Cast Announced for FOLLIES at Kennedy Center!- Page 3

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 11:03pm

Well i hope to a u d i o it when i see it so...yessir

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/27/10 at 11:20pm

Boy you got some big cojones. Did you just fess up that you are actually thinking of attending a performance of FOLLIES at the Kennedy Center with a hidden device and RECORD THE AUDIO? Illegal activities....and in WASHINGTON, no less!

WOW...just, WOW!

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 1:19am

Terri White has a very similar vocal quality to Carol Woods, who put "Who's That Woman?" through the roof in the (otherwise pretty misguided) 2001 revival. I expect nothing less than a stellar Stella from White, who is an absolutely dynamite performer. It's terrific to see the career renaissance she's experienced within the last two years, and her personal story is so very appropriate for a show like FOLLIES.

I'm rather surprised to see so many people express disappointment in the casting of Jan Maxwell. I find her to be absolutely ideal for Phyllis. Most of the bigger names bandied about in this thread were never genuine possibilities beyond the minds of some of the posters here, so to say that she's out of line with others who were considered for the role is entirely inaccurate.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 1:47am

I think the problem was that many of us were casting this as if it were an out-of-town tryout for a Broadway production. In reality this is a regional theater production. The casting does make sense for a regional theater.

Updated On: 10/28/10 at 01:47 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 7:25am

Well I'm being told the cast is already negotiating broadway contracts should this move, so they must have faith in this cast.

[alawhat]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 7:56am

Eff the cast - I want SPECTACLE. None of this cardboard cut-out Follies ****. Loveland should be a coup de theatre to rival anything.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 8:10am

As a cranky old nothing-will-compare-to-my-memories-of-the-original fan, I have to say...I love this cast.

Jan Maxwell will be a superb Phyllis--and her chemistry with Bernadette will be terrific.

I agree with Robbie: SUSAN F*CKING WATSON! Do you children even KNOW who she is?!?

Elaine Paige has earned the right to sing I'm Still Here...she lived through Patti LuPone being the Evita who became famous. She only got to sing "Memory" in Cats because Dame Judi Dench broke her ankle or something in rehearsals. (I always imagined she called her agent and said, "What do I have to do to get out of this pile of kitty poop?" and he said, "Break your ankle.")

And REGINE...as Solange! There's requisite who-even-knew-she-was-still-alive quotient.

And when Terri White says "Hit it, baby..." we're going to be in for a "Who's That Woman" that will end in maybe the best "Lord, lord, LORD! That woman is...MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

And I've already said that Linda Lavin + Broadway Baby = exactly the kind of tough gal Sondheim always intended the song to be sung to.

I'm there. And yes, alawhat, I'd love to see a great Loveland, but I have resigned myself that I never will. There is no combination around anymore like Aronson/Klotz/Musser/Prince/Bennett, and even if there was, no producer living has the money and the imagination to let his creative team go the way Hal Prince could as both producer AND director in 1971.

And as long as the production is better than the Roundabout's Crime-Against-Humanity, I'll have a great time.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 9:30am

The production has a HUGE budget for a regional theatre production, and as I alluded to earlier - part of me is quite excited by the probability that most of that money will now likely be going to pretty dazzling production values as opposed to paying out major star salaries.

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 10:17am

There are many performers who deliver what you'd expect, and that's not a bad thing. You probably know what I mean; when you hear so-and-so is going to be performing a certain role, you kind of hear it in your head immediately. For example, when I saw Stritch in The Full Monty at the Papermill, she did a terrific job with Things Could Be Better. She absolutely did not disappoint. However, there are a few performers who always seem to exceed expectations, and they're not necessarily the biggest names. Terri White is one of those few. I think her take on Who's That Woman will go beyond expectations.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 10:46am

I can't quite get over all this 'regional theatre' talk in response to Jan Maxwell.

She has four Tony nominations, two of which were in the same year. Only three other actresses have ever achieved that feat. She's a magnificent actress who is apparently giving the performance of career right now in WINGS. I also got the chance to see her do Sondheim in the revue Opening Doors. She was cool, glamorous, in good voice and could cut you with a line. In other words, the ideal Phyllis Rogers Stone. There are other actresses who have bigger name recognition. IMHO, there are no other actresses who are better for this role. Not a single one.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 10:58am

All I'm saying is those old broads better dance their asses off in "Who's That Woman," cause I don't want to see them move to the back and sway back and forth like they did in that piece of garbage Roundabout version.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:12am

Well Terri White, Bernadette Peters, Susan Watson, Elaine Paige, and Linda Lavin have all, at one point in their career or another, been in roles requiring extensive tap dancing so let's presume they'll kick ass in the Mirror Number.

[newintown]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:19am

Yes, but Susan and Linda's characters aren't supposed to be in the number...

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:22am

They are using the Roundabout script with the reduced cast so I'm assuming they'll all be in it...

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:56am

Hattie isn't in the number in the Roundabout script, but Emily is. Because you know, the chorus girl from 1928 was doing the same number the girls did 13 years later.

[mallardo]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:57am

In the Roundabout script what number does Phyllis get, "Ah, But Underneath?"

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 11:58am

Lucy and Jessie.

[mallardo]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 12:37pm

Too bad. I'd love to see Jan Maxwell doing that swanky striptease.

[Brick]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 12:41pm

And I'm sure there's some commerical Bway money in this for a production budget so big.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 1:23pm

Just as every other production of FOLLIES has had over the paste decade, I expect this production to probably have some additional script tweaks and modifications; if Jan Maxwell isn't much of a mover, they might use "Ah, but Underneath" - as they did at Papermill for Dee Hoty.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 2:02pm

Here's a little Susan Watson treat, for those who don't know her--and for those who do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbdSnVOc9ew

Ethel Merman and Susan do "Mutual Admiration Society," the big big pop hit from Ethel's flop musical Happy Hunting.

The clip is from a TV pilot Susan did with Ethel that was not picked up.

Warning: The phrase "my baby and me" may get stuck in your head, like gum on a shoe.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 2:26pm

I don't think these are regional theater quality actors, though.

Putting aside personal opinions on the talents of the performers, remember that:

Bernadette Peters is a two-time Tony winner.
Jan Maxwell is a four-time Tony nominee.
Linda Lavin is a Tony award winner.
Elaine Page is an Olivier Award winner and huge star in London.
Danny Burstein is a two-time Tony nominee.

These are hardly regional theater performers.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 2:35pm

Honestly, based on the cast, once I get over my dissapointment, I'll probably start planning my trip.

That said, if Terri White doesn't pull out the dance, then they shall be unforgiven for not casting Donna McKechnie (who has also won the right to sing I'm Still Here and Broadway Baby)

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 2:48pm

Terri White is a major tap dancer. Its the first thing she mentions in her bio.

Really, it should be mentioned again, just about all the women who have been cast are or were at one time strong dancers - they are all most assuredly strong singers. Depending on what happens with the men, this could well end up being the strongest vocal production of FOLLIES ever.

These things are worth considering when one tempers the disappointment that this cast isn't filled with legends who undboutedly wouldn't serve the actual material as well as the performers announced so far.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 10/28/10 at 3:00pm

this is going to be spectacular. As long as they cast a Ben who can sing AND act. (doesn't need to be operatic like George Hearn--I actually prefer Ben non-operatic as long as he is a good singer). Would love to see Brian Stokes Mitchell or George Dvorsky. I don't think Boyd Gaines has the right voice for the role.

Can't wait to hear Maxwell's "Lucy and Jesse"--I love that number (much more than Ah But Underneath)