FOLLIES- National Theatre Live — Page 3

I haven't seen it in the theatre yet but there are some clips on a certain website and in the one of Too Many Mornings her dress looks green.

Overall I really enjoyed seeing the taped production and the more I think about it the more I liked it. It haunts, the way productions of Follies should but seldom do. The main four were great and really lived those characters. The use of the ghosts were VERY effective, and I was so happy that the ghosts were such great actors. Those lines of Sally's "No, not now Ben not Ever!" and "You can't play with my feelings!" have always come off false and kinda maudlin from the actresses that have been cast in other productions I've felt. The ghosts felt as real this time as their older counter parts and I felt invested in their story arc too. And the scene where they all scream at their younger selves before Loveland always seemed to me like a gimmick to make an on the nose point but this time it felt earned and very scary and unsettling. I feel in this production, everyone's infidelities within the party and what they talk about outside made them all seem so much sadder and more pitiful. You really get this theme of sex being like alcohol or drugs to these people. Just something they turn to so they don't completely destroy themselves. (Phyllis's "That's a neat trick" was devastating)

The casting of Carlotta I loved. Her demeanor and voice and attitude is straight outta a Dick Cavett interview in the late 60s early 70s. A leftover from the old Hollywood like Bette Davis or something who just tells it like it is now. Made the song "I'm Still Here" feel very personal to the character, and to have the dynamic go from her story time with the party guests to her own monologue of affirmation was brilliant.

Imelda I liked more and more as it went on. Her Sally I had to get used to. She was so manic and I think I hadn't experienced that character that way before so it threw me. It makes sense with her character's choices to play it that way and she was utterly captivating in both "In Buddy's Eyes" and "Losing My Mind". I will want to see it again knowing that Sally this time round isn't "Sweet and delusional mid life crisis housewife" and really "Someone who's been teetering with mental illness for a long time" Her last moment is depressing and I don't say that as a bad thing. I felt this sense of dread for what comes next for her that was VERY effective, as apposed to the edits in later editions of the book where they try to suggest a light at the end of some tunnel for her. This time, I really don't know. Also "Too Many Mornings" is fabulous, it was lower? Sure, maybe a few steps but...who cares?

Is it just more or did it seem like the rotating set actually helped the pace? Like the night was a dizzying merry go round for them, and it mirrored their continual drunkenness.

I agree, Buddy is very likable this time round. I think making Buddy more heavy set is a good choice. Phyllis and Ben had great chemistry with their bitter repartee.

MY QUIBBLES

The orchestra was gorgeous but when they would go to forte the mics would be drowned out completely. Almost every number that had a big finish, the last note couldn't be heard over the orchestra.

I questioned some of the literal choices in the Follies portion at the end. Even though I loved "Losing My Mind", I wanted the complete departure from reality. Her holding a glass felt like we weren't fully immersed in the torch song fantasy.

And then this is just a Follies issue in general for me. SOOO MUCH STILTED DIALOGUE. These actors are so great and they do their best but some of the writing is just so "Why?" to me. Like, James Goldman was trying to keep up with the pathos of Sondheim's lyrics and couldn't. I dream of a book writer to come in and make some of the dialogue more natural. You could argue George Furth's dialogue is stilted for the shows he did with Sondheim but at least with him there's a consistency of style to his book. It feels organic to the world of the show. Some of the characters' waxing poetically in this show will just never work for me. And not to mention, the book doesn't offer enough moments of levity or humor. Especially for Phyllis who as a character lends herself to being able to land punchlines more.

"Rain on the Roof, Ah Paris, Broadway Baby" felt tired. They all looked tired.



But in conclusion very happy to add this one to the canon of solid Sondheim pro shot productions. Also gotta mention, how lucky are we? We have NEARLY every one of his shows now preserved professionally on film for everyone to see. You actually can't say that for a lot of other Broadway composers. I'm just very thankful that while Sondheim still feels niche to the theatre world, we have preserved phenomenal productions of Follies, Company, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods and Passion.

I mean, my god that really just leaves of Forum, Assassins and Road Show in terms of his work. And I would squeal with delight at getting a great pro shot of the next Assassins.

Glad I saw it but...was slightly disappointed after all the raves here. It seems I liked many of the things that other people didn’t and vice versa.

Agreed with the orchestrations being way too loud which overpowered most of the actors except for Ben. He was really the only one you could hear clearly.

I wasn’t fond of Imelda Staunton in Gypsy and unfortunately, didn’t care for her performance in this either. Like Jewishboy said, it could be the closeups, but she just read too crazy although I did enjoy her “Losing My Mind”, she was much more subtle.

Not sure if it’s the role of Phyllis but she is my favorite character to watch and every woman I see play her seems to play her well.

I also enjoyed the transition to Loveland and the use of the ghosts throughout the show.

We saw it at the NYC Skirball and spotted a few performers in the crowd.

Updated On: 11/20/17 at 10:23 PM

Marlothom said: "Slightly confused by Imelda's Losing My Mind. I've read a lot about this show, seen several productions, etc. and always thought the Loveland sequence/songs are supposed to be performed as though they were numbers in the "Follies" and not as dramatic interpretations. For example, Losing My Mind is an homage to a torch song, and usually performed with Sally just standing there, singing the song (this is the way most professional productions have handled this number).
[...]
I am excited to see this when it comes to town because I adore the score - but a bit worried as I found Imelda's Rose to also begin at a "10" in crazed energy. Sounds like she plays Sally in a similar way."

