The Official Kennedy Center FOLLIES Thread- Page 27

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 2:35pm

FINALLY we're back from our long weekend on the east coast, 6 shows in DC /NYC, and all atwitter with opinions...

We saw Follies last Thursday-- I'm a veteran having seen the '85 concert, the '88 West End rewrite, and '01 Roundabout attempt, and my husband's a Follies virgin. What's the verdict? I'd call it a must-see that still thrilled us for whole chunks of Act I but left us decidedly disappointed by the final curtain. So many opportunities that fell short...

IS FOLLIES A SHOW FOREVER TO BE HAUNTED BY IT'S OWN GHOSTLY PAST? Like Ben, Sally and the rest, is any new production going to always be measured against the shining memory of it's sparkly youthful form back in 1971? The ghosts of Aronson and Klotz, Prince and Bennet seemed to wander the Kennedy Center stage all night, constantly mocking their 2011 counterparts, and boy did the current team fall short there. It isn't a question of lack of money, it's a lack of imagination that leaves you staring at the same brick walls all night-- no movement, no metaphor, no BECOMING somewhere else all evening long. Where is the party? Where are the band members, the waiters, the surge and pull of groups gathering and separating throughout the space? In short, where's the STAGING that can match the score? Four or five beautifully-gowned showgirls alone won't cut it. Why on earth would you seguee into Loveland with the curtain down while you fly in the set upstage? What IS this, 1953? Frankly the staging owed more to Herb Ross's '85 concert version where soloists faced forward, sold their numbers straight out to the audience, took their bows and out would come the next soloist center stage to do the same. Great for a concert, bad for a play.

WHY ON EARTH IS SALLY THE STAR OF THE SHOW? Yes, she's the first named character onstage, that's true. But look at the structure of the Loveland Follies numbers: Buddy, then Sally, then Phyllis, then Ben. And isn't it Ben who actually breaks down onstage at what should be the crowning moment of the evening? That red dress that got so much press here does exactly what Bernadette said it would do-- it forces you to watch her anytime she's onstage, whether or not it makes dramatic sense. And how was Bernadette last Thursday night? Honestly her first act was dynamite! Gorgeous clear voice for In Buddy's Eyes and very moving in Too Many Mornings. But Lordy, her Losing My Mind was just so damn full of ACTING-- hoarse and slow and overloaded with sturm und drang till the end when she makes that ungainly exit slooooowly upstage, waits a beat, not going left, not going right, then moves sloooooowly off right. Oy!

SO BEN AND PHYLLIS ARE THE STARS, RIGHT? Well, we adored Jan Maxwell all night-- she absolutely nailed Phyllis to the wall and sold Could I Leave You like no-one I've ever seen-- right up until the misguided Lucy and Jesse dance break (in a tacky flame dress that matches Sutton Foster's flame dress in Anything Goes.) Poor Jan. Had they given the girl a staircase and some simple Hello Dolly choreography, this number would have killed! Still, Phyllis was the character you really cared about at the end of the night, not Sally and not Ben.

THE ROAD HE DIDN'T TAKE: Ron Raines? Great singing voice from beginning to end, but when they shrank the script they must have really butchered his dialogue because his was a part that got NO love all night. Never felt his breakdown after Live Laugh Love was more than a hiccup in the rush to the final curtain. And it just seemed perverse for Ben and Phyllis to never exchange another word with Buddy and Sally after the Follies numbers are over. Was the script always that miserly in those final beats?

Danny Burstein was the real surprise star of the night for us. So heartfelt, so real, so interesting and funny from the moment he stepped onstage right through the glory that was his rendition of Buddy's Blues. He even made the silly choreography waltzing with himself in The Right Girl plausible. Burstein was one of the true heroes of this production.

HATS OFF, HERE THEY COME THOSE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS! Absolutely loved Linda Lavin's vocal rendition of Broadway Baby but boy, was that some major miscasting (or mis-costuming). Girl should come out like Susan Boyle in her orthopedics, then shock the crowd with what comes out of her mouth. Missed a great opportunity here. Regine actually was letter perfect on Ah Paris, and she sort of made you believe that she really WAS a dotty and slightly senile Solange-- which isn't so wrong. Elaine Paige never once felt like the magnificent ruin that Carlotta should be, until she finally stepped away from the silly grouping of waiters staged decorously around her and marched down to the footlights to deliver the knockout final choruses of I'm Still Here. Then she let loose with some vocal fireworks that brought Carlotta to life like she hadn't been all evening till then.

SO WHO'S THAT WOMAN?! Those other girls should all be taking notes from Terri White! That lady lived the part of Stella Deems in the spotlight, out of the spotlight, dancing up a storm, singing her heart out. Nothing all evening matched the sheer excitement of the buildup and payoff of Who's That Woman. Yeah, yeah, they shouldn't have had the ghost mirrorgirls just tap their way on from the wings, but still this was the 10 minutes of glory that had us all getting goosebumps up and down our spines, and when the number ended my husband looked at me, his face all aglow, finally understanding what the fuss with Follies was really all about.

