She was angry because she had an eye doctor’s appointment to go to. She just needed to get her eyes scraped.

I love this woman, but it's sad that she never did get the recognition that she deserved and worst of all she didn't get the Tony award that she deserved for this role because she really killed it and it's only now that people realize what a great woman and a great talent she was and what we have really lost. R.I.P. Elaine, you were and still are one of the greatest Broadway stars to grace the stage. " I'll drink to that".🍸🍷

John Mulaney brought me here 💗

R.I.P. Elaine Stritch. We have lost one of the greats of the Broadway Theater. In addition, she should've had a much-deserved Oscar nod for Woody Allen's 'September." I laugh out loud til I cry every time I watch it. You are missed.

Listening to this guy saying it was better the next day because she had her hair and makeup done really burns me up. And she's like, NO DUDE: it's because I had a two show day ahead of me.

As an actor myself, I know how she feels. When I perform, I often get frustrated whenever I can't get something right. (I can imagine that would increase tenfold when you're performing for someone like Sondheim, hehe.) And it's a great comfort to know that even the most seasoned Broadway veterans have those moments too.

Everybody rise to one of the greats in Broadway RIP Elaine Stritch

Fantastic. Must try to find this documentary. Elaine Stritch is so open; and this is a really revealing insight into the singers' process. Very impressive, a great performance of a great piece.

Every actor's struggle. Pleasing ears that don't belong to you.

RIP Ms. Stritch. A true broad in the best sense of the word. Thanks for all the memories.

There will never be anyone like her.

Rest in power, Elaine

RIP Elaine Stritch. ...truly one of the greats!!! You will definitely be remembered as you have inspired many others on your jouney.

I love this song. Growing up in Kansas I didn't get what she was talking about. Our local "Ladies who lunch" spent their time where few people could see them, at the exclusive country club, or each other's homes...

I did not grow up in the United States and I just now for the first time heard about Elaine Stritch. Seems I missed out. RIP, great lady.

15 HOURS singing your heart out to a mic, let's see if any of YOU could pull it off. Also, it must be said that performers come alive onstage in front of a live audience. Cast recording sessions rarely get the magic & passion that a live performance garners, no matter how good the cast is. One thing I realized on a personal note, Elaine in her younger years here looks & sounds EXACTLY like my late mother-in-law. She had all the acerbic & sardonic qualities that Elaine had, so maybe that's why I adore her so much. A lot of people said she was difficult & demanding, which tells me that she cares deeply about achieving an unachievable perfection. She could be scary & confrontational, which rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I would love to have been there to watch her dish out the treatment to everyone. Seeing her flawed & struggling like this just makes me appreciate her as a human being. Broadway stars don't just burst into brilliance at the drop of a hat- it takes a lot of hard work.

Rest in peace, Elaine Stritch. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

And how, she then delivered in spades! I bought the original cast recording upon its release and it is one of my treasured collections.

how inspiring to hear what she puts herself through in the process of bringing a character to life .... she is truly a legend.

Come on, everyone's missing the point. Her voice was tired and hoarse the night of the recording. The more she tried the worse it got. It was brilliant of them to record the music and have her come back the next day. Much a do about not a whole lot.

So interesting. Elaine without makeup. No Botox...how refreshing! She's superb!

this woman is broadway royalty!

4:05... Perhaps one of the most inspiring pieces of wisdom I've ever heard come out of someone's mouth.

Omigod! I can relate! I felt like I was screwing up a scene for three other actors, but they were too nice to come out and tell me. The director was too nice to tell me, too.

Gosh, I this is crazy, I thought the song was only Streisand, but learned who it is for.....It is Elaine...............I just love her!!!!!!!!! RIP, Oh gosh she is great!!!!!!!

The fact that she's being so hard on herself to make it perfect is what makes her a living legend today!

She scares the shit outta me. But I can tell she's a real soul human being and probably a generous tipper of waiters and respectful after scaring the shit out of them.

