Copyright 2011 NPR. And when I read it, I thought this is just so heartbreaking, really. "Could I Leave You?" - Phyllis. ", "2017 Results | Critics' Circle Theatre Awards", "Standard Theatre Awards 2017 the Shortlist", "These are the winners of the 2017 Evening Standard Theatre Awards", Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording, Les Misrables: The Complete Symphonic Recording, Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller, Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Follies&oldid=1151569839, Articles with dead external links from August 2021, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from May 2022, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The orchestra, Nicholas Skilbeck and Nigel Lilley, 1971 - New York Drama Critics' Award for Best Musical, "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" Ben, Sally, Phyllis and Buddy, Young Ben, Young Sally, Young Phyllis and Young Buddy, "Montage" ("Rain on the Roof"/"Ah, Paris! Buddy and Ben, the theatre seems haunted by their younger selves, we have to face reality: all we can hope for is One More Kiss - Ms. PETERS: You know, when I was a little girl, they said I had a funny voice because I actually had a deep voice and that's because my mother didn't speak correctly. Sally tells Ben how her days have been spent with Buddy, trying to convince him (and herself) ("In Buddy's Eyes"). )"[36][37], The musical was produced at The Muny, St. Louis, Missouri in July 1972 and then transferred to the Shubert Theatre, Century City, California, running from July 22, 1972, through October 1, 1972. Once the party gets under way it isn't long before the regulars [42], The musical played in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on July 21, 1987, and closed on February 4, 1989, after 644 performances. Even the songs we love are dangerous. For Sally and Buddy, Phyllis and Ben, That, if I'm good enough for you, you're not good enough SIMON: When did the relationship with Stephen Sondheim begin - looking back on it? I'm Scott Simon. a 23-year old called Margie. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. CAPITOL S0761 - Original Cast Buddy then appears, dressed in "plaid baggy pants, garish jacket, and a shiny derby hat", and performs a high-energy vaudeville routine depicting how he is caught between his love for Sally and Margie's love for him[4] ("The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues"). In 1971, on the soon-to-be-demolished stage of the Weismann Theatre, a reunion is being held to honor the Weismann's Follies shows past and the beautiful chorus girls who performed there every year between the two world wars. Not to say the show's not fun, the show has got lots of fun moments and it's haunting and it's gorgeous, because they've come back to this old theater and you notice ghostly, walking really slow, gorgeous showgirls. are gleefully dusting off their old acts: Theodore and Emily Yesterday, though, tells another story: young Sally and young Ms. PETERS: (as Sally Durant Plummer) (Singing) If I stick it long enough, I can get to strut my stuff. Follies girls through "the mirror number" Sally is bitter, having never been happy with Buddy, although he has always adored her. It was directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, with choreography by Bennett, scenic design by Boris Aronson, costumes by Florence Klotz, and lighting by Tharon Musser. The former radio star Ethel Shutta was 74 when she originated the role and debuted its great song "Broadway Baby"; her own Broadway debut was in 1922. kiss me, " Sally tells him, I think I'm going to die.". [39], A full production ran at the Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe, England, from April 30, 1985, directed by Howard Lloyd-Lewis, design by Chris Kinman, costumes by Charles Cusick-Smith, lighting by Tim Wratten, musical direction by Simon Lowe, and choreographed by Paul Kerryson. Cast. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. This Roundabout Theatre limited engagement had been expected to close on September 30, 2001. Produced at the Winter Garden, New York, 4 April 1971 with Alexis He feigns a lack of interest; there is an underlying tension in their relationship. I tried to give it the sardonic knowingness of Lorenz Hart or Frank Loesser. Ben replies by saying that he wants a divorce, and Phyllis assumes the request is due to his love for Sally. [43], Critics who had seen the production in New York (such as Frank Rich) found it substantially more "upbeat" and lacking in the atmosphere it had originally possessed. with Live, Love, Laugh, singing of how clever and adept All the voices begin speaking and yelling at each other. I usually, once I've done it, I've explored it; I stay for a long time in shows. Several of the former showgirls perform their old numbers, often accompanied by the ghosts of their younger selves. (Who's That Woman), shadowy wraiths of their younger selves "[34] Chapin confirms this: "Alas final word came from Capitol that they would not go for two records [Dick Jones] now had to propose cuts throughout the score in consultation with Steve. Amidst a deafening discord, Ben screams at all the figures from his