Viva Las Vegas Production of "Follies"

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 12/3/23 at 9:34pm

https://follieslasvegas.com/about-follies-las-vegas   This is a 6 show production beginning in  April 2024.  Intriguing. 

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 12/4/23 at 7:08pm

How bizarre

[ACL2006]

Posted: 12/4/23 at 7:11pm

sondheimfan2 said: "How bizarre"

Extremely odd for just 6 performances. Assuming this will be non-union?

[inception]

Posted: 12/4/23 at 7:42pm

I had never heard of Aliante Casino before. It's a Binions' property far off-strip in North Las Vegas.  More of a "locals casino."  They must have got a deal renting their show room.  

Legitimate theatre is such a unusual thing to find in LV.  

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 12/4/23 at 8:46pm

ACL2006 said: "Assuming this will be non-union?"

No! People are burying the lede of the cast. But the website doesn't say who plays who. There are a number of "recognizable-to-theatre-people" and "has-been" names involved, including...

- Frederica von Stade (assuming she's Heidi?
- Ruby Lewis (she's listed as one of the top four principal performers but seems way too young for Phyllis or Sally)
- Randal Keith
- Bubba Knight
- Pete Barbutti
- Nicolas King
- Clint Holmes
- Seth Sikes
- 12 retired Vegas showgirls, including Anna Bailey "the very first African American Showgirl on the Strip...now a young and spry 96 years old."
- a 26-piece orchestra
...and...
Ted Chapin (maybe he's Weissmann? or Theo Whittman?)

Some of these bios are absolutely ridiculous and so full of hyperbole. Which is usually a sign of people who (a) never had "it", or, (b) haven't had "it" since the Reagan administration.

The director, David James Robinson, claims to have been a close friend to Sondheim, though his bio lists no notable theatre productions.

Updated On: 12/4/23 at 08:46 PM

[akhoya87]

Posted: 12/4/23 at 9:06pm

This announcement has real "I got Norm Lewis to be in my zombie musical" energy.

[raddersons]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 12:14am

There is a self-referential quality to getting actual retired Vegas showgirls to play these parts that is exciting to me. Unfortunately you could not pay me to go to Vegas.

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 12/5/23 at 1:39am

I wish them well, but I will believe this when it is up and running.......perhaps not even then.  Yes, Aliante is a "local" hotel/casino.  

[Ensemble1708502548]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 8:05am

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "https://follieslasvegas.com/about-follies-las-vegas This is a 6 show production beginning in April 2024. Intriguing.

I had never heard of the Aliante casino before. It's a Binion's property, quite far from the Strip in the northern part of Las Vegas. It's more like a 'local casino.' They probably arranged to rent out their showroom for the show.

I also want to add that I only recently found out about Skrill Casinos.In reality, there is still much out there that we do not yet know

Legitimate theater is such an unusual thing to find in Las Vegas."

wow, thnx

Updated On: 2/22/24 at 08:05 AM

[nealb1]

Posted: 2/21/24 at 11:15am

I remember reading about this when it was first announced.  Very excited to see this show.  

In regards to many of the cast members having "older" credits, that doesn't mean that their talent and passion has gone away.  They still did the work, and had the experience.  One of the many themes of "Follies," is honoring the past.  The cast has a fantastic, respected past.  

Updated On: 2/21/24 at 11:15 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/24/24 at 5:56am

To those who were around in the 70s to watch TV shows… does it seem weird that Huggy Bear is in this production playing unspecified characters...?

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 5/10/24 at 5:28am

The bigger question is, did, has, any one seen this or a review for this! 

[Sho-Tunes-R-Us]

Posted: 5/10/24 at 11:59pm

Bupkis from.the Las Vegas Sun before, during and after the.announced dates.  The "website" hadda generic picture and a cut-and-paste logo.  I yam still very skeptical that it occurred.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 1:37am

If you search "follies las vegas" on Facebook you will see some bootleg clips from curtain call, Beautiful Girls, Andrea McArdle's Broadway Baby, and Who's that Woman. Orchestra sounds great, costumes and design look awful (must have been a concert production?)

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" was, perhaps illegally, added for Theo Whitman as a finale.

[binau]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 7:18am

In a weird meta way, the idea of some of this cast and creatives putting on a tattered production of Follies in Los Vegas as a ‘final burst of glory’ seems a little in the spirit of the show itself of broken dreams and the unavoidable, scathing exposure of time and reality. The road you didn’t take indeed. While I hope we see a full scale Lincoln centre revival with Audra/Kelly, Laura Benanti and a legacy of older New York theatre women in a few years - there is something intriguing about this one lol. 

Updated On: 5/11/24 at 07:18 AM

[laporms]

Posted: 5/11/24 at 2:06pm

I attended the Saturday night performance. It was a great effort by all to bring a production at this level to a casino showroom. Was great seeing Andrea McArdle and other excellent performers. It wasn't my favorite of all time, but I think it shows promise for this new production company in Las Vegas. 

[Ensemble1731921254]

Posted: 11/18/24 at 9:20am

inception said: "I had never heard of Aliante Casino before. It's a Binions' property far off-strip in North Las Vegas. More of a "locals casino." They must have got a deal renting their show room.

Legitimate theatre is such a unusual thing to find in LV.
I love the idea of ​​a big shiny show with such a big story. If we talk about Vegas, it is interesting that this city is no longer just entertainment - it has become the center of games and bonuses. For example, sites like https://gladiatorcomputers.com/ provide reviews of various online casinos, which is great if you want to experience a bit of the thrill of Las Vegas at home. Either way, I'm definitely interested to see how the new production captures the essence of the classic Vegas shows."

Aliante a hidden gem for locals—rare theatre adds unique charm! Thanks for sharing!

Updated On: 11/21/24 at 09:20 AM