Follies

[Deleted]

I like La Staunton's growl at the end of 'Losing My Mind'. It's like she had a touch of IBS after the final note. Or maybe she heard someone dropping an ice cube into a cup.

[tmesis]

I notice that the NT website has now made it clear that Felicity Lott is playing Heidi until mid-April and then Josephine Barstow for performances after that. I saw the latter twice in the original run and she was one of the highlights of the show. Since I'm going again in around two week's time I'm delighted to see Flott (as her family call her) in the part. I'm really pleased that the NT are able to cast such classy operatic dames, both of whom I've seen countless times at ENO, ROH and Glyndebourne, in the part.

Incidentally, if either were indisposed - on the strength of her fantastic performance in Queen of Spades at ROH - that other amazing operatic dame Felicity Palmer (although technically a mezzo) could definitely handle the role.

[alece10]

Jan 29, 2019 13:21:26 GMT tmesis said:

I notice that the NT website has now made it clear that Felicity Lott is playing Heidi until mid-April and then Josephine Barstow for performances after that. I saw the latter twice in the original run and she was one of the highlights of the show. Since I'm going again in around two week's time I'm delighted to see Flott (as her family call her) in the part. I'm really pleased that the NT are able to cast such classy operatic dames, both of whom I've seen countless times at ENO, ROH and Glyndebourne, in the part.

Incidentally, if either were indisposed - on the strength of her fantastic performance in Queen of Spades at ROH - that other amazing operatic dame Felicity Palmer (although technically a mezzo) could definitely handle the role.

I'm also going to one of the early performances and although I've never heard of Felicity Lott I'm glad to hear she is a great singer.

[Dawnstar]

Jan 29, 2019 13:21:26 GMT tmesis said:

I notice that the NT website has now made it clear that Felicity Lott is playing Heidi until mid-April and then Josephine Barstow for performances after that.

Oh good. I've been waiting to find out before booking (hadn't yet managed to get round to going to the NT to ask). Felicity Lott is one of my favourite singers so I definitely want to see it when she's scheduled to be on.

[Deleted]

In my dreams, NYC box offices would be as lovely and accommodating as those in the UK. Today, I contacted the National to return three Follies tickets and one Tartuffe ticket as my London trip later this month has been cancelled.

I was fully prepared to receive a rather large credit voucher (already something that never happens in the States) even though I have no future London trip planned.

But the box office agent kindly refunded all of the purchases and did so while talking with me nonstop about the joys of musical theatre and her favorite shows as of late.

I believe the appropriate expression is ... gobsmacked!

[Deleted]

wow I was only given a credit voucher when I couldn't get to a show I had booked last year

[Deleted]

Feb 2, 2019 17:08:38 GMT @theatregeek62 said:

wow I was only given a credit voucher when I couldn't get to a show I had booked last year

To be fair, I should note that all the performances I returned were either sold out or very close to it.

[apubleed]

Feb 2, 2019 16:38:36 GMT jeffrey said:

In my dreams, NYC box offices would be as lovely and accommodating as those in the UK. Today, I contacted the National to return three Follies tickets and one Tartuffe ticket as my London trip later this month has been cancelled.

I was fully prepared to receive a rather large credit voucher (already something that never happens in the States) even though I have no future London trip planned.

But the box office agent kindly refunded all of the purchases and did so while talking with me nonstop about the joys of musical theatre and her favorite shows as of late.

I believe the appropriate expression is ... gobsmacked!

I hope the same agent would have refunded you had one of the leads been out, as they would in New York if say Bernadette Peters would have missed a performance in Follies (not that she ever missed).

[MrsCondomine]

Another vote for "disappointed" re: cast recording. Could I Leave You isn't smooth any longer, it's talk-sung. Janie Dee definitely did not sound like that live, either of the times I saw the production.

[Deleted]

Bring Back Julia McKenzie!

[Deleted]

Rehearsing. I hope they remember the words.

Janie looks like she popped back with her morning glass of wine, stumbled into a photo session and didn't know what to do so she did what we would all do. Freeze.

Tracie meanwhile started on her morning wine at about 11pm the night before.

[TallPaul]

Green t-shirt, red plaid skirt, pink tights and black boots! I despair. 😕

[BurlyBeaR]

Isn’t it all part of being a proper actorrrrr that you have to look as daft as possible in your rehearsal gear?

She probably got changed out of a nice two piece suit from Country Casuals into bag-lady grunge so that she wouldn’t look out of place.

[craig]

This might have already been covered, so apologies if so, but was there beef between Imelda and this production? I seem to recall a quote something along the lines of "I won't be returning to that production" which could have a few different meanings depending on the emphasis.

Regardless, I saw the original run from fantastic forward stalls seats and thought it was sensational. Losing My Mind is probably my favourite musical theatre song and I thought Imelda did a great job with it. I really love her as a musical theatre actress.

[Deleted]

Ooooh I hope so. I do love a theatre feud.

Perhaps Tracie Bennett dropped a couple of ice cubes into her glass backstage during 'Losing My Mind' which set La Staunton off?

[MrsCondomine]

Feb 5, 2019 12:28:10 GMT TallPaul said:

Green t-shirt, red plaid skirt, pink tights and black boots! I despair. 😕

Hey she looks cool! If I was old I'd go swanning about in fur but I like her kookiness

[Deleted]

Feb 5, 2019 12:17:49 GMT @ryan said:

Rehearsing. I hope they remember the words.

Janie looks like she popped back with her morning glass of wine, stumbled into a photo session and didn't know what to do so she did what we would all do. Freeze.

Tracie meanwhile started on her morning wine at about 11pm the night before.

morning wine >
mourning wine

too many mournings

[distantcousin]

Feb 5, 2019 12:37:11 GMT BurlyBeaR said:

Isn’t it all part of being a proper actorrrrr that you have to look as daft as possible in your rehearsal gear?

She probably got changed out of a nice two piece suit from Country Casuals into bag-lady grunge so that she wouldn’t look out of place.

LOL! SO true!

[Deleted]

How's it's selling this time around? I know last time around it sold out most performances but I'm tempted to give it a second chance. It doesn't seem like there is as much hype around it this time, probably in part because theatre fans wanting to see it have already seen it so there isn't that "unknown" kinda hype. I may look into getting a cheap ticket.

[Someone in a tree]

Feb 5, 2019 16:26:24 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

How's it's selling this time around? I know last time around it sold out most performances but I'm tempted to give it a second chance. It doesn't seem like there is as much hype around it this time, probably in part because theatre fans wanting to see it have already seen it so there isn't that "unknown" kinda hype. I may look into getting a cheap ticket.

Plus the recording of it is not great and so not appealing

[Deleted]

There's too much Sondheim on in London's glitzy West End, it's too much.

And the Mischief