You Could Drive A Person Crazy - Company OBC, 1970

"You Could Drive A Person Crazy" sung by Donna McKechnie, Susan Browning and Pamela Myers of the original broadway cast (OBC) of Sondheim's "Company" in 1970. (These are Bobby's three girlfriends, berating him for his reluctance to commit...)
This excerpt is from the highly recommended Region 1 DVD "Company: Original Cast Album" of the 1970 recording session. See more 1970 excerpts at
www.theBestArts.com/CompanyOBC/
For videos from the 2006 revival, see
www.theBestArts.com/CompanyRev...
Browse our website at www.theBestArts.com for more great dance, music and musical theatre performances.

[@Richiesutherland]

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!

[@intothewoods_dave]

Richiesutherland she’s a Goddess

[@abagailmills1000]

and a great friend too..beautiful inside and out!

[@alias3660]

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.

[@aaronford2184]

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

[@Breerox108]

i wonder if she's a method actor

[@NuisanceMan]

She's absolutely gorgeous.

[@adamrux]

Literally just had that thought. 50th Anniversary of a show today!

[@NewsHistorian]

She instinctively knew people would be watching this 50 years later.

[@LupusMayoVampirKilla]

@@NewsHistorian False eyelashes were far more commonly worn in 1970.

[@ViveClaire]

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

[@jocelyndickman1374]

"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....

[@michelleann6763]

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!

[@inblargwethrust8329]

Sondheim could say the most cutting, pedantic critique in the nicest way. He was a perfectionist who was never truly satisfied. But he knew when to move on. He cared deeply about his performers as people, yet that didn’t stop him from tearing them down as artists to produce his desired result. It could sting in the moment, but the result was always worth it in the end!

[@billbrimmer1739]

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.

[@Texaslawhorn]

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.

[@mgpattison]

The little interview at 4:30 is so charming.

[@allanfisch]

RIP Susan_love her and she sings Barcelona like an angel.

[@shannonswift2233]

Allan Fisch Yes! That’s my favorite song from the entire show... and I love EVERY song!

[@cam11971]

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

[@waterspout8]

Sondheim teaching the correct pronunciation of "bubbe."

[@DannyRocksExcels]

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!

[@auddyroses]

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

[@presbyterosBassI]

At 3:45 he's terrific at working with the singer.

[@riverc.820]

@@presbyterosBassI This moment is echoed hilariously in *Co-op* (Documentary Now, a fake doc comedy on IFC) Co-op brought me here in fact.

[@kandyappleview]

3:09 thank you Mr. Sondheim! He understands the voice so well and communicates wonderfully. Everything he did (and didn't do) here was deliberate. A true artist.

[@SPrescott2611]

@@kandyappleview *understands.... Sondheim isn't dead.

[@kandyappleview]

@@SPrescott2611 ah yes, sorry, typo in didn't catch

[@intothewoods_dave]

Omg Donna McKechnie...pure perfection

[@nickbigd]

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

[@1037pm]

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

[@Yaarrr]

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

[@finch45lear]

Those three ladies are just crazy talented. Wow!

[@psychomusicanana]

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

[@T4Tyson]

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

[@love4myclarks7]

T4Tyson CONGRATS!! I hope it was an awesome experience for ya! sounds fun!

[@osahju914]

Hope you had fun! Which part is MARTA? The blonde or Donna

[@T4Tyson]

Marta sings 'Another Hundred People'. She's the short haired red head. It was great fun playing her. Would love to do it again!!!!

[@serenitysfirefly]

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

[@DavidBerto]

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

[@isitfunthere1]

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

[@ashleyregina]

You can’t silence a queen.

[@isitfunthere1]

@@ashleyregina Amen to that!

[@stevenstewart6349]

Marriage Story is a triumph.

[@BOomeek]

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

[@DeffNotDave]

Amazing

[@maggiepower]

awesome!

