"[122] Yesterday marked the birthdate of the actress/singer/dancer Ethel Shutta (pronounced Shuh-tay), born in 1896, immortalized as the person who introduced the Stephen Sondheim favorite "Broadway. I hadn't read the script until about a year ago. Sondheim, too, has added and removed songs that he judged to be problematic in various productions. Tickets always were tough to come by. Don't panic. I'm Scott Simon. Stephen Sondheim, Hattie Walker is a retired star of the Weismann Follies, an iconic. A few years after the fling that led to his unknown fatherhood, the man has settled into a new life, but the establishing of his paternity makes him determined to . The coffee cup, I think about you. Follies set, a fabulous wedding cake reaching for the stars, an You know, when I went to see "A Little Night Music," before I was even knew I was going to be in it, the music started and I went: Oh my God, I can't believe the person that wrote all those other things also wrote this. Julia McKenzie returned to the production for the final four performances. and Loveland calls, luring them back to a playground of Lastly Ben takes the stage Bernadette Peters, who's stopped more shows on Broadway than the stagehands union, joins us in our studios. Once the party gets under way it isn't long before the regulars Suddenly, at the peak of madness and confusion, the couples are engulfed by their follies, which transform the rundown theater into a fantastical "Loveland", an extravaganza even more grand and opulent than the gaudiest Weismann confection: "the place where lovers are always young and beautiful, and everyone lives only for love". (Who's That Woman), shadowy wraiths of their younger selves Dolores Gray was praised as Carlotta, continuing to perform after breaking her ankle, although in a reduced version of the part. Phyllis kisses a waiter and confesses to him that she had always wanted a son. (Chapin, p.300) In his The New York Times review of the original Broadway production, Clive Barnes wrote: "it is stylish, innovative, it has some of the best lyrics I have ever encountered, and above all it is a serious attempt to deal with the musical form." The music is so beautiful, classical, involved, intricate. PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker stated "We've never had the kind of reaction that we've had for Follies. Stephen Sondheim. Inspired by a New York Times article about a gathering of former Ziegfeld Girls, they decided upon a story about ex-showgirls. [124] The 2017 London revival cast was recorded after the production closed in January 2018, and was released in early 2019. you can't turn the clock back: as Heidi Schiller reminds us in ); and Carlotta Campion, a film star who has embraced life and benefited from every experience. [41], A staged concert at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, was performed on September 6 and 7, 1985. Who's Next (Bonus Track Version) by The Who on Apple Music The 2017 production was nominated for 10 Laurence Olivier Awards and won 2 for Best Musical Revival and Best Costume Design (by Vicki Mortimer). [19] However, the August 23, 2011 Broadway preview performance was performed without an intermission. He noted, though, that "I'm sorry the cast was reduced from 52 to 38, the orchestra from 26 players to 14 To appreciate the revival, you must buy into James Goldman's book, which is peddling a panoramically bleak take on marriage." Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics combine emotional pain and witty pastiche with a deftness that James . of Ah, Paree! but cold Jessie could only combine then I could tell you someone Buddy warns Phyllis that Sally is still in love with Ben, and she is shaken by how the past threatens to repeat itself. Sondheim, Stephen and Goldman, James (2001). kiss me, " Sally tells him, I think I'm going to die.". "Could I Leave You?" - Phyllis. [127] Tony Award-winning playwright and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan has expressed interest in writing the adaptation. "[44] Sondheim wrote four new songs: "Country House" (replacing "The Road You Didn't Take"), "Loveland" (replacing the song of the same title), "Ah, But Underneath" (replacing "The Story of Lucy and Jessie", for the non-dancer Diana Rigg), and "Make the Most of Your Music" (replacing "Live, Laugh, Love"). [67][68][69] This production conducted by Julian Kelly featured the original Broadway score. SIMON: And from the performer's point of view, what makes him a genius by such universal acclaim? : Directed by Rebecca Frayn. Phyllis, both now married to their respective stage-door Johnnies, I like the run and I like to keep going deeper and deeper and see what I can learn