New Sondheim interview (Follies film, new project, etc)

Saw this interview on ATC.
It looks like the FOLLIES film is still in development, and that is great news. And he is looking into more ideas for a new project.


Q: Sweeney left your fans wondering about prospects for films of your other shows.

A: There are people interested in doing Follies as a film. I can't say who because it's privileged information. I think Into the Woods would make a good film.


Q: And you've really been swimming against the tide most of your career, anyway.

A: True. And there are ideas I'm looking into which are in their earliest form, so inchoate I can't discuss them. But yes, I want to continue writing.

https://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/6677221.html

Exciting.

Both would be excellent of course.

And it's Sam Mendes looking to make the Follies film. It's been floating around for a while now.

I hear John Waters owns the rights now. Pia Zadora as Fifi, Patty Hearst as Phyllis and Edith Massey as Carlotta.

I'd love to see a new Sondheim show. I'd adore a Follies movie. What I wouldn't be interested in is yet another reworking of the Mizner brothers story under any name. I wish something else had grabbed his imagination during the years of Bounce and Road Show.

Has he said anything recently about that annotated lyrics book?

I'd love to see Woods as a stop-motion directed by Henry Selnick. HE knows how to make a good film. Burton's lost his touch, based off of Corpse Bride and Sweeney.

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I really hope Follies isnt made into a movie. You know they'd cast movie stars in all the leads and while there are adequate choices for Ben, Buddy and Phyliss (I'd love to see Vanessa Williams in that role.) But I cant think of a single Hollywood actor that I think could pull Sally off.

" Burton's lost his touch, based off of Corpse Bride and Sweeney."

What are you talking about? Burton rocked "Sweeney Todd" I think it was his masterpiece. And so did most of the critics. It failed to find a huge audience but who expected it to.

It wasn't nominated for Best Picture, but I think it should have been. I wish they'd kept the ballad, too, though.

I disagree that a suitable Sally couldn't be found for a film version of Follies.

I think that part of the reason why I'm a dissenter on the film is that I really don't care all that much for the stage version. I felt like the movie shaved it down to just the essentials. And the art direction was fantastic.

Burton should stay away from WOODS. We know Burton doesn't like chorus singing on film. Woods is very much an ensemble musical, and the chorus numbers are essential to the piece.

Updated On: 10/23/09 at 04:08 PM

I don't think O'Hara would be a bad choice as Sally, but my Phyllis is always Vanessa Williams and I don't see the two of them making sense.

Although she would have needed help singing it (and that doesn't bother me at all, as long as it didn't sound robotic like the Glee children), I really thought Natasha Richardson would have made a tremendous Sally.

I'm not concerned about the singing. If I want to see a beautifully sung Sally I can listen to Victoria Clark, Dorothy Collins, Barbara Cook, etc. For the film, I'm just concerned that they get an actress who would be able to truly capture the complexity of the character, if you play her as too needy, too sweet, too much of anything, you'll completely miss the great layers of the part.
I think someone like Amy Adams, for example, could make a great Sally in a good 20 years, but that's the kind of person I'm thinking of. Someone who immediately comes off as vulnerable, but has the range to play different parts of that type of character (I'm specifically thinking of her performances in DOUBT and JUNEBUG).
I think Laura Linney could make a wonderful Sally, though after seeing her in something like NANNY DIARIES one would think she's a more natural fit for Phyllis.
George Clooney, if a bit too predictable, would be pretty good as Ben Stone.

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Sally: Goldie Hawn
Ben: Daniel Day Lewis
Buddy: Richard Gere
Phyllis: Michelle Pfiffer

DONE.