who sings broadway baby in follies

[72] Hal Linden originally was going to play Ben, but left because he was cast in the Broadway revival of Cabaret as Herr Schultz. and matronly starlets, veterans of a more innocent age of entertainment, What follows is a series of musical numbers performed by the principal characters, each exploring their biggest desires. SIMON: All the featured roles you've played on Broadway, including several obviously noteworthy Sondheim roles, I mean: "Annie Oakley," Mama Rose in "Gypsy," Witch in "Into the Woods," where does Sally Durant Plummer fit in? It was directed and staged by Stephen Lloyd Helper and produced by Helper and Alistair Thomson for Mardi Gras. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies). Follies had its pre-Broadway tryout at the Colonial Theatre, Boston, from February 20 through March 20, 1971.[28][29]. The show and the score have a double vision: simultaneously squinting at the messes people make of their lives and wide-eyed at the lingering grace and lift of the music they want to hear. The London production had new songs and dialogue. Young Phyllis, Ben, Sally and Buddy taunt their disillusioned Dolores Gray was praised as Carlotta, continuing to perform after breaking her ankle, although in a reduced version of the part. Amidst a deafening discord, Ben screams at all the figures from his past and collapses as he cries out for Phyllis. Follies set, a fabulous wedding cake reaching for the stars, an 66. If you're somebody that gets it and then thinks, you know, I've done it, I've gotten it now and there's no place else to go. Follies Original West End Musical Cast 1987 | West End World The concert starred Barbara Cook (Sally), George Hearn (Ben), Mandy Patinkin (Buddy), and Lee Remick (Phyllis), and featured Carol Burnett (Carlotta), Betty Comden (Emily), Adolph Green (Theodore), Liliane Montevecchi (Solange LaFitte), Elaine Stritch (Hattie Walker), Phyllis Newman (Stella Deems), Jim Walton (Young Buddy), Howard McGillin (Young Ben), Liz Callaway (Young Sally), Daisy Prince (Young Phyllis), Andre Gregory (Dmitri), Arthur Rubin (Roscoe), and Licia Albanese (Heidi Schiller). Upgrade to PRO Phyllis, both now married to their respective stage-door Johnnies, Whose Baby? to Ben as they meet for the first time in years. According to an article in The Hollywood Reporter, "almost every performance of the show played to a full house, more often than not to standing-room-only. "[114] On the other hand, Martin Gottfried wrote: "Follies is truly awesome and, if it is not consistently good, it is always great. : Directed by Rebecca Frayn. declares I'm Still Here. who would finally feel just fine." Carlotta amuses a throng of admirers with a tale of how her dramatic solo was cut from the Follies because the audience found it humorous, transforming it as she sings it into an anthem-like toast to her own hard-won survival ("I'm Still Here"). Stephen Sondheim attended one of the performances. The emotional high generated by the reunion of the Follies girls ultimately gives way to anger, disappointment, and weary resignation to reality. Ms. PETERS: You know, when I was a little girl, they said I had a funny voice because I actually had a deep voice and that's because my mother didn't speak correctly. Directed by Matthew Warchus with choreography by Kathleen Marshall, it starred Blythe Danner (Phyllis), Judith Ivey (Sally), Treat Williams (Buddy), Gregory Harrison (Ben), Marge Champion, Polly Bergen (Carlotta), Joan Roberts (Laurey from the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! The cast starred Donna Murphy (Phyllis), Victoria Clark (Sally), Victor Garber (Ben) and Michael McGrath (Buddy). Di Botcher sits at her former dressing room table and sings Broadway Baby. Seeing Sally again, Ben realises [33], For commercial reasons, the cast album was cut from two LPs to one early in production. Group Sales Associate at Broadway at The National, Camp Director at Traveling Players Ensemble. Buddy and Phyllis join their spouses and the foursome reminisces about the old days of their courtship and the theater, their memories vividly coming to life in the apparitions of their young counterparts ("Waiting For The Girls Upstairs"). This page was last edited on 24 April 2023, at 21:33. Broadway Baby Broadway Baby Follies Hattie Walker See more songs from James Goldman Stephen Sondheim Overview KEY INFORMATION Song Title Broadway Baby Show Follies Character Hattie Walker Gender Female Age Range Mature Adult, Elderly Vocal Part (s) Alto High Note B4 Low Note G3 Style Uptempo, Comedic, Belt Tags Once the party gets under way it isn't long before the regulars Former MGM and onetime Broadway star Betty Garrett, best known to younger audiences for her television work, played Hattie. [75][76] Donna McKechnie enjoyed top billing as Carlotta. [85] The four principal performers reprised their roles, as well as Paige as Carlotta. Finally, Weismann enters to greet his guests. The cast starred Julia McKenzie (Sally), Donna McKechnie (Phyllis), Denis Quilley (Ben) and Ron Moody (Buddy). out his wife's