This was a great theater filled weekend (but one must ask nowadays, what weekend ISN'T a great theater weekend for me nowadays?)
On Saturday I saw City Center's Limited run of Follies. It was amazing! First off it had stars such as Victoria Clark, Donna Murphy, Victor Barber, Christine Baranski, JoAnne Worley and Philip Bosco. All of who shined one way or another. Of course Clark and Murphy shined the most, since they played the two leads.
What really impressed me though was the story. The basic story was about the Weissman Theater was being torn down and the old Follies ladies and Gentlemen are welcomed back for one last party there. Four old friends are reunited, as well as the old flames of the past. The night is filled with memories both good and bad.
This was played out with the four leads having younger counter parts that would play them in their memories. Other minor characters had younger people, but only to show what they were like in their younger glory when they preformed their numbers. It was both beautiful and sad.
Now I've listened to the CD for many years just thinking that was all the story was about. What I never realized was how the second acted developed. Now I have always know that the reason this didn't win best musical in 1972 was because the book had some troubles, but it wasn't for naught. In the second acted the four main characters (both young and old) have their own version of the Follies, but using Folly in it's other meaning:
On Saturday I saw City Center's Limited run of Follies. It was amazing! First off it had stars such as Victoria Clark, Donna Murphy, Victor Barber, Christine Baranski, JoAnne Worley and Philip Bosco. All of who shined one way or another. Of course Clark and Murphy shined the most, since they played the two leads.
What really impressed me though was the story. The basic story was about the Weissman Theater was being torn down and the old Follies ladies and Gentlemen are welcomed back for one last party there. Four old friends are reunited, as well as the old flames of the past. The night is filled with memories both good and bad.
This was played out with the four leads having younger counter parts that would play them in their memories. Other minor characters had younger people, but only to show what they were like in their younger glory when they preformed their numbers. It was both beautiful and sad.
Now I've listened to the CD for many years just thinking that was all the story was about. What I never realized was how the second acted developed. Now I have always know that the reason this didn't win best musical in 1972 was because the book had some troubles, but it wasn't for naught. In the second acted the four main characters (both young and old) have their own version of the Follies, but using Folly in it's other meaning:
A foolish act, idea of practice.
So in the second act each character has a big Folly like number, displaying well, the folly of their life. In a way it was brilliant. Sally singing a beautiful vamp like number, about how crazy she is for a man, but she does realize that he never loved her in return. Buddy singing his campy number about his wife and his mistress. Phillis singing a sexy number about the two women she wishes she could combine so she could be every woman. An Ben singing about success, fame and love, but having a nervous breakdown before the song can finish.
B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T.
Plus the idea of the younger versions of the character intermingling with the older was superb too. Overall I was VERY impressed. 
Then I saw the smaller production of Tennessee Williams, In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel. Interesting setup. Campy lady, neurotic man, insanity ensures. Lots of incomplete sentences, but it was very good. Even in his old age 10 knew how to do it!
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