Anyone going to the first preview of FOLLIES? - Page 8
Anyone going to the first preview of FOLLIES?
#175Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:36am
Does the show still end with a GHOST closing the DOOR????? I didn't think a ghost could do that. And having the ghost stepping OUTSIDE the theatre to do it, to boot?
No, no.
And dirty drapes covering the auditorium- cheap and obvious. Thank God Boris Aronson stopped at the proscenium. And WHAT a proscenium!
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
#176Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:45am
And dirty drapes covering the auditorium- cheap and obvious.
Some of you people WILL never be happy. Always have to be picking on something. If the production left the Marquis theater in its regular state, some of you would be complaining that the theater is way too modern for the show, and that it takes away from the atmosphere of the piece. Now that there is an atmospheric design, some are still complaining. Let's face it, there will NEVER be a perfect revival of this musical. For many of us who weren't lucky enough to have seen the original production, this revival is very special for us.
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 01:45 AM
#177Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:50amCan an "atmospheric" auditorium make up for the lack of atmosphere on the stage?
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
bwayfan7000
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/09
#178Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:58amIt's set in a theatre that's in the process of being demolished. Why is it wrong for it to look like that?
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#179Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:59amI never even thought about the technicalities of a ghost closing a door.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#180Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:00amIt's wrong because it's not the original.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
#181Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:06am
So true. Sometimes, I honestly feel like older posters try to fault us for not having been alive for the original production. They do it with other musicals, but especially FOLLIES. I'm not talking about palJoey - he has done a lot to make sure younger people (everyone, really) gets the opportunity to see whatever footage there is of the original production.
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 02:06 AM
#182Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:16amExcept, it seems, the creative staff of this production. I won't see this production in New York- I saw it in Washington. The best adjective for this production that I can come up with is "collegiate".
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
#183Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:21amlook anyone can nitpick a show to death and find every single little flaw in it. From what i have seen the original Follies was beautiful and is probably vastly superior to any version the future might bring.Now i was born to late and did not have the pleasure of seeing the original production or the 2001 revival but i did have the pleasure of seeing this production and it was a simply breathtaking experience and will be one of those moments in theater that will be with me for the rest of my life.
bwayfan7000
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/28/09
#184Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:23amI wish I'd been able to see the original production, but until a time machine is invented, I'll have to be happy with the limited clips we do have (and, yes, thanks PalJoey for pointing us in the right direction for all that stuff!) and revivals like the one now. This new production may not be as good as the original, but it has a lot of good stuff going for it. And I think that Boris Aronson might've thought the atmospheric set design was clever, though not necessarily what he would've chosen to do.
"Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos."-Stephen Sondheim
#185Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:27am
I won't see this production in New York- I saw it in Washington.
Well that explains some things. I also disliked the drapes in Washington, as the drapes were only used on parts of the theater. On Broadway, the ENTIRE theater is covered in them. You might think it's even tackier now, but I think it's kind of brilliant.
#186Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:36am
No one can be blamed for being young. One can be blamed if one's theatrical expectations do not aim higher than whether or not the theatre is selling souvenir pillows or the changing color of a costume. Low levels of theatrical presentations result in low levels of theatrical expectations. Expect more, and let people KNOW you expect more. Settle for less, and that's what producers will happily give you, proving P.T. Barnum right. This production cost over SEVEN MILLION dollars? It's not on stage. Where is it?
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 02:36 AM
#187Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 2:46am
.One can be blamed if one's theatrical expectations do not aim higher than whether or not the theatre is selling souvenir pillows.
Hey, I've had no vested interested in those pillows. I don't even own one. :-p
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 02:46 AM
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#188Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 7:12am
Wow, justoldbill! You didn't like the show. OK. But why are you so offended that others do? Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with low expectations, but simply personal preference.
I saw the show just this past Wednesday matinee. I brought my 14 year old daughter. I have never seen any production of Follies, but was actaully IN one (non-professional) when I was 18 -- and played Hattie, no lie -- so there was some sentimental attachment.
I really enjoyed it a great deal. I was involved, I was mystified, I was entertained and I was moved. My daughter wasn't able to make too much of an attachment to it, not really knowing a lot about life regrets at 14. The majority of the audience seemed to LOVE it as evidenced by their thunderous applause.
PS...I used the broadwaybox code, at the box office the day before and got fabulous, row K seats in the center orchestra section. The show appeared to be sold out, I'm guessing in large part due to TKTS (same discount, I believe.)