past and collapses as he cries out for Phyllis. For Ben and Buddy, too, the resurrection of their distant pasts only serves to point The theatermania.com reviewer wrote that "The result is an album that, more so than any of the other existing recordings, allows listeners to re-experience the heartbreaking collision of past and present that's at the core of the piece. Tickets always were tough to come by. Note: This is the song list from the original Broadway production in 1971. As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy, and Sally unfold. With the endless variety of Stephen Sondheims score, a loving and brilliant pastiche of show music from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, and the time-travel trickery of James Goldmans book, Follies is a glamorous and fascinating peek into a bygone era, and a clear-eyed look at the transformation of relationships over time. [62][63] It followed a similar presentation at the 1995 Melbourne Festival of Arts with a different cast and orchestra. "[120], There have been six recordings of Follies released: the original 1971 Broadway cast album; Follies in Concert, Avery Fisher Hall (1985); the original London production (1987); the Paper Mill Playhouse (1998); the 2011 Broadway revival; and the 2017 London revival. Inspired by a New York Times article about a gathering of former Ziegfeld Girls, they decided upon a story about ex-showgirls. However, he thought that it was "wonderful" that, at the end of the first act, "the principal characters recognized their younger selves and were able to acknowledge them throughout the last thirty minutes of the piece. But when Bernadette Peters sings the song, it could be a kind of anthem. The production was directed by Dominic Cooke, choreographed by Bill Deamer and starred Peter Forbes as Buddy, Imelda Staunton as Sally, Janie Dee as Phyllis, Philip Quast as Ben[100][101] and Tracie Bennett as Carlotta. "[20], Major changes were made for the original production in London, which attempted to establish a lighter tone and favored a happier ending than the original Broadway production. [118], The Time reviewer wrote of the 2001 Broadway revival: "Even in its more modest incarnation, Follies has, no question, the best score on Broadway." in. The Who. Phyllis begins wondering at her younger self, who worked so hard to become the socialite that Ben needed. "), and Hattie Walker performs her old showstopping number ("Broadway Baby"). Phyllis kisses a waiter and confesses to him that she had always wanted a son. Tysons, VA, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. [57], A concert was held at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on December 8, 1996, and broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on February 15, 1997. The musical numbers "Ah, but Underneath" (replacing "The Story of Lucy and Jessie"), "Country House", "Make the Most of Your Music" (replacing "Live, Laugh, Love"), "Social Dancing" and a new version of "Loveland" have been incorporated into various productions. Finally, Weismann enters to greet his guests. The cast starred Donna Murphy (Phyllis), Victoria Clark (Sally), Victor Garber (Ben) and Michael McGrath (Buddy). Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. "[9] Bernadette Peters quoted Sondheim on the character of "Sally": "He said early on that [Sally] is off-balance, to put it mildly. Phyllis Newman and Liliane Montevecchi reprised the roles they played in the Lincoln Center production. Thanks very much for being with us. Do again. of the derelict theatre Loveland rises - the apotheosis of a Weismann A lthough it has legions of admirers, Follies has often seemed a problematic show. "Loveland" has dissolved back into the reality of the crumbling and half-demolished theater; dawn is approaching. The once resplendent theater is now little but planks and scaffolding ("Prologue"/"Overture"). explains: "Today, Follies is rarely performed twice in exactly the same version. [48], Follies was voted ninth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals". It was Prince who changed the title to Follies; he was "intrigued by the psychology of a reunion of old chorus dancers and loved the play on the word 'follies'".[2]. The Sydney Symphony was conducted by Maestro Tommy Tycho. He noted, though, that "I'm sorry the cast was reduced from 52 to 38, the orchestra from 26 players to 14 To appreciate the revival, you must buy into James Goldman's book, which is peddling a panoramically bleak take on marriage." "[46], This production was also recorded on two CDs and was the first full recording. to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! [2], Originally titled The Girls Upstairs, the musical was to be produced by David Merrick and Leland Hayward in late 1967, but the plans ultimately fell through, and Stuart Ostrow became the producer, with Joseph Hardy as director. [82] Also featured were Rosalind Elias as Heidi, Rgine as Solange, Susan Watson as Emily, and Terri White as Stella. Buddy in Arizona - cooking, flower-arranging, trips to the mall, If you're somebody that gets it and then thinks, you know, I've done it, I've gotten it now and there's no place else to go. Not only has it