Follies Running Time?

[joshy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:51pm

Can anyone tell me the usual length of Follies?
They're doing it next term as a late show at my university, and normally late shows are 1 hour to 1 hour 30 max, so I was curious to know how long it is. It's one of the few Sondheim shows I've yet to see so I'm pretty excited to get to see it here, the musical productions they do are usually pretty good.

Updated On: 11/19/07 at 02:51 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:54pm

About 2 hours, maybe 2:15 when played with an intermission?

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:55pm

If memory serves, it tends to run approx. 2:10, 2:20. I caught a concert production of it last June (I was supposed to be in it, but I was committed to another production - dates conflicted, etc., etc.). I belive it's on the 'short side' - compared to other Sondheim shows.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:56pm

It's usually around two and a half hours, including a 15 minute intermission.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:57pm

The Cameron Macintosh production at the Shaftesbury theatre in London was 2hr 40m inc 15min interval.

Updated On: 11/19/07 at 02:57 PM

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:00pm

Fully staged productions are usually 2 1/2 hours or longer. Last year's Encores concert version was closer to 2 hours, 15 minutes.

[joshy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:00pm

Hmmm. I guess they're going to be (tut tut) cutting some of the show, or playing it as fast as possible or letting it get out at around 1.30am!



Thank you all for the information! Updated On: 11/19/07 at 03:00 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:03pm

Are you sure they aren't just doing some sort of "follies" (as in revue, etc)? That's the only thing that could make sense here.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:03pm

Well, the show was originally done without intermission, and as such ran just over two hours, I believe. With a bit of cutting I suppose you could get it down to around and hour, 45 or less.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:15pm

Still, with the context clues given, I'm still betting they're doing some sort of university follies and not Follies.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:15pm

Cut the songs!

[joshy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:21pm

No, it's not 'some sort of university follies' since it says "by Stephen Sondheim" and has links to youtube clips of the songs to give people unfamiliar with the show an idea what it's like. (This is from an audition notice.)

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:26pm

Interesting. Although people unfamiliar with the show aren't going to really know what it's like if half of it gets cut. Why did your university's drama department say when you inquired about it?

[joshy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:29pm

I did think it was a strange choice for a late show...
It's the musical theatre society, not part of the drama department as such (there isn't one!), I'll talk to someone from there soon because I'm curious about it - the only information I have is from the audition notice, which just came through!

[RyToast1]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:04pm

City Center's Encores was 2 hours, 26 minutes, including a 15 minutes intermission!

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:10pm

OR could they be doing the concert version?

http://www.mtishows.com/concert_home.asp?id=000037

I think it's the BBC version with the "radio announcer."

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:10pm

OR could they be doing the concert version?

http://www.mtishows.com/concert_home.asp?id=000037

I think it's the BBC version with the "radio announcer."

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:33pm

That could be it. Oh, god, I hate that concert script.
Updated On: 11/21/07 at 07:33 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 8:36pm

Oh, God, I hope for everyone involved that they don't do the BBC radio concert. I really dislike the book in that version.
As everyone has said the Encores! concert ran roughly 2h, 30 min though it felt like 10 minutes. It was quite an amazing production.
The BBC radio concert is my least favorite version of FOLLIES. Whoever thought of casting Donna McKechnie as Phyllis?

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 3:57pm

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but Northwestern's website states the National Theatre's Follies runs 3h30m does anybody know if this is correct? 

https://www.wirtz.northwestern.edu/stage-on-screen

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 7/14/17 at 5:20pm

I can't imagine that's correct. My guess would be it's either a typo or perhaps there's something else beforehand? I know the Met broadcasts, for instance, often include backstage footage and occasionally someone discussing the opera, so perhaps the National is doing a similar thing where it's an hour or so intro followed by the 2 and a half hour production?

Posted: 7/14/17 at 7:43pm

Without an intermission (as it was originally written I believe) - it is a little over 2 hours.  As I understand it - going without an intermission was a deliberate decision to keep the audience engaged and perhaps a bit off balance as the storyline advances.....so in the end the audience feels the same exhaustion as the lead characters in the final scene.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 2:02am

Per a number of the creators (for example, see SONDHEIM & CO.), there simply is no good place for an intermission. They tried several spots and then went back to running straight through.

When the last revival came to LA and Victoria Clark replaced Bernadette Peters, "Too Many Mornings" with Ron Raines and Clark was sung as virtually an operatic duet. It felt more natural to take an intermission after it, though the break was still artificially motivated rather than forced by the content.

I have never seen a 90 minute FOLLIES and hope I never do!

Updated On: 7/15/17 at 02:02 AM

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 7/15/17 at 5:17am

The Brits are known to have longer attention spans than us Americans, so I think their production would benefit from not having an intermission.  It really ruins the flow of this show.

Posted: 7/15/17 at 5:33pm

Except who would deny the Brits their ice cream at intermission (although they have a different term for it).