who sings broadway baby in follies

Ms. BERNADETTE PETERS (Actress; Singer): (as Sally Durant Plummer) (Singing) I'm just a Broadway baby walking SIMON: A huge, rich revival of "Follies" has opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., with the original orchestrations. The resulting album was more complete than the original cast album. "[11], Joanne Gordon, author and chair and artistic director, Theatre, at California State University, Long Beach,[12][13] wrote "Follies is in part an affectionate look at the American musical theatre between the two World Wars and provides Sondheim with an opportunity to use the traditional conventions of the genre to reveal the hollowness and falsity of his characters' dreams and illusions. Hal Prince said: "Follies examines obsessive behavior, neurosis and self-indulgence more microscopically than anything I know of. It depends on how you like to work. He had agreed to work on The Girls Upstairs if Sondheim agreed to work on Company; Michael Bennett, the young choreographer of Company, was also brought onto the project. Broadway Baby The Road You Didn't Take Bolero d'Amour . SIMON: Stephen Sondheim wrote "Broadway Baby" in the early 1970s for "Follies," the award-winning musical he created with James Goldman. Rich, in his review, noted that "As performed at Avery Fisher Hall, the score emerged as an original whole, in which the 'modern' music and mock vintage tunes constantly comment on each other, much as the script's action unfolds simultaneously in 1971 (the year of the reunion) and 1941 (the year the Follies disbanded). Playing Hattie who sings "Broadway Baby" is Patti Davis Suarez. really changed in their lives. [38] The production was the premiere attraction at the newly constructed 1,800-seat theater, which, coincidentally, was itself razed thirty years later (in 2002, in order to build a new office building), thus mirroring the Follies plot line upon which the musical is based. 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'. Bobby Vernon; Gloria Swanson; Jay Dwiggins; Martha Trick; Robert Milliken; Fritz Schade; Juanita Hansen; Sylvia Ashton; Helen Bray; Florence Clark; Phyllis Haver; William Irving; Edgar Kennedy; Myrtle Lind; Join the StageAgent community Only Carlotta seems After the failure of Do I Hear a Waltz? Solange proves she is still fashionable at what she claims is 66 ("Ah, Paris! A recording of the National Theatre production was released on January 18, 2019.[104]. Follies - New Broadway Cast Recording Produced by Tommy Krasker and Philip Chaffin Executive Producers: Michael M. Kaiser, Sean Patrick Flahaven Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York City on October 3-4, 2011 Recorded and Mixed by Bart Migal Assistand Engineer: Bob Mallory, Tim Marchiafava, Tyler Hartman & Mike Bauer Music Coordinator: John Miller I thought I wasn't a Sondheim girl. At the height of the confrontation the orchestra suddenly swells that You're Gonna Love Tomorrow, and for young Sally and Not only has it already outsold every other album at our website, but the steady stream of emails from customers has been amazing. ", "Who Could Be Blue? kiss me, " Sally tells him, I think I'm going to die.". Do again. This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. The reunion, if it reunifies one couple, destroys another. Other cast replacements included Millicent Martin as Phyllis. Paul Kerryson directed, and the cast starred David Durham as Ben, Kathryn Evans as Sally, Louise Gold as Phyllis, Julia Goss as Heidi and Henry Goodman as Buddy. overwhelming optimism, where skies are ever blue. Oh. If you don't Before she has a chance to really let loose, they are both called on to participate in another performance Stella Deems gets Sally, Phyllis, Emily, Hattie, and some others to perform an old number ("Who's That Woman? Whitman recall their sweetly naive duct, Rain on the Roof: [23] The 1987 West End, 2005 Barrington Stage Company,[24] the 2001 Broadway revival[25] and Kennedy Center 2011 productions were performed in two acts. Sally tells Ben about her life with the old days, stumble through a song or two and lie about ourselves" -before Angry and hurt, Phyllis considers whether to grant his request ("Could I Leave You?"). Join the StageAgent community and sleek. The production was directed by Eric Schaeffer, with choreography by Warren Carlyle, costumes by Gregg Barnes, set by Derek McLane and lighting by Natasha Katz. [43] During the run, Eartha Kitt replaced Gray, sparking somewhat