Top Reasons to Catch FOLLIES Before it Leaves The Kennedy Center!

It was way forty years ago, in 1971, the year I got married, that my wife Lisa and I first saw the original cast of Follies on Broadway and were mesmerized by this beautiful musical. It starred Dorothy Collins, Gene Nelson, John McMartin, and the incomparable Alexis Smith.  It won seven Tony  Awards.

When I heard that Signature Theatre's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer would be directing a new production at the Kennedy Center I was optimistic he would do his magic. Then the cast slowly but surely was announced:  Bernadette Peters (Are you kidding? Is she old enough?), Jan Maxwell (nominated for two Tony Awards last season), Danny Burstein (who brought down the house in The Drowsy Chaperone), Ron Raines (what an incredible voice), Linda Lavin (five-time Tony nominee who I first saw in Boston in Last of the Red Hot Lovers), Regine (the creator of the discotheque), Florence Lacey (Evita, Les Miserables), Terri White (who I saw in Barnum), and finally, the one person who I have never seen on a stage before who is one of today's most acclaimed musical theater performers who rarely performs in the United States - the great Elaine Paige. Yes, Elaine Page who created the role of Eva Peron in Evita, and shortly afterwards the role of Grizabella in Cats (and the first to sing "Memory"), and appeared in Chess (featuring her number one hit "I know Him So Well".  Paige is the only actor who has her name in the program by itself in a box.

If there was an award for casting, Laura Stanczyk would certainly win it!

Needless to say I greatly anticipated this new production of Follies with its $7.3 million budget. The first thing I did when I arrived at the theater was to check the orchestra pit and was pleased to see the 28 piece Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra under the direction of James Moore.  I somehow relaxed knowing that Sondheim's incredible score was about to get the accompaniment it so richly deserves.

The Eisenhower  Theater is  covered with a bluish-green fabric and a decaying proscenium.  The audience is entering into an old ornate theater that in its prime was a quite a beautiful theater. But it is soon to become a parking lot.  The actors who appeared on that stage were returning for a reunion before the wrecking ball gets a start. (I thought of Baltimore's gorgeous Hippodrome Theatre which thankfully was restored prior to its planned destruction.

The book by James Goldman cleverly uses the ghosts of the actors in their ancient "Follies" costumes strolling ever so slowly on the three level set.

There are many Sondheim detractors who claim he doesn't know how to write a melody.  They have obviously never seen Follies which contains the following wonderful tunes : "Broadway Baby,", "I'm Still Here," "Too Many Mornings,", "Could I Leave You?" and "Losing My Mind."

The show opens as the various "old" stars enter through the stage door allowing the audience to show their appreciation even before the show begins.  Some receivEd Strong applause, some tepid applause and some not at all.  I thought this could have been avoided if they all entered the stage contemporaneously to avoid this embarrassment.

The show is not to be  missed.  Besides the incredible talent of the leads,  special mention should be made to the four actors who mime the four leads, Kirsten Scott, Nick Verina, Lora Lee Gayer, and Christian Delcroix who are all splendid.

One other ghost stood out and that was Leah Horowitz who plays "Young Heidi" to  the wonderful  opera star Rosalind Elias (Heidi Schiller). Horowitz made her Broadway debut playing "Cosette" in Les Miserables and can be found performing young composer Adam Gwon's music.  She has a great future ahead of her.  At the back stage door, Elias had high praise for Horowitz.

You can see where most of the budget of the show went thanks to the incredible costumes by Gregg Barnes. Natasha Katz (Lighting Design) used clever lighting to illustrate the ghosts in different hues. Kai Harada (sound designer) should be thanked for allowing us to hear every single lyric. Warren Carlyle is responsible for the wonderful choreography.

Like many Broadway aficionados, I am a collector of theater posters. Check out the wonderful display in the lobby of the theater.

Broadway producers have been seen at the Kennedy Center.  I will be shocked if this does not transfer to Broadway. I can't wait for the CD.

The show ends June 19. For tickets (if there are any left), call 202-467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org where you can also view videos of Director Schaeffer and Choreographer Carlyle discussing their work.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

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