and experience about life. Broadway impresario Dimitri Weismann arranges a reunion of the actors, singers, dancers, and personalities who peopled his famous Follies in the years between the World Wars . THEODORE WHITMAN - Emily's husband. At its best momentsand there are manyit is the most imaginative and original new musical that Broadway has seen in years. [118], The Time reviewer wrote of the 2001 Broadway revival: "Even in its more modest incarnation, Follies has, no question, the best score on Broadway." Dimitri Weismann's reunion; they'll have to find out whether anything's Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman . The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. Casting a 'Follies' of the Future, With Beyonc and Ben Platt The AP quoted Michael Coveney of the Financial Times, who wrote: "Follies is a great deal more than a camp love-in for old burlesque buffs and Sondheim aficionados. The Complete Follies Collection puiblished by Hal Leonard publishers>. He is a salesman, in his early 50s, appealing and lively,[4] whose smiles cover inner disappointment. [121] The original cast album has always been controversial, because significant portions of the score were cut to fit onto one LP. Clines, Francis X. Ms. PETERS: Do over. YOUNG BUDDY - The eager young beau of a Follies chorine. It is 1971, and the iconic Weismann Theater, now a crumbling shell of its former glory, is about to be demolished to provide precious New York City parking space. despite the routine of married life. Young Daisy Eagan sings "Broadway Baby" from Sondheim's "Follies."This video is an excerpt from the highly recommended 1992 concert DVD "Sondheim: A Celebrat. of the derelict theatre Loveland rises - the apotheosis of a Weismann A Broadway revival opened at the Belasco Theatre on April 5, 2001, and closed on July 14, 2001, after 117 performances and 32 previews. "[17], "Loveland", the final musical sequence, (that "consumed the last half-hour of the original" production[18]) is akin to an imaginary 1941 Ziegfeld Follies sequence, with Sally, Phyllis, Ben and Buddy performing "like comics and torch singers from a Broadway of yore. Buddy in Arizona - cooking, flower-arranging, trips to the mall, Sally is awed by Ben's apparently glamorous life, but Ben wonders if he made the right choices and considers how things might have been ("The Road You Didn't Take"). The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Follies Stage production February 20, 1971 Comments Sung by character "Hattie Walker" . The younger Ben and Buddy softly call to their "girls upstairs", and the Follies end. "), and Hattie Walker performs her old showstopping number ("Broadway Baby"). Note: This is the song list from the original Broadway production in 1971. really changed in their lives. Rounding out the ensemble is Lawrence Alexander, Brandon Bieber, John Carroll, Sara Edwards, Leslie Flesner, Jenifer Foote, Leah Horowitz, Suzanne Hylenski, Danielle Jordan, Joseph Kolinski, Amanda. Follies had its pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial Theatre, Boston, from February 20 through March 20, 1971.[28][29]. Stephen Sondheim | "Broadway Baby" - The New York Times The majority of the Broadway cast reprised their roles, with the exception of Bernadette Peters, who had prior concert commitments and was replaced by Victoria Clark in the role of Sally, a role she has previously played in New York. Ms. PETERS: But he is like an actor, but with notes and words. Kirkeby, Marc (released April 1971). Having exorcised the ghosts of their pasts the two couples depart A rich, new production of Follies has opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with the original orchestrations. with Live, Love, Laugh, singing of how clever and adept Regine & Terrence Currier Will Not Transfer to Broadway with Kennedy Road You Didn't Take). For Buddy, life is all about findingThe Right The exceptions are the title song, from Follies, which she sang memorably at the 1984 Tony Awards show, and "Bobo's" from The Act. in one terrifying mass. but In Buddy's Eyes, she knows, she's still his princess. It starred Alexis Smith (Phyllis), John McMartin (Ben), Dorothy Collins (Sally), Gene Nelson (Buddy), along with several veterans of the Broadway and vaudeville stage. that she's Losing My Mind. The principal cast included Kim Crosby (Sally), Leslie Denniston (Phyllis), Jeff McCarthy (Ben), Lara Teeter (Buddy), Joy Franz (Solange), Marni Nixon (Heidi), and Donna McKechnie (Carlotta). YOUNG STELLA - The singer and dancer as she was in 1940. Follies was performed in concert at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra[59] in February 1998 as the highlight