#1
Posted: 7/14/05 at 9:49am
I was originally not planning to post a review of the Barrington Stage Company's production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies for three reasons: It is playing in the middle of nowhere (Sheffield, Massachusetts); it only runs through Saturday; and the rest of the run is sold out. But after the incredible theatrical experience that I had, I knew I had to share what I saw.
The production, directed by Barrington's artistic director Julianne Boyd, is stunning and ravishing in every sense of the word. It resembles the mediocre Roundabout revival in some ways (it is a scaled down production, and Ms. Boyd has lifted several elements), but when you are dealing with Follies, the score is the only thing that really matters. And how it is represented here!
As Sally Durant Plummer, the ex-ingenue who gave up fame and the glamorous life for quiet domesticity in Phoenix, Kim Crosby is giving one of the best, truest and most nuanced performances I have ever seen. EVER. With a look, a simple glance, she manages to transfix an entire audience. When she starts to sing, you are appropriately bewitched. And by the time she belts out the greatest of Sondheim torch songs, "Losing My Mind", you will have tears in your eyes (I have never heard the song done better). Hopefully, this production will take Ms. Crosby out of semi-retirement for good.
Matching Ms. Crosby toe-to-toe is the always-enjoyable Jeff McCarthy, who is a commanding yet soulful Ben Stone. He really gets the poetic aspects of Ben and flaunts them at every opportunity. His duets with Ms. Crosby and the appropriately devilish Leslie Denniston (a Phyllis for the ages), you simply cannot take your eyes off of him or the stage.
The rest of the supporting cast is uniformly fine: Lara Teeter is a terrifically smarmy Buddy; Donna McKechnie's "I'm Still Here" is worth the price of the ticket alone (and tickets are a steal, with $52 being the top price); Marni Nixon is smashing as Heidi Schiller, and performs a gorgeous "One More Kiss". The one low note for me was Joy Franz's Solange. She seemed almost catatonic during "Ah! Paree", and wasn't even trying to do a French accent.
After seeing this show, I started wondering one thing: Why is it that the two best musical theatre productions that I saw this year (the other one being the Paper Mill's stunning minimalist production of Ragtime) weren't in New York? Aside from The Light in the Piazza, Broadway seems to be barren when it comes to thought-provoking musicals. All of the truly stunning theatre has been banished to the provinces, it seems.
Sadly, this simply brilliant production closes Saturday. It is worth the roughly four hour drive to the Berkshires. Go if you can, and hope that somebody cancels their tickets!
The production, directed by Barrington's artistic director Julianne Boyd, is stunning and ravishing in every sense of the word. It resembles the mediocre Roundabout revival in some ways (it is a scaled down production, and Ms. Boyd has lifted several elements), but when you are dealing with Follies, the score is the only thing that really matters. And how it is represented here!
As Sally Durant Plummer, the ex-ingenue who gave up fame and the glamorous life for quiet domesticity in Phoenix, Kim Crosby is giving one of the best, truest and most nuanced performances I have ever seen. EVER. With a look, a simple glance, she manages to transfix an entire audience. When she starts to sing, you are appropriately bewitched. And by the time she belts out the greatest of Sondheim torch songs, "Losing My Mind", you will have tears in your eyes (I have never heard the song done better). Hopefully, this production will take Ms. Crosby out of semi-retirement for good.
Matching Ms. Crosby toe-to-toe is the always-enjoyable Jeff McCarthy, who is a commanding yet soulful Ben Stone. He really gets the poetic aspects of Ben and flaunts them at every opportunity. His duets with Ms. Crosby and the appropriately devilish Leslie Denniston (a Phyllis for the ages), you simply cannot take your eyes off of him or the stage.
The rest of the supporting cast is uniformly fine: Lara Teeter is a terrifically smarmy Buddy; Donna McKechnie's "I'm Still Here" is worth the price of the ticket alone (and tickets are a steal, with $52 being the top price); Marni Nixon is smashing as Heidi Schiller, and performs a gorgeous "One More Kiss". The one low note for me was Joy Franz's Solange. She seemed almost catatonic during "Ah! Paree", and wasn't even trying to do a French accent.
After seeing this show, I started wondering one thing: Why is it that the two best musical theatre productions that I saw this year (the other one being the Paper Mill's stunning minimalist production of Ragtime) weren't in New York? Aside from The Light in the Piazza, Broadway seems to be barren when it comes to thought-provoking musicals. All of the truly stunning theatre has been banished to the provinces, it seems.
Sadly, this simply brilliant production closes Saturday. It is worth the roughly four hour drive to the Berkshires. Go if you can, and hope that somebody cancels their tickets!
Updated On: 7/14/05 at 09:49 AM
