Follies Tickets

Great stories and amazing performances from the actors

The set (a dilapidated theatre that looks like they dragged the set of "Cats" out of storage and recycled it) is dark and depressing. Women dressed as ghostly showgirls of the past continually walking the stage very slowly in the background are kind of creepy and distracting. A bunch of older actors playing people reflecting on their former glory days is sad on two levels: the actual plot, and the fact that actors who've had great Broadway careers such as Bernadette Peters and Elaine Page are now reduced to a couple of numbers in a pathetic musical. Two of the characters spend much of the show depressed that they wasted their lives with the wrong spouse--yet they're supposed to only be ages 49 and 53. It's a bit of a stretch for Ron Raines (age 62) to play a 53-year-old and Bernadette Peters (nearly 64) to play a 49-year-old. One is grateful for the sprightly 55-year-old Jan Maxwell, who seems to be the only one young and fit enough to dance around the stage and pull off a big number. She saves it from total disaster. A thin plot and unmemorable songs cobbled together as an excuse to highlight some great performers singing great old showtunes does not constitute a musical. Nostalgia done badly is very depressing, and people don't attend musicals to feel depressed.

Follies is, for me, one of the very greatest musicals of all time and possibly Sondheim's finest score. So I happily traveled from Western Canada to see this revival; I did the same 10 years ago for the Roundabout Theater production at the Belasco. In many if not most ways this was an improvement: it was more opulent; it had what sounded like a fuller orchestra; there seems to have been more dialogue (the Roundabout version was never fully convincing); and the four principal roles were, on the whole, more persuasively and appropriately cast. Jan Maxwell's Phyllis was virtually ideal; so was Danny Burstein's Buddy, despite his being somewhat too young for the role. Bernadette Peters, despite being about the right age for Sally, looks if anything younger still: from my seat she could have passed for 25 and embodies not only youth and beauty but glamor. Sadly, however, she simply couldn't meet the demands of the role vocally: it requires a singer that can move easily and seamlessly from one register to another and she managed this only with conspicuous labor. Even her intonation wasn't always true, and her habit of getting behind the beat - perhaps acceptable in a concert or cabaret - palled very quickly. True, her rendition of "Losing My Mind" was affecting, partly because it doesn't make the same technical demands as Sally's earlier music, but even it didn't approach Barbara Cook's in the 1985 Follies in Concert, or even Judith Ivey's in the Roundabout revival (Dorothy Collins in the original cast remains sui generis). Ms. Peters also invested Sally with a neurotic anxiety so intense that one couldn't help wondering how much of it was performer and how much characterization (Peters is far too gifted an artist, too skilled a performer, and too seasoned a professional not to know when things aren't working). Ron Raines as Ben sang consistently well - and equally consistently behind the beat. He played with (i.e., distorted) the rhythms of his songs in the manner of a Vegas nightclub entertainer, and in fact in his demeanor, delivery of lines, and superficial characterization resembled a cruise ship entertainer more than a Broadway star. Raines has a fine voice and an impressive profile, but he was unique among the entire cast in having absolutely no charisma whatsoever, and in the difficult role of the enigmatic Benjamin Stone, this counts as a fatal flaw. For me, standouts among the older members of the company were Rosalind Elias (I'm an opera fan, so it was especially fine to see her triumph as Heidi), Jayne Houdyshell (perhaps closer to Ethel Shutta in the original than was the excellent Betty Garrett in Roundabout's 2001 revival), and, above all, Terri White. Mary Beth Peil's Solange was a great disappointment - again, like so many musical theater performers these days, she played around with the rhythms of her song to the extent that actual words were unintelligible - and in "Ah, Paree!" this is a very great loss. The grossest display of self-absorption, however, was given by (and this is a minority opinion; she got good reviews) Elaine Paige, who hammed it up during "I'm Still Here" so excruciatingly that not only were half the words lost but at least this audience member stopped caring. In addition to the original Carlotta, Yvonne de Carlo, we have Carol Burnett in the 1985 Follies in Concert and Ann Miller in the late 1990s Paper Mill Playhouse revival. But for me the definitive performance remains Polly Bergen's in the 2001 Roundabout production. It soared way beyond the limited resources of that revival into musical theater immortality, and is the primary reason to regret that no cast recording was made of that show. The quartet of young performers who played the youthful versions of Phyllis, Sally, Ben and Buddy was very fine: polished, skillful, and attractive, but one performer amongst them did shine out: Nick Verina, who sings, dances, and acts not only well but (apparently) effortlessly. There is a lot to love about this production. The entire "Loveland" sequence is beautifully presented, and the "ghosts" - the current middle-aged characters as they once were - are always convincing, aurally as well as visually. But there is also a lot that is disturbingly sub-par - Follies deserves (and we need) a revival as lovingly produced as the Lincoln Center South Pacific.

This is a brilliant production of one of the greatest musicals ever written. The older I get, the more poignant and touching it becomes. One great song after another. The performances are top notch. I saw it twice in Washington and twice again in NYC on marathon weekend. Would happily see it again , if only I didn't live so far away. Not to be missed.

What an excellent musical. I was so moved by the performances of all the actors. I really, really enjoyed Jan Maxwell. She was fantastic! Of course, I loved the performance and singing of Bernadette Peters! What a wonderful play!

Saw it in August and again this past weekend! Hard to believe it was even more moving the second time. Was transporting! I was with my parents - who are both 71. And they saw Follies in 1971.. They loved it and of course at 71 it was even more meaningful today. And we all agreed we could and wanted to see it again!

I was expecting a little more but still I though the show was very good. The second part was better from my perspective. I find that the first part of the show lack pazazz. Although I would not see it again I really did appreciate my evening.

We had read the glowing reviews but nothing could prepare us for how amazing Follies was...this is a theatrical event for the ages...if not the definitive production it is certainly one of the defining moments in the careers of so many artistist involved. Ms. Maxwell is really terrific, Ms. Peters breaks your heart with "Losing my Mind" and Danny Burnstein is really really heartbreaking throughout...supporting cast is brilliant, the design is very very very cool and the pit orchestra is musical perfection. The costumes the ghost girls wear as they haunt the theatre are worth the price of admission...I just wish people would stop talking during matinee performances...we've paid 150 bucks a ticket...SHUT UP...but that had nothing to do with the production.

Follies is one of Sondheim's best shows and this revival is incredible! The cast is wonderful. The costumes are great. This production originated at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is the biggest revival of the show ever, with a budget in the millions. Starring Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines and Elaine Paige. All of them are excellent in their roles. Includes the songs "In Buddy's Eyes," "I'm Still Here," "The Girls Upstairs" and "Losing My Mind."

Follies is a great Broadway frolic. They sang, they danced, they acted - by "they" I mean a huge (and very talented) cast. It was great to see so many Broadway legends all on stage at once! Everyone left the theatre smiling!