of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and had three performances. the bitterness that has, until now, been more or less repressed. Not only has it already outsold every other album at our website, but the steady stream of emails from customers has been amazing. are gleefully dusting off their old acts: Theodore and Emily Whose Baby? SIMON: Does this story reach you now in a way it might not have during the 1970s? [72] Hal Linden originally was going to play Ben, but left because he was cast in the Broadway revival of Cabaret as Herr Schultz. Buddy and Ben, the theatre seems haunted by their younger selves, he's spent Too Many Mornings dreaming of her. In a jazzy dance number, accompanied by a squadron of chorus boys, Phyllis reflects on the two sides of her personality, one naive and passionate and the other jaded and sophisticated and her desire to combine them ("The Story of Lucy and Jessie"). '"[10] Martin Gottfried wrote: "The concept behind Follies is theatre nostalgia, representing the rose-colored glasses through which we face the fact of age the show is conceived in ghostliness. years ago". [81] The cast starred Bernadette Peters as Sally, Jan Maxwell as Phyllis, Elaine Paige as Carlotta, Linda Lavin as Hattie, Ron Raines as Ben and Danny Burstein as Buddy. Hard-hitting drama about a man who discovers that he has fathered a child only when he is approached by a child support agency. Peter Marks of The Washington Post wrote that the revival "takes an audience halfway to paradise." I saw no reason not to try new things, knowing we could always revert to the original (which we eventually did). It is 1970 and on the stage of the Weismann Theatre, The production starred Bob Gunton (Ben), Warren Berlinger (Dimitri Weismann), Patty Duke (Phyllis), Vikki Carr (Sally), Harry Groener (Buddy), Carole Cook (Hattie), Carol Lawrence (Vanessa), Ken Page (Roscoe), Liz Torres (Stella), Amanda McBroom (Solange), Grover Dale (Vincent), Donna McKechnie (Carlotta), Carole Swarbrick (Christine), Stella Stevens (Dee Dee), Mary Jo Catlett (Emily), Justine Johnston (Heidi), Jean Louisa Kelly (Young Sally), Austin Miller (Young Buddy), Tia Riebling (Young Phyllis), Kevin Earley (Young Ben), Abby Feldman (Young Stella), Barbara Chiofalo (Young Heidi), Trevor Brackney (Young Vincent), Melissa Driscoll (Young Vanessa), Stephen Reed (Kevin), and Billy Barnes (Theodore). Washington, DC, Auditons for AMDA (Washington) During one night of romance and regret, two crumbling thirty-year-long marriages are put to the test. James Goldman In the London production the characters come to understand each other." wife, while poor miserable Sally moans in a smouldering torch number Phyllis Rogers Stone, a stylish and elegant woman,[4] arrives with her husband Ben, a renowned philanthropist and politician. They've come a long way from those Songs. Recent episodes in T Greats without his sneered jokes, his loveless love-making, his dreary WAITERS, WAITRESSES, PHOTOGRAPHERS, SHOWGIRLS, etc. Sally Durant Plummer, "blond, petite, sweet-faced" and at 49 "still remarkably like the girl she was thirty years ago",[4] a former Weismann girl, is the first guest to arrive, and her ghostly youthful counterpart moves towards her. in. and a brief glimpse of those dreams. Former MGM and onetime Broadway star Betty Garrett, best known to younger audiences for her television work, played Hattie. [75][76] Donna McKechnie enjoyed top billing as Carlotta. their dressing rooms - but for Ben these memories awake old regrets According to Joanne Gordon,[who?] Finally, Weismann enters to greet his guests. "[21], According to Sondheim, producer Cameron Mackintosh asked for changes for the 1987 London production. SIMON: When did you first realize that you could sing? It's like I'm losing my mind. The emotional high generated by the reunion of the Follies girls ultimately gives way to anger, disappointment, and weary resignation to reality. To extend the show, it would have been necessary to negotiate new contracts with the entire company because of the Belasco's limited seating, it wasn't deemed financially feasible to do so. Phyllis Newman and Liliane Montevecchi reprised the roles they played in the Lincoln Center production. I dare you not to fall in love with Betty Garrett's understated "Broadway Baby" you just want to pick her up and hug her. [23] The 1987 West End, 2005 Barrington Stage Company,[24] the 2001 Broadway revival[25] and Kennedy Center 2011 productions were performed in two acts. )"[36][37], The musical was produced at The Muny, St. Louis, Missouri in July 1972 and then transferred to the Shubert Theatre, Century City, California, running from July 22, 1972, through October 1, 1972. He thinks she's very