The Follies Movie Casting Thread

Since I mentioned casting the Follies movie (Sondheim mentioned it's in development with Aaron Sorkin attatched to direct) in another thread, I thought it'd be fun to start a whole one devoted to the topic. I know we have lots of Follies fans that would like to share. I'm one of them. I'll start.

Sally- Catherine O'Hara
Ben- John Lithgow
Phyllis- Kelly Bishop
Buddy- Peter Gallagher
Carlotta- Liza
Hattie- Stritch
Stella- Rosie O'Donnell (Go ahead, shoot.)
Solange- Liliane Montevecchi (sp? I'm sure I mangled it)
Weissman- Peter O'Toole
Roscoe- Arthur Rubin
Emily Whitman- Donna McKechnie
Theodore Whitman- Joel Grey
Heidi- If only Julie Andrews still had her voice! I can't think of anyone!

Ray - considering that reading "Jane Krakowski or Selma Hayek" as Carlotta made me do a spit take with my morning coffee, I'm going to assume you confused your musicals (Carlotta "I'm Still Here"/Follies with Carla/Nine). The thought of Jane Krakowski belting out "I'm Still Here" makes me giggle. To paraphrase Elaine Stritch "I'm still here - where has she been?"

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i would love to live in a world where Catherine O' Hara could be cast as SALLY!

Kevein Kline as Ben. Now that's more like it!
Oh, I didn't know Stritch was angry she didn't get to play Carlotta at the concert. Shirley Maclaine seems like a better choice.

Treat Williams needs to be in it.


and debra messing?? A little bit too young me thinks.

People seem to be quite mistaken in terms of the character of Carlotta. The song has been performed by a number of legendary (and older) women in the cabaret/concert circuit, and some productions tend to cast the role with women old enough to live through all the references put in the song. I used to think that Carlotta had to be played by an older woman who has survived through a lot in life, in that sense, the Shirley McLane, Eartha Kitt, and Liza choices make sense.
However, if you watch the show and read up on it, you realize that Carlotta should be played by an actress that is the same age of the four principals. Yvonne DeCarlo wasn't a woman singing her swan song about the life she survived when Sondheim wrote the song for her, she was a diva claiming that she had been through all that but had decades left of life to survive, she was still here for good.
Carlotta should be sexy (she had an affair with Ben and after his fight with Phyllis and the Sally fiasco in the party, Ben wants to sleep with her), aging, and strong.
If the film is made in about five years or so, I can definitely see Jane Krakowski doing a wonderful job with the role (people forget there is more to Carlotta that the one song, it's a great featured role).

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"I mean, REALLY sing, not just get by."

Yes please!! Especially Carlotta who has to be able to carry "I'm Still Here". No more movie musicals like Evita where the dramatic musical moments are removed because the actress can't hit the notes.

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Sally - Olivia Newton-John
Buddy - John Travolta

It just makes sense on so many levels.

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Sally needs to absolutely be a real singer, I don't see how anyone can fake singing those notes, and even though I loved her in ST, Helena couldn't sing it. If she did, it would need to be severely altered.

Rosie as Stella I think personally would be great. She is lively and Stella does not have the same dancing to do as the other six women. She leads it in song, but is ultimately in the center at the end when they dance in a circle around her and even gets a break halfway through as she dances past the line of women!

And Goth, "Ah, But Underneath" I couldn't imagine working for Carlotta when it was intended for Phyllis and the lyrics suggest that based on how you interpret the role. I think it really plays down the volcano inside of her, all that has been iced over all those years of sadness and bitterness.

"And Goth, "Ah, But Underneath" I couldn't imagine working for Carlotta when it was intended for Phyllis and the lyrics suggest that based on how you interpret the role."

It could definitely work for Carlotta depending on how it was weaved into the movie.

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Why didn't I think of Leslie Caron as Solange?

"Lee Remick played the role in the Lincoln Center concert (and while she could carry a tune, she was no singer)"

I would much rather hear Lee sing than some people that perform on Broadway today. She could do a little more than carry a tune.

If I can put my 2 cents in...I think philcrosby's cast is perfect : Ben - Kevin Kline
Phyllis - Glenn Close
Buddy - James Naughton
Sally - Meryl Streep
But I'd take out James Naughton ( another that's too pretty). I like the thought of John C. Reilly...it's a tough one. :)

I don't know, I can see Kevin Spacey playing someone who is very out of touch with his life (and he looks very real in a suit). Also, he is stiffer than what is required for Buddy (this comes from his performances in American Beauty and The Usual Suspects). Actually, replace Kevin Spacey with Warren Beatty (who is a fan of Sondheim, I think) and then you would definitely have to cast Annette Bening!

I just think Jane Krakowski is too white bread. I don't mean that as a real insult I just think that she's the type of person who would be serving the drinks at the party instead of guzzling them down. And although Yvone De Carlo was contemporary she was ten years older than Jane Krakowski and her voice had this withering sound to it that really brought all the layers of the song out. I thought Goldie Hawn was an interesting choice (kind of an older Jane Krakowski).