JV92 Sees Follies- Saturday Afternoon — Page 3

Yeah, it was clearly and event with a capital E. People clearly wanted to be there and love every second.

---

i just came from tonights show!
i would drag myself over burning coals & broken glass for Victoria Clark.
blown away by Donna Murphy.
liked the men better than i thought i would.
loved Jo Anne Worley & think she deserves to work more!
Mimi Hines is ***ADORABLE***, hilarious & a pint-sized dynamo!
i thought Christine Baranski was a drag queen when she first came out. i wasnt as taken with her as i thought i would be, but i dont think she was as bad as some people have posted.

the staging, choregraphy & costumes were ****GORGEOUS**** & ****BREATHTAKING**** & i feel so fortunate to have been there!!!

Not yet I believe but I am excited to hear the Margo-ness of it all.

One of the reasons I can honestly say I'd like this production to make a full length run would be to have you draw them. I'd love to see what you can do with drawing Vicki's Sally Durant.

---

Updated On: 2/11/07 at 10:59 PM

I was there too tonight! I loved every minute of it! I was expecting the rumble of the opening chords to be more powerful. So that was a bit dissapointing. I also thought the orchestra was going to be more powerful, but I was in the gallery, so the sound wasn't the greatest up there. But still I was expecting Philharmonic power.

I loved how the ghosts were staged in the prologue. Sally's monologue was suprisingly shortened a lot, even shorter than the Roundabout version. And then Phyllis and Ben's dialogue seemed more in depth than Roundabout, and seemed closer to the original. So I don't believe the book followed one certain version. There was some stuff in not in the Roundabout version, and some not from the original, so it seemed like a compilation of different revisions.

I really loved Victoria. I was afraid she wasn't going to hit the child-like aspect of Sally. And I was very happy to see she did. Though no other actress will play Sally as "young" as Dorothy Collins. Vicki did an amazing job with her songs. Her highlight being IN BUDDY'S EYES, which received thunderous long lasting applause and cheers. Donna was simply fantastic, and she looked so beautiful. I was REALLY impressed with McGrath's Buddy, his dancing was great. I was happy to hear Victor Garber sing in tune the whole time, I was nervous judging by what people said.

Baranski was interesting. She used her book quite a few times, missed a couple notes in I'M STILL HERE, but overall was very good. Mimi, Joanne, and the other ladies were also a joy up there.

One other minor problem I had was that I didn't find the confrontation before LOVELAND as powerful and intense as it could be.

Otherwise, I was blown away. I'm so glad I caught this.

So I don't believe the book followed one certain version.

You're correct. It seemed to be an amalgamation of the original and Roundabout version.

---

Updated On: 2/11/07 at 11:47 PM

I, too, found myself wishing the transition to "Loveland" had a little more ... I don't know, edge, maybe to it, but I'm not bitching at all. In fact, I think the fact that I keep thinking of nitpicky details means that the entire thing was so well-staged that at times it really felt like an actual fully realized production. I felt that way about Gypsy at Ravinia, because of some terrific performances. It's the same here.

I still can't get over how much I enjoyed Donna Murphy. I'd never been much of a fan and I was blown away by her. I loved her complicated bun thing, too.

---

initial pencil sketches

I can't wait to see your finished work for this, n69n!

---

In the pencil sketch, Mimi Hines looks a little like Chucky.

---

I hope you don't mind, but the Phyllis sketch is now my desktop background...

wait--so is that Sally?

---

ive just posted SALLY and PHYLLIS

...but here is HATTIE, just for you!!!

(Love the sketches!)

I don't have anything to add which hasn't already been written by others far more eloquent than I.

I simply LOVED it.

And was SO lucky to have been able to see it both last night and tonight.

I was moved to tears both nights, but for different songs each night.

How I WISH there was going to be a recording of this!

---