#1
Posted: 9/29/11 at 1:15am
Yes, one more post about Follies, if you can stand it.
I've seen the current revival thrice and have been devouring all things Follies since. I have a hard time walking past the Marquis or the TKTS booth and not purchasing a ticket. I've seen the Roundabout revival and "seen" the Papermill revival, listen to all official recordings as well as any unofficial recordings that I can get my hands on, and I read all posts here and commentaries, etc on the show and have read "Everything Was Possible" multiple times. Like everyone else, I'm fascinated. So, I've got some questions and thoughts to share...
Encores: Garber and Baranski seemed perfection as Ben and Carlotta on paper, and on multiple listenings, I found them pretty wonderful, particular in the dialogue. Yes, Garber seemed to have pitch issues and Baranski's last few notes were...interesting, but overall I thought her interpretation of I'm Still Here was extremely effective. I've read here and elsewhere that she was a trainwreck in the show (same for Garber, but less so). What am I missing in the listening that caused such negative opinions? Also, DEAR GOD, what I'd give to see Vicki Clark in a full production with more than a week of rehearsal. The woman is incredible. Same for Donna Murphy. I was saying years ago that she is more than ideal for Phyllis.
Heidi and One More Kiss: One of my favorites in the score. Though I thought Joan Roberts was incandescent in the Roundabut revival, the staging, the moment, etc seemed a non-event, a throwaway. What is it about the current revival's staging of it that makes it such a HUGE moment? Every time I've seen it, it has gotten the same kind of wild applause that Who's That Woman and I'm Still Here received. Is it the staging? Is it the costume? Is it the more-than-able assistance of Leah Horowitz? I cant figure it out. Ms. Elias is in great vocal shape and has a tremendous voice, to be sure, but I can think of other Heidi's (and combinations of Heidi's) that my ears prefer (I go back and forth between Papermill--I cant recall the actresses names at present--and the 85 concert with Licia Albanese and Erie Mills as favorites...they are wildly different, with Papermill being delicate and lovely and Concert being a vocally POWERFUL). What makes this one so special?
Losing My Mind: Much has been made of Ms. Peters performance of this song, and justifiably so. I found myself holding my breath during the middle section of the song when it seemed as though she were about to come unhinged. Also I've read posts regarding Judith Ivey's take on the song, in which you really believed that she was indeed losing her mind. Both fascinaing performances. However, I recall from "seeing" the Papermill production that Donna McKechnie appeared in a black gown with a long train and merely sang the song as if it were a a torch song, without showing signs of losing her mind. Should this not be more the way the song should be performed, sans histrionics and hysterics? The songs in the Loveland sequence are the leads performing for us, the audience, as if in "The Follies." Hard to make my thoughts on this clear. It's no longer the character of Sally singing exactly, its "Sally in the Weissman Follies" singing a torch song. Buddy and Phyllis perform their numbers strictly as performance pieces, with little or no self-awareness, it seems. Ben's is the one that offers the breakdown that gets us back to reality. Gah, the more I type the less clear I feel I'm making myself.
Casting: Sure, it's easier and possibly more enticing to an actor of a certain age to commit to a concert performance than a full run, but I'm curious as to why we have not seen more of a "Who's Who" of the theater in more supporting roles in the past two revivals. Carol Channing as Hattie? (probably too fragile for the current revival, but in 01) Barbara Cook as Heidi? Chita Rivera? Sandy Duncan as Emily Whitman (isnt that her husband as Theodore? How adorable would that have been?) Stritch or Carol Burnett in a full production? Lansbury? Julie Andrews? Dick Van Dyke? Could Lupone fit into a production, Carlotta or Stella? The list goes on. This is to take nothing from (most) performers who have done the roles--I just expect that this is a show that could star cast every one of the small roles and that these older stars might clamor for the chance.
Future Productions: For the next revival in 10 years, I'd like to submit for your approval: Audra as Sally (yes, not a frumpy bone in her body, as someone else suggested, but bitch can act her face off...she can make it work), Norbert as Buddy, Marin and Jason as Phyllis and Ben. Then for the next revival 15 years later, Audra can come back as Heidi (or Chenoweth, if we want it to be a comedy number), Laura Benanti will also de-glam and get tepid reviews as Sally due to comparisions to the definitive Sally of Audra, but still sing it gloriously (this is after she plays Fosca and proves that she can be something other than unbelievably gorgeous), and Sutton, jaded and sans perkiness and fresh off of a 3rd Tony win for playing Rose, will play Phyllis.
There is so so so much more to be said and more thoughts, but this is enough for now.