Underneath her bluster and attitude, it seems you can see how frustrated she is with herself

OMG i never realized until this very moment, she was loaded for that first one ... poor dear. Either way, what a legend, an awesome, flawed beautiful woman.

Fabulous insight into the crazy process- but it's simply shear exhaustion that led to the misery-they should have just regrouped - but then this fascinating clip wouldn't exist.

Sondheim has many virtues. Kindness is not one of them.

5:45 - A scream of no-nonsense confidence. I'll drink to that.

Elaine Stritch is a gem in the mix that can never be forgotten.

R.I.P. to a wonderful star.

LOVE Elaine Stritch - no one performs this song like her! Jane Russell replaced Elaine in Company in 1971 and did a a pretty damn good job -- its on here as Jane Russell in Broadway's Company.

Rest in peace Elaine

Its amazing Elaine survived her own demons ,mostly her alcohol problems...

I agree. I kinda like the roughed-edged beauty of her original. So this is my idea: A feature dramatic film about what they went through to get the cast album perfect. Call it "Recording "Company."" I see Meryl Streep, all boozy and blousy, as Ms. Stritch and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the genius Sondheim. What'd ya think ...?

When the going gets tough i remind myself of this clip! - Good on ya Elaine! Love the look on Stephen Sondheim's face at the end :)

Great performer, what a great talent we all miss so dearly

That was really interesting - thanx for that after Angela Lansbury - Elaine Stritch is my woman - love them both and both actress's do Sondheim really well

I love Elaine Stritch, she is fantabulous xx

WOW,we saw Elaine in London in her last show-truely amazing.

This poor woman. I always feel so bad for her when I watch her try to record this and I want to hug her. Elaine Stritch is awesome and I would marry her if she was younger.

You know who failed here? Tom and Steve for not giving more examples of what they needed that night. Especially Tom.

You can’t forget this...

"isn't that like steve sondheim, that son of a bitch, to make me do this on a matinee day!" hahahaha LOVE her spirit!!!

CBS/Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studios -'The Church' had 100 ft ceiling - it was where Miles Davis' Classic 'Kind of Blue' was recorded as well. Look at all that smoking in the studio & control room = unthinkable by today's standards.

Its from D.A. Pennebaker's 1970 film, ORIGINAL CAST ALBUM - COMPANY, that follows the marathon recording session, and the creative process, of both Sondheim, and Stritch.

Sondheim had a terrible/bitter relationship w/his mother - from his youth...and no doubt Stritch is reminding him of that fact here...

Love watching this!

After seeing her one-woman show at age Elaine Stritch - At Liberty, I can understand that she was drunk here. Of course, at the time she was in denial and couldn't let it be known publicly or she'd lose face. That's why they can't look at her - they're disgusted that she would be unprofessional and waste time and money on an inferior performance when she's capable of so much more.

I've produced/directed several hundred audio sessions (spoken not sung) for commercials & documentaries. So many times I've wished that studios had 2-way (switchable) mirrors between the artiste area & the control room with (usually) far too many surplus individuals gawking/lounging. There were times (particularly for dialogue sessions) where I'd go and sit on a high stool with the artistes in their 'tank' so that they'd perform for *me* and not for the distracting fish in the aquarium next door. It paid off well.

She looks so beautiful and on target the next morning! Perfection!

Cool. I didn't know this DVD had a commentary. Now I really have to get me a copy.

RIP Elaine

Stritch was a consummate and honest artist. Her natural love for performance is apparent in everything she ever did. These guys were rough on her, but in the long run, this number is one of the most popular punches in show music. That says something. They believed in her and she brought it front. I think if she was sober then, it wouldn't be as powerful.

Not a special release. It's included on the normal release. Yes, it's available on Amazon. Thanks for asking!

