The Who. Hal Prince said: "Follies examines obsessive behavior, neurosis and self-indulgence more microscopically than anything I know of. Heidi Schiller, joined by her younger counterpart, performs "One More Kiss", her aged voice a stark contrast to the sparkling coloratura of her younger self. [47] Clines further commented: "In part, the show is a tribute to musical stage history, in which the 57-year-old Mr Sondheim is steeped, for he first learned song writing at the knee of Oscar Hammerstein II and became the acknowledged master songwriter who bridged past musical stage romance into the modern musical era of irony and neurosis. "[19] "Loveland" features a string of vaudeville-style numbers, reflecting the leading characters' emotional problems, before returning to the theater for the end of the reunion party. the theatre is demolished to make way for a parking lot. [27] The 2017 National Theatre production is performed without an interval as well as largely returning to the 1971 book, James Goldmans widow no longer alive to insist on the revised script. 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. He tells Sally that he's done, but she is lost in a fantasy world and tells him that Ben has asked her to marry him. and sleek. (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 young sweethearts Ben and Phyllis promise each other "[21], According to Sondheim, producer Cameron Mackintosh asked for changes for the 1987 London production. the Weismann Follies. SIMON: And from the performer's point of view, what makes him a genius by such universal acclaim? The younger Ben and Buddy softly call to their "girls upstairs", and the Follies end. After previews from August 3, 2002, it opened officially on August 6, and closed on August 31, 2002. "[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. Ms. PETERS: Oh, definitely, because I was really a kid. Sally), telling us that if only juicy but drab Lucy and dressy Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! declares I'm Still Here. Walking off my tired feet. Linden, Duke, Carr, Bosley Do Sondheim in L.A. June 15-23", "Evita's Bob Gunton Replaces Hal Linden as Ben in L.A. 'Follies' June 15-23", "McKechnie, Evans, Peterson in Follies in Concert in MI", "Broadway-Bound 'Follies' Plays Final Performance at Kennedy Center June 19", "Casting Complete for Kennedy Center 'Follies'; "Young" Counterparts Announced", "Kennedy Centers Follies is Broadway Bound", "Hey, L.A., We're Coming Your Way: 'Follies' Ends Broadway Run Jan. 22", "The Right Girls: Kennedy Center Follies, With Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Elaine Paige, Begins Broadway Previews", "Two-Disc 'Follies' Revival Recording Is Big Seller", "Theater Review. But when Bernadette Peters sings the song, it could be a kind of anthem. Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. 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. He had agreed to work on The Girls Upstairs if Sondheim agreed to work on Company; Michael Bennett, the young choreographer of Company, was also brought onto the project. At its very start, ghosts of Follies showgirls stalk the stage, mythic giants in winged, feathered, black and white opulence. inspired the operetta kings to produce their lushest 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. Finally, he wrote: "But Follies never makes fun of the honorable musical tradition to which it belongs. The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. [93][94] Other new cast members included Carol Neblett as Heidi, Sammy Williams as Theodore and Obba Babatunde as Max. a Follies girl. And then the rest of the cast is fantastic, Jan Maxwell and Ron Raines and Danny Burstein. [18], Goldman continued to revise the book of the musical right up to his death, which occurred shortly before the 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse production. 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 HEIDI - The celebrated soprano in her heyday. Ms. PETERS: But he is like an actor, but with notes and words. She made her Broadway debut in 1967 in "How Now, Dow Jones" and went on to play roles in "Promises, Promises" and "Applause." Road You Didn't Take). Follies is a blend of both, and the new production is rounded out with production numbers celebrating love's simple hope for young lovers, its extravagant fantasies for Ziegfeld aficionados, and its fresh lesson for the graying principals. Variety gave a very favorable review to the "lavish and entirely satisfying production", saying that Schaeffer directs "in methodical fashion, building progressively to a crescendo exactly as Sondheim does with so many of his stirring melodies. hours after the show Waiting for the Girls Upstairs in Sondheim. "Review: Musical Theatre 1998 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival". The MOT production starred