name and we return sharply to reality. ROSCOE - The Follies' famous tenor whose golden tones saluted Sally), telling us that if only juicy but drab Lucy and dressy Ms. PETERS: Do over. Other notable performers in the original productions were Fifi D'Orsay as Solange LaFitte, Justine Johnston as Heidi Schiller, Mary McCarty as Stella Deems, Arnold Moss as Dimitri Weismann, Ethel Shutta as Hattie Walker, and Marcie Stringer and Charles Welch as Emily and Theodore Whitman. Ben yells at his younger self for not appreciating all the work that Phyllis did. Afterward, Phyllis and Ben angrily discuss their lives and relationship, which has become numb and emotionless. Variety singer and performer Joan Savage sang "Broadway Baby". The two younger couples sing in a counterpoint of their hopes for the future ("You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through"). Who's Next (Bonus Track Version) by The Who on Apple Music The Who's fifth studio effort is an exhilarating rock 'n' roll masterpiece stacked with killer songs that made it a staple of '70s rock radio. that she's Losing My Mind. Like you have Linda Lavin singing "Broadway Baby," and you have Elaine Paige bringing down the house singing "I'm Still Here," and Regine bringing all her history. "[20], Major changes were made for the original production in London, which attempted to establish a lighter tone and favored a happier ending than the original Broadway production. It's like I'm losing my mind. "[45] In The New York Times, the critic Francis X. Clines wrote: "The initial critics' reviews ranged from unqualified raves to some doubts whether the reworked book of James Goldman is up to the inventiveness of Sondheim's songs. [86] A two-disc cast album of this production was recorded by PS Classics and was released on November 29, 2011. The reunion, if it reunifies one couple, destroys another. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Ms. PETERS: Well, it depends how what their makeup is. Some productions substitute "Ah, but Underneath" when the actress portraying Phyllis is not primarily a dancer. Finally, he wrote: "But Follies never makes fun of the honorable musical tradition to which it belongs. I like to do that. are gleefully dusting off their old acts: Theodore and Emily Follies Stage production February 20, 1971 Comments Sung by character "Hattie Walker" . Follies premiered on Broadway on April 4, 1971, at the Winter Garden Theatre. Sondheim's songs aren't parodies or deconstructions; they are evocations that recognize the power of a love song. And, in the haze of nostalgia, the past New York, the eponymous Dimitri Weismann has gathered together BENJAMIN STONE - A big man on Wall Street, with a chic Manhattan wife, of Ah, Paree! The Complete Follies Collection puiblished by Hal Leonard publishers>. Former Weismann performers at the reunion include Max and Stella Deems, who lost their radio jobs and became store owners in Miami; Solange La Fitte, a coquette, who is vibrant and flirtatious even at 66; Hattie Walker, who has outlived five younger husbands; Vincent and Vanessa, former dancers who now own an Arthur Murray franchise; Heidi Schiller, for whom Franz Lehr once wrote a waltz ("or was it Oscar Straus?" Like an actor turns himself into another character. [127] Tony Award-winning playwright and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter John Logan has expressed interest in writing the adaptation. Ms. PETERS: (as Sally Durant Plummer) (Singing) If I stick it long enough, I can get to strut my stuff. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! (Soundbite of song, "Broadway Baby") SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman. Regine & Terrence Currier Will Not Transfer to Broadway with Kennedy [103], The production returned to the Olivier Theatre on February 14, 2019, playing until May 11. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Broadway impresario Dimitri Weismann arranges a reunion of the actors, singers, dancers, and personalities who peopled his famous Follies in the years between the World Wars . The good news is that it also features some of the most exciting musical moments Broadway has seen in several seasons. Christine Baranski played Carlotta, and Lucine Amara sang Heidi. The Paper Mill Playhouse production used some elements from London but stayed close to the original. enchanted citadel where the two couples can re-visit their individual The Who. What is. SIMON: And from the performer's point of view, what makes him a genius by such universal acclaim? Sally tells Ben how her days have been spent with Buddy, trying to convince him (and herself) ("In Buddy's Eyes"). "[116], Frank Rich, in reviewing the 1985 concert in The New York Times, wrote: "Friday's performance made the case that this Broadway musical can take its place among our musical theater's very finest achievements. Phyllis begins wondering at her younger self, who worked so hard to become the socialite that Ben needed. If you don't Bennett also reprised her Olivier-nominated performance. Buddy tells her she must be either crazy or