"[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. Ms. PETERS: Do over. Sally appears next, dressed as a torch singer, singing of her passion for Ben from the past - and her obsession with him now ("Losing My Mind"). In 2001, a physically scaled-back but starry-cast production was mounted by the Roundabout Theatre Company. "[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. [38] The production was the premiere attraction at the newly constructed 1,800-seat theater, which, coincidentally, was itself razed thirty years later (in 2002, in order to build a new office building), thus mirroring the Follies plot line upon which the musical is based. in. Former Weismann performers at the reunion include Max and Stella Deems, who lost their radio jobs and became store owners in Miami; Solange La Fitte, a coquette, who is vibrant and flirtatious even at 66; Hattie Walker, who has outlived five younger husbands; Vincent and Vanessa, former dancers who now own an Arthur Murray franchise; Heidi Schiller, for whom Franz Lehr once wrote a waltz ("or was it Oscar Straus?" out the inadequacies of their marriages. She yearns for him to hold her, but young Sally slips between them and the three move together ("Too Many Mornings"). Broadway Baby Lyrics - Follies - the Musical Lyrics (Chapin, p.300) In his The New York Times review of the original Broadway production, Clive Barnes wrote: "it is stylish, innovative, it has some of the best lyrics I have ever encountered, and above all it is a serious attempt to deal with the musical form." that he no longer loves her, that for him "all of it was over The 2001 Roundabout Broadway revival, the first major production following Goldman's death in 1998, was again a combination of previous versions. Afterward, Phyllis and Ben angrily discuss their lives and relationship, which has become numb and emotionless. SIMON: Does this story reach you now in a way it might not have during the 1970s? Were Still Here! As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy, and Sally unfold. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. It's like I'm losing my mind. I hadn't read the script until about a year ago. Follies Original West End Musical Cast 1987 | West End World Ms. PETERS: As a little girl, yeah. Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. Whose Baby? (TV Series 1973-1988) - IMDb despite the routine of married life. [127] Tony Award-winning playwright and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan has expressed interest in writing the adaptation. Don't panic. Phyllis, both now married to their respective stage-door Johnnies, 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"). Leading Lady / Broadway Baby / Another Openin' Another Show: Jill Perryman: 1975: Medley: Broadway Baby: Bernadette Peters: 1981: Broadway Baby: Dorothy Loudon: 1986: Broadway Baby: Daisy Eagan: February 23, 1993: "[35] "One More Kiss" was omitted from the final release but was restored for CD release. ", "Little White House", "It Wasn't Meant to Happen", "Pleasant Little Kingdom", "That Old Piano Roll Rag", "The World's Full of Girls", "Bring On The Girls"[7] [8] and "Uptown Downtown". What is. And as years went on and I got out of that bad habit, my real voice revealed itself. I thought I wasn't a Sondheim girl. BUDDY PLUMMER - Ben's pal, now a prosperous realtor in Arizona, with Phyllis begins wondering at her younger self, who worked so hard to become the socialite that Ben needed. He predicted that the show eventually would achieve recognition as a Broadway classic. The original production, among the most costly on Broadway,[1] ran for over 500 performances but ultimately lost its entire investment. Phyllis interrupts this tender moment and has a biting encounter with Sally. Both Buddys enter to confront the Bens about how they stole Sally. and a brief glimpse of those dreams. Yesterday marked the birthdate of the actress/singer/dancer Ethel Shutta (pronounced Shuh-tay), born in 1896, immortalized as the person who introduced the Stephen Sondheim favorite "Broadway. ON THE RECORD: Hats Off! A Survey of Follies Recordings - Playbill It starred Alexis Smith (Phyllis), John McMartin (Ben), Dorothy Collins (Sally), Gene Nelson (Buddy), along with several veterans of the Broadway and vaudeville stage. : Directed by Rebecca Frayn. According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, "almost every performance of the show played to a full house, more often than not to standing-room-only. For Sally and Kiss Me, Kate! 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; explains: "Today, Follies is rarely performed twice in exactly the same version. As more guests arrive, Sally's husband, Buddy, enters. out his wife's name and we return sharply to reality. of the derelict theatre Loveland rises - the apotheosis of a Weismann The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. "[30] Prince planned to present the musical on the West Coast and then on a national tour. "[65], Theater writer and historian John Kenrick wrote "the bad news is that this Follies is a dramatic and conceptual failure. But when. She then tells Ben that their marriage can't continue the way it has been. But they're both Peter Marks of The Washington Post wrote that the revival "takes an audience halfway to paradise." Join the StageAgent community )"[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. During one night of romance and regret, two crumbling thirty-year-long marriages are put to the test. Whose Baby? [124] The 2017 London revival cast was recorded after the production closed in January 2018, and was released in early 2019. the giddy hopefuls of 1940. The resulting album was more complete than the original cast album. Phyllis, having successfully seduced Kevin, one of the waiters, Buddy and Ben, the theatre seems haunted by their younger selves, Before she has a chance to really let loose, they are both called on to participate in another performance Stella Deems gets Sally, Phyllis, Emily, Hattie, and some others to perform an old number ("Who's That Woman? The production was broadcast live to cinemas worldwide on November 16 through the National Theatre Live program. Follies set, a fabulous wedding cake reaching for the stars, an "[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 . (1999 Broadway Revival Cast) Cole Porter, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Michael Berresse & Amy Spanger. EMILY WHITMAN - The female half of a cheerful song and dance team. 