When former members of the Weismann Follies reunite on the eve of their theater's demolition, two couples remember their past and face the harsher realities of the present. In the crumbling glamour of the theater, the shadows of their younger selves remind them of the complicated steps they've danced - both on the stage and throughout their lives. Containing such well-known songs as Broadway Baby, I'm Still Here, Too Many Mornings, Could I Leave You? and Losing My Mind, Follies echoes the songs, exuberance and romance of the vaudeville days between the two World Wars.
Somewhere along the road from Washington to Broadway, the Kennedy Center production of 'Follies' picked up a pulse. A vigorous heart now beats at the center of this revitalized revival of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's 1971 musical, which opened on Monday night at the Marquis Theater...The four stars of this 'Follies' give X-ray performances, in which lives past and souls divided can be seen clearly beneath the skin. Like Mr. Sondheim's music, they make harmony out of the jangling contradictions that come with being alive.
I won't bore the uninitiated by comparing, contrasting, and breaking down the content of this revival versus previous productions. But for my part, this is the best Follies I've ever seen. (Full disclosure: I never saw the original, save a few video clips; I'm going on the fine but underwhelming 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse version, the terribly depressing 2001 Roundabout revival, the terrific 2007 Encores! concert, and, of course, the Kennedy Center staging in May.) Is it perfect? Of course not. But I'm not sure any Follies ever could be. The show's beauty, I suspect, lies in its imperfection.
1971 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
1972 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
1976 | Off-Broadway |
Equity Library Theatre Revival Off-Broadway |
1983 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
1985 | Off-Broadway |
New York Concert Off-Broadway |
1987 | West End |
London Revival West End |
1988 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
1990 | Los Angeles |
Los Angeles Revival Los Angeles |
1995 | Regional (US) |
Regional Revival Regional (US) |
1996 | West End |
London Concert West End |
1998 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
2001 | Broadway |
Roundabout Revival Broadway |
2002 | London Fringe |
London Revival London Fringe |
2007 | Off-Broadway |
Encores! Concert Off-Broadway |
2011 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Revival Washington, DC (Regional) |
2011 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2017 | West End |
National Theatre Premiere West End |
2019 | West End |
London Return Engagement West End |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Costume Design | Gregg Barnes |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Danny Burstein |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Jan Maxwell |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Bernadette Peters |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Warren Carlyle |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Costume Design | Gregg Barnes |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Director of a Musical | Eric Schaeffer |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Elaine Paige |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical | 0 |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Set Design | Derek McLane |
2012 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Kai Harada |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Jan Maxwell |
2012 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Revival of a Musical | 0 |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Danny Burstein |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Jan Maxwell |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Gregg Barnes |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Jayne Houdyshell |
2012 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway) | 0 |
2012 | The Hewes Awards | Hewes Design Award | Gregg Barnes |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Gregg Barnes |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Natasha Katz |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Danny Burstein |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical | Ron Raines |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Jayne Houdyshell |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Jan Maxwell |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Allan Williams |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Max A. Woodward |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | HRH Foundation |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Adrienne Arsht |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Nederlander Presentations, Inc. |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Max A. Woodward |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Michael M. Kaiser |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | David M. Rubenstein |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Allan Williams |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | HRH Foundation |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Adrienne Arsht |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Nederlander Presentations, Inc. |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Michael M. Kaiser |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | David M. Rubenstein |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Musical | Follies |
2012 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Kai Harada |
Videos