Sondheim revival renaissance

With the flood of Sondheim revivals on broadway in the last 18 months and coming 9(Company, Into The Woods, Assassins, merrily We Roll Along, Sweeney Todd, Here We Are). I’m curious if we think this trend will continue through his work and what we are still hoping to see.


Personally I’d love to still see the Julie Andrews and cate Blanchett rumoured revival of a Little Night Music. And a full scale production of Follies with a swath of Broadway legends.
We also haven’t had a revival of Gypsy in almost 15 years.

Maybe Encores! can pull off a concert production of Passion or The Frogs someday.

My #1 dream is Lincoln Center Follies! It would be incredible!

It's definitely time for a new Rose and for a new Night Music.

Would definitely kill for some concerts of the lesser-produced stuff. I need to see The Frogs live at some point!

Is Forum unproducable now? I really would love to see it some time...

I was told not long ago by a reputable source that Andre Bishop has no interest in ever producing FOLLIES, and was never inclined to bring over the National Theatre production or mount his own. He had a relationship with Sondheim dating back to the original SUNDAY and ASSASSINS (he produced & developed both when he ran Playwrights Horizons), developed & co-produced PASSION, and produced THE FROGS among other projects.

Updated On: 3/17/23 at 01:45 PM

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I was told not long ago by a reputable source that Andre Bishop has no interest in ever producing FOLLIES, and was never inclined to bring over the National Theatre production or mount his own. He had a relationship with Sondheim dating back to the original SUNDAY and ASSASSINS (he produced & developed both when he ran Playwrights Horizons), developed & co-produced PASSION, and produced THE FROGS among other projects."



Well FOLLIES will certainly outlast Andre. It's time for new blood at LCT anyway.

RippedMan said: "Block as Rose. Sold. Do we think Keli O'hara would be a strong Rose? I love her voice and acting but she's never played a ferocious character."

I can maybe see O'Hara in Follies but not Gypsy. Block NEEDS to be the next Mama Rose! I can already imagine her singing Rose's Turn!

Dylan Smith4 said: "RippedMan said: "Block as Rose. Sold. Do we think Keli O'hara would be a strong Rose? I love her voice and acting but she's never played a ferocious character."

I can maybe see O'Hara in Follies but not Gypsy. Block NEEDS to be the next Mama Rose! I can already imagine her singing Rose's Turn!"



Block would be perfectly competent in the role -- but also unexciting. I feel like I've seen her performance already. The next Broadway production should be with someone "outside the box" -- like the Weisslers did with Tyne Daly.

One of my fantasy productions that I'd love to see someday is Follies at the Beaumont, directed by Bart Sher, with Kelli O'Hara as Sally and Laura Benanti as Phyllis.

JSquared2 said: "Dylan Smith4 said: "RippedMan said: "Block as Rose. Sold. Do we think Keli O'hara would be a strong Rose? I love her voice and acting but she's never played a ferocious character."

I can maybe see O'Hara in Follies but not Gypsy. Block NEEDS to be the next Mama Rose! I can already imagine her singing Rose's Turn!"



Block would be perfectly competent in the role -- but also unexciting. I feel like I've seen her performance already. The next Broadway production should be with someone "outside the box" -- like the Weisslers did with Tyne Daly."

I'm hoping our next Mama Rose is a woman of color.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Would love to see FOLLIES with a Black cast (at least the ladies). That’s something that was bandied about for the KenCen revival."

That doesn't really make sense to have an all black cast. The songs written in Follies doesn't really lend itself to the experience of black women, nor does the dialogue.

I'd love to see someone write a Follies-like piece that shows off black women though. That's something that has been overdue for years! So many women we don't get to see on Broadway who could show off. Film actresses, gospel singers, r&b, rap,jazz artists.

Updated On: 3/18/23 at 03:42 PM

Jayne Houdyshell as Mama Rose.

Nathan Lane as Herbie

I think it is more likely you will see a full revival of Forum on Broadway before you see Julie Andrew on Broadway in A Little Night Music (unless its a one night only type deal)

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I was told not long ago by a reputable source that Andre Bishop has no interest in ever producing FOLLIES, and was never inclined to bring over the National Theatre production or mount his own. He had a relationship with Sondheim dating back to the original SUNDAY and ASSASSINS (he produced & developed both when he ran Playwrights Horizons), developed & co-produced PASSION, and produced THE FROGS among other projects."

I wonder why. Maybe he just doesn't care for it.