FOLLIES- National Theatre Live — Page 5

I went to the 7pm showing in Chicago last night, and man did this play to a full house. I'd estimate 150, maybe 200 people. It was at the Music Box Theatre in the main auditorium. This was the only time it's been screened in Chicago, so that explains the enthusiasm. Overall, there was a LOT of love for this production from Chicago.

The screen there isn't as large as most theaters, but I was in the 4th row feeling like I was in the show. It was a riveting production. I actually loved songs in this show that had never truly "landed" to me in recordings. I'm Still Here and One More Kiss were rapturous. The ghosts felt like an emotional gut-punch throughout the entire show.

I ended up enjoying most of the pre-Loveland story much, much more than Loveland. I'm not to keen on the 1950's Americana approach they took to the Follies numbers, especially The Story of Jessie and Lucy. But most of all, I loved the book scenes. The first book scene with the 4 lovers clashing with one another on the turn stage was stupendous. I really think the turn stage is what Follies has always been missing. It added an element of the theatre physically interacting with the party goers, which seems to be a natural extension of the premise.

I'm thrilled this production was shared outside of London.

StylishCynic said: "I went to the 7pm showing in Chicago last night, and man did this play to a full house. I'd estimate 150, maybe 200 people. It was at the Music Box Theatre in the main auditorium. This was the only time it's been screened in Chicago, so that explains the enthusiasm. Overall, there was a LOT of love for this production from Chicago."

It hasn't had many screenings in the suburbs, either--I think before this weekend there had been just one in Evanston. I saw it in Highland Park on Sunday morning and it had a pretty good crowd, all things considered. Glad to hear the Music Box was packed too!

"(for me, Solange was an unacceptably weak link)"

Yes, my only complaint about the cast. I wondered if she just wasn't recorded well for the broadcast: "Ah, Paris" left little impression.

A wonderful production all the same.

Cynic, in the original production, the upstage area
was filled with staggered platforms that moved
forward and back (mechanically, i.e., without aid
from visible human beings), giving the impression
that the entire theater was haunted.

They allowed Prince and Bennett to "change"
scenes in an abstract way. Meanwhile, the
"ghosts" of Follies girls (6' women dressed all
in white with huge headdresses) moved in slow
motion over the shifting platforms and among the
characters as the latter played their scenes.

The effect was exactly what you describe: an
organic connection between the set, the ghosts
and the characters of the play.

That being said, I agree with you about the turntable
at the NT: it was used more inventively than I have
seen a turntable used before. For me, it was an
entirely satisfying substitute.

Updated On: 12/14/17 at 12:22 AM

Gaveston, I saw her twice and that was never the impression she left me with. However, many, many people I know joke about the mistakes they have made in quoting or singing the lyrics to the song based on the fact that they could never quite understand her on the recording.

I agree with Gavenston that the volume was a problem with Solange and I don't think it was because she wasn't projecting. It felt like she started a beat or two early, and the mics just weren't turned on. That, along with the camera being a little more than confused on who to concentrate on made it a rather sloppy moment. Her "Beirut 'az sunshine -- that's all eet 'az" line reading had people in the theater cackling.

There seems to be somewhat of a tradition of disappointing Solanges.
"Everything Was Possible" describes many problems with Fifi D'Orsay and Regine was widely criticized in the recent revival.

The Other One said: "Gaveston, I saw her twice and that was never the impression she left me with. However, many, many people I know joke about the mistakes they have made in quoting or singing the lyrics to the song based on the fact that they could never quite understand her on the recording."

I was indulging in a bit of hyperbole. I know
D'Orsay spoke English.

But just look at the lines "Beirut has sunshine/
That's all it has". Not only is it nearly impossible
to understand D'Orsay, there's no clue in her
delivery that she is singing a joke. The Solange
at the NT plays the joke and lands it.

I found D'Orsay charming when I saw the show
live. I didn't know I was missing anything.

Yet as Chapman reports in Everything Was
Possible, "Ah, Paris" was supposed to be the
climax of the sequence. Unfortunately but
Ethel Shutta was doing a better job of
delivering her number.

nasty_khakis said: "I saw the screening last month and latter in the week saw the show live in London and there were SEVERAL line differences. I can't remember them all, butthe line was "honeymooning in Boca Raton" in the filming last week, but live she said St Petersburg. Does anyone know why they changed them? I assume it's the widow Goldberg not caring if some lines were changed in the theatre but wanted others "preserved.""

Maybe they thought Boca Raton
would play better to American
viewers. As a Floridian myself,
originally, I'm surprised the British
even know where St. Petersburg
is; it's not really a honeymoon
destination. (Though nearby
towns are.)

GeorgeandDot said: "I didn't have a problem with the NT Solange. I thought she was fine in probably my least favorite role in the whole show. I actually thought the NT Hattie was the one that fell flat. I mean, that's such a juicy number and the actress did absolutely nothing with it."

I saw the production at the National this week and Di Botcher as Hattie stole the show. She nearly had a standing ovation for Broadway Baby as did Tracie Bennett as Carlotta for I'm Still here. I loved the staging of I'm still here.

I found having the conversations on stage was very jarring and added to the alienation effect that the final Follies Segment built to.

Sweetie I know you have a terrible education system in America but surely you can read.

I found it to be is my opinion of something i saw.

Secondly, having multiple conversations on the stage was jarring. End of. I was in the third row. I heard it all. People kept looking to see were people in the audience around talking this brought the audience, the ones in the theatre and in the front rows, out of the world of the play.

You need to learn to read the lines in front not in between in your head. I said it jarred, it was striking, it disturbed, it BROKE THE FORTH WALL! And i finished with how it ADDED, that is contributed/enhanced. the alienation effect the final follies segment BUILT, that is established or intensified, at the end.

Ok Sweetie? Ask Santa for a dictionary.