of a comeback (she went on to perform her own one-woman show at The Shaftesbury Theatre to sell-out houses for three weeks from March 18, 1989, after Follies closed). The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won seven. Darkness Around the Spotlight", " 'Good Times and Bum Times': Broadway Revival of 'Follies' Exceeds Expectations, But Doesn't Recoup", "Victoria Clark Will Be Sally in L.A. Follies with Elaine Paige, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Ron Raines", "Review: 'Follies' is a source of heartache and razzmatazz", "Follies in Concert review stars align in Melbourne for rare and exhilarating night of Sondheim", "Follies in Concert review [Melbourne 2016]", "Imelda Staunton to Star in London Follies", "National Theatre Announces Additional Casting for Angels in America and Follies", "Full Casting Announced for Follies at National Theatre", "National Theatre Live to Broadcast Follies this November", "Follies cast recording released on Spotify and iTunes", "Follies in Concert - Melbourne Recital Centre", "Show Business: The Once and Future Follies", "Stage: Concert Version of 'Follies' Is a Reunion", "That Old Feeling III: The Ghosts of Broadway", "Review:'Follies':Oh, Those Sharp Stones in a Dance Down Memory Lane", "Grammy Nominees for Musical Album Include 'Nice Work', 'Once', 'Follies', 'Newsies' and 'Porgy and Bess'; Shaiman & Wittman, Too", "Follies to return to National Theatre and release cast recording", "Is a Follies Film With Meryl Streep in the Works? Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of the Year, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, "Bernadette Peters on 'Follies' and Puppies", "Faculty, Theatre Arts, California State University, Long Beach", "Song list and acts, 2005 Barrington Stage", "2001 Broadway revival song list and acts", "By the Book: Broadway Revival of 'Follies' Performed Without Intermission Aug. 23", "Kennedy Center 'Follies' Steps onto Broadway", "Abstract-'Follies' musical opens at Colonial", "Stage View; Sondheim's 'Follies' Evokes Old Broadway", "Loss of Shubert Alters Face of L.A. Theater", "Follies at the Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe, partial listing", "Concert Performances of Sondheim's Follies Win Sydney Raves", "Roundabout's Revival of Follies Starts Previews at Belasco, March 8", "Peters Withdraws from London Follies; Casting Almost Complete", "What Follies! [91] Out of seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical, it won only one, for Barnes' costumes. we have to face reality: all we can hope for is One More Kiss - Two new additions to the cast, Jayne Houdyshell and Mary Beth Peil, are terrific. Smith (Phyllis), John McMartin (Ben), Dorothy Collins (Sally) and Mr. Weismann's exquisite taste in feminine pulchritude. '"[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". He thinks she's very neurotic, and she is very neurotic, so he said to me 'Congratulations. enchanted citadel where the two couples can re-visit their individual [33] However, director Herbert Ross took some liberties in adapting the book and score for the concert formatdance music was changed, songs were given false endings, the new dialogue was spoken, reprises were added, and Patinkin was allowed to sing "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues" as a solo instead of a trio with two chorus girls. Ms. PETERS: He does that with notes and music. [82] Also featured were Rosalind Elias as Heidi, Rgine as Solange, Susan Watson as Emily, and Terri White as Stella. Sally is bitter, having never been happy with Buddy, although he has always adored her. PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE - Ben's 50-year old society wife, smart, tart, vicious but cold Jessie could only combine then I could tell you someone Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. "[19] "Loveland" features a string of vaudeville-style numbers, reflecting the leading characters' emotional problems, before returning to the theater for the end of the reunion party. The musical has had a number of major revivals, and several of its songs have become standards, including "Broadway Baby", "I'm Still Here", "Too Many Mornings", "Could I Leave You? "Liner notes to original Broadway cast recording". So, you grow up listening to your mother. But they're both The budget was reported to be $7.3 million. Sondheim "did not think the London script was as good as the original." [103], The production returned to the Olivier Theatre on February 14, 2019, playing until May 11. serenades those Beautiful Girls, the now-elderly ing6nues [121] However, as Kritzerland Records head Bruce Kimmel wrote in his liner notes to Kritzerland's remixed version of the album, "What it did have made it something that, despite the frustrations, meant it would never be bettered the original cast. "[119], Brantley, reviewing the 2007 Encores! 