Nancy Dussault (Sally), John-Charles Kelly (Buddy), Juliet Prowse (Phyllis) and Ron Raines (Ben), Edie Adams (Carlotta), Thelma Lee (Hattie), and Dennis Grimaldi (Vincent). According to Joanne Gordon,[who?] Radiantly optimistic and more than a little sexy, they turned "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" into one of the highlights of the evening. SIMON: When did you first realize that you could sing? It was directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, with choreography by Bennett, scenic design by Boris Aronson, costumes by Florence Klotz, and lighting by Tharon Musser. Prince made a mistake by giving the recording rights of Follies to Capitol Records, which in order to squeeze the unusually long score onto one disc, mutilated the songs by condensing some and omitting others. Paul Kerryson directed, and the cast starred David Durham as Ben, Kathryn Evans as Sally, Louise Gold as Phyllis, Julia Goss as Heidi and Henry Goodman as Buddy. YOUNG SALLY - A Follies chorine, 20 years old in 1940, and caught Ben, goaded, starts to argue with Phyllis, Emily and Theodore Whitman, ex-vaudevillians in their seventies, perform an old routine ("The Rain on the Roof"). "[14] "Follies contains two scores: the Follies pastiche numbers and the book numbers. [75][76] Donna McKechnie enjoyed top billing as Carlotta. YOUNG BUDDY - The eager young beau of a Follies chorine. But when. Bobby Vernon; Gloria Swanson; Jay Dwiggins; Martha Trick; Robert Milliken; Fritz Schade; Juanita Hansen; Sylvia Ashton; Helen Bray; Florence Clark; Phyllis Haver; William Irving; Edgar Kennedy; Myrtle Lind; The production was directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle, costumes by Gregg Barnes, set by Derek McLane and lighting by Natasha Katz. we have to face reality: all we can hope for is One More Kiss - New York, the eponymous Dimitri Weismann has gathered together [82] Also featured were Rosalind Elias as Heidi, Rgine as Solange, Susan Watson as Emily, and Terri White as Stella. for a first and last reunion: an invitation "to glamorize And I thought oh, this would be lovely to do. "[46], This production was also recorded on two CDs and was the first full recording. "), as they are mirrored by their younger selves. It was directed and staged by Stephen Lloyd Helper and produced by Helper and Alistair Thomson for Mardi Gras. Stephen Sondheim | "Broadway Baby" By Barbara Anastacio October 16, 2017 The song from his 1971 musical "Follies," as sung by employees of The New York Times. ", "Who Could Be Blue? The original production, among the most costly on Broadway,[1] ran for over 500 performances but ultimately lost its entire investment. Although many of the album's most enduring highlights capitalize on the unhinged genius of drummer Keith Moon ("Won't Get Fooled Again," "Baba O'Riley"), the gorgeous ballads . 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. I hadn't read the script until about a year ago. Their ghostly younger selves appear, watching them go. A London revival was performed in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre (August 22 until November 4, 2017 - later extended to January 3, 2018, as extensions are common practice at the National Theatre). Once the party gets under way it isn't long before the regulars After exiting, Buddy escorts the emotionally devastated[5] Sally back to their hotel with the promise to work things out later. 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. "[15] Some of the Follies numbers imitate the style of particular composers of the early 20th century: "Losing My Mind" is in the style of a George Gershwin ballad "The Man I Love". SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman. kiss me, " Sally tells him, I think I'm going to die.". 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"). As Stella leads the 1940 "[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. Kelli Rabke sings "Broadway Baby" from Follies at 54 Below 54 Below 25K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share No views 1 minute ago #SondheimUnplugged #54below We're Still Here! Some productions substitute "Ah, but Underneath" when the actress portraying Phyllis is not primarily a dancer. Tysons, VA, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. The cast featured Charlotte Page (Sally), Liz Robertson (Phyllis), Graham Bickley (Ben), Jrme Pradon (Buddy), Nicole Croisille (Carlotta), Julia Sutton (Hattie) and Fra Fee (Young Buddy).[96]. She had nodes that she had to have removed. [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. At first too weary to stand, and wearing clunky spectacles, she is incongruously dowdy - comic and poignant. 