Follies

[tmesis]

I've just seen this for the second time and it's now a really fabulous show with everyone firing on all cylinders. All four main principles were fantastic at today's matinee (the revolve behaved itself.) Imelda has particularly deepened her performance from 2 months ago; Losing my Mind was very emotional and I'd forgotten what a classy dancer Jannie Dee is (her voice was also more assured than previously.) The band is now just sensational.

Great to be back at the Olivier with something that really works in the space after the disappointing St. George - not to mention the awful Common and Salome.

[frankubelik]

Julie Armstrong covered young Phyllis in the second cast at the Shaftesbury. And of course Liz Izen played young Sally in Leicester - would love to see her take on Sally. Would be nice to hear it properly sung........................

[Deleted]

Oct 28, 2017 15:58:39 GMT frankubelik said:

Julie Armstrong covered young Phyllis in the second cast at the Shaftesbury. And of course Liz Izen played young Sally in Leicester - would love to see her take on Sally. Would be nice to hear it properly sung........................

Ah, interesting. The answer (for me at least) is Alison Langer (young Heidi) when she was still a student.

Follies is none of those shows where appearing in it many years later can add so much resonance.

[callum]

Saw this, at long last, yesterday evening and what a triumph! Glorious Sondheim score with that colossal orchestra and the most amazing actresses belting away. Heaven. And it really is a special show when Imelda, brilliant as per, isn't even the best thing in it.

Conceptualised so amazingly, the sets and costume are all first rate. Thrilled they've spent the money on it. Revolve worked well for us. Philip Quast amazing (we really did think it was him breaking down rather than Ben!), Janie was a fabulous dancer and showed all of Phyllis' spite and snobbery without ever becoming unbearable, and Imelda gave a lot of restraint as Sally. Was fearing the worst that she would go totally berserk and bulldozer Losing My Mind, but instead she was fairly restrained but no less powerful. Enjoyed her tap skills. I must, however, give a special mention to Dame Tracie Bennett for her gobsmacking I'm Still Here, need to make a return visit just for that alone! Her skin-and-bone frame going hell for leather with that iconic number was joyous. She got a mini standing ov mid-show. Loved her.

I also enjoyed Who's That Woman - in other productions have different Follies taken part? Would've liked to see Di Botcher's character or indeed Solange giving it a go instead of Christine who is extremely minor. I enjoyed the use of the revolve, but the 2011 Broadway prod on YouTube, that has all of the older ladies staying on stage throughout was perhaps more impactful, even with their more limited staging abilities. Barstow's number was excellent, however, so was How Could I Leave You and the opening number.

But overall, this is an absolutely smashing production and felt very special indeed. Enjoyed Cooke's focus on the duality that's at the heart of the show. Personally, I found Loveland the bringing to life of some sort of existential hell for the characters - just told through 1930s musical tropes. Actually, I loved the different ways one could read the piece. A spectacular show.

[showgirl]

I looked to see if I could change the date of my visit (in the vain hope of seeing Romantics Anonymous instead) and noted that, as icouldleaveyou posted on 27 October, there is still availability - and for a couple of dates now. The NT website however is still saying "Sold Out", which is a little misleading for those who don't go on to check. The availability for the non-rehearsal dates is presumably due to a handful of returns.

[distantcousin]

Oct 27, 2017 22:44:53 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Oh dear. I didn't care for it too much.

Ok, I loved the staging, the orchestra sounded fantastic and the acting was great. But as a show it wasn’t my cup of tea. Are you supposed to care about any of these people? They’re all extremely unlikeable, and recognising your many flaws as they all seem to do very ably doesn’t make them any more bearable. Also, for the first hour the women barely spoke to eachother, it was only at the Mirror song where they really started to interact with eachother, and after that it stopped again.

Some very good moments but overall a bit meh.

Very valid points. I've seen the Royal Albert Hall concert and all of us that went felt no connection or desire to root for any of the main four. It's a bit souless in that respect. It's the hoofers performances that make it good.