already outsold every other album at our website, but the steady stream of emails from customers has been amazing. Similarly, ghosts of the Twenties shows slip through the evening as the characters try desperately to regain their youth through re-creations of their performances and inane theatre sentiments of their past. Prince made a mistake by giving the recording rights of Follies to Capitol Records, which in order to squeeze the unusually long score onto one disc, mutilated the songs by condensing some and omitting others. Buddy leaves the shadows furious, and fantasizes about the girl he should have married, Margie, who loves him and makes him feel like "a somebody", but bitterly concludes he does not love her back ("The Right Girl"). declares I'm Still Here. A concert version at the Melbourne Recital Centre,[97][98] staged with a full 23-piece orchestra and Australian actors Philip Quast (Ben), David Hobson (Buddy), Lisa McCune (Sally), Anne Wood (Phyllis), Rowan Witt (Young Buddy), Sophie Wright (Young Sally), Nancy Hayes (Hattie), Debra Byrne (Carlotta), and Queenie van de Zandt (Stella). you can't turn the clock back: as Heidi Schiller reminds us in Resplendent in top hat and tails, Ben begins to offer his devil-may-care philosophy ("Live, Laugh, Love"), but stumbles and anxiously calls to the conductor for the lyrics, as he frantically tries to keep going. A Survey of Follies Recordings, Part One Original Cast and '80s Concert In preparation for the cast album of the new Broadway production of Follies, here's part one of an overview of the four . Carlotta amuses a throng of admirers with a tale of how her dramatic solo was cut from the Follies because the audience found it humorous, transforming it as she sings it into an anthem-like toast to her own hard-won survival ("I'm Still Here"). Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman . The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won seven. "[11], Joanne Gordon, author and chair and artistic director, Theatre, at California State University, Long Beach,[12][13] wrote "Follies is in part an affectionate look at the American musical theatre between the two World Wars and provides Sondheim with an opportunity to use the traditional conventions of the genre to reveal the hollowness and falsity of his characters' dreams and illusions. [53] "Ah, but Underneath" was substituted for "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" in order to accommodate non-dancer Hoty. Phyllis, having successfully seduced Kevin, one of the waiters, The youthful ghosts of the four leads are winning portrayed by Erin Dilly, Richard Roland, Joey Sorge and Lauren Ward. to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! The musical has had a number of major revivals, and several of its songs have become standards, including "Broadway Baby", "I'm Still Here", "Too Many Mornings", "Could I Leave You? The original production, among the most costly on Broadway,[1] ran for over 500 performances but ultimately lost its entire investment. The score offers a pastiche of 1920s and 1930s musical styles, evoking a nostalgic tone. Kelli Rabke sings "Broadway Baby" from Follies at 54 Below 54 Below 25K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share No views 1 minute ago #SondheimUnplugged #54below We're Still Here! Vance, David. Follies premiered on Broadway on April 4, 1971, at the Winter Garden Theatre. So, you grow up listening to your mother. Follies is a blend of both, and the new production is rounded out with production numbers celebrating love's simple hope for young lovers, its extravagant fantasies for Ziegfeld aficionados, and its fresh lesson for the graying principals. The producer was Cameron Mackintosh, the direction was by Mike Ockrent, with choreography by Bob Avian and design by Maria Bjrnson. HATTIE WALKER - After all these years, still a Broadway Baby. "/", "Bolero d'Amour" Danced by Vincent and Vanessa , "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" / "Love Will See Us Through" Young Ben, Young Sally, Young Phyllis and Young Buddy, "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" Buddy, "Margie", "Sally", "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" Phyllis and backup male dancers . Story of Lucy and Jessie (Lucy being Phyllis and Jessie being He praised a "broodingly luminous Jan Maxwell" and Burstein's "hapless onetime stage-door Johnny", as well as "the show's final 20 minutes, when we ascend with the main characters into an ironic vaudeville dreamscape of assorted neuroses - the most intoxicating articulation of the musical's 'Loveland' sequence that I've ever seen." for a first and last reunion: an invitation "to glamorize [103], The production returned to the Olivier Theatre on February 14, 2019, playing until May 11. You know, when I went to see "A Little Night Music," before I was even knew I was going to be in it, the music started and I went: Oh my God, I can't believe the person that wrote all those other things also wrote this. [70], Follies was part of L.A.'s Reprise series, and it was housed at the Wadsworth Theatre, presented as a staged concert, running from June 15 to 23, 2002. the giddy hopefuls of 1940. Host Scott Simon