Anyone seeing FOLLIES in LA tonight?

[matineeidol2013]

I really hope we're gunna get new production photos and video footage!

[nealb1]

Just bought a $49 center Orch seat for tomorrow's matinee.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Jealous of those who have gotten the chance to see this production. I'm so curious to see how it stands next to Gary Griffin's absolutely breathtaking production here in Chicago, with the fabulous Caroline O'Connor, Brent Barrett, and Hollis Resnik.

(and for the record, Susan Moniz's Sally wore pink, and switched to an absolutely gorgeous purple for "Losing My Mind".)

I get the impression that the ghosts feel more present in Shaeffer's production, while in Griffin's, there was a very distinct line between what was a "ghost" and what was a "memory".

[qolbinau]

I do find the discussion of Sally interesting because it does make me wonder why (in theory) Bernadette was not perfectly cast.."Sally has been stuck for decades and still thinks she's 19" (mentioned earlier) and "Petite, pert, sweet-face and still remarkably like the girl was thirty years ago" (original libretto) sound like Bernadette, who looks and sounds like an aged girl.

Also, one comment earlier suggested that Victoria played the part more appropriately because they felt sorry for her and didn't want to shake her. I definitely agree that (at points at least) you did want to 'shake' Bernadette's Sally and slap her across the face, but her Sally was relentlessly crazy and the character is suggested in the dialogue to be crazy.

I do like that "Losing my mind" allows Sally some sympathy like "Loving you" in PASSION but Sally is a crazy, difficult woman and Bernadette committed to that.

[ljay889]

I am not sure Vicki Clark will ever embody the girlish nature of Sally as perfectly as Bernadette. After all, that's what Bernadette is known for. At times, Bernadette hopped around that stage like a girl at her first prom. It was all very Sally, in my eyes.

It just really saddens me that the role of Sally gets overlooked. It's my favorite role in the show and one of my favorite female characters of all time.

[lizabombs]

But because we didn't write the show we're not allowed to have opinions about interpretations of the script?

Obviously you can have interpretations of the script, but this insistence that Sally would never wear read because "red is Phyllis' color" (whatever that means) is just ludicrous. There's nothing in the script or the stage directions or in anything the authors have said about it that indicate Sally cannot wear red.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

ljay,

At moments, Bernadette hopped around like a little girl in "A Little Night Music", as well - which I found forced, it seemed like "shtick" (which I think Ms. Peters can slip into).

Nonetheless, I think her Sally is to be the stuff of legend - it seems that many will never forget it. and I personally feel that the cult following that has developed around "Follies" is telling - no matter who is in it/directs it/how it looks/where it is, etc..."Follies" will NEVER be perfect, but if done right, it will almost always be good. It is what "Merrily We Roll Along" or "Carrie" will never be - a cult show that will be experienced over and over and over. I think we can expect at least two more revivals of it in the next 30 years.

[SondheimFan5]

What a thankless role for Babatunde, he's such a talent and Max says a total of 3 lines in this production...but I guess people have to take whatever pays! Perhaps he is a bit of a name to the LA theatre folks.

Shame it is not selling well, but that could actually be a testament to Bernadette - that, and many people who really wanted to go see it already went in NY or DC.

[Gaveston2]

Obviously you can have interpretations of the script, but this insistence that Sally would never wear red because "red is Phyllis' color" (whatever that means) is just ludicrous. There's nothing in the script or the stage directions or in anything the authors have said about it that indicate Sally cannot wear red.

With all due respect, your argument makes no sense. EVEN IF the script did specify the color of Sally's dress, any of us might have an opinion as to whether that description was right for the character.

"Red" is Phyllis' color because Phyllis is a woman of passion, including anger, as revealed in "Could I Leave You?" Red is the traditional color of rage.

By contrast, Sally is passive-aggressive and self-pitying. Pink makes sense for her because she is so inappropriately girlish. Blue may work as well. I'd rather not see her in green, because I love the lyric that specifically says she didn't wear green (though I will survive if that is the choice that was made).

But since you are so devoted to the author's intentions, you should be OUTRAGED that Clark is wearing a green dress! The lyric explicitly says otherwise.

[Gaveston2]

Just bought a $49 center Orch seat for tomorrow's matinee.

I'm sorry to ask a stupid question, Neal, but how did you get that price? I have tix for Tuesday, but I'm thinking I might want to go back again.

[rosscoe(au)]

Neal what was the discount code, I had it emailed to me and can't find the email anymore !

[PalJoey]

insistence that Sally would never wear read because "red is Phyllis' color" (whatever that means) is just ludicrous

In addition to what Gaveston so eloquently said, "red is Phyllis's color" refers to the simple fact that Phyllis is ultimately going to come out onstage in a startling red dress to sing her "folly," The Ballad of Lucy and Jessie."

How can her dress have at startlingly red effect if Sally has been wearing s startlingly red dress all evening long?

That's what that means.

It's Costume Design 101.

Next time you call something "ludicrous," remember to think a little first.

[BroadwayBaby6]

Saw the show tonight. Having seen the show in DC, I frankly missed Linda Lavin's Broadway Baby...but that's a minor quibble.

Tonight being a preview, there were quite a few flubs although 99.99% of the audience didn't seem to catch them. My favorite flub was Elaine Paige singing "career from career to career."