STILL WAITING FOR THE GIRLS UPSTAIRS: After how many almost-successful productions of Follies that leave us wanting more, is it possible that Follies is a show that defies getting it right? Could it be that those genius songs aren't able to fit into a play that works from overture to curtain call? If the costumes are fabulous (as most of Gregg Barnes work here is), will the sets always come up short? And if the choreographer won't imitate Bennet's original staging, will we always ask why not? Can the stars really ever align on this beloved show so that each of the lead parts can shine without upsetting the balance of the whole?

Hold that thought while I get on the phone to book our flights to Chicago when the show opens there this fall!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 2:47pm

And it just seemed perverse for Ben and Phyllis to never exchange another word with Buddy and Sally after the Follies numbers are over. Was the script always that miserly in those final beats?

The London and Roundabout scripts tried having the couples exchange words during the finale. It came off corny and forced. This production rightfully sicks closer to the original ending.

[LoveDemBroadwayShows2]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 3:13pm

Thanks, Charlesj, for the comprehensive review. I don't see the show until Saturday night and, having never seen a stage production, I have been soaking in the positive and negative comments from all of the posters. I don't want my expectations to be too high and your post keeps my expectations at a reasonable level. I, too, will consider taking in the Chicago run as I am in Kansas City and can fairly easily make a weekend of it there.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 3:20pm

Now if they come up with a pillow with Miss Holly's picture on it, I'm buying!

I couldn't agree with charles more about Danny Burstein. He impressed me greatly in South Pacific by playing a Luther Billis who was obviously (and seriously) in love with Nelly. The heartbreak he showed after the Thanksgiving show was subtle and touching. I believe now that it was just a small opening into what this actor is capable of. In fact, with warts and all, his Buddy ended up being the only character I really cared about by the end of the show. I said it before and I'll say it again - I better be hearing his name at Helen Hayes Awards time.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 3:43pm

Thanks, Charles. And this says it all:

It isn't a question of lack of money, it's a lack of imagination

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/15/11 at 3:47pm

Totally agree with that, and some vision would help.

[FrauleinKost]

Posted: 6/17/11 at 11:46am

Still thinking about that damn red dress that everyone is so hung up about.

Just because she's a housewife in Phoenix doesn't mean she needs to be frumpy. She is a former Weissman girl!! I've been fortunate enough to have personally known several former Ziegfeld girl's, and they ALL retained a certain glamour, a certain spark, no matter how far removed from the business/nyc their lives were. So I don't think it's entirely impossible that she would choose such a dress, and not be as frumpy and housewifey as Sally is traditionally played. It can be played either way, IMO, and with someone like Bernadette, I think it works beautifully. A flashier gown like the one Jan Maxwell wears wouldn't be appropriate, because I don't think that's Sally--but I think the dress she wears is perfect for THIS production, with who Sally was in her past and who she is now. She's stuck in her glamorous past. Those were the best years of her life. This production really made me love Sally.

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 1:59pm

Hi everyone

Have tried to find the thread about the cast recording but couldnt so posting on here.

On Elaine Paige's radio show she said the Follies CD was recorded "live"

apologies if i am being silly but is that usual? What does it mean? 1 take? Glad for any feedback

thanks

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 2:02pm

Recorded live usually means it was recorded in the theater. But this album was definitely made in a studio. Not sure what she's talking about.

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 2:07pm

Maybe it's a British slang term. No idea.

[VeraCharles3]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 2:29pm

Thank you both

[theeatah]

Posted: 10/16/11 at 3:45pm

I presume she means the music tracks weren't recorded before the vocals. Rather, music and vocals were recorded together, "as live".

[That Groovy Guy]

Posted: 11/6/11 at 4:34pm

Couldn't find a thread specific to the Broadway performances so I'm posting here since it seems related...

Saw the show yesterday and am completely astonished by the positive reviews that I've been reading. I have never really seriously considered walking out of a show before but would have yesterday if I weren't with friends and if half of my row were not asleep...completely asleep. So many others in my section were repeatedly checking their watches and rolling their eyes at each other.

I closed my eyes myself here and there because Act I was (for the most part) so incredibly lifeless and dull. In addition I found so many instances where I thought the lyrics to be so embarrassingly bad and amateurish, throwing in words for no other reason other than to make a rhyme. Several times I found myself thinking "why doesn't he/she just say this instead of singing it? Singing isn't adding anything to it." Such a thought has never occurred to me before in any other show. "Ah Paris" and "Broadway Baby" were kinda cute and "Who's That Woman" was great (and woke some of the sleeping audience) but I think it came way too late in the show to salvage any interest.