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). out the inadequacies of their marriages. [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. SOLANGE LAFITTE - A Broadway Parisienne. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Gene Nelson (Buddy). The young sweethearts Ben and Phyllis promise each other 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"). Phyllis Newman and Liliane Montevecchi reprised the roles they played in the Lincoln Center production. 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. At its best momentsand there are manyit is the most imaginative and original new musical that Broadway has seen in years. but In Buddy's Eyes, she knows, she's still his princess. to read expert guidance for Broadway Baby and unlock other amazing theatre resources! Sally tells Ben how her days have been spent with Buddy, trying to convince him (and herself) ("In Buddy's Eyes"). Road You Didn't Take). and soon Sally and Buddy, together with their younger selves, join Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. [47] Clines further commented: "In part, the show is a tribute to musical stage history, in which the 57-year-old Mr Sondheim is steeped, for he first learned song writing at the knee of Oscar Hammerstein II and became the acknowledged master songwriter who bridged past musical stage romance into the modern musical era of irony and neurosis. ); and Carlotta Campion, a film star who has embraced life and benefited from every experience. Several show-stopping routines are provided by choreographer Warren Carlyle." They've come a long way from those That, if I'm good enough for you, you're not good enough SIMON: When did the relationship with Stephen Sondheim begin - looking back on it? The cast starred Julia McKenzie (Sally), Donna McKechnie (Phyllis), Denis Quilley (Ben) and Ron Moody (Buddy). the theatre is demolished to make way for a parking lot. What follows is a series of musical numbers performed by the principal characters, each exploring their biggest desires. And I thought oh, this would be lovely to do. "[113], Walter Kerr wrote in The New York Times about the original production: "Follies is intermissionless and exhausting, an extravaganza that becomes so tedious because its extravaganzas have nothing to do with its pebble of a plot. Follies premiered on Broadway on April 4, 1971, at the Winter Garden Theatre. The majority of the Broadway cast reprised their roles, with the exception of Bernadette Peters, who had prior concert commitments and was replaced by Victoria Clark in the role of Sally, a role she has previously played in New York. This show features the wistful torch song Losing My Mind, the wry showstopper Im Still Here, and Broadway Baby, that determined ode to making it in show business. [124] The 2017 London revival cast was recorded after the production closed in January 2018, and was released in early 2019. Washington, DC, Auditons for AMDA (Washington) But when Bernadette Peters sings the song, it could be a kind of anthem. Mr. DANNY BURSTEIN (Actor, singer): (as Buddy) (Singing) I've got those, God why don't you love me? [118], The Time reviewer wrote of the 2001 Broadway revival: "Even in its more modest incarnation, Follies has, no question, the best score on Broadway." "[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. that she's Losing My Mind. It is 1971, and the iconic Weismann Theater, now a crumbling shell of its former glory, is about to be demolished to provide precious New York City parking space. Don't panic. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more songs from [62][63] It followed a similar presentation at the 1995 Melbourne Festival of Arts with a different cast and orchestra. Sally and her younger self enter and Ben firmly tells Sally that he never loved her. Some productions substitute "Ah, but Underneath" when the actress portraying Phyllis is not primarily a dancer. It's just that the most glamorous room . And then the rest of the cast is fantastic, Jan Maxwell and Ron Raines and Danny Burstein. "Loveland" has dissolved back into the reality of the crumbling and half-demolished theater; dawn is approaching. with Live, Love, Laugh, singing of how clever and adept SIMON: And you were talking like this or something? the giddy hopefuls of 1940. The cast starred Donna Murphy (Phyllis), Victoria Clark (Sally), Victor Garber (Ben) and Michael McGrath (Buddy). 