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, as a farewell tribute to the doomed building. Each of the four is shaken at the realization of how life has changed them. It's quite an interesting beautiful show with some rip-roaring numbers. "[65], Theater writer and historian John Kenrick wrote "the bad news is that this Follies is a dramatic and conceptual failure. HEIDI SCHILLER - A 90-year old Broadway legend, whose ringing soprano inspired the operetta kings to produce their lushest waltzes. As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy, and Sally unfold. Ben becomes frenzied, while the dancing ensemble continues as if nothing was wrong. She accuses him of having affairs while he is on the road, and he admits he has a steady girlfriend, Margie, in another town, but always returns home. (Who's That Woman), shadowy wraiths of their younger selves Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more songs from The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies ). 'Follies'. [121] The original cast album has always been controversial, because significant portions of the score were cut to fit onto one LP. Ben admits to Phyllis his admiration for her, and Phyllis shushes him and helps Ben regain his dignity before they leave. Former MGM and onetime Broadway star Betty Garrett, best known to younger audiences for her television work, played Hattie. "[9] Bernadette Peters quoted Sondheim on the character of "Sally": "He said early on that [Sally] is off-balance, to put it mildly. "[30] Prince planned to present the musical on the West Coast and then on a national tour. Merrily We Roll Along (2012 New York Cast Recording) Stephen Sondheim. [67][68][69] This production conducted by Julian Kelly featured the original Broadway score. Copyright 2011 NPR. Cast. They find that hard to do. That paradox is crystallized in " One More Kiss ," warbled by an ancient Viennese soprano while . Not to say the show's not fun, the show has got lots of fun moments and it's haunting and it's gorgeous, because they've come back to this old theater and you notice ghostly, walking really slow, gorgeous showgirls. CAPITOL S0761 - Original Cast Variations are discussed in Versions. It depends on how you like to work. "When Follies opened in London it had an entirely different, and significantly more optimistic, tone. [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 has had 20 productions including Broadway which opened in 1971, Broadway which opened in 1971, US Tour which opened in 1972, Off . Other cast replacements included Millicent Martin as Phyllis. Like an actor turns himself into another character. [56], The Dublin Concert was held in May 1996 at the National Concert Hall. Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, "Bernadette Peters on 'Follies' and Puppies", "Faculty, Theatre Arts, California State University, Long Beach", "Song list and acts, 2005 Barrington Stage", "2001 Broadway revival song list and acts", "By the Book: Broadway Revival of 'Follies' Performed Without Intermission Aug. 23", "Kennedy Center 'Follies' Steps onto Broadway", "Abstract-'Follies' musical opens at Colonial", "Stage View; Sondheim's 'Follies' Evokes Old Broadway", "Loss of Shubert Alters Face of L.A. Theater", "Follies at the Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe, partial listing", "Concert Performances of Sondheim's Follies Win Sydney Raves", "Roundabout's Revival of Follies Starts Previews at Belasco, March 8", "Peters Withdraws from London Follies; Casting Almost Complete", "What Follies! Afterward, Phyllis and Ben angrily discuss their lives and relationship, which has become numb and emotionless. Ben replies by saying that he wants a divorce, and Phyllis assumes the request is due to his love for Sally. in one terrifying mass. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. This Roundabout Theatre limited engagement had been expected to close on September 30, 2001. [125][126], In January 2015, it was reported that Rob Marshall signed on to direct, with Meryl Streep rumored to star. and a brief glimpse of those dreams. of the derelict theatre Loveland rises - the apotheosis of a Weismann Girl and he has, sort of. The concert starred Barbara Cook (Sally), George Hearn (Ben), Mandy Patinkin (Buddy), and Lee Remick (Phyllis), and featured Carol Burnett (Carlotta), Betty Comden (Emily), Adolph Green (Theodore), Liliane Montevecchi (Solange LaFitte), Elaine Stritch (Hattie Walker), Phyllis Newman (Stella Deems), Jim Walton (Young Buddy), Howard McGillin (Young Ben), Liz Callaway (Young Sally), Daisy Prince (Young Phyllis), Andre Gregory (Dmitri), Arthur Rubin (Roscoe), and Licia Albanese (Heidi Schiller). SOLANGE LAFITTE - A Broadway Parisienne. [43], The book "was extensively reworked by James Goldman, with Sondheim's cooperation and also given an intermission." Elsewhere, Willy Wheeler (portly, in his sixties) cartwheels for a photographer. On the drab stage [26] By the time the 2011 Broadway revival opened, it was performed with an