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. Former MGM and onetime Broadway star Betty Garrett, best known to younger audiences for her television work, played Hattie. BROADWAY BABY - Medium They find that hard to do. YOUNG PHYLLIS - A showgirl in the chorus of the final edition of It is 1971, and the iconic Weismann Theater, now a crumbling shell of its former glory, is about to be demolished to provide precious New York City parking space. The Company of our celebrated, long-running series, #SondheimUnplugged, is thrilled to be Back in Business for season thirteen of our award-winning program at #54below. He is a salesman, in his early 50s, appealing and lively,[4] whose smiles cover inner disappointment. Follies review - a stupendous Sondheim revival - The Guardian The reunion, if it reunifies one couple, destroys another. "[115], Time magazine wrote about the original Broadway production: "At its worst moments, Follies is mannered and pretentious, overreaching for Significance. "Follies' Restaged In London". [78][79] This production used the original text, and the "Loveland" lyrics performed in the 1987 London production. and matronly starlets, veterans of a more innocent age of entertainment, Sally and her younger self enter and Ben firmly tells Sally that he never loved her. However, the show did not do well in its Los Angeles engagement and plans for a tour ended. And I usually do things that are different and a challenge and interesting to me to approach. A celebrity panel meet the child of a well-known person, and guess who their parents are. relaxed and philosophical about the old days: good times, bum Several show-stopping routines are provided by choreographer Warren Carlyle." [83], Reviews were mixed, with Ben Brantley of The New York Times writing "It wasn't until the second act that I fell in love all over again with Follies". Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. [50][51], A production also ran from March to April 1995 at the Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas, and in April to May 1995 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle with Constance Towers (Phyllis), Judy Kaye (Sally), Edie Adams, Denise Darcel, Virginia Mayo, Maxene Andrews (Hattie), and Karen Morrow (Carlotta). Follies Stage production February 20, 1971 Comments Sung by character "Hattie Walker" . New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Not only has it already outsold every other album at our website, but the steady stream of emails from customers has been amazing. It also highlights that the Follies were such an incredible mix of high art and low art. The score offers a pastiche of 1920s and 1930s musical styles, evoking a nostalgic tone. HEIDI SCHILLER - A 90-year old Broadway legend, whose ringing soprano are gleefully dusting off their old acts: Theodore and Emily And, in the haze of nostalgia, the past a Follies girl. With Andrew Lincoln, Sophie Okonedo, Esther Coles, Darren Tighe. wife, while poor miserable Sally moans in a smouldering torch number Phyllis kisses a waiter and confesses to him that she had always wanted a son. Stephen Sondheim Songs from Musicals Follies the Musical - Broadway Baby Lyrics I'm just a Broadway Baby. "[114] On the other hand, Martin Gottfried wrote: "Follies is truly awesome and, if it is not consistently good, it is always great. Ben becomes frenzied, while the dancing ensemble continues as if nothing was wrong. However, it is clear that Sally is still in love with Ben even though their affair ended badly when Ben decided to marry Phyllis. For the 1985 concert, no one was going. 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. Young Phyllis, Ben, Sally and Buddy taunt their disillusioned Stephen Sondheim | "Broadway Baby" By Barbara Anastacio October 16, 2017 The song from his 1971 musical "Follies," as sung by employees of The New York Times. Tysons, VA, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Produced at the Winter Garden, New York, 4 April 1971 with Alexis Yesterday, though, tells another story: young Sally and young [80], The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts production at the Eisenhower Theater started previews on May 7, 2011, with an official opening on May 21, and closed on June 19, 2011. It could be. whose name became a byword for style and opulence. In this it reflects the age of Heidi Schiller, one of the more senior of the Follies girls. [49], Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT) was the first major American opera company to present Follies as part of their main stage repertoire, running from October 21, 1988, through November 6. The original Broadway production, directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, with choreography by Bennett, opened April 4, 1971. Ms. PETERS: Well, it depends how what their makeup is. [33], For commercial reasons, the cast album was cut from two LPs to one early in production. And as you keep learning and growing and studying your range, you know, grows and grows. Linden, Duke, Carr, Bosley Do Sondheim in L.A. June 15-23", "Evita's Bob Gunton Replaces Hal Linden as Ben in L.A. 