I like Bernadette Peters but if she was underplaying her part I think she underplayed it way too much for the stage. I didn't find her character/performance at all interesting or sympathetic. Thank god for Jan Maxwell. I had seen her perform once years ago but really wasn't familiar with her. She was THE star of the show and the audience seemed to be in agreement at curtain calls. Danny Burstein was great but Bernadette's performance made his performance seem rather out of synch. I thought that Elaine Paige was good but like most of the songs, not particularly interesting or memorable. (Actually the songs were MUCH less interesting or memorable.) It may have been better if she had more to do, which I would also say for Jayne Houdyshell and Terri White who I thought were great. I wish their parts had been expanded. Ron Raines has a nice voice but I found the performance of his character so dreadfully dull that it seemed kinda ridiculous that either Sally or Phyllis would have been interested in him.

Honestly it usually infuriates me when audience members talk during a show but this is the only time I've actually been more interested in what they had to say (curious if they were thinking what I was thinking) than what was going on onstage. There were several times in the show where there were dramatic pauses (I'm assuming that's what they were) that took sooo long that I thought someone forgot their lines. Maybe they did?

In a way I felt bad that the applause for Jan Maxwell was much louder than that for Bernadette but Jan absolutely deserved it. As curtains calls were finishing, I've never seen an audience so quick to stand to exit a theater. I kinda hope the actors took it for a standing ovation, but it wasn't.

None of my post is intended to be at all snarky but I'm just floored (floored!) at the reviews where people loved the show or were excited by it! I'm stunned! I don't even think that great performances could have salvaged this show without the book (and the songs!!!) being vastly rewritten. Anyway, attack me if you will but the only comments that I heard from audience members upon exit was how terribly boring the show was.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/6/12 at 11:10pm

Bump for Greg.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 3:31am

I had planned to see a regional production of Follies this summer, but that ain't happening for obvious reasons, so I did the forbidden and watched the YouTube video of the Kennedy Center incarnation of the show from nearly 9 years ago. 

Unlike almost everyone on this thread, I hadn't seen the show before and didn't know much about it - aside from being familiar with a few songs. I can't compare it to other productions, and watching a fuzzy video didn't help. It's an ambitious show conceptually, and I did find the transformation from the dark theater to the color of "Loveland" to be a clever conceit - even if there didn't seem to be a good place to put an intermission. It's a dark, bleak play about unsympathetic characters, interrupted by some fun songs and big routines. 

Having seen Bernadette Peters in the professionally shot videos in roles she created in other Stephen Sondheim musicals, I didn't enjoy her as much as Sally - but it's harder to enjoy Sally. For what it's worth, I wasn't bothered by the red dress. She's a former showgirl getting dressed up for an event, and hoping to see her former love. Why wouldn't she wear something eye-catching? I did think her version of "Losing My Mind" was wonderful. The late Jan Maxwell was quite good as Phyllis and Danny Burstein makes the most of what seems like the tricky role of Buddy.

Sondheim wrote some excellent songs for Follies. I'm not sure how I will feel about the overall score once I hear it a few times. (His scores tend to grow on me on repeat listens.) But the book, I don't know. This seems like a hard show to love, although obviously many people do.   

[binau]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 5:34am

Why would you watch the Kennedy center version and not the Broadway version? It was significantly improved. God it was so exciting to be at that first preview and see the amount of fixes everyone was worried about: the new dress, the theatre draped to look ugly, Linda Lavin’s replacement and the trio arrangement of that sequence. Also sad news but RIP Rosalind Elias who has died. “One More Kiss”.

The production remains 1000x better than the recent London production. Awfully sung. Forgettable performances. A very lacklustre transition to Loveland. I will never, ever forget Bernadette singing Losing My Mind with the blinding red set. I wish this production was recorded on video but I suppose it makes it more special for being there.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 5:47am

Jayne Houdyshell deserves better than being called "Linda Lavin's replacement"!

Updated On: 5/5/20 at 05:47 AM

[binau]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 6:21am

Apologies, I agree. I just remember when she walked out with her oddball, endearing character it was such a relief. I miss this production!



 

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 7:28am

Why is bear88 reviewing a bootleg?
And yes, the production was much improved on Broadway, the critics noted this as well.

[Gorlois]

Posted: 5/5/20 at 7:31am

I was a sophomore in high school when Follies made the trek from the Kennedy Center to Broadway. I was a theatre kid weaned on Disney and Rodgers and Hammerstein. I’d recently made the leap to Andrew Lloyd Webber, too. I read these forums often... it was a weird place (and still often is) where I was enraptured by stories and accounts of plays and performances I never would have a chance to see.