intermission in two acts. "[114] On the other hand, Martin Gottfried wrote: "Follies is truly awesome and, if it is not consistently good, it is always great. Ben confides to Sally that his life is empty. Broadway Baby Broadway Baby Follies Hattie Walker See more songs from James Goldman Stephen Sondheim Overview KEY INFORMATION Song Title Broadway Baby Show Follies Character Hattie Walker Gender Female Age Range Mature Adult, Elderly Vocal Part (s) Alto High Note B4 Low Note G3 Style Uptempo, Comedic, Belt Tags A Survey of Follies Recordings, Part One Original Cast and '80s Concert In preparation for the cast album of the new Broadway production of Follies, here's part one of an overview of the four . And this is a very interesting character, probably unlike any other character I've ever played really. SIMON: And you were talking like this or something? PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE - Ben's 50-year old society wife, smart, tart, vicious SIMON: Bernadette Peters stars in "Follies" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. through June 19th. Buddy leaves the shadows furious, and fantasizes about the girl he should have married, Margie, who loves him and makes him feel like "a somebody", but bitterly concludes he does not love her back ("The Right Girl"). Phyllis, both now married to their respective stage-door Johnnies, (Soundbite of song, "A Little Night Music"). Kiss Me, Kate! They all shout hysterically at each other, screaming out all Stephen Sondheim Songs from Musicals Follies the Musical - Broadway Baby Lyrics I'm just a Broadway Baby. It also highlights that the Follies were such an incredible mix of high art and low art. The four characters are "whisked into a dream show in which each acts out his or her own principal 'folly'". According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, "almost every performance of the show played to a full house, more often than not to standing-room-only. by Stephen However, it is clear that Sally is still in love with Ben even though their affair ended badly when Ben decided to marry Phyllis. Broadway Baby The Road You Didn't Take Bolero d'Amour . "[120], There have been six recordings of Follies released: the original 1971 Broadway cast album; Follies in Concert, Avery Fisher Hall (1985); the original London production (1987); the Paper Mill Playhouse (1998); the 2011 Broadway revival; and the 2017 London revival. to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! The 2001 Roundabout Broadway revival, the first major production following Goldman's death in 1998, was again a combination of previous versions. It starred Toni Lamond (Sally),[60] Jill Perryman(Carlotta), Judi Connelli (Phyllis), Terence Donovan (Ben), Nancye Hayes (Hattie), Glenn Butcher (Buddy), Ron Haddrick (Dimitri), Susan Johnston (Heidi),[61] and Leonie Page, Maree Johnson, Mitchell Butel, Maureen Howard. seems to be seeping into the present. I usually, once I've done it, I've explored it; I stay for a long time in shows. Yesterday, though, tells another story: young Sally and young For Buddy, life is all about findingThe Right The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won seven. During one night of romance and regret, two crumbling thirty-year-long marriages are put to the test. He asked author and playwright James Goldman to join him as bookwriter for a new musical. Note: This is the song list from the original Broadway production in 1971. "Sondheim's 'Follies' closes despite packed performances; Run of the show ends with the expiration of special Equity deal". [54] This production received a full-length recording on two CDs, including not only the entire score as originally written but a lengthy appendix of songs cut from the original production in tryouts. He creates what's necessary for the piece. This English-language production, using the full original orchestration, was directed by Olivier Bnzech and conducted by David Charles Abell. In 1971 or 2001, Follies validates the legend that a Broadway show can be an event worth dressing up for. Sally is bitter, having never been happy with Buddy, although he has always adored her. "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" / "Love Will See Us Through" - Young Ben, Young Sally, Young Phyllis and Young Buddy. Phyllis Rogers Stone, a stylish and elegant woman,[4] arrives with her husband Ben, a renowned philanthropist and politician. [39], A full production ran at the Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe, England, from April 30, 1985, directed by Howard Lloyd-Lewis, design by Chris Kinman, costumes by Charles Cusick-Smith, lighting by Tim Wratten, musical direction by Simon Lowe, and choreographed by Paul Kerryson. HATTIE WALKER - After all these years, still a Broadway Baby. their dressing rooms - but for Ben these memories awake old regrets wife, while poor miserable Sally moans in a smouldering torch number And usually SIMON: I mean a lot of big stars like to get out after three or four months, right? ", "Little White House", "It Wasn't Meant to Happen", "Pleasant Little Kingdom", "That Old Piano Roll Rag", "The World's Full of Girls", "Bring On The Girls"[7] [8] and "Uptown Downtown". The exceptions are the title song, from Follies, which she sang memorably at the 1984 Tony Awards show, and "Bobo's" from The Act. 