neurotic, and she is very neurotic, so he said to me 'Congratulations. The Who. The 2001 Roundabout Broadway revival, the first major production following Goldman's death in 1998, was again a combination of previous versions. "[20], Major changes were made for the original production in London, which attempted to establish a lighter tone and favored a happier ending than the original Broadway production. "[11], Joanne Gordon, author and chair and artistic director, Theatre, at California State University, Long Beach,[12][13] wrote "Follies is in part an affectionate look at the American musical theatre between the two World Wars and provides Sondheim with an opportunity to use the traditional conventions of the genre to reveal the hollowness and falsity of his characters' dreams and illusions. According to the Associated Press (AP) reviewer, "A revised version of the Broadway hit Follies received a standing ovation from its opening-night audience and raves from British critics, who stated the show was worth a 16-year wait." All rights reserved. Ben yells at his younger self for not appreciating all the work that Phyllis did. Produced at the Shaftesbury Theatre, London, I'll see you later blues. That, if I'm good enough for you, you're not good enough SIMON: When did the relationship with Stephen Sondheim begin - looking back on it? Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. "[65], Theater writer and historian John Kenrick wrote "the bad news is that this Follies is a dramatic and conceptual failure. CAPITOL S0761 - Original Cast She shakes loose from the memory and begins to dance with Ben, who is touched by the memory of the Sally he once cast aside. And I thought oh, this would be lovely to do. Stephen Sondheim attended one of the performances. After previews from August 3, 2002, it opened officially on August 6, and closed on August 31, 2002. At the height of the confrontation the orchestra suddenly swells He predicted that the show eventually would achieve recognition as a Broadway classic. to Ben as they meet for the first time in years. [33] However, director Herbert Ross took some liberties in adapting the book and score for the concert formatdance music was changed, songs were given false endings, the new dialogue was spoken, reprises were added, and Patinkin was allowed to sing "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" as a solo instead of a trio with two chorus girls. Follies - Everything Sondheim In 2001, a physically scaled-back but starry-cast production was mounted by the Roundabout Theatre Company. Ms. PETERS: He does that with notes and music. Solange purrs her way through the fake Gallic sophistication glad they came. As Roscoe the old days, stumble through a song or two and lie about ourselves" -before [86] A two-disc cast album of this production was recorded by PS Classics and was released on November 29, 2011. Read is the book writer, writing a new ending to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, alongside a score comprising the pop music of Grammy . Ms. PETERS: Well, it depends how what their makeup is. declares I'm Still Here. Walking off my tired feet. Phyllis begins wondering at her younger self, who worked so hard to become the socialite that Ben needed. [89], The Broadway production won the Drama League Award, Distinguished Production of a Musical Revival for 2011-2012[90] and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Burstein) and Outstanding Costume Design (Barnes). SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman. And as you keep learning and growing and studying your range, you know, grows and grows. The Paper Mill Playhouse production used some elements from London but stayed close to the original. the Weismann Follies. hours after the show Waiting for the Girls Upstairs in The former radio star Ethel Shutta was 74 when she originated the role and debuted its great song "Broadway Baby"; her own Broadway debut was in 1922. [125][126], In January 2015, it was reported that Rob Marshall signed on to direct, with Meryl Streep rumored to star. So, you grow up listening to your mother. He forget his lines, the tune, the dance steps and finally, in What follows is a series of musical numbers performed by the principal characters, each exploring their biggest desires. As the ghosts of the young showgirls slowly drift through the theater, a majordomo enters with his entourage of waiters and waitresses. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies ). The evening follows a reunion of the Weismann Girls who performed during the interwar period. Several show-stopping routines are provided by choreographer Warren Carlyle." out his wife's name and we return sharply to reality. Ben drunkenly propositions Carlotta, with whom he once had a fling, but she has a young lover and coolly turns him down. For Ben and Buddy, too, Oh. [64] It was significantly stripped down (earlier productions had featured extravagant sets and costumes) and was not a success critically. Leading Lady / Broadway Baby / Another Openin' Another Show: Jill Perryman: 1975: Medley: Broadway Baby: Bernadette Peters: 1981: Broadway Baby: Dorothy Loudon: 1986: Broadway Baby: Daisy Eagan: February 23, 1993: The youthful ghosts of the four leads are winning portrayed by Erin Dilly, Richard Roland, Joey Sorge and Lauren Ward. Jayne Houdyshell as Hattie, Mary Beth Peil as Solange LaFitte, and Don Correia as Theodore joined the Broadway cast. "[66], A production was mounted at London's Royal Festival Hall in a limited engagement. After exiting, Buddy escorts the emotionally devastated[5] Sally back to their hotel with the promise to work things out later. Follies Belongs on Broadway; Rosemary Clooney's Finale at - Observer Elsewhere, Willy Wheeler (portly, in his sixties) cartwheels for a photographer. Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. (1999 Broadway Revival Cast) Cole Porter, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Michael Berresse & Amy Spanger. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! That new jukebox musical is the new Broadway smash & Juliet. by Stephen [2], Originally titled The Girls Upstairs, the musical was to be produced by David Merrick and Leland Hayward in late 1967, but the plans ultimately fell through, and Stuart Ostrow became the producer, with Joseph Hardy as director. She then tells Ben that their marriage can't continue the way it has been. Follies on Broadway (Revival 2001) - Musicals101 [33], For commercial reasons, the cast album was cut from two LPs to one early in production. "[19][84], The production transferred to Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in a limited engagement starting previews on August 7, 2011, with the official opening on September 12, and closing on January 22, 2012, after 151 performances and 38 previews. [121] However, as Kritzerland Records head Bruce Kimmel wrote in his liner notes to Kritzerland's remixed version of the album, "What it did have made it something that, despite the frustrations, meant it would never be bettered the original cast. Ms. PETERS: And then I got the call when I was I was performing at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, James Lapine called me to say he wrote this new show with Stephen Sondheim and it's to play an artist model. Some productions substitute "Ah, but Underneath" when the actress portraying Phyllis is not primarily a dancer. YOUNG PHYLLIS - A showgirl in the chorus of the final edition of Ben, caught in the passion of memories, kisses Sally as Buddy watches from the shadows. Both Buddys enter to confront the Bens about how they stole Sally. Ms. Peters plays Sally Durant Plummer, a one-time showgirl who attends a bittersweet reunion with her fellow performers, in a cast that includes Elaine Paige, Linda Lavin, and Regine. Afterward, Phyllis and Ben angrily discuss their lives and relationship, which has become numb and emotionless. The Who's fifth studio effort is an exhilarating rock 'n' roll masterpiece stacked with killer songs that made it a staple of '70s rock radio. Oh, you do? Several of the former showgirls perform their old numbers, often accompanied by the ghosts of their younger selves. And, in the haze of nostalgia, the past Ben becomes frenzied, while the dancing ensemble continues as if nothing was wrong. "Review: Musical Theatre 1998 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival". Whose Baby? we have to face reality: all we can hope for is One More Kiss - It was Prince who changed the title to Follies; he was "intrigued by the psychology of a reunion of old chorus dancers and loved the play on the word 'follies'".[2]. Follies - Wikipedia YOUNG SALLY - A Follies chorine, 20 years old in 1940, and caught BENJAMIN STONE - A big man on Wall Street, with a chic Manhattan wife, [49], Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT) was the first major American opera company to present Follies as part of their main stage repertoire, running from October 21, 1988, through November 6. "Who's That Woman?" - Stella and Company. relaxed and philosophical about the old days: good times, bum Ms. PETERS: She is horribly disappointed with her life, comes back to the Follies Theater that she performed in 30 years ago, where she was the happiest in her life, and trying to recapture the happiness again and think she is actually, that evening.
who sings broadway baby in follies