I truly believe that no matter how long the day was, no matter how talented these people are, no matter how much you will love the work of Sonheim and how he understands women, no matter how Elaine overcomes her demons and adversity to reach your soul, the most important thing to gain from this particular footage is that (whether gay or not), there are only men in the room. As a male myself, I don't think that would be true today.

How god damn wonderful is Elaine Stritch !

Sure, the immense power of Genius can, and does, misfire. But you know damned well that it'll correct, and fire straight and true again- because that's what it does: it never, ever really fails you, much less anyone else. By whatever miracle, or whatever, you've just been pulling it out of your ass time after time, right on cue, all your Life. Because you and your Art have only each other ... and that neither of you could ever, never have a more superb lifelong lover. A toast to you, Elaine.

Clearly demonstrates the difference between overproduced music for the masses and artistic mastery. Bravo,. Elaine, Bravo!

Thank you so much!!

She a phenomenon, she didn't expect any better from another person that she wasn't willing to do. To the haters she told people to do their jobs, because they weren't.

What documentary is this from? This is amazing.

I've seen the Doco, where is this COMMENTARY coming FROM?! Was this a bonus on the DVD? Was this from a program on TV? Is this an entirely different disc than the original? I NEED TO FIND THIS COMMENTARY FOR THE ENTIRE DOCO NOW!! Any help here is appreciated!

@MacktheNice The commentary is on the DVD. I have the videotape which, of course, has no commentary and is less scrubbed, picture-wise.

Impossible song to sing and do well. lol! Thank you so much for commenting!

I would have more compassion for her if EVERYONE I know who has worked with her didn't have an "Elaine Stritch is meanest person I've ever known" story.

Me, too! Glad you liked it!

Havng seen the original production several times, I can guarantee you the best version EVER of this song was done by Stritch's (second) replacement, Vivian Blaine. Still the greatest Joann.

“Crazy” people are often the most creative, talented, and brilliant. ❤️👌

Yes the original title of Company was Threes

"look as glamorous...as she...can." ROFL Prince nails it. Stritch is a one-off. Love her, hate her, love AND hate her... there will never be another like her.

I never saw it on here, but someone else who was searching for it told me they had been told that it was removed due to copyright.

Look, Steve smiled!

I think Judy Garland would have played well in this part well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!!

I was so sorry to hear you kicked the bucket matey xx

Thank you!

🙂I Love Her! Same Personality!!!

I love this

WOW her eyes are TRUE BLUE

You know how Hitchcock bullied Tippi Hedren in The Birds "to coax the performance" when he actually had some psychosexual stuff himself dealing with the star? It makes me wonder if these "men" in the studio didn't get some sort of perverse satisfaction in terrorizing Elaine, she herself a stand-in for many of their mothers, esp. Sondheim. I think they were sadistic bullies, they knew they had a lamb in the lion's den.

Fascinating!

I had to favorite this!

HAHAHA "isnt that just like Steve Sondheim that son of a bitch!" i love her

to know what kind of pressure a performer experiences in a role you need only look at this. look at "Moon Over Broadway" as well. to see how precise one needs to be in remembering the lines and staging and all of the many changes. it is a very hard yoke to carry for a perfectionist in the acting field.

I GOTTA GO!

She’s gotta go...she can do better or different than this

probably exhausted!!!

Thank you Rupaul, for the education.

This is one of the most inspiring videos on the internet. #thepowerofmakeup

So nervous a 1:39, her cig stick was backwards!

Dear God!

that wasn't what the post you responded to was about at all My post refers to the nightmare of being filmed on top of having to deliver a definitive version of the number for an album

Before I read your comment I was thinking exactly the same thing.

I GOTTA GO IIIIIIII GOTTA GO

Stephen Sondheim looks so handsome

To me. To me, the challenge here is that ES can sell the SHIT out of a number, but she can’t sing to save her life and the playback confirms this. Her talent works when it’s here and gone, but not when one has the opportunity to analyze it.