I kept reading about Sondheim. Sondheim, Sondheim, Sondheim. All the time with the Sondheim. But what was so great about him, anyway? I’d seen Gypsy and West Side Story on TCM. Gypsy was okay, West Side Story was better. My friends (who were straight and decidedly not theatre kids) quoted the Johnny Depp Sweeney Todd film incessantly but when I finally saw it, I thought it was a dud. I begged my mom to sign up for a Netflix DVD subscription so I could see “Sunday” but when I got my hands on it, the production made little impression on me. I found a recording of Patti LuPone in Passion and that was a chore to get through. And Company plainly bewildered me. Finally, I saw a recording of A Little Night Music with Sally Ann Howes and I actually liked it. But still I was groping in the darkness to understand why all of you said Sondheim was so great.

Then came Thanksgiving break, 2011. Five days away from my little Appalachian school and my friends who were members of student civic and faith based organizations. I needed that break because even though I did a good job at hiding it, I was cratering inside because I could not reveal anything real about myself— I couldn’t talk about my love for fairy tales where princesses find princes, I couldn’t talk about my obsession with anything Julie Andrews, I couldn’t talk about my best friend who I’d accidentally fallen in love with. I couldn’t talk to anyone about anything.

I saw a link on Broadway World, NPR was hosting a free preview of the entire album of the new recording to Follies. Well, there’d been so much hullabaloo, why not give it a listen? Although I’d probably quit after a couple tracks as I was wont to do when studio albums did not impress.

First, that prologue which cast a spell on me. Then the performances of Jan Maxwell and Bernadette Peters shining through, coming to life— I could see them, I could see everything. I could feel the passion when Ron Raines and Peters sang “Too Many Mornings,” I could see her in his arms, then and before. All the pastiches spoke a musical language I’d already learned from watching Turner Classic Movies. The power and joy of “Mirror Mirror” making me grin from ear to ear. The chaos of Loveland. And finally, Bernadette Peters singing “Losing My Mind,” ripping me to my core and destroying me, making me cry tears to cleanse my soul.

And then I understood the “Sondheim” you all spoke of. And later I went back to many of those Sondheim musicals and could appreciate them unlike before. “Sunday” and “Passion” made me weep and George Hearn and Angela Lansbury’s “Sweeney” was so much better. Company, all these years later, I still don’t get but I’m trying. I’m sure it’s worthwhile.

All this because Follies spoke to my soul. I never saw this production in person, but it will always hold an important place in my heart. It made me feel less alone.

Long live Follies.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/15/21 at 5:19pm

Now, folks, we bring you, di-rect from Phoenix, live and in person...SALLY DURANT!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/15/21 at 5:24pm

PalJoey said: "Now, folks, we bring you, di-rect from Phoenix, live and in person...SALLY DURANT!"

God bless you for bringing back this thread. <3

[binau]

Posted: 4/15/21 at 5:45pm

Call me obsessed, pathological, pathetic, sad - I don't care. I think about this production (well, the Broadway transfer) nearly every day of my life. I've been listening to the cast recording for 10 years on repeat and Bernadette's "In Buddy's Eyes" is my most listened to track of all time. During the pandemic, if I want to try to sleep, I think about you. If I want to reflect on life, ageing, love, the choices I've made including the time I've wasted saying stupid things when there are so much more important things in life, I think about you. When I think about how important art is and what it means to me and humanity, I think about you. Yes, I saw the London Follies live. And that Act One set was incredible - but when my eyes are not open, which is most of the time, all I can think about is a girl in a pink dress (as the red one was thrown away). Who while maybe not Audra McDonald vocally is "remarkably like the girl she was 30 years ago", as notated in the libretto. Singing the most beautiful melodies and lyrics with the most beautiful and unusual, unique timbre. And surrounded by the most perfect cast. NO one can take this away from me - not even a pandemic. It makes me want to cry. I imagine some people might feel this way about the original production. GOD BLESS YOU STEPHEN SONDHEIM, JAMES GOLDMAN, BERNADETTE PETERS and EVERYONE ELSE involved in this show. YOU CANNOT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE.

Updated On: 4/16/21 at 05:45 PM

[Musical Master]

Posted: 4/15/21 at 7:35pm

Oh wow, talk about flashing back to your high school days and reading about this production being in development and the rumors about what was going to be in it. I will say that while the Broadway transfer was much improved on several aspects, I will thank this version of Follies for adding to the conversation of this legendary musical. Thanks PalJoey for bringing this back.

Plus I will never forget the unforgettable message board thread: "Red Dress is Now Pink". I confess I died of laughter from that.

Updated On: 4/15/21 at 07:35 PM

[buttonsandsnaps]

Posted: 4/15/21 at 9:56pm

oh wow. mad flashbacks. i dressed this show back as a little baby dresser. it was a really great experience. BP is a doll.