I love that Ms. McKechnie has a full face of makeup and lashes on just for the recording! STAR!

It's amazing that Donna McKechnie sings the top line of the trio with high A's and the fairly difficult melody when she was also the lead dancer of the show and and one of the greatest dancers ever seen on Broadway! And she's so beautiful as well! God, that woman has enough talent for five Broadway performers!

Sondheim is such an amazing director for those girls, I always love to see him give tips to his singers because he just knows so much. You can tell he had already thought about doing dynamics and realized you can't sing a high A softly; he's that much of a genius.

I love that those girls could not even sit still while singing that song on the tenth take, that song has so much brilliant irony and fun it makes me want to get up and skip around

"Bobby is my hobby and I'm giving it up." This really is the definitive version of this song. "Donna knows"...when he says that....

1:58 such disdain from Mr. Sondheim. He knows what he wants

One of my friend's voice teachers worked with Sondheim in the Pacific Overtures revival and he pointed out that Sondheim never got mad or raised his voice, he's the nicest and I love him!

04:29 I like how Susan explains the process. To the casual listener/viewer you would think this is an early rehearsal, not a performance after they have been officially performing it on Broadway.

Love watching the dynamics. Steve is such a nice and charming guy, no wonder he is so well-loved. Donna, Pamela and Susan listening to the playback is a play is such a study. Their happiness and excitement was wonderful.

Sondheim teaching the correct pronunciation of "bubbe."

The little interview at 4:30 is so charming.

If only they did this with more broadway shows! Like for Annie, or a Chorus Line. Love this documentary so much!

Fantastic! Wonderful exposition of a "live" recording session for a just opened Broadway Musical ! I just wish that we had more videos to capture these unique recoding histories, Really remarkable!

RIP Susan_love her and she sings Barcelona like an angel.

Those three ladies are just crazy talented. Wow!

So much talent! They make it look effortless. I wish I could go back in time and observe this!

Pamela used to do a version of this number where she sang all the parts, quite hilarious.

Just in case anyone else was confused - the "Donna knows" reaction at 5:15 was their reaction to what happened at 2:08

As I said elsewhere, I recently heard that Stritch, when she isn't "on" is a normal and nice person. My husband did summer stock with her (in a former life), and because he didn't drink much, she used to call him "Cheap Date Charlie." LOL

"There's a question of delicacy about it because you can't get Donna to sing that... soft." Hahahah

Omg Donna McKechnie...pure perfection

This is my first time hearing the 1970 version of this song and the slur caught me so off guard! Wow! And from Sondheim? 🤣

I'm so excited! I'm playing the role of Marta in June and I'm so pumped!

This is phenomenal footage! Thank you so much for posting. :D

Marriage Story is a triumph.

I've enjoyed watching this clip many, many times and only now just noticed that Pamela Myers' little laugh occurs twice, with different camera shots. Once at 2:12 and again at 5:19. I'm guessing Donna went a little too high on that note....and that "Donna knows."

The dude directing the sound in the studio looks like and sounds an 80's Jimmy Fallon

Amazing

awesome!

@goodlevy Thats really wonderful!! Congratulations on his accomplishment! Yall should be proud!

Donna McKechnie!!!! :D

Donna knows!

1:58 Right after Sondheim took notes on "Booby Booby", the guy over there behind looked like "hmmm, some shit happened" hahaha

Who’s here because they watched “Documentary Now!”? 🤣🤣🤣

Someone correct me if I’m wrong but Donna sings the high As and then also sings the lower harmony line when the other 2 take the melody. Aaaaand she sings the solo and belt on “all that sweet affection”. This is Donna’s song and the others are just back up Hahahaha

@jerrynova14 He only wrote the lyrics for Gypsy not the music, Jule Styne wrote the score. He also wrote additional lyrics for West Side Story, so he started as a lyricist.

0:35 that sound engineer looks so done with their shit lmaoooo

If there's ever a donna mckechnie biopic mandy Moore needs to play her

Great comment - thanks!

