Anyone going to the first preview of FOLLIES? - Page 5

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:12am

They walked out side-by-side. I don't think she would have even seen it. But it was just so clear that things wouldn't recover.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:14am

I did prefer it with her walking out in front of him. But I agree, even with the side-by-side exit, it's clear that things won't recover.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:20am

It's heartbreaking, particularly as Burstein is probably the most sympathetic of the four for me. Even with his mistress, you feel that he's only doing it to fill the hole in his heart.

And the irony of the initially "happier" seeming couple being the one to fall apart gets me, too.

("Happier" is in quotes for lack of a better word. "Less obviously on the rocks" I suppose?)

[MadonnaMusical]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 3:07am

Saw it tonight (also saw it in DC)....

I think this production is AMAZING. There are a few things I want to fix.... but first I have to defend Ron Raines.... because I completely completely completely disagree about him being the weak link. I think he is quiet brilliant, and has the most beautiful and classically trained voice of the bunch. He plays Ben exactly as Ben should be. Bernadette has gotten MUCH better at Sally. It has been discussed here that Sally is a manic depressant... the correct medical term now is bi-polar. She is DEFINITELY Bi-Polar... it's funny now that we know the medical reason now, when they didn't know that back in the day. Many famous characters through out time can basically be described as bi-polar... I think I'll start a thread about that. It's specifically given away when Buddy says "she spends days in bed, she cries, she camps outside her sons door, etc." She's crazy.... so in many ways LOSING MY MIND really is her, questioning her own sanity. Most song coaches and voice teachers always say to play the song as funny, and not take it so seriously, when in the context of the actual show it is VERY serious, lol. But I digress... Bernadette is getting better at Sally.... she finally moved her arms during losing my mind, but only once... I think she needs to speed up the repeat... it's too slow in the repeat and her voice is having a hard time making it. The power note at the end is right in her passagio... which is unfortunate but she sounds better now than in DC I suppose she is working with her voice teacher every day on it....

OMG Houdyshell and Piel are TO DIE FOR. LOVE THEM..... jan maxwell needs a TONY... Danny Burstein is good, but am I the only one that finds it DISTRACTING that he is 20 years younger than the 3 others?????? Can we at least put a little white powder in his hair, and some make up to age him???? I can't help but think THE ENTIRE TIME that he is not old enough to be cast in that part, even though he's GREAT...... SOME WHITE POWDER PLEASE!!!!!

The black drapes in the theatre really set the mood for me... and COMPLETELY turn that cavern of a theatre called the Marquis into an intimate setting...... something that needed to be done for plenty of other shows.....

HATE the new choreography for Lucy and Jessie though..... I liked how Jan Maxwell did all the athletic dancing with the boys in DC I think it is part of why everyone was surprised with her... now she just stands there and shows off her legs it's not as impressive....

poor Elaine Paige... Americans don't know she's a living legend... and her part is too small to get a standing ovation, it's no wonder she hides from the stage door goers in disgust...

This piece haunts me for three reasons... 1. The idea that I, like Sally, could still be in love with the person that broke my heart 30 years from now...... 2. The idea that I, like Phillys could be with someone for 30 years when love left years before..... 3. The idea that all beautiful things MUST die.

SO SCARY..... but what am I really scared of after all? The end of all things like love, like marriage, like beauty and youth.... like life... as Sondheim says... "ah well."

[rampions]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 11:26am

Saw it last night after having read a lot of the reviews and posts about D.C. and despite my love for the show, based on what I read, I was expecting to have a mixed reaction. Happy to report that the production far exceeded expectations, and it looks like many positive changes have been made since DC. As a 13 or 14 year old I was fortunate enough to see the original production twice, and though I can't remember the details much beyond the two female leads and the set, it has haunted me as one of my favorite productions ever.

This version: loved the set and loved the ghosts and I loved the mystery of them not being more front and center - they made an exotic, dark tableau. I found the whole thing really striking, visually, and made the Marquis contract, which is a very very good thing.

The new cast members were terrific - Mary Beth Peil looked so amazingly elegant in the opening and then nailed the humor in the role and her song was 95% THERE. Jayne Houdyshell was just perfect and also made an immediate impression upon entry. Does she have the voice to end all voices to sock it to Broadway Baby? - no - but her good cheer and enjoyment sold it for me.

Biggest surprise for me last night after reading the early reviews was Elaine Paige. I thought she was terrific! - though yes, she did spin a little out of control at the end, I heard every word she said - no conversational mumbling in the song, and she nailed the dialogue. It didn't have that dryness of delivery of Yvonne De Carlo, but it had a sort of Dynasty-B tv actress flavor of its own. But her bio needs to change - talk about diva-tude!