Victoria Clark's interpretation of Sally is so different than Bernadette's that it is hard to compare the two. I tend to like Bernadette's go-for-broke portrayal rather than Victoria Clark's more subdued performance. Victoria's singing, however, is leagues better than Bernadette's. I'd say the same about Carol Neblett- Carol is in much better voice than Rosalind Elias, but Elias gave a heart-breaking performance while Neblett gave a beautifully sung but emotionally uninvolving performance.

Additionally, having Victoria Clark play Sally made the show more of an ensemble piece. Bernadette in the Broadway production made the show about Sally because her stage presence was so intense.

A happy surprise- sound design in the Ahmanson for Follies is excellent. Every word of every lyric was clearly audible.

Quibbles aside, this production will be in great shape by opening night and will justifiably earn great reviews and some Ovation nominations for its hard-working talented cast.

[BroadwayFan12]

My favorite flub was Elaine Paige singing "career from career to career."

That's the actual lyric.

[charlesjguiteau]

To answer inlovewithjerryherman, we made a weekend trip last year from LA to the Chicago Shakespeare production of Follies on a Saturday evening and a matinee of the New York production on Sunday. Had huge hopes for the Chicago show compared to the east coast revival which we had already seen in DC, and just wanted a true compare and contrast.

Putting aside the wildly different scale of the 2 shows, we found the 4 Chicago leads horribly mean, cold, bitchy and frankly full of wounds not worth caring about due to their unsympathetic performances. By contrast, the 4 NY leads filled the spaces between the lines with a deep sense of love for their fellow travelers. Danny Bursten and Jan Maxwell in particular made us care intensely for how their stories would come out.

Yes, there were some elegant staging ideas in Chicago: making the most of a very small coterie of show girls and dancing chorines. And we loved the basic set idea which put the audience BACKSTAGE looking across the thrust stagedeck through the back side of the proscenium and out into the house where the orchestra was perched on scaffolding spanning what would have been the audience seating.

But after all, none of that matters if the leads leave you unmoved by their pain and self-delusions. How do you wipe tears away when your eyes are dry?

[everythingISpossible]

Is CTG not selling tickets for the last few weeks of their run yet? On their website it looks like tickets are only on sale through June 9th.

[SondheimFan5]

They close June 9. TONYTONYTONY

[MTVMANN]

What color of dresses did they wear?

I have the new CD and it looks like Bernadette work a pink dress with red accents for the reunion and a blue dress for "Losing my Mind".

What is Clark wearing?

[nealb1]

There is a code for certain performances - SALLY, that has $49 seats. I didn't use that code.

Normally the HOT TIX at The Ahmanson, are the 2 seats at the end of each row in the front Orch - $20 each. For this show, the HOT TIX are in the balcony. So, when I saw yesterday that the end seats are $49, rather than full price - I bought it.

Yes, BroadwayFan12 is correct - that is the lyric of "I'm Still Here." It's not a flub.

[best12bars]

CAREER

Very different definitions when used as a noun vs. a verb ...

NOUN

1. an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework: He sought a career as a lawyer.
2. a person's progress or general course of action through life or through a phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking: His career as a soldier ended with the armistice.
3. success in a profession, occupation, etc.
4. a course, especially a swift one.
5. speed, especially full speed: The horse stumbled in full career.

VERB

1. to run or move rapidly along; go at full speed.

[lizabombs]

How can her dress have at startlingly red effect if Sally has been wearing s startlingly red dress all evening long?

About the same effect it had in the original, when Phyllis wore red all night long.

[lizabombs]

EVEN IF the script did specify the color of Sally's dress, any of us might have an opinion as to whether that description was right for the character.

You're correct. But the folks here screaming about Bernadette's original red dress act like theirs is the only acceptable opinion.

[CarlosAlberto]

With all due respect, your argument makes no sense. EVEN IF the script did specify the color of Sally's dress, any of us might have an opinion as to whether that description was right for the character.

"Red" is Phyllis' color because Phyllis is a woman of passion, including anger, as revealed in "Could I Leave You?" Red is the traditional color of rage.

By contrast, Sally is passive-aggressive and self-pitying. Pink makes sense for her because she is so inappropriately girlish. Blue may work as well. I'd rather not see her in green, because I love the lyric that specifically says she didn't wear green (though I will survive if that is the choice that was made).

Not that I'm remotely invested in the color of these character's dresses but who made all this stuff up? Is it in the original libretto?

Also does it specifically state in the libretto that Phyllis' dress in the "Lucy and Jesse" number has to be red as well?

Maybe the show should come with a color coded character chart for future reference. LMAO.

[CarlosAlberto]

How can her dress have at startlingly red effect if Sally has been wearing s startlingly red dress all evening long?

About the same effect it had in the original, when Phyllis wore red all night long.

Oooh that's a good point. Methinks people are just stuck on the color choices for the costumes from the original production. I think that's where all this hubub regarding colors of dresses stems from.

[nealb1]

Thanks Best12!

[PalJoey]

About the same effect it had in the original, when Phyllis wore red all night long.

No, a lesser effect. You're planning on having the two leading ladies wear the same color all night long?

Why not just do an all-red Follies?

With a red set too, while you're at it.