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). She's hale and hearty, singing and swinging better than ever. YOUNG PHYLLIS - A showgirl in the chorus of the final edition of Upgrade to PRO Lastly Ben takes the stage SIMON: All the featured roles you've played on Broadway, including several obviously noteworthy Sondheim roles, I mean: "Annie Oakley," Mama Rose in "Gypsy," Witch in "Into the Woods," where does Sally Durant Plummer fit in? EMILY WHITMAN - The female half of a cheerful song and dance team. Songs cut before the Broadway premiere include "All Things Bright and Beautiful" (used in the prologue), "Can That Boy Foxtrot! She's crazy. For the 1985 concert, no one was going. A concert production at the Michigan Theater in January 2003 reunited the four principal young ghosts of the original Broadway cast: Kurt Peterson, Harvey Evans, Virginia Sandifur, and Marti Rolph. "[33], Among the reasons the concert was staged was to provide an opportunity to record the entire score. SALLY DURANT PLUMMER - Buddy's well-to-do wife, still gushy and girlish Mr. Weismann's exquisite taste in feminine pulchritude. 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. Buddy and Ben, the theatre seems haunted by their younger selves, Ms. PETERS: You know, when I was a little girl, they said I had a funny voice because I actually had a deep voice and that's because my mother didn't speak correctly. SIMON: Is there a role you wish you could do over or do again? Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season A Broadway revival opened at the Belasco Theatre on April 5, 2001, and closed on July 14, 2001, after 117 performances and 32 previews. (Soundbite of song, "Broadway Baby") SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman. [19][81] The production played to 95% capacity. New York, NY, SM for Poor Yella Rednecks This show features the wistful torch song Losing My Mind, the wry showstopper Im Still Here, and Broadway Baby, that determined ode to making it in show business. Ms. PETERS: As a little girl, yeah. Directed by Matthew Warchus with choreography by Kathleen Marshall, it starred Blythe Danner (Phyllis), Judith Ivey (Sally), Treat Williams (Buddy), Gregory Harrison (Ben), Marge Champion, Polly Bergen (Carlotta), Joan Roberts (Laurey from the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! "MOT Box Office Opens Sept. 11 For Fall Season". to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies). Roscoe, the old master of ceremonies, introduces the former showgirls ("Beautiful Girls"). Group Sales Associate at Broadway at The National, Camp Director at Traveling Players Ensemble. That new jukebox musical is the new Broadway smash & Juliet. A recording of the National Theatre production was released on January 18, 2019.[104]. All the voices begin speaking and yelling at each other. Ms. PETERS: I don't know. Ms. PETERS: He does that with notes and music. [77], New York City Center's Encores! The director and choreographer was Casey Nicholaw. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Sondheim, Stephen and Goldman, James (2001). The musical was written in one act, and the original director, Prince, did not want an intermission, while the co-director, Bennett, wanted two acts. Dimitri Weismann's reunion; they'll have to find out whether anything's Osborne, Robert. Tickets always were tough to come by. [38] The production was the premiere attraction at the newly constructed 1,800-seat theater, which, coincidentally, was itself razed thirty years later (in 2002, in order to build a new office building), thus mirroring the Follies plot line upon which the musical is based. "[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. Sally appears next, dressed as a torch singer, singing of her passion for Ben from the past - and her obsession with him now ("Losing My Mind"). I had always was aware of his shows but I never thought I'd ever be in any of his shows. 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? "[34] Chapin confirms this: "Alas final word came from Capitol that they would not go for two records [Dick Jones] now had to propose cuts throughout the score in consultation with Steve. That's a surprise. serenades those Beautiful Girls, the now-elderly ing6nues FIRST NIGHT ENCORE CD3 - London Cast. no children but everything else. Oh. 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.