And the whole conclusion - oh, well we may as well just stay as we are (learnt nothing) is very "meh"!!

[theatremad]

Tickets released for the Camera Rehearsal and Cinema Relay. Saw this early previews and desperately wanted to take my partner, but performances were difficult to get tickets for, this albeit with cameras means I can now take them

[missbabs]

I saw this on Saturday night and it was sensational.

Everything about it was of such high quality: the performances, the set, the orchestra. It really was quite a show.

Tracie Bennett was the standout for me and Di Botcher too - they received rapturous applause. Imelda and Janie were also wonderful - I thought Janie's comic timing was sublime!

This production was a real treat.

Outstanding.

[liverpool54321]

I've just returned 2 stalls seats for matinee 2nd November as unwell. Helpful box office as sold me 2 new seats for the NT Live matinee giving me discount on 2nd seat as now taking someone over 60 - so ended up with a credit. I probably sounded so terrible on the phone he naturally assumed I must be in my 80s!

[dippy]

Has anyone else had tickets vanish from their shopping basket while trying to buy them? Two seats for tomorrow night turned up and I had them in my shopping basket (it said for 30 minutes). I checked with my friend straight away if she could make tomorrow night, she could. Then I tried to log in and the password was wrong so I tried again. Then I wondered why on earth I had an account since I have a feeling I've only ever got tickets from the box office so tried to make an account. That wouldn't work, it said I have one, but all the time the tickets were still there. I then tried logging in one more time and was going to reset my password but suddenly the page was telling me conflicting info. It was telling me I had 7 minutes in which to buy the tickets, which were still listed, but in the top right hand corner it was also telling me that there was nothing in my shopping basket. All a bit of a mystery and a little bit annoying. Did I confuse the poor system? Or can tickets just vanish?

I did see Follies a month or so ago but I don't think I mentioned it on here because it was hard for me to get into it as I had a day seat and was at the back of the circle so have been waiting for a cheap stalls seat to appear since I think I'll enjoy it if I'm not so far away. Unfortunately tomorrow is now not the day.

[Deleted]

Oct 31, 2017 15:59:53 GMT dippy said:

All a bit of a mystery and a little bit annoying. Did I confuse the poor system? Or can tickets just vanish?

Or are you losing your mind?

[showgirl]

I took a while but this grew on me yesterday. I'm not particularly a Sondheim fan but I'd never seen Follies so this seemed the ideal opportunity to give it a go. At first I feared it was going to be some impersonal, big band musical with unappealing songs/lyrics, especially as the initial scenes involved prolonged prancing about with terrible blocking such that characters kept coming to a stop right in front of me so I couldn't see properly (I had one of those side seats in row D which are actually the front row, albeit raised, thank goodness.)

However, once it got going I really liked how dark it became, full of disappointments, broken dreams, bitterness and shattered illusions. Maybe it's my age - in which case it may be a good thing that I'd happened not to see it when younger - and I found it very sad, too, but that aspect really resonated with me. I doubt I'd ever want to see it again, but it was more rewarding and interesting than I'd dared hope.

[bordeaux]

Saw it on Wednesday and loved it. Rufus Norris should be keeping Dominic Cooke very close - he's on a real run of hits. Can't wait to see what he does next. I assume he'll be directing the new Bruce Norris mooted for next year. Anyone know what else he is down for? I'd love to see him to another Sondheim - Pacific Overtures hasn't been done for a while...

[martin1965]

Saw the matinee today. Wow! I still have fond memories if the McKenzie/Rigg production in 1987 but this surpassed that. Superb ensemble. Third thing ive seen Alex Young in quick succession following Showboat and Carousel. She is going to be a star. Took my daughter, son and his girlfriend and they all loved it too. Bet Rufus would like to extend, given the run of flops he has had.

[couldileaveyou]

Saw it again tonight and they have replaced Buddy Blues' "Margie" and "Sally" with real women, which is good (come on Rufus, if men in drag didn't work for Michael Bennett, did you really think you'd make them work?), but it's surprising to see such such a change so well into the run. Janie Dee was really on top of her game tonight, I never heard her sing so well. Imelda should really stop carrying the empty glass around the stage during "Losing My Mind", it's really not the case.