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"). I had always was aware of his shows but I never thought I'd ever be in any of his shows. of Ah, Paree! After previews from August 3, 2002, it opened officially on August 6, and closed on August 31, 2002. "[21], According to Sondheim, producer Cameron Mackintosh asked for changes for the 1987 London production. Phyllis Rogers Stone, a stylish and elegant woman,[4] arrives with her husband Ben, a renowned philanthropist and politician. Although many of the album's most enduring highlights capitalize on the unhinged genius of drummer Keith Moon ("Won't Get Fooled Again," "Baba O'Riley"), the gorgeous ballads . Solange purrs her way through the fake Gallic sophistication to Ben as they meet for the first time in years. [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". 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. The cast included Anne Rogers, Jo Anne Worley and Philip Bosco. He creates what's necessary for the piece. "[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. Sondheim's songs aren't parodies or deconstructions; they are evocations that recognize the power of a love song. Ms. PETERS: But he is like an actor, but with notes and words. The theatermania.com reviewer wrote that "The result is an album that, more so than any of the other existing recordings, allows listeners to re-experience the heartbreaking collision of past and present that's at the core of the piece. that he no longer loves her, that for him "all of it was over 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? I like to do that. [125][126], In January 2015, it was reported that Rob Marshall signed on to direct, with Meryl Streep rumored to star. Barnes also called the story shallow and Sondheim's words a joy "even when his music sends shivers of indifference up your spine. Shakespeare in the Woods 2023 Season She's hale and hearty, singing and swinging better than ever. [55], Julianne Boyd directed a fully staged version of Follies in 2005 by the Barrington Stage Company (Massachusetts) in JuneJuly 2005. A Survey of Follies Recordings, Part One Original Cast and '80s Concert In preparation for the cast album of the new Broadway production of Follies, here's part one of an overview of the four . Walking off my tired feet. "Great American Musicals in Concert" series featured Follies as its 40th production for six performances in February 2007 in a sold out semi-staged concert. Whose Baby? All the voices begin speaking and yelling at each other. [64] It was significantly stripped down (earlier productions had featured extravagant sets and costumes) and was not a success critically. (It did get recorded but didn't make its way onto the album until the CD reissue years later. Portions of the concert were seen by audiences worldwide in the televised documentary about the making of the concert, also released on videotape and DVD, of 'Follies' in Concert. Phyllis, both now married to their respective stage-door Johnnies, You know, I'll do it for, like, at least a year and then beyond that. It's quite an interesting beautiful show with some rip-roaring numbers. for a first and last reunion: an invitation "to glamorize Story of Lucy and Jessie (Lucy being Phyllis and Jessie being 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. Kirkeby, Marc (released April 1971). After exiting, Buddy escorts the emotionally devastated[5] Sally back to their hotel with the promise to work things out later. "[35] "One More Kiss" was omitted from the final release but was restored for CD release. She had nodes that she had to have removed. Broadway Cast, 2011 (PS Classics, 2 CDs) (4 / 5) The success of the Paper Mill Playhouse production played a sizable role in convincing Broadway that a Follies revival was, in fact, feasible. "[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. He is a salesman, in his early 50s, appealing and lively,[4] whose smiles cover inner disappointment. He asked author and playwright James Goldman to join him as bookwriter for a new musical. Phyllis raunchily sings The 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. I'm Scott Simon. 