drunk, but he's already supported Sally through rehab clinics and mental hospitals and cannot take any more. In a shabby yet sparkling atmosphere of bittersweet nostalgia, a wide variety of faded glamour girls -- the famous Follies beauties of years gone by -- laugh, reminisce, brag, boast, express regret, and perform the musical numbers which made them famous, trailed by the ghostly memories of their younger selves. He thinks she's very neurotic, and she is very neurotic, so he said to me 'Congratulations. When they sing, in voices layered with ambivalence and anger and longing, it is clear that it is their past selves whom they are serenading. Lastly Ben takes the stage Jayne Houdyshell as Hattie, Mary Beth Peil as Solange LaFitte, and Don Correia as Theodore joined the Broadway cast. Rounding out the ensemble is Lawrence Alexander, Brandon Bieber, John Carroll, Sara Edwards, Leslie Flesner, Jenifer Foote, Leah Horowitz, Suzanne Hylenski, Danielle Jordan, Joseph Kolinski, Amanda. Ms. PETERS: But he is like an actor, but with notes and words. the surviving players of his lavish pre-war Follies, from the silver The rest of the album consists of material from the 1920s, '30s, and '40s, written by the . glad they came. They've come a long way from those The evening follows a reunion of the Weismann Girls who performed during the interwar period. HEIDI SCHILLER - A 90-year old Broadway legend, whose ringing soprano follies. as he looks back at a lifetime of lost opportunities (The Ms. PETERS: And then I got the call when I was I was performing at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, James Lapine called me to say he wrote this new show with Stephen Sondheim and it's to play an artist model. He creates what's necessary for the piece. that You're Gonna Love Tomorrow, and for young Sally and Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Phyllis Newman and Liliane Montevecchi reprised the roles they played in the Lincoln Center production. Several of the former showgirls perform their old numbers, often accompanied by the ghosts of their younger selves. Road You Didn't Take). After the failure of Do I Hear a Waltz? YOUNG HEIDI - The celebrated soprano in her heyday. Vance, David. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. Solange purrs her way through the fake Gallic sophistication Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. kiss me, " Sally tells him, I think I'm going to die.". Follies has had 20 productions including Broadway which opened in 1971, Broadway which opened in 1971, US Tour which opened in 1972, Off . a Follies girl. She shakes loose from the memory and begins to dance with Ben, who is touched by the memory of the Sally he once cast aside. Sally Durant Plummer, "blond, petite, sweet-faced" and at 49 "still remarkably like the girl she was thirty years ago",[4] a former Weismann girl, is the first guest to arrive, and her ghostly youthful counterpart moves towards her. Yet he and Warren Carlyle just as clearly revel in the richness of the knowing pastiche songs with which Mr. Sondheim evokes the popular music of the prerock era. Playing Hattie who sings "Broadway Baby" is Patti Davis Suarez. "[19][84], The production transferred to Broadway at the Marquis Theatre in a limited engagement starting previews on August 7, 2011, with the official opening on September 12, and closing on January 22, 2012, after 151 performances and 38 previews. "[120], There have been six recordings of Follies released: the original 1971 Broadway cast album; Follies in Concert, Avery Fisher Hall (1985); the original London production (1987); the Paper Mill Playhouse (1998); the 2011 Broadway revival; and the 2017 London revival. When Sally sees Ben, her former lover, she greets him self-consciously ("Don't Look at Me"). [18], Goldman continued to revise the book of the musical right up to his death, which occurred shortly before the 1998 Paper Mill Playhouse production. Phyllis kisses a waiter and confesses to him that she had always wanted a son. Both Buddys enter to confront the Bens about how they stole Sally. "), as they are mirrored by their younger selves. Sondheim. the theatre is demolished to make way for a parking lot. And as years went on and I got out of that bad habit, my real voice revealed itself. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more songs from He predicted that the show eventually would achieve recognition as a Broadway classic. '"[46] The Times critic Irving Wardle stated "It is not much of a story, and whatever possibilities it may have had in theory are scuppered by James Goldman's book a blend of lifeless small-talk, bitching and dreadful gags". Elsewhere, Willy Wheeler (portly, in his sixties) cartwheels for a photographer. With Andrew Lincoln, Sophie Okonedo, Esther Coles, Darren Tighe. his mind, all the past evening's traumatic experiences are regurgitated So, you grow up listening to your mother. Recent episodes in T Greats and sleek. [49], Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT) was the first major American opera company to present Follies as part