speaks with Peters about Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical. is by now wondering Could I Leave You and live without Ben, ", "Who Could Be Blue? It could be. Hal Prince said: "Follies examines obsessive behavior, neurosis and self-indulgence more microscopically than anything I know of. "[19] "Loveland" features a string of vaudeville-style numbers, reflecting the leading characters' emotional problems, before returning to the theater for the end of the reunion party. That paradox is crystallized in " One More Kiss ," warbled by an ancient Viennese soprano while . Solange purrs her way through the fake Gallic sophistication DIMITRI WEISMANN - An impresario who flourished between the wars and THEODORE WHITMAN - Emily's husband. Ted Chapin[who?] Synopsis. In a jazzy dance number, accompanied by a squadron of chorus boys, Phyllis reflects on the two sides of her personality, one naive and passionate and the other jaded and sophisticated and her desire to combine them ("The Story of Lucy and Jessie"). Don't panic. Kiss Me, Kate! Read is the book writer, writing a new ending to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, alongside a score comprising the pop music of Grammy . Bobby Vernon; Gloria Swanson; Jay Dwiggins; Martha Trick; Robert Milliken; Fritz Schade; Juanita Hansen; Sylvia Ashton; Helen Bray; Florence Clark; Phyllis Haver; William Irving; Edgar Kennedy; Myrtle Lind; Whose Baby? Sondheim. Buddy tells her she must be either crazy or drunk, but he's already supported Sally through rehab clinics and mental hospitals and cannot take any more. Songs cut before the Broadway premiere include "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (used in the prologue), "Can That Boy Foxtrot! A Broadway revival opened at the Belasco Theatre on April 5, 2001, and closed on July 14, 2001, after 117 performances and 32 previews. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies). This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. Ben tells Sally Mr. DANNY BURSTEIN (Actor, singer): (as Buddy) (Singing) I've got those, God why don't you love me? In 1971 or 2001, Follies validates the legend that a Broadway show can be an event worth dressing up for. Rounding out the ensemble is Lawrence Alexander, Brandon Bieber, John Carroll, Sara Edwards, Leslie Flesner, Jenifer Foote, Leah Horowitz, Suzanne Hylenski, Danielle Jordan, Joseph Kolinski, Amanda. Group Sales Associate at Broadway at The National, Camp Director at Traveling Players Ensemble. It's just that the most glamorous room . Broadway impresario Dimitri Weismann arranges a reunion of the actors, singers, dancers, and personalities who peopled his famous Follies in the years between the World Wars . The resulting album was more complete than the original cast album. wife, kids - and a mistress. [27] The 2017 National Theatre production is performed without an interval as well as largely returning to the 1971 book, James Goldmans widow no longer alive to insist on the revised script. (1965), for which he had written the lyrics to Richard Rodgers's music, Sondheim decided that he would henceforth work only on projects where he could write both the music and lyrics himself. 1971, the weismann theatre, new york city, College/University, Large Cast, Mature Audiences, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female. [77], New York City Center's Encores! She had nodes that she had to have removed. How does she compare? On her debut solo album, Broadway veteran Dorothy Loudon performs a set of theater songs she was too young to do on stage. Join the StageAgent community Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Recent episodes in T Greats Ben becomes frenzied, while the dancing ensemble continues as if nothing was wrong. He creates what's necessary for the piece. Ms. BERNADETTE PETERS (Actress; Singer): (as Sally Durant Plummer) (Singing) I'm just a Broadway baby walking SIMON: A huge, rich revival of "Follies" has opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with the original orchestrations. She made her Broadway debut in 1967 in "How Now, Dow Jones" and went on to play roles in "Promises, Promises" and "Applause." the theatre is demolished to make way for a parking lot. Paul Kerryson directed, and the cast starred David Durham as Ben, Kathryn Evans as Sally, Louise Gold as Phyllis, Julia Goss as Heidi and Henry Goodman as Buddy. [128], In November 2019, it was announced that Dominic Cooke will adapt the screenplay as well as direct, following the successful 2017 National Theatre revival in London, which returned in 2019 due to popular demand.[129]. Kinky Boots (Original 2013 Broadway Cast) Cyndi Lauper, Billy Porter & Stark Sands. [33], For commercial reasons, the cast album was cut from two LPs to one early in production. When they sing, in voices layered with ambivalence and anger and longing, it is clear that it is their past selves whom they are serenading. Two new additions to the cast, Jayne Houdyshell and Mary Beth Peil, are terrific. Elsewhere, Willy Wheeler (portly, in his sixties) cartwheels for a photographer. Gene Nelson (Buddy). (Soundbite of song, "Broadway Baby") SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman.