A community theater FOLLIES....- Page 2

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:00pm

I vomited a little...a lot

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:04pm

My favorite part? the 2 people sarcastically applauding after "live laugh love"

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:08pm

I'm sorry but anyone who puts something on YouTube and thinks they're not going to have it critiqued should not own a computer.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:12pm

But my production had full sets, costumes, lights, and an orchestra, and you will not find one other community theatre production of this show on youtube with all of those...that is why you are commenting on mine.

There's a very good reason that community theaters don't put this show on. It's not the sort of show that a bunch good-hearted people who want to give it the old college try and put on a show for the fun of it can pull off. It just isn't.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:34pm

The Loveland narrator is Weisman. We added it to allow the audience a breather in between the music starting and the eight part dialogue ending. It helped them gather what was about to happen.

See, why should anyone respect you when you don't even respect the show?

I played Young Buddy in a community theatre production once. It's on YouTube somewhere.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:42pm

Sadly, I think the James Street Players are on Long Island--in the Babylon area. Between this mess of a show and the famous "Peter Pan Fiasco" from Greenport, one gets the sense that theatre doesn't exactly sparkle in Suffolk County!

BTW: Theatre Three in Port Jeff did a very good peroduction of FOLLIES, but that was years ago.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:44pm

And, PRS' production was really well done.

The set should look like a theatre, not a dinner theatre/nightclub. Sorry, that's textual and not open to interpretation.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 10:46pm

FOLLIES is an ambitious show, written to be performed on a large scale with a large cast, orchestra, and budget. It is also extremely difficult to cast because you need so many talented women.

This production is not Broadway but it could have been a lot worse--it's your typical less-than-stellar community theater show. Yes, the orchestra and cast are out of sync at points, many costumes do not fit the time period, the set is inappropriate, and many of the performers are miscast but it is what it is.

I applaud anyone who attempts FOLLIES (successfully or unsuccessfully).

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 1:31am

...this was the first amateur community theatre production of this show done on long island in many years...

Really? Cause you'd never know it from their accents.

[StunningPerformer]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 5:27am

Who ever said it was sarcastic? It was a very touching performance! I know...I was there! Whether it be community theater, or broadway...you can't help but be touched by this show!!! Ben Stone gave it his all!!!
Updated On: 9/29/10 at 05:27 AM

[StunningPerformer]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 6:24am

These are probably some of the worst comments I've seen in a short period of time! There is some great talent here whether you think so or not. Does anyone have anything positive to say? My experience with this particular production brought my spirits back to life in the theater world. It's a story about changing your ways, laughing with old friends, and possibly having a nervous breakdown to find the real you! It worked for me as an actor, and I have a deep respect for myself after performing in this show!

[StunningPerformer]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 6:45am

To the one who vomited a little...a lot...put it back in your mouth and choke on it! While you're at it...make me a tuna on rye! Get me a cup of coffee...no, I don't want butter on my bread...clearly, you are toast...

[newintown]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 9:30am

Utter delight! The director and a cast member are responding!

Folks, keep on doing what you do, and just don't respond to anonymous negative comments. I love that you tried, but honestly, I've got to say there's a lot of inadvertently hilarious stuff here. (And I agree that if you put yourself doing anything on Youtube, you MUST be prepared to be mocked.)

I applaud the fact that you gathered a full-ish orchestra, while simultaneously lamenting that it sounds like only your drummer and brass are able to count. Perhaps a smaller, tighter ensemble would have been advisable...

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 9:53am

I agree that the effort should be applauded, but I still think it's nervy to rewrite portions of a show and then act affronted by someone else criticizing what you've done.

Also, Sally never says the theatre is beautiful or implies that its not in disrepair, unless that was another textual change made.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 10:05am

You're absolutely right, Phyl - the amateur notion that "oh, we can just add or cut stuff based on what we think we need, because we're as good at this as James Goldman, Stephen Sondheim, Hal Prince, Jonathan Tunick, and Michael Bennett" is hilarious and insupportable.

But getting too seriously critical with these folks is like slapping a kindergarten student in her class pantomime for not being Cherry Jones.

What they created was ridiculous, but I'm so happy that they made the effort.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 11:14am

You know, if you're going to choose a show like FOLLIES, you've got to be prepared to do it WELL. I remember doing the sets for a production of MY FAIR LADY 'way back when and when I saw the hats that had been designed for the Ascot scene, I spent a whole sleepless night re-doing them so they looked appropriate for the era. Why? Because the show demanded it! It looks as though very little was done to rise to the demands of this FOLLIES.

Oh yes, it was nice to see a group of senior citizens tapping up a storm but to post videos of it on the internet is really ego-centric.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:10pm

My two cents, for what it's worth:

I've done quite a bit of community theatre and the first rule of thumb is that the words "community theatre" hae always been stigmatized, but moreso since the advent of Youtube. And let's face it, watching Youtube videos of good community theatre productions isn't as much fun, right? People who do community theatre either 1) simply want to perform a show because they enjoy it, 2) hope to gain some knowledge and experience in the basics of putting on a show or 3) both 1 & 2. I started off in community theatre just to get a foot in the door and a handle on the art of rehearsing and performing and I was lucky enough to start in a very reputable theatre just before its quality started a sharp decline (though I admit I don't know how it has been doing the last 7-8 years).