@Richiesutherland Just met her at BTP 2011 and had the honor of a master class with the woman. She is truly incredible.

@aspaul21 LOL. It's all worth it to see Pamela's smile when she nails it.

"That was the best?"

Does anyone know if Sondheim had to pen a change to the ending of this song mid session? It ends differently in the first run through that we hear in this clip?

Sometimes Susan sounds like Goldie Hawn did when she was younger. (During the interview bit.) Anyway, I love that we have this recording session on tape - so many wonderful moments. Myers at the end cracks me up.

Sondheim is awesome ! ! !

I've watched this documentary many times, but was completely ignorant of Donna McKechnie until more recently.

Those were the days!!! ...

YAY! Real singing! no belting and actual technique!! LOVE IT!

Can you imagine is Sondheim actually composed the music to Gypsy? I don't think I can even wrap my mind around that.

@KatherineXIX I think they do, but "you son of a b*tch!" is pretty common in all the times I've heard this song heard. Then again, sometimes they don't say anything.

I want someone to tell me the effects of constant smoke on all that recording equipment. Has anyone done studies on it? :)

"Donna knows'" 😊

What is the name of the “organ” type keyboard instrument used as a piano in this early version of the show?

My mother went to PSU with Susan Browning.

Is Tom Shepard smooth or what?

@goodlevy -Phil can beat them skins, he can! Kudos to Phil.

What is that harpsichord / organ prototype instrument in this show called?

Donna is beautiful here, and, for some reason, she reminds me a little bit of Catherine Deneuve.

@astoria25 Agreed, but how did she end up with caterpillars on her eyelids?

Who's here after watching Marriage Story ?

Doo-doo-doo-doo! Doo-doo-doo-doo! Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo! You could drive a person crazy, You could drive a person mad. First you make a person hazy So a person could be had, Then you leave a person dangling sadly Outside your door, Which could only make a person gladly Want you even more. I could understand a person If it's not a person's bag. I could understand a person If he meant as a gag. But worse 'n that, A person that Titillates a person and then leaves her flat Is crazy, He's a troubled person, He's a truly crazy person himself. When a person's personality is personable, He should not sit like a lump. It's harder than a matador coercin' a bull To try to get you off of your rump. So single and attentive and attractive a man Is everything a person could wish, But turning off a person is the act of a man Who likes to pull the hooks out of fish. Knock-knock! Is anybody there? Knock-knock! It really isn't fair. Knock-knock! I'm workin' all my charms. Knock-knock! A zombie's in my arms. All that sweet affection! What is wrong? Where's the loose connection? How long, O Lord, how long? Bobby-baby-Bobby-bubbi-Bobby, You could drive a person buggy, You could blow a person's cool. Like you make a person feel all huggy While you make her feel a fool. When a person says that you upset her, That's when you're good. You impersonate a person better Than a zombie should. I could understand a person If he wasn't good in bed. I could understand a person If he actually was dead. Exclusive you! Elusive you! Will any person ever get the juice of you? You're crazy, You're a lovely person, You're a moving, Deeply maladjusted, Never to be trusted, Crazy person yourself.

That guy coaching the singers acts so bossy. As though he wrote the song.

@Marktheho I know. That's what I was saying. What *if* he wrote the music to Gypsy.

2:56 Somebody said something in Yiddish or German.

she looks like amy adams

She just danced cassie

3:25: ROTFLMAO! (also 1:56)

Marriage story fans are scarce here

The blond girl looks just like Lena Dunham!

the girl on the right looks just like kristen wiig :') ha

4:54

Y’all are commenting on the session like it was yesterday. It was over 50 years ago. They’re probably all dead.

My god, It is Jimmy Fallon 🙄. Time travel is real.

It's sad to see such a vicious parody of that nice musical, "Co-Op". Okay, so "Co-Op" wasn't that great, but it wasn't THIS bad. This is just mean.

The guys in london performance so much better

Why do Broadway singers always sing under the pitch?

What an ornery person Sondheim is!!

Who's here after Marriage Story?