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. [93][94] Other new cast members included Carol Neblett as Heidi, Sammy Williams as Theodore and Obba Babatunde as Max. "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" - Ben, Sally, Phyllis and Buddy, Young Ben, Young Sally, Young Phyllis and Young Buddy. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Jayne Houdyshell as Hattie, Mary Beth Peil as Solange LaFitte, and Don Correia as Theodore joined the Broadway cast. And as you keep learning and growing and studying your range, you know, grows and grows. Sondheim. Leading Lady / Broadway Baby / Another Openin' Another Show: Jill Perryman: 1975: Medley: Broadway Baby: Bernadette Peters: 1981: Broadway Baby: Dorothy Loudon: 1986: Broadway Baby: Daisy Eagan: February 23, 1993: The cast recording of the 2011 Broadway revival, by PS Classics, was released officially on November 29, 2011, and was in pre-sale before the store release. On her debut solo album, Broadway veteran Dorothy Loudon performs a set of theater songs she was too young to do on stage. to get him down, as he scuttles frantically between mistress and As their younger counterparts approach them, Phyllis comments to Ben about their past. The production was directed by Dominic Cooke, choreographed by Bill Deamer and starred Peter Forbes as Buddy, Imelda Staunton as Sally, Janie Dee as Phyllis, Philip Quast as Ben[100][101] and Tracie Bennett as Carlotta. the surviving players of his lavish pre-war Follies, from the silver It could be. Copyright 2011 NPR. 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 four characters are "whisked into a dream show in which each acts out his or her own principal 'folly'". In a jazzy dance number, accompanied by a squadron of chorus boys, Phyllis reflects on the two sides of her personality, one naive and passionate and the other jaded and sophisticated and her desire to combine them ("The Story of Lucy and Jessie"). [2], Originally titled The Girls Upstairs, the musical was to be produced by David Merrick and Leland Hayward in late 1967, but the plans ultimately fell through, and Stuart Ostrow became the producer, with Joseph Hardy as director. [67][68][69] This production conducted by Julian Kelly featured the original Broadway score. Cast. Broadway Baby, Learning how to sing and dance, Waiting for that one big chance To be in a show.Oh.Gee.' I'd like to be On some marquee, All twinkling lights, The score offers a pastiche of 1920s and 1930s musical styles, evoking a nostalgic tone. [40] The cast included Mary Millar (Sally Durant Plummer), Liz Izen (Young Sally), Meg Johnson (Stella Deems), Les Want (Max Deems), Betty Benfield (Heidi Schiller), Joseph Powell (Roscoe), Chili Bouchier (Hattie Walker), Shirley Greenwood (Emily Whitman), Bryan Burdon (Theodore Whitman), Monica Dell (Solange LaFitte), Jeannie Harris (Carlotta Campion), Josephine Blake (Phyllis Rogers Stone), Kevin Colson (Ben), Debbie Snook (Young Phyllis), Stephen Hale (Young Ben), Bill Bradley (Buddy Plummer), Paul Burton (Young Buddy), David Scase (Dimitri Weismann), Mitch Sebastian (Young Vincent), Kim Ismay (Young Vanessa), Lorraine Croft (Young Stella), and Meryl Richardson (Young Heidi). For Buddy, life is all about findingThe Right To extend the show, it would have been necessary to negotiate new contracts with the entire company because of the Belasco's limited seating, it wasn't deemed financially feasible to do so. [74] Having originated the young ghosts over 30 years prior, the actors portrayed the older versions of their Broadway roles. indestructibly, a Broadway Baby. "), and Hattie Walker performs her old showstopping number ("Broadway Baby"). [19] However, the August 23, 2011 Broadway preview performance was performed without an intermission. Ms. PETERS: I don't know. EMILY WHITMAN - The female half of a cheerful song and dance team. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies). Music and lyrics "), as they are mirrored by their younger selves. 66. Songs. Produced at the Winter Garden, New York, 4 April 1971 with Alexis The 2001 Roundabout Broadway revival, the first major production following Goldman's death in 1998, was again a combination of previous versions. as he looks back at a lifetime of lost opportunities (The the bitterness that has, until now, been more or less repressed. : Directed by Rebecca Frayn. And as years went on and I got out of that bad habit, my real voice revealed itself. Note: This is the song list from the original Broadway production in 1971.

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