[@vicmark12]

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

[@BrochtrupBean]

Donna knows!

[@dizkidliz]

Donna McKechnie!!!! :D

[@XxXPandaGamer25XxX]

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

[@deen1843]

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."

[@a_rocknrolladdict.0312]

Actually it's that Donna went a little lower on the A5

[@Marktheho]

@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.

[@theneohippie8927]

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

[@theBestArts]

Great comment - thanks!

[@danielbaskins6601]

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

[@emalaw1329]

Most definitely Donna's song. Even looking at the show's structure as a whole, you get the feeling that this is Kathy's actress's moment to shine vocally, since Martha has Another Hundred People and April has Barcelona. Granted, Kathy's real solo number is Tick-Tock, but considering it's a dance solo and it gets nixed in multiple modern productions, I'm more than glad she gets those moments in this song.

[@whkrause]

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

[@CloudcoleVII]

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

[@hbcmaria914]

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

[@Aris314159]

harpooned

[@vote4carp]

I had no idea this existed until after I saw DocNow. Amazing. Where's the cocaine song? 🤣

[@KevyGLevy]

I find you very intimidating.

[@lorencappelson6475]

@@vote4carp (Not) Getting Married Today! kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6a0lpRomrt_aLs Although the Doc Now! guys went a little easier and slower than Sondheim lol

[@shannongeier63]

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

[@geniebysnsd_mp3]

@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.

[@Josquinquin]

Those were the days!!! ...

[@SPrescott2611]

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?

[@kristoferwilson6593]

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

[@71morehead]

"That was the best?"

[@fad23]

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

[@yu2780]

Sondheim is awesome ! ! !

[@troysundt8406]

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

[@ivelosthewilltolive]

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

[@gregfeil2941]

Is Tom Shepard smooth or what?

[@jeromegenova]

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

[@RobertSmith-wc3so]

Sondheim wrote the lyrics.

[@treesny]

It was Ethel Merman who quashed the idea of Sondheim writing both music and lyrics for Gypsy. She had recently been in a near-flop (Happy Hunting, I believe) in which the songs were written by a novice team. She said she was fine with Sondheim - who had not yet had a show of his own produced on Broadway - doing the lyrics, but insisted upon the experienced Jule Styne as composer. The resulting collaboration - including book writer Arthur Laurents and director/choreographer Jerome Robbins - gave us one of the greatest musicals ever written - and Styne's best score.

[@troysundt8406]

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

[@Horusdragon]

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

[@astoria25]

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

[@echeleteich3347]

My mother went to PSU with Susan Browning.

[@overthemoo]

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.

[@satyendrandonibanerjee8682]

Who's here after watching Marriage Story ?

[@tracer740]

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

[@erwin7427]

"Donna knows'" 😊

[@jeromegenova]

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

[@NuisanceMan]

2:56 Somebody said something in Yiddish or German.

[@dr.eggthemasterofeggs480]

Marriage story fans are scarce here

[@kellybrown2328]

She just danced cassie

[@simpfelicity2024]

she looks like amy adams

[@davotravel]

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

[@fundifferent1]

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

[@josesecote8020]

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.

[@hor2kulture]

The blond girl looks just like Lena Dunham!

[@uhmokfuckyouandyourrespect2591]

4:54

[@biav]

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

[@ashleyregina]

Imagine calling Donna McKechnie “The Girl on the Right.”

[@InvidiousProductions]

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

[@kevinpaulin7690]

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

[@yvanwillard8497]

Why do Broadway singers always sing under the pitch?

[@tamerlano]

Do they?

[@RogerOThornhill]

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.

[@beggandpartners]

The guys in london performance so much better

[@twerkinthecityhuh6340]

What an ornery person Sondheim is!!

[@Enr227]

But sly--sneaking in from behind, so to speak.

[@channeltim1473]

Who's here after Marriage Story?

[@nidiabarzola9631]

Me