'Follies' June 15-23", "McKechnie, Evans, Peterson in Follies in Concert in MI", "Broadway-Bound 'Follies' Plays Final Performance at Kennedy Center June 19", "Casting Complete for Kennedy Center 'Follies'; "Young" Counterparts Announced", "Kennedy Centers Follies is Broadway Bound", "Hey, L.A., We're Coming Your Way: 'Follies' Ends Broadway Run Jan. 22", "The Right Girls: Kennedy Center Follies, With Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige, Begins Broadway Previews", "Two-Disc 'Follies' Revival Recording Is Big Seller", "Theater Review. At its best momentsand there are manyit is the most imaginative and original new musical that Broadway has seen in years. The cast included Anne Rogers, Jo Anne Worley and Philip Bosco. Solange purrs her way through the fake Gallic sophistication Several of the former showgirls perform their old numbers, often accompanied by the ghosts of their younger selves. Sondheim's songs aren't parodies or deconstructions; they are evocations that recognize the power of a love song. YOUNG BUDDY - The eager young beau of a Follies chorine. 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. 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. Ben replies by saying that he wants a divorce, and Phyllis assumes the request is due to his love for Sally. Julia McKenzie and David Healy. The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. HATTIE WALKER - After all these years, still a Broadway Baby. The song was "One More Kiss", and the compromise was that if there was time, it would be recorded, even if Jones couldn't promise it would end up on the album. "[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. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Amidst a deafening discord, Ben screams at all the figures from his past and collapses as he cries out for Phyllis. The musical was written in one act, and the original director, Prince, did not want an intermission, while the co-director, Bennett, wanted two acts. She made her Broadway debut in 1967 in "How Now, Dow Jones" and went on to play roles in "Promises, Promises" and "Applause." (Who's That Woman), shadowy wraiths of their younger selves [48], Follies was voted ninth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the UK's "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals". SIMON: And from the performer's point of view, what makes him a genius by such universal acclaim? [103], The production returned to the Olivier Theatre on February 14, 2019, playing until May 11. He forget his lines, the tune, the dance steps and finally, in hours after the show Waiting for the Girls Upstairs in Ms. PETERS: Wow. The show closed on July 1, 1972, after 522 performances and 12 previews. [72] Hal Linden originally was going to play Ben, but left because he was cast in the Broadway revival of Cabaret as Herr Schultz. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Facts never interest her; what matters is the song! [75][76] Donna McKechnie enjoyed top billing as Carlotta. Like an actor turns himself into another character. Produced at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, "Liner notes to original Broadway cast recording". The evening follows a reunion of the Weismann Girls who performed during the interwar period. 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? Mr. DANNY BURSTEIN (Actor, singer): (as Buddy) (Singing) I've got those, God why don't you love me? I had always was aware of his shows but I never thought I'd ever be in any of his shows. [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. [102] This production notably goes back to the original plan of a one-act performance. follies. Follies By Rick Pender Follies original poster Follies, Sondheim's seventh Broadway production, began as The Girls Upstairs, a collaboration with bookwriter James Goldman about some young women in a Ziegfeld-like extravaganza and the stage-boy Johnnies who courted them. 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. Follies premiered on Broadway on April 4, 1971, at the Winter Garden Theatre. [121] The original cast album has always been controversial, because significant portions of the score were cut to fit onto one LP. They pass through the spectral showgirls without seeing them. Two new additions to the cast, Jayne Houdyshell and Mary Beth Peil, are terrific. Each of the four is shaken at the realization of how life has changed them. The net result was four new songs For reasons which I've forgotten, I rewrote "Loveland" for the London production. Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. [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]. "Sondheim's 'Follies' closes despite packed performances; Run of the show ends with the expiration of special Equity deal". The principal cast included Kim Crosby (Sally), Leslie Denniston (Phyllis), Jeff McCarthy (Ben), Lara Teeter (Buddy), Joy Franz (Solange), Marni Nixon (Heidi), and Donna McKechnie (Carlotta). 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"). Radiantly optimistic and more than a little sexy, they turned "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" into one of the highlights of the evening. Follies - Wikipedia Ms. PETERS: She is horribly disappointed with her life, comes back to the Follies Theater that she performed in 30 years ago, where she was the happiest in her life, and trying to recapture the happiness again and think she is actually, that evening. between Buddy and his pal, Ben. I like to do that. CAPITOL S0761 - Original Cast [81] The cast starred Bernadette Peters as Sally, Jan Maxwell as Phyllis, Elaine Paige as Carlotta, Linda Lavin as Hattie, Ron Raines as Ben and Danny Burstein as Buddy. The cast featured Charlotte Page (Sally), Liz Robertson (Phyllis), Graham Bickley (Ben), Jrme Pradon (Buddy), Nicole Croisille (Carlotta), Julia Sutton (Hattie) and Fra Fee (Young Buddy).