Jan Maxwell and Danny Burstein have been praised to the hilt in these pages and deservedly - LOVED HIM - wow, brought more of an edge to Buddy than I expected and wildly talented in the song and dance, and Buddy became a real character. None of the age differences bothered me - this is theater. Thought Maxwell brought a nice softness to Phyllis and her Could I Leave You was all one could ask for. Yes, Lucy and Jessie was a little disappointing - largely because I think it doesn't reveal anything new about Phyllis, as opposed to the other 3 characters' numbers. Thought the Loveland backdrop (not sure what to call it) was fabulous.

Ron Raines was better than I expected - he's an old school middle aged leading man (reminded me of a Robert Goulet style), even in his vocal enunciations and phrasing, but I think this worked for Ben, and he displayed more emotion than had been written about - I felt (a little) for him in his breakdown.

And Bernadette, whom I worship, but was a little uh oh about after reading the DC reviews - well I thought she was tremendous. She had obviously thought hard about Sally and I felt she was nuanced, not cutesy, not overly sympathetic, and interesting Sally. Sally seems so formed by the era she was created in, ie 1970 with her out of sync with the late 60s mix of hippies and women's lib. I was really struck by how seeing it now is so different than seeing it then, because now it reflects the era it came from as well as the earlier eras it depicts. Of course Losing My Mind was amazing. I saw pix of the old dress, and this one seems much more Sally.

As for Who's That Woman - and how differently it is played in this version - I don't mind it. Terri White has a great voice, though I miss the sarcasm of the original, and while this changes the tone, it also celebrates the performers, and gives the proceedings a positive energy lift, which is in counterpart to the rest of the show and I liked it - although might like the original more - not sure.

All in all, yeah, the book still weighs the proceedings down, but so thrilling to have Follies back in a production which serves the entirety of it very well - feel lucky to have seen it again in middle age. Sure hope audiences come to see it and thank you, producers, for bringing it to Broadway.
Updated On: 8/11/11 at 11:26 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 11:47am

Not to be "that guy," but how is rush for this? I've tried twice and haven't gotten a ticket. Are people getting there super early? Where are the seats? Would I be better off springing for a real ticket?

Posted: 8/11/11 at 11:50am

rampions... Thank you - nicely written!!!

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 11:54am

RippedMan- Rush isn't bad at all. I got there at 9am and was about tenth in line. People have gotten there a couple of hours after the box office opens and were able to buy tickets.

The tickets are in the back of the mezz. My ticket last night was for the center of row K, which is the second to the last row. However, I was able to move up to the second row of the mezz at intermission.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:18pm

poor Elaine Paige... Americans don't know she's a living legend... and her part is too small to get a standing ovation, it's no wonder she hides from the stage door goers in disgust...

Maybe she doesn't get a standing ovation because her performance doesn't merit one. Paige is a legend, especially in Britain, but it's fair to say that people over here might not know who she is because she doesn't work in America much. She's dedicated almost 40 years of her career to British theatre, with occasional work over here (third replacement in SUNSET, SWEENEY at NYCO, the odd concert or cabaret) and now she seems to be trying to make up for lost time. Maybe because she's not a legend over here they're judging her performance on its merits and not on her status. I haven't seen her live yet; this is just conjecture.

[jv92]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:24pm

Paige was BAD. Maybe audiences are realizing that a standing ovation is given for merit and exceptional performances. Elaine Paige, while looking the part, and in dialogue scenes- nailing the part, does not nail the song, and the song is essentially the character.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:34pm

I like Paige in this, she just needs to tone down the angry ending of the song a bit.

I am really happy to be reading all of these positive responses.

[jv92]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 12:54pm

I do too! But the Norma Desmond bit is just too much. It RUINS the song!

[Simon4]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 2:36pm

^"I heard every word she said - no conversational mumbling in the song"

Diction was never Elaine Paige's problem in D.C., rather her overall conversational manner (reinforced, or perhaps dictated, by the exceedingly literal staging of the number) and her excessive backphrasing.

[rarefizz]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 2:52pm

Anyone know the running time??

[phantomvegas2]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 3:00pm

Another virgin seeing the show in Sept... do you recommend listening to the cast recording, reading a synopsis, etc?

[rampions]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 3:11pm

It was about 2.40. In terms of listening to cast album, etc., my personal preference would be to go in cold and experience it all on stage for the first time - to me that's the magic of it all. Also a way to interpret the actions of the characters from your own perspective. But that's simply my preference.

Re: Elaine Page. Based on the reviews, I was prepared to loathe her, but I don't know, I just enjoyed her - had a similar experience with Elaine Stritch in Night Music ... liked the sound of her voice and thought she understood just what she was singing about, but wish she hadn't pushed it into caricature towards the end of the number. Looking at the DC images, her wig and gown are much improved B'way for the character.