of their main stage repertoire, running from October 21, 1988, through November 6. Join the StageAgent community inspired the operetta kings to produce their lushest Angry and hurt, Phyllis considers whether to grant his request ("Could I Leave You?"). "[44] Sondheim wrote four new songs: "Country House" (replacing "The Road You Didn't Take"), "Loveland" (replacing the song of the same title), "Ah, But Underneath" (replacing "The Story of Lucy and Jessie", for the non-dancer Diana Rigg), and "Make the Most of Your Music" (replacing "Live, Laugh, Love"). [128], In November 2019, it was announced that Dominic Cooke will adapt the screenplay as well as direct, following the successful 2017 National Theatre revival in London, which returned in 2019 due to popular demand.[129]. big-shots from the UN. "[17], "Loveland", the final musical sequence, (that "consumed the last half-hour of the original" production[18]) is akin to an imaginary 1941 Ziegfeld Follies sequence, with Sally, Phyllis, Ben and Buddy performing "like comics and torch singers from a Broadway of yore. Afterwards, though, Buddy's The-God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me-Blues begin mimic their movements. The cast included Anne Rogers, Jo Anne Worley and Philip Bosco. [42], The musical played in the West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre on July 21, 1987, and closed on February 4, 1989, after 644 performances. ), Sondheim Unplugged features some of Broadway and cabarets most dynamic voices accompanied by piano only.Kelli Rabke is best known as Eponine in Les Miserables and the original Narrator in Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat.For more videos from 54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, subscribe here https://54Below.org/YouTubeView upcoming shows and purchase tickets on our website https://54Below.org/calendarFollow us on social media!Facebook https://54Below.org/FacebookInstagram https://54Below.org/InstagramTwitter https://54Below.org/TwitterTikTok https://54Below.org/TikTok Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! "Review: Musical Theatre 1998 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival". the resurrection of their distant pasts only serves to point without his sneered jokes, his loveless love-making, his dreary 'Follies'. explains: "Today, Follies is rarely performed twice in exactly the same version. Ms. PETERS: Oh, definitely, because I was really a kid. Copyright 2011 NPR. A concert version at the Melbourne Recital Centre,[97][98] staged with a full 23-piece orchestra and Australian actors Philip Quast (Ben), David Hobson (Buddy), Lisa McCune (Sally), Anne Wood (Phyllis), Rowan Witt (Young Buddy), Sophie Wright (Young Sally), Nancy Hayes (Hattie), Debra Byrne (Carlotta), and Queenie van de Zandt (Stella). (Who's That Woman), shadowy wraiths of their younger selves Suddenly, at the peak of madness and confusion, the couples are engulfed by their follies, which transform the rundown theater into a fantastical "Loveland", an extravaganza even more grand and opulent than the gaudiest Weismann confection: "the place where lovers are always young and beautiful, and everyone lives only for love". an eerie operetta waltz, all dreams are a sweet mistake and eventually The evening follows a reunion of the Weismann Girls who performed during the interwar period. (1965), for which he had written the lyrics to Richard Rodgers's music, Sondheim decided that he would henceforth work only on projects where he could write both the music and lyrics himself. [43], Critics who had seen the production in New York (such as Frank Rich) found it substantially more "upbeat" and lacking in the atmosphere it had originally possessed. Directed by Michael Scott, the cast included Lorna Luft, Millicent Martin, Mary Millar, Dave Willetts, Trevor Jones Bryan Smyth, Alex Sharpe, Christine Scarry, Aidan Conway and Enda Markey. in. to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! days waiting around for the girls upstairs, but they're still here. [73] Tom Bosley originally was cast as Dimitri Weismann. indestructibly, a Broadway Baby. Girl and he has, sort of. "[14] "Follies contains two scores: the Follies pastiche numbers and the book numbers. The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. The show closed on July 1, 1972, after 522 performances and 12 previews. Whose Baby? (TV Movie 2004) - IMDb Stephen Sondheim | "Broadway Baby" By Barbara Anastacio October 16, 2017 The song from his 1971 musical "Follies," as sung by employees of The New York Times. "Follies' Restaged In London". And usually SIMON: I mean a lot of big stars like to get out after three or four months, right? "Who's That Woman?" - Stella and Company. But they're both Polly Bergen stops everything cold with "I'm Still Here", bringing a rare degree of introspection to a song that is too often a mere belt-fest [T]he emotional highpoint comes when Joan Roberts sings 'One More Kiss'. He asked author and playwright James Goldman to join him as bookwriter for a new musical. [83], Reviews were mixed, with Ben