[96]. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more songs from Do again. "[117] Ben Brantley, reviewing the 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse production in The New York Times, concluded that it was a "fine, heartfelt production, which confirms Follies as a landmark musical and a work of art". [19][81] The production played to 95% capacity. Goldman's revised book offered some small improvements over the original. Finally, he wrote: "But Follies never makes fun of the honorable musical tradition to which it belongs. glad they came. It was directed and staged by Stephen Lloyd Helper and produced by Helper and Alistair Thomson for Mardi Gras. ; later replaced by Marni Nixon), Larry Raiken (Roscoe) and an assortment of famous names from the past. Ms. PETERS: (as Sally Durant Plummer) (Singing) If I stick it long enough, I can get to strut my stuff. Whose Baby? 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. Against this volatile atmosphere of drunken remembrances, a decades-old love quadrangle receives a revival when Follies dancers Sally and Phyllis, and their respective husbands, Buddy and Ben -- who used to hang around backstage, waiting for their girls -- meet again. But when Bernadette Peters sings the song, it could be a kind of anthem. 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. 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, as a farewell tribute to the doomed building. the theatre is demolished to make way for a parking lot. 1971, the weismann theatre, new york city, College/University, Large Cast, Mature Audiences, Mostly Female Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female. On the drab stage He thinks she's very neurotic, and she is very neurotic, so he said to me 'Congratulations. Recent episodes in T Greats Bernadette Peters, who's stopped more shows on Broadway than the stagehands union, joins us in our studios. Stephen Sondheim, Hattie Walker is a retired star of the Weismann Follies, an iconic. [56], The Dublin Concert was held in May 1996 at the National Concert Hall. The younger Ben and Buddy softly call to their "girls upstairs", and the Follies end. [62][63] It followed a similar presentation at the 1995 Melbourne Festival of Arts with a different cast and orchestra. [33] However, director Herbert Ross took some liberties in adapting the book and score for the concert formatdance music was changed, songs were given false endings, the new dialogue was spoken, reprises were added, and Patinkin was allowed to sing "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" as a solo instead of a trio with two chorus girls. Follies (New Broadway Cast Recording) - Apple Music and soon Sally and Buddy, together with their younger selves, join Ms. PETERS: Oh, it's my pleasure to be here again. YOUNG HEIDI - The celebrated soprano in her heyday. This show features the wistful torch song Losing My Mind, the wry showstopper Im Still Here, and Broadway Baby, that determined ode to making it in show business. This English-language production, using the full original orchestration, was directed by Olivier Bnzech and conducted by David Charles Abell. Oh, you do? the surviving players of his lavish pre-war Follies, from the silver The AP quoted Michael Coveney of the Financial Times, who wrote: "Follies is a great deal more than a camp love-in for old burlesque buffs and Sondheim aficionados. ", "Who Could Be Blue? overwhelming optimism, where skies are ever blue. Regine & Terrence Currier Will Not Transfer to Broadway with Kennedy The music is so beautiful, classical, involved, intricate. 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. New York, NY, Escape To Margaritaville Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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"). Group Sales Associate at Broadway at The National, Camp Director at Traveling Players Ensemble. "[123] The recording of the 2011 revival was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Musical Theater Album category. that she's Losing My Mind. In the foreword to "Everything Was Possible", Frank Rich wrote: "From the start, critics have been divided about Follies, passionately pro or con but rarely on the fence Is it really a great musical, or merely the greatest of all cult musicals?" As their younger counterparts approach them, Phyllis comments to Ben about their past. Sondheim "did not think the London script was as good as the original." Upgrade to PRO Seeing Sally again, Ben realises "[113], Walter Kerr wrote in The New York Times about the original production: "Follies is intermissionless and exhausting, an extravaganza that becomes so tedious because its extravaganzas have nothing to do with its pebble of a plot. 'Follies'. Pounding Forty-Second Street To be in a show. This Roundabout Theatre limited engagement had been expected to close on September 30, 2001. Ms. PETERS: Oh, you know, what's great about it is that there's no comparison. Hal Prince said: "Follies examines obsessive behavior, neurosis and self-indulgence more microscopically than anything I know of. in one terrifying mass. Directed by Michael Scott, the cast included Lorna Luft, Millicent Martin, Mary Millar, Dave Willetts, Trevor Jones Bryan Smyth, Alex Sharpe, Christine Scarry, Aidan Conway and Enda Markey. descend the famous Follies staircase one last time. This production has taken on the glint of crystalline sharpness. He creates what's necessary for the piece. "/", "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 . Cast.