I've seen the current revival thrice and have been devouring all things Follies since. I have a hard time walking past the Marquis or the TKTS booth and not purchasing a ticket. I've seen the Roundabout revival and "seen" the Papermill revival, listen to all official recordings as well as any unofficial recordings that I can get my hands on, and I read all posts here and commentaries, etc on the show and have read "Everything Was Possible" multiple times. Like everyone else, I'm fascinated. So, I've got some questions and thoughts to share...
Encores: Garber and Baranski seemed perfection as Ben and Carlotta on paper, and on multiple listenings, I found them pretty wonderful, particular in the dialogue. Yes, Garber seemed to have pitch issues and Baranski's last few notes were...interesting, but overall I thought her interpretation of I'm Still Here was extremely effective. I've read here and elsewhere that she was a trainwreck in the show (same for Garber, but less so). What am I missing in the listening that caused such negative opinions? Also, DEAR GOD, what I'd give to see Vicki Clark in a full production with more than a week of rehearsal. The woman is incredible. Same for Donna Murphy. I was saying years ago that she is more than ideal for Phyllis.
Heidi and One More Kiss: One of my favorites in the score. Though I thought Joan Roberts was incandescent in the Roundabut revival, the staging, the moment, etc seemed a non-event, a throwaway. What is it about the current revival's staging of it that makes it such a HUGE moment? Every time I've seen it, it has gotten the same kind of wild applause that Who's That Woman and I'm Still Here received. Is it the staging? Is it the costume? Is it the more-than-able assistance of Leah Horowitz? I cant figure it out. Ms. Elias is in great vocal shape and has a tremendous voice, to be sure, but I can think of other Heidi's (and combinations of Heidi's) that my ears prefer (I go back and forth between Papermill--I cant recall the actresses names at present--and the 85 concert with Licia Albanese and Erie Mills as favorites...they are wildly different, with Papermill being delicate and lovely and Concert being a vocally POWERFUL). What makes this one so special?
Losing My Mind: Much has been made of Ms. Peters performance of this song, and justifiably so. I found myself holding my breath during the middle section of the song when it seemed as though she were about to come unhinged. Also I've read posts regarding Judith Ivey's take on the song, in which you really believed that she was indeed losing her mind. Both fascinaing performances. However, I recall from "seeing" the Papermill production that Donna McKechnie appeared in a black gown with a long train and merely sang the song as if it were a a torch song, without showing signs of losing her mind. Should this not be more the way the song should be performed, sans histrionics and hysterics? The songs in the Loveland sequence are the leads performing for us, the audience, as if in "The Follies." Hard to make my thoughts on this clear. It's no longer the character of Sally singing exactly, its "Sally in the Weissman Follies" singing a torch song. Buddy and Phyllis perform their numbers strictly as performance pieces, with little or no self-awareness, it seems. Ben's is the one that offers the breakdown that gets us back to reality. Gah, the more I type the less clear I feel I'm making myself.
Casting: Sure, it's easier and possibly more enticing to an actor of a certain age to commit to a concert performance than a full run, but I'm curious as to why we have not seen more of a "Who's Who" of the theater in more supporting roles in the past two revivals. Carol Channing as Hattie? (probably too fragile for the current revival, but in 01) Barbara Cook as Heidi? Chita Rivera? Sandy Duncan as Emily Whitman (isnt that her husband as Theodore? How adorable would that have been?) Stritch or Carol Burnett in a full production? Lansbury? Julie Andrews? Dick Van Dyke? Could Lupone fit into a production, Carlotta or Stella? The list goes on. This is to take nothing from (most) performers who have done the roles--I just expect that this is a show that could star cast every one of the small roles and that these older stars might clamor for the chance.
Future Productions: For the next revival in 10 years, I'd like to submit for your approval: Audra as Sally (yes, not a frumpy bone in her body, as someone else suggested, but bitch can act her face off...she can make it work), Norbert as Buddy, Marin and Jason as Phyllis and Ben. Then for the next revival 15 years later, Audra can come back as Heidi (or Chenoweth, if we want it to be a comedy number), Laura Benanti will also de-glam and get tepid reviews as Sally due to comparisions to the definitive Sally of Audra, but still sing it gloriously (this is after she plays Fosca and proves that she can be something other than unbelievably gorgeous), and Sutton, jaded and sans perkiness and fresh off of a 3rd Tony win for playing Rose, will play Phyllis.
There is so so so much more to be said and more thoughts, but this is enough for now.
Updated On: 9/29/11 at 01:15 AM
My question is WHY did they pick one of the taller girls in the chorus to mirror BP? The girl towered over her! 
