She Loves Me fans in whatever way I can. =]
can someone tell me where the actual song itself, "she loves me" is located in this video please? x
Much better, I think, than the 2017 PBS version. Better acting all around. Ellis acted like a normal guy; Levi was far too goofy - a cross between Gomer Pyle and Tommy Tune. Gemma so pretty and could sing.
This version is not as hysterical as 2017 because it was filmed on BBC or Granada or whatever sets, no audience. You've got to overdo it on stage in front of an audience to be heard and seen and when a stage production is filmed the histrionics really show. I love this intimate '78 version. Plus the late great Peter Sallis (Wallace of Wallace and Gromet fame) is in it. Also 2017 was lip-synched in part.
Let's us not forget "The Shop Around the Corner". What a cast and what a Christmas classic!
Glad this is on youtube for backup. I've got two DVDs (not the best quality), but they're better than nothing.
What a beautiful, delicate voice Gemma Craven has in the Dear Friend ballad. Especially those difficult high phrases, which aren't actually high for a soprano, but squeezing in the words creates a logjam between music and lyrics! It takes practice to perfect, how I know! I'd love to hear how Barbara Cook sang this song. (I just did, and it was a disappointment, Gemma Craven had the delicacy that Barbara Cook entirely lacked.)
Shop assistant is very self aware!
I really hate the cuts they made to the score, especially Tango Tragique. These cuts have become institutionalized in the succeeding revivals and IMO have weakened the show. These cuts probably only would have added 5 minutes at most to the production. Why?
Who played the head waiter?
Is this the original cast in 1963?
No.In 1963 there were Barbara Cook Daniel Massey Barbara Baxley and Jack Cassidy and in the 1964 London performance there were Anne Rogers Rita Moreno David Kernan and Im.sorry but I dont remember who played Georg. Its a 1978 film
Honestly kind of annoyed by all the close ups 😅
Itsa a good performance because the original 1963 performance wasnt filmed.Gena Craven and Rob Ellis were good but not compared to Barbara Cook and Daniel Massey the Original performers
Wow..
Look how young Craig Zadan was!
Give gd
Reach vey
Bh
Brit’s should not do musicals. They talk sing.
Very sloppy production of a wonderful musical. Frequent carelessness with original libretto.
I haven't watched this one since listening to the 1964 London cast recording for the first time, but I'm guessing some of the changes are the same ones made for that one. Not sure why they were made though, it can be rather surprising and jarring. Luckily the 1994 London one used the Broadway book/libretto again.
Amalia Nowack By ignoring "Young, Strong, Oh I Was Something," the show harms the audience's overall impression of the Maraczek character and his real relationship with Georg.
This story takes place in Budapest, not London! Too often, we see distinctly British usage of words and phrases (which were) beautifully supplied in "American" by Harnick in the original (i.e. correct) version.
Michael Miano
Why, in referring to the musical box, do the British substitute the word "chocolates" for "candy" in this version of the show? Don't they have candy in London? If you are going to change the words of the original writer, you'd better have a damned good reason.
Michael Miano Actually, the British generally don't use the word "candy" meaning small chocolates or hard candies- they use the word "sweet." And, although I can't prove it, I would imagine such a major change (and others, like the last verses of the opening were probably done with the full knowledge and cooperation of Sheldon Harnick.
Andrew Horn
Thanks, Andrew. But, I have to say that there is no reason whatever to place this show in Britain. The story takes place in Hungary! Even IF Harnick was involved in the changes, he made a serious mistake. He wouldn't be the first to become sadistic to his "children." Look what Bernstein did to "Candide" when he got old and sloppy. Why spoil perfection?
I suspect that a good deal of the problems with this version of the musical is that it was designed for television. Though they don't have to deal with commercials breaking up programs like Americans, and though programs don't ned to be cut into nice half-hour increments, directors in Britain, like everywhere else, think they know more than the original creators.