I completely agree with you--her Mama Rose and her Martha in ...Virginia Woolf? were playing the end at the beginning, and so there was nowhere for either character go, making the arc unsatisfying to follow. Same problem with her Sally, although she is balanced by more grounded costars. Her Sally was manic and unhinged from the start. I remember years ago when I took my mother to a production of Follies, she said "I love how when you first meet the characters, you think you know exactly who they are, but then as the story moves forward, you learn that you were so wrong about them all." This was the same problem I had with Bernadette's Sally--not to mention the much-criticized on here red dress she wore in the Kennedy Center mounting which was replaced for Broadway. (Hey! Remember when we learned that the people at the Kennedy Center were reading this board and taking our notes? I also seem to recall quotes from the message board in advertising that pillow...). My favorite Sally I have seen was Susan Moniz, who I found to be absolutely revelatory in the Chicago Shakespeare production which, to me, was the closest I'll see to a perfect production any time soon.

Also, the framing of Losing My Mind in the production didn't work for me. It wasn't a naturalistic staging--she was in a kind of fantasy boudoir--but she should be fantasizing that she's having a breakdown. The brilliance of the Loveland sequence is the balancing of the form being total pastiche while the content is dark and biting. An ensemble member in a beautiful dress comes downstage carrying a giant letter "D" saying "D is for the doubts that never die!" in an optimistic voice. Sally should live in the emotion of the torch song, playing the form not the content. Allowing her to have a total breakdown also undermines the impact of Ben's breakdown not ten minutes later--it makes the show climax too early.

For me, the most interesting choice this production made was to set different scenes in different parts of the theatre--I've never really seen that done before. In some cases, it made sense (of course Sally and Ben would seek a little privacy for "Too Many Mornings" while in other cases it made less sense (Why are "Rain on the Roof," "Ah, Paris!," and "Broadway Baby" in entirely different locations? Aren't the performing for each other? And aren't these songs diegetic?).

The pacing and the use of the ghosts gave this production a big leg up on the last Broadway revival for me. The director had a clear take on why the ghosts were there in each moment they were there, and they had a constant presence that was always purposeful. And this production really clipped along, whereas the Broadway revival really dragged--the delivery of dialogue in that production became so slow as the show went on that not including intermission, it ran almost 20 minutes longer than the concurrent Chicago production!

Overall, there were many things that I liked and many choices I disagreed with, but however much I complain, I am always thrilled whenever I am able to see a production of Follies. There are so many difficult things to wrestle with that any try is admirable. Also, so many of us on this board love and know the show so deeply that we could nitpick any production for ages. It's great that we have a production so worthy of nitpicking!

One last thing, because I haven't seen it mentioned in the threads about this production: If you have not done so before, read the book Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical "Follies" by Ted Chapin. It's one of the best books about the theatre there is.

People dealing with untreated mental illness are not just walking bags of crazy. There should be more nuance (as there also should have been in her Rose and Martha). I think it totally should be jarring when Sally asks Ben to marry her--after trying consciously to hold herself together, once she finally has Ben within reach she lets her guard down and lets herself make an impulsive choice. That should be the moment when we realize Sally is dealing with a much bigger mental health issue, not the first moment she walks onstage.

I though this production was equisite.

This one nailed what the previous didn't: the ghosts. So many times, my eyes welled up and all the small moments of their shadows following them.

I happened to love the film documentary crew conceit. Such a simple and effective way to get each person to give their 3 lines to what already seemed like a prompt. An inobstrusive directorial touch that worked with the text.

And I disagree about Loveland. I thought Sally's folly worked great set in a film-musical style boidoir. Imelda's Sally was never a torch song crooner, center spotlight with a gorgeous gown, and it would've been ridiculous. Plus, vocally, it wouldn't have worked. A glammed-up housewife taken to drink in a silk robe and great-set hair was perfect.

As for Lucy and Jessie, I think that's the best version I've seen. I loved the Rita Hayworth style number dancing with her younger self. I found it cathartic and exhilarating.

And I echo so much of what others said. One More Kiss stopped the show, the set was stunning.

Far superior to the 2011 revival. I loved it.

Barring the unbalanced audio mixing that drowned singing voices, this production was top-notch, had tears in my eyes all throughout, it clears up so many ambiguous (for better or worse) things about the book.

I loved it so much that I just bought a ticket to see it again tonight (at the Beekman), highly recommend it!

I remember Imedla barking at Buddy the second they had a scene together. That seems like playing the end from the beginning to me. Sally had no arc, no plot development. It reminded me or Rachel Weiss in "Plenty", a show supposedly about the slow mental deterioration of a woman over 20 years. Rachel was crazy the second she walked on stage. As was Imedla. Say all you want about Bernadette, there was a beautiful hopefulness about her opening monologue, and she attempted to hide her disdain for Buddy at the beginning. Imelda was having a breakdown the second she entered the theatre and picking fights fromher first scene.

And I'm still not over how cheap the costumes and Loveland looked. I think the National should be banned from using that turntable for a few years. Bring back some genuinely creative staging.