Now, I've been in some community theatre productions that put some equity houses to shame, but I've been in some real stinkers as well. If you're a good performer, you know when you're in a stinker and you suck it up. The worst community theatre production I performed in turned out to be the most fun I ever had on stage. And that's ok. That's what community theatre is really about.

That being said, I saw some of the clips and yes, this Follies is a stinker. The woman performing Who's That Woman has a terrific voice, though. But this is clearly a case of a community theatre biting off WAY more than it can chew, which boils down to the Director and the Artistic Director. I saw PRS's Follies and I honestly didn't realize it was a "community theatre" production. It looked much more slick and professional than most of the schlock I've seen in Chicago. Ad that's because they had the budget and resources to tackle the material. If you don't have it, don't do it, because you end up setting yourself and everyone else connected with the production up for serious disappointment. I understand why the material was chosen, but another Sondheim show should have been reserved if someone felt a Sondheim tribute was necessary and as for the older performers, a revue or even 70 Girls 70 would have been more apropos and probably within the theatre's budget and resources. Ambition is admirable, but community theatre requires a delicate balance of practicality and creativity to battle the restraints of limited budget, talent and resources. Which is probably why truly good community theatre directors are exceedingly rare.

And yeah, if you're going to post Youtube videos of any community theatre production, then be prepared to take a beating. This is nothing new or even unexpected.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:24pm

I wholeheartedly concur with everything Mister Matt posted above!

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:25pm

Look what I've started. It wasn't my intention to piss off a bunch of senior citizens.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:32pm

I'm a senior citizen. I wasn't offended.

[bk]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:36pm

I am constantly amazed by what is put up on You Tube - and I'm constantly amazed by people's need to single it out and clamor to be as bitchy and nasty as can be - I'm quite sure there are some who do nothing but trawl You Tube looking for the worst they can find so they can immediately come here and be cute and superior.

I haven't seen these clips - don't need to see these clips. Note to director and actors who felt the need to a) put up the clips, and b) then respond to these comments - what on earth did you expect? And every time you respond you will get people who live for that responding back. That is the nature of these boards.

Finally, Mr. Matt is right - not all community theater is bad or risible. Some community theater is quite wonderful, actually. We had one here in LA in the 1960s called Bluth Brothers Theater, which was in Culver City. They did GREAT productions of wonderful musicals and were so well thought of that they were given the rights to do the first West Coast production of High Spirits. I was in several shows there, and a lot of people who went on to successful careers got their start there. Did we have B'way-style sets? Of course not. Did we have huge orchestras? Of course not. Did audiences come and have a great time because they were seeing well-directed, well-performed shows - absolutely.

And just as a little fun aside: One day I walked into the theater for a High Spirits rehearsal and saw this incredible backdrop of London outside the window of our set. It was absolutely amazing. I asked our musical director/set designer (one of the two Bluth Brothers) - he smiled and said, "Oh, I borrowed it from Disney - it's the Mary Poppins backdrop - I painted it." It was the first I'd ever heard that Don Bluth worked at Disney - of course, he would go on to be the leader when a whole group of animators defected and started a new company.

My point, though, is there are a lot of really good community theaters around the country. I went and saw a production of my show The Brain From Planet X at a community theater in Indiana - it was really good, with really good actors (and is currently up for fourteen Encore awards in Indianapolis) and clever direction. Perfect? No. But fun and well-done? Absobloominlutely.

As others have said, Follies is a tough nut to crack - if there are a lot of elderly actors, a much easier and much more fun show to have tackled would have been 70 Girls 70. That said, I saw a production of Follies at my alma mater, Los Angeles City College, that was absolutely great - and starred then student Diana Canova as Phyllis. It can be done and done well.
Updated On: 9/29/10 at 12:36 PM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:47pm

I was really blessed to find a community theatre in my area when I was in high school. It is still in existence (the Old Library Theatre in Fair Lawn, NJ). It changed my life in more ways than one. Not only did I get to perform, but at age 15, I was given the chance to play David, the adopted son, in Torch Song Trilogy. That experience shaped me as an actor and as a gay man. I got to sing the first tenor parts in the ensemble of Sweeney Todd at age 16. And our Sweeney (Art Murray...brother of Mary Gordon Murray) was beyond extraordinary. Just a magnificent performance that I learned a lot from.

So...yeah...I choose not to watch those videos. Cause they'll probably inspire me to snark. And, after all that my experience in community theatre gave to me, I just can't bear to do that.

I get that when putting something on YouTube, you open yourself up to comments. You are, in fact, inviting it. But, we also have a choice in whether we watch them or not...and comment. Or not.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:51pm

I just re-viewed some of the clips. Good God, it's horrible. Most of it is the fault of the director. Heck, he had Phyllis "acting out" the lyric to "Leave You". Her waving "bye bye" is absolutely horrendous. How old was the Older Ben? He seems to be 18.

This is a terrible production. It's miscast, horribly directed, musically insecure and that candy-box set is lit as though every scene is played in daylight.

I'd have walked out before intermission.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 12:54pm

Anyone who invokes the name of Diana Canova with praise deserves respect and admiration. LOVE her.

[bk]

Posted: 9/29/10 at 1:51pm

Well, my love for Diana knows no bounds. I've worked with her (I discovered her at LACC when she was still going by the name Dee Dee Rivero (her father was Cuban - her mother was, of course, the delectable Judy Canova). We did several shows together and then, of course, she co-starred in my first film (and was brilliant). We did a CBS series together, too, and I've used her on several albums.