Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
#1Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:02pm
I'm very happy to report that Florence Lacey nailed "I'm Still Here" tonight. The song just fit her like a glove and I can't recommend going back to see her this week enough.
There was also a kind of funny slip up tonight when Phyllis and Sally first exchanged hellos. Jan said, "You married Ben?" and Bernadette just looked at her and said, "Nope!" and Jan caught herself and said, "I mean Buddy!" The two ran off very quickly into the wings and I assume were giggling like the rest of us.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#2Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:03pm
Cool report.
Where were you sitting? (Did you notice a lot of empty seats?)
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#2Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:10pmThe first act I was in the mezz (which sadly had less people than the cast and orchestra combined). I moved down to the orchestra for act two, the back quarter of which was completely empty.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
#3Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:22pmLOL, of all the lines to mess up! That's actually hysterical. Glad to hear Lacey did well.
#4Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:26pmI'll be there tomorrow night! Glad to read a positive report.
#6Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:29pmElaine Paige will not appear in performances from November 8th through November 15th.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
#8Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/8/11 at 11:34pmGood to know! I haven't seen the show yet, and although I plan on seeing it a few times, I'm hoping to see it at least once with all of the main cast!
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
SondheimFan5
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/10
#10Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 12:18amThats good to hear! Can she belt well enough? And does she use the same costume design as Paige?
#11Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 12:39am
Florence can belt with the best of them! Quite frankly she should have belted out "I Belong Here" as an encore to "I'm Still Here." She would have sounded exactly the same as the cast recording of years ago.
She has a similar dress to what Paige wears, but it's not exactly the same in fabric or style. Dark blue with the black sable. I thought she looked fantastic in the costume. I believe she just has her natural hair as well. Certainly not the Paige wig.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#12Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 12:41am
This is Lacey's natural hair right now.
That's how she wore it as Carlotta??
#13Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 12:48amYep that is how her hair was during the performance.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#14Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 1:20amShe has made that line flub before.
"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-
#15Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 1:20amShe has made that line flub before.
"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-
SondheimFan5
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/10
#16Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 1:24am
Is this her 1st time going on as an understudy for Follies? Have Peters or Paige been out prior to this?
I would be interested in seeing her take on Sally, I know she previously played Sally at Signature Theatre and I think she's one of Eric Schaeffer's 'favorites'
BroadwayFan12
Broadway Star Joined: 4/17/10
#17Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 3:02amPeters has not missed any shows and I'm pretty sure Paige hadn't either.
#18Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 9:14amI think Florence would make an excellent Sally. I'm sure her scenes will get stronger as Carlotta, and she can interpret "I'm Still Here" with the best of them, but ideally she seems Sally to me.
Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco.
Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!
#19Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 9:55am
It should also be noted that Florence Lacey as Carlotta is fully incorporated into the playbill. Elaine Paige's name and photo are gone and Florence Lacey is listed as the regular Carlotta. I'm glad they were able to do this for her for the week that she will be going on. (Kind of surprised to hear they didn't do this for SJB over at Anything Goes for the three weeks she will be going on)
Florence was wonderful last night - totally nailed "I'm Still Here" - and I feel privileged to have seen her in this role.
#20Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 10:02am
Glad to hear the nice reports about Florence Lacey, who is such a pro.
Nice, elegant gesture by the producers to foot the expense to have the Playbills redone for her. That's a pretty pricey thing to do (probably the reason why Roundabout opted for an insert for Stephanie Block).
#21Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 11:01amActually, according to someone who went last night, Anything Goes has in fact changed the Playbill, effective yesterday. I assume they just didn't do it for last weekend (maybe they wanted to get rid of their existing supply before changing them?).
#22Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/9/11 at 11:47pm
Saw the show tonight. Lacey was excellent. She doesn't quite belt it to the rafters like Paige does. But she was very good.
Understudies for Young Ben and Buddy were on - and they were not so good...
Strong show tonight, but the theater was pretty empty. 
Bernadette was really ON tonight. Her voice sounded wonderful, and her acting was perfect.
Updated On: 11/9/11 at 11:47 PM
SondheimFan5
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/20/10
#23Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/10/11 at 12:33amVery curious...we'll see how this pans out...
#24Florence Lacey in Follies tonight
Posted: 11/10/11 at 1:07amljay889, are you saying the cover for Young Buddy was also on in addition to Young Ben, or was it Danny Burstein's understudy as Buddy?
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