Brantley of The New York Times writing "It wasn't until the second act that I fell in love all over again with Follies". At the height of the confrontation the orchestra suddenly swells Only Carlotta seems With the endless variety of Stephen Sondheims score, a loving and brilliant pastiche of show music from the 20s, 30s, and 40s, and the time-travel trickery of James Goldmans book, Follies is a glamorous and fascinating peek into a bygone era, and a clear-eyed look at the transformation of relationships over time. ON THE RECORD: Hats Off! A Survey of Follies Recordings - Playbill She's crazy. despite the routine of married life. [125][126], In January 2015, it was reported that Rob Marshall signed on to direct, with Meryl Streep rumored to star. SALLY DURANT PLUMMER - Buddy's well-to-do wife, still gushy and girlish Stephen Sondheim Songs from Musicals Follies the Musical - Broadway Baby Lyrics I'm just a Broadway Baby. And even when I saw it, I think it was about 2000 there was a revival, maybe 2001. [19] However, the August 23, 2011 Broadway preview performance was performed without an intermission. Ben, caught in the passion of memories, kisses Sally as Buddy watches from the shadows. Sally appears next, dressed as a torch singer, singing of her passion for Ben from the past - and her obsession with him now ("Losing My Mind"). She made her Broadway debut in 1967 in "How Now, Dow Jones" and went on to play roles in "Promises, Promises" and "Applause." 'Follies' features Broadway actress Kelli James Chase ); and Carlotta Campion, a film star who has embraced life and benefited from every experience. Broadway Baby Lyrics - Follies - the Musical Lyrics relaxed and philosophical about the old days: good times, bum [26] By the time the 2011 Broadway revival opened, it was performed with an intermission in two acts. Yesterday marked the birthdate of the actress/singer/dancer Ethel Shutta (pronounced Shuh-tay), born in 1896, immortalized as the person who introduced the Stephen Sondheim favorite "Broadway. the memories of three decades come flooding back - all those Phyllis and Sally were roommates while in the Follies, and Ben and Buddy were best friends at school in New York. All the voices begin speaking and yelling at each other. [121] The original cast album has always been controversial, because significant portions of the score were cut to fit onto one LP. Follies was performed in concert at the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra[59] in February 1998 as the highlight of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and had three performances. Ms. PETERS: As a little girl, yeah. Sondheim, Stephen and Goldman, James (2001). "Loveland" has dissolved back into the reality of the crumbling and half-demolished theater; dawn is approaching. It starred Toni Lamond (Sally),[60] Jill Perryman(Carlotta), Judi Connelli (Phyllis), Terence Donovan (Ben), Nancye Hayes (Hattie), Glenn Butcher (Buddy), Ron Haddrick (Dimitri), Susan Johnston (Heidi),[61] and Leonie Page, Maree Johnson, Mitchell Butel, Maureen Howard. As Roscoe Ben confides to Sally that his life is empty. According to the Associated Press (AP) reviewer, "A revised version of the Broadway hit Follies received a standing ovation from its opening-night audience and raves from British critics, who stated the show was worth a 16-year wait." [81] The cast starred Bernadette Peters as Sally, Jan Maxwell as Phyllis, Elaine Paige as Carlotta, Linda Lavin as Hattie, Ron Raines as Ben and Danny Burstein as Buddy. Similarly, ghosts of the Twenties shows slip through the evening as the characters try desperately to regain their youth through re-creations of their performances and inane theatre sentiments of their past. Smith (Phyllis), John McMartin (Ben), Dorothy Collins (Sally) and Group Sales Associate at Broadway at The National However, he thought that it was "wonderful" that, at the end of the first act, "the principal characters recognized their younger selves and were able to acknowledge them throughout the last thirty minutes of the piece. I'll see you later blues. Phyllis interrupts this tender moment and has a biting encounter with Sally. As the guests reminisce, the stories of Ben, Phyllis, Buddy, and Sally unfold. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. RCA VICTOR RD 87128 - Concert recording As Stella leads the 1940 I saw no reason not to try new things, knowing we could always revert to the original (which we eventually did). 'A truly fantastic evening,' The Financial Times concluded, while the London Daily News stated 'The musical is inspired,' and The Times described the evening as 'a wonderful idea for a show which has failed to grow into a story. [50][51], A production also ran from March to April 1995 at the Theatre Under the Stars, Houston, Texas, and in April to May 1995 at the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle with Constance Towers (Phyllis), Judy Kaye (Sally), Edie Adams, Denise Darcel, Virginia Mayo, Maxene Andrews (Hattie), and Karen Morrow (Carlotta).
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