The Official Kennedy Center FOLLIES Thread- Page 7

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 12:32am

You will fall in love, Mamie.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 12:55am

Has anyone done the stagedoor for the show? I am seeing the show the end of this month and was curious who all comes out and how the whole thing is set up. DETAILS PLEASE!

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 1:38am

I've been meaning to ask, is there an understudy list in the programme? If there is, can anyone list it, or show it? Please and thank you?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 3:51am

FOLLIE Understudies

Brandon Bieber:Roscoe
Sara Edwrads: DeeDee West, Buddy's Blues "Sally" and "Margie
Colleen Fitzpatrick: Phyllis Rogers Stone, Solange LaFitte
Leslie Donna Flesner: Young Heidi
Jenifer Foote: Sandra Crane, DeeDee West, Solange LaFitte
Danielle Jordan: Emily Whitman, Young Sally
Joseph Kolinski: Buddy Plummer, Benjamin Stone, Max Deems, Dimitri Weismann
Florence Lacey: Sally Plummer, Carlotta Campion
Edric Means: Hattie Walker, Heidi Schiller, Stella Deems, Carlotta Campion, Sandra Crane
Kirra Schmidt: Young Phyllis
Brian Shepard: Young Ben
Sam Strasfeld: Young Buddy, Buddy Plummer, Kevin, Theodore Whitman

[Simon4]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 6:05am

[Has anyone done the stagedoor for the show? I am seeing the show the end of this month and was curious who all comes out and how the whole thing is set up. DETAILS PLEASE!]

The stage door for the Eisenhower is located outside the building on the north side facing the Watergate. Exit the theater onto the patio facing the Potomac River, turn right and walk around the building -- the stage door is clearly marked and faces the walkway to the Watergate.

On Saturday night, most everyone came out (though I didn't wait long enough to see Danny Burstein or Ron Raines), and everyone who was asked (well, except Sondheim) signed graciously -- Bernadette, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige, Linda Lavin.

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:41am

Thank you, Miss Pennywise!

[Scripps2]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 2:34pm

Can someone post if the pillow has non hypoallergenic filling?

Thanks in advance.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 3:26pm

oh scripps, you're not actually planning on USING it are you?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 3:48pm

Cannot believe I have to wait four weeks to see it! BUT, I am fifth row dead center. Yummy.

[choitoy]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 4:04pm

OK, I'm trying to see if I can juggle my schedule to go see it. If I do, does anyone know the theater well enough to suggest where I should get tickets for?

It looks like there are some seats in row A-C at the very sides, and then a bunch of seats across the back of the theater (about row R or so for the sides, and row X for the center).
The box section just has some tickets on the sides of the box, and the balcony is row D and back on the sides, with no seats left in the center.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 4:31pm

I meant to ask.......what's Danny Burstein's dancing like during The Right Girl? Does he do a big solo dance number?? and is he good?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 6:04pm

I wouldn't call it a 'big solo dance number,' though he does do quite a considerable amount of physical movement. More than other Buddy's I've seen videos for, Danny seems to go more for mining the facial expressions and vocal inflections rather than huge physical or dancing movements. That's not to say he doesn't move around- a lot. He interacts a bit with Margie and such, but I'd say it was more his acting than his dancing that sticks out in his songs.

[SondheimFan5]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 7:40pm

Katurian, I was talking about The Right Girl (at the beginning of Act 2) not Buddy's Folly number, "Buddy's Blues"

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 8:35pm

I know, I know! Margie shows up in both songs this time around. The first time, she's 'normal' Margie, and in the Blues, she's warped much like Sally is.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 9:09pm

No one will ever dance the role of Buddy the way Gene Nelson did.

http://youtu.be/RFxygAHcNGM


The "definitive" version (if any version of any Sondheim can ever be said to be definitive) of "I'm Still Here" is not Yvonne DeCarlo, oddly enough, but Nancy Walker, from the 1973 Sondheim: A Musical Tribute:

http://youtu.be/l3CwCpwrV8M
(vocal only)

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:03pm

I seem to remember reading that Sondheim
And Goldman later decided that they didn't believe "The Right Girl" should be a dance number because all the dance aequences were pastiche and of course, Buddy was not in the Follies-- at any rate I dont think any of the recent revivals have gone the Gene Nelson route

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:09pm

No, no one will ever dance it as well as Gene Nelson, but Danny Burnstein acts the hell out of it-- and the Blues too.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 10:13pm

I like having a dancing Buddy. But I also liked the Papermill approach, having Buddy interact with the dancing Young Buddy.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/10/11 at 11:30pm

I seem to remember reading that Sondheim and Goldman later decided that they didn't believe "The Right Girl" should be a dance number because all the dance aequences were pastiche and of course, Buddy was not in the Follies

And they were wrong.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 12:01am

Some thought of tonight's performance can be found on ATC. Bernadette's voice was apparently in perfect shape tonight.
Updated On: 5/11/11 at 12:01 AM

[bestfreakinshoes]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 12:09am

I saw the show on Saturday and pretty much agree with what has already been said, except a couple things.

Jan Maxwell is a GODDESS. First of all, her costumes are beautiful. She certainly does not look 55 at all. I adore her anyway, but I was blown away but how strong both her dancing and singing were. She certainly was my favorite part of the show.

I really enjoyed Linda Lavin's "Broadway Baby" but I do think it may get stronger as the show gets more performances under its belt.

Elaine Paige missed a verse--really half a verse--in "I'm Still Here" and I didn't find it as compelling as some other versions (Stritch, Baranski, Carol Burnett) I've heard.

I really loved Bernadette's performance as Desiree in ALNM, but I wasn't impressed with her Sally at all. Maybe it has more to do with the writing/development of the character, but I wasn't blown away by her singing either. (I thought her "Send in the Clowns" was fantastic.) I've heard Marin Mazzie sing quite a few songs from Follies and I think--even though she's a little young?--she would be a better fit in the role.

That said, my friends and I loved Jan's performance so much, we're considering ponying up the money to go back for closing. We need to see those dance numbers again.

Updated On: 5/11/11 at 12:09 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 12:22am

I've heard Marin Mazzie sing quite a few songs from Follies and I think--even though she's a little young?--she would be a better fit in the role.

Marin is actually the perfect age for the role. 50-years-old. But Bernadette is physically more appropriate for the role. Updated On: 5/11/11 at 12:22 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 1:42am

Someone on ATC said that they are using the Encores! book. Ugh. While, it's closer to the original book than the Roundabout book, it's still NOT the original.
I wish Schaeffer hadn't said it was the original book. But I'll see for myself on Saturday.

Posted: 5/11/11 at 2:00am

Hal Prince has said that The Right Girl was done partly cuz Bennett admired Nelson's dancing so much and wanted to stage it that way--as usual, Sondheim hasn't really said one thing one way or the other. I like it as a dance number, but it completely depends on the actor. Certainly it's not an important part of the show except in the original case's where the Nelson's dance clearly added to the power of the song, even if (like with I'm Still Here) there could be argued issues about what part is done as a book song and what part is in his head. Again, if the performer can pull it off, I don't think it matters.

At any rate Sondheim certainly never said anything implying he didn't like a dancing Buddy--and I don't think Goldman did, but could be wrong there.

I'm still more annoyed at the dropping of Bolero, another change I suspect Prince wanted, from his quoted comments in Everything Was Possible, but a moment I think if done right adds immeasurably to the power of the piece, particularly early on.
Updated On: 5/11/11 at 02:00 AM

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/11/11 at 2:39am

Ron Raines rehearsal footage:
http://www.folliesdc.com/#!video