[jv92]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 3:51pm

2 hours and 40 minutes! Jeez, that's long. I got out at 5:30 pm on Sunday-- and since the show started late (I'm assuming around 3:15) that meant it was 2 hours and 15 minutes. Did they add on more numbers?

If you're a newbie, virgin, whatever, I'd be interested to hear what you think going in cold without listening to any recording or reading any script. But either way is fine.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 5:02pm

The production is definitely 2 hours and 15 minutes. So with intermission, it should clock in around 2:30.

[rampions]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 5:11pm

I should have added that I was timing it from 8pm not from the time it actually started. And it could have been 10:35 rather than 10:40 when I checked my watch. I did notice that they started act II very quickly after the bells chiming - people were still taking their seats, so they were clock-watching.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:11pm

I saw the Tuesday preview, and it was honestly everything I could want in a musical. Jan Maxwell stirred strong emotion in me with every one of her lines, be in luls or aws. Bernadette was naturally superb too but the show definetly belongs to Maxwell...and that outstanding ensemble! A first rate cast all around, too many standouts to name. I loved the set, and the orchestrations were sublime. Not sure if the ghost thing was created for this particular Follies but that was a very interesting aspect, she was constantly in character and seemed to float in that costume. Ah, so many wonderful thoughts about this show.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 10:25pm

I was out the door into the lobby at 10:37 last night.

Most shows do not start promptly at 8.

[binau]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 10:29pm

Concerned about ticket-sales..they are still over 700 sets left for tomorrow night's show :X.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 10:33pm

I'm not terribly concerned... right now. It just started previews. I will be more concerned if the numbers continue following the opening.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 10:36pm

I'm sure many tickets are being sent to TKTS during previews. Word of mouth appears to be very positive right now. Hopefully the reviews will be as positive, which will likely help ticket sales.
Updated On: 8/11/11 at 10:36 PM

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 8/14/11 at 12:07am

Saw it tonight. Here are my thoughts and QUESTIONS

This is my first time seeing this show and I am familiar with a lot of the music. The story was a tiny bit confusing to me for some reason so please bare with me.

Bernadette was excellent. Her first entrance was incredible. She really does say so much without ACTUALLY saying anything. Her acting was top notch but I have to say her singing left me a little flat. I think this score is too high for her and although her performance of Loosing My Mind was heartbreaking, it still kinda left me disappointed with how she sung it. My favorite still is a tie between Barbara Cook and Marin Mazzie. (She also took that last note up an octave for some reason and I don't believe it's in the score) Some things were just a hit or miss but she looked gorgeous. QUESTION: I read so many things about Sally being bipolar but she didn't really seem that messed up in the show. She just seemed like she was in love with Ben since they were younger and kind of never gotten over him. If she was THAT unhappy, she would of done something, right? I mean I know that she spent some days in bed, crying...but does that really clarify she was crazy??? If someone could elaborate on this, I would love to hear it.

Jan Maxwell was the standout of all the 4 leads. Is this role considered supporting? She needs a Tony, nonetheless. Leave You was incredible and she got quite the applause after it. Her acting and singing were really great and she really played the part right. You could tell that she was just kind of miserable in her marriage but she still loved Ben, in the end. The choreography of her Loveland performance, I was not crazy about. QUESTION: Do you think she stayed with Ben because she couldn't live her glamorous life without his money? in addition with her true love for him, of course.

Ron Raines really surprised me. He was pretty much perfect. I knew his acting was great but he really sung that score well. QUESTION: I feel like Ben is more mental than Sally. He seems to be cheating on Phil with a bunch of women and telling them the same thing. He seems like an obsessive liar......thoughts on his personality???

Danny Burnstein was great. He seemed a little dull in the first act, but I think that could just be his participation in it. He really shined in the 2nd act and his Loveland performance was the strongest out of all 4. It was a little distracting how young he looked compared to the other 3. Just a thought.

Additional thoughts

Elaine Paige did a great job with I'm Still Here and got a huge applause after. She could dance pretty well for her age, too!

Jayne Houdyshell was another standout and sung Broadway Baby really well.


Rosalind Elias' performance was PERFECTION. Her and her folly blended so well together and got a ton of BRAVO'S from the audience. The last note was truly PERFECT. QUESTION: I don't really get where she came from. Was she a folly or......?

I feel silly for this because I can't remember her name but whoever sings Who's that Woman was the 3rd standout. Amazing.

I thought the 4 younger follies were great. Sally's stood out the most for me, though.

LAST QUESTION: Can someone tell me the director's possible thoughts on the ending. Why did he replay all 4 younger follies about to go out again?


I loved the production and the set and how we felt like we were in the old theatre!! and
Please, if someone can answer my questions about the show, I would love it!