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
#189Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:06am
Thanks, bwayfan7000! That's the one I'm using now, and it looks all stretched out on my monitor lol
My contribution to this entire discussion is that I saw the production in D.C. and am super jazzed that it transferd and will see it at least one more time in NYC.
CHURCH DOOR TOUCAN GAY MARKETING PUPPIES MUSICAL THEATER STAPLES PERIOD OIL BITCHY SNARK HOLES
#190Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:36am
I'm not talking about palJoey - he has done a lot to make sure younger people (everyone, really) gets the opportunity to see whatever footage there is of the original production.
Aw, thanks, ljay--and you too, bwayfan. I love not being lumped in with the cranky old people...this time!
And remember: When I was a teenager and lucky enough to see all those shows of the early 70s, there were people telling me I missed all the best stuff...because I had never seen Merman in Gypsy, or Streisand in Funny Girl, or Garland live.
The white sheets are fine. Would Boris Aronson have come up with a better solution? Probably, but he's dead. Yes, of COURSE ghosts can close doors. Did Hal Prince and Michael Bennett come up with better ghosts? Definitely, but Michael is dead and the last thing Hal would probably want to do is direct Follies again!
This is the Follies we are given--let us rejoice in it. At least it is better than the Roundabout production.
There's a fine line between sharing memories and insights and pissing on other people's newfound enthusiasm. I have to ride that fine line every time I post here.
I bought the pillow because there ISN'T a pillow of the poster from the original production. And now the ghost of my beautiful Miss Holly lies against that pillow, like one of Flossie Klotz's showgirls, leaning against Boris Aronson's proscenium.
#191Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 9:37amJoey- I'm sorry you don't have a pillow with the Byrd logo. Sondheim had one once, cross-stitched by his mother. He seemed a bit ambivalent about it, as I recall.
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
#192Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 9:59am
With a mother like that, who wouldn't be?
She probably gave it to him on closing night with a note saying, "Sorry another show failed. As always, Mom"
#193Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 10:02amNo, no. It was before that.
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
Wilmingtom
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/18/11
#194Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 12:31pm
justoldbill: "This production cost over SEVEN MILLION dollars? It's not on stage. Where is it?"
What do you think Bernadette makes a week? How about 28 musicians in the pit and a cast of 41? The costumes cost more than the set. Oh, it's on the stage, believe me.
#195Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 1:38pm
No it's not- not a nickel of it. After the initial cost of a production, it's supposed to be budgeted to continue running and meet its weekly expenses from its income, not the drain of its initial (limited run in D.C.) investment. And if you're judging the value of what you're seeing by a performer's salary, you should make a very good accountant- or a very bad one. My point is is not so much that so much money has been spent, but that it's been spent so thoughtlessly and with so little imagination and style. We old-timers used to call it "flair".
And for all of you seeing the show on discount, spare me your righteousness.
Well-well-well-what-do-you-think-of-that-I-have-nothing-here-to-pay-my-train-fare-with-only-large-bills-fives-and-sevens....
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 01:38 PM
#197Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 4:50pm
Is 7 million $$ actually meant to be expensive? When tiny shows like N2N and Bloody Bloody are funded at $4 million and $4.5 million respectively, I don't think it's too hard to see where the extra $$ was spent in the set and costumes.....the west side story revival apparently was twice as expensive at $14 million, and wasn't particularly grand IMO. I think I read the Nunn NIGHT MUSIC revival was 5.5 million...
When my goodbye post was removed: “but I had a great dramatic finish!!!!”
Updated On: 8/19/11 at 04:50 PM
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#198Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/19/11 at 8:53pm
"So true. Sometimes, I honestly feel like older posters try to fault us for not having been alive for the original production."
Not true. The whole notion of faulting someone for not having been born earlier is preposterous. One is born when one is born, and that's that. And no one is trying to spoil anyone else's enjoyment of anything.
If anything, it seems to me that younger people are blaming the older posters for having seen original productions of shows and for finding them superior to revivals. Well, if that's how the oldsters feel, what's the beef? Why are you faulting them for voicing opinions just as you do? Yes, I saw the original production of Follies and found it superior to this one. Should I feel somehow guilty for having seen the original, and for feeling this way? Well, I don't, on either score.
#199Saw it last night and
Posted: 8/20/11 at 12:52am
"I think I read the Nunn NIGHT MUSIC revival was 5.5 million..."
The perks of having actors sit on the floor.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
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