[couldileaveyou]

oh and here you can see the new "Margie" and "Sally":

http://instagram.com/p/BbFAPOch9yY

[Scswp]

Nov 4, 2017 23:28:30 GMT couldileaveyou said:

Saw it again tonight and they have replaced Buddy Blues' "Margie" and "Sally" with real women, which is good (come on Rufus, if men in drag didn't work for Michael Bennett, did you really think you'd make them work?), but it's surprising to see such such a change so well into the run. Janie Dee was really on top of her game tonight, I never heard her sing so well. Imelda should really stop carrying the empty glass around the stage during "Losing My Mind", it's really not the case.

Maybe the change so far into the run is due to the NT Live performance. My guess is that without the ‘committing It to film forevermore’ pressure, they may have just left it now (even if they thought they had made a bad judgement call!) They definitely wouldn’t want this bad judgement call to be preserved forever though!!! Just a thought!

[Deleted]

Last Saturday matinee, it was still 2 guys in drag. Maybe they were short in the ensemble? Its definitely an odd chamge.

I never like Buddy's Blues before but i liked the change to guys in drag. It at least made it interesting.

[bimse]

I hated the guys in drag, it didn’t fit, wasn’t well performed. Glad they’ve changed it , but it’d be interested to know why .

[lonlad]

I have a feeling msh's hunch is 100% correct

[Mr Snow]

Thursday was still drag.

The performances were brilliant and Janie Dee gets my accolade Actor of the Year (though she did seem to be channelling her inner Christine Baranski - which of course is a good thing)


But more confused that ever by the piece.

So we've cleared the decks and going to the local cinema to give it a second chance.

[mrbarnaby]

Nov 5, 2017 16:57:58 GMT Mr Snow said:

Thursday was still drag.

The performances were brilliant and Janie Dee gets my accolade Actor of the Year (though she did seem to be channelling her inner Christine Baranski - which of course is a good thing)


But more confused that ever by the piece.

So we've cleared the decks and going to the local cinema to give it a second chance.

I think Janie Dee (and Tracie Bennett-WOW) ran away with the show. Such an elegant and classy performance. And what a dancer! The orchestra sounded great but it is SO badly directed. I never want to see a revolver turning ever again (well until Hamilton).

He should never have been allowed to use it that much. It constantly distracted from performers.

The lighting was too dark, Imelda struggled badly, the choreography was massively uninspired, Loveland looked a fright. Just really wish that the whole production had been better given the resources available on it.

[martin1965]

Nov 5, 2017 17:07:53 GMT mrbarnaby said:

Nov 5, 2017 16:57:58 GMT Mr Snow said:

Thursday was still drag.

The performances were brilliant and Janie Dee gets my accolade Actor of the Year (though she did seem to be channelling her inner Christine Baranski - which of course is a good thing)


But more confused that ever by the piece.

So we've cleared the decks and going to the local cinema to give it a second chance.

I think Janie Dee (and Tracie Bennett-WOW) ran away with the show. Such an elegant and classy performance. And what a dancer! The orchestra sounded great but it is SO badly directed. I never want to see a revolver turning ever again (well until Hamilton).

He should never have been allowed to use it that much. It constantly distracted from performers.

The lighting was too dark, Imelda struggled badly, the choreography was massively uninspired, Loveland looked a fright. Just really wish that the whole production had been better given the resources available on it.

Clearly saw a different show!

[martin1965]

Nov 5, 2017 16:57:58 GMT Mr Snow said:

Thursday was still drag.

The performances were brilliant and Janie Dee gets my accolade Actor of the Year (though she did seem to be channelling her inner Christine Baranski - which of course is a good thing)


But more confused that ever by the piece.

So we've cleared the decks and going to the local cinema to give it a second chance.

Def two girls yesterday.

[Deleted]

How is Dawn Hope? Is the role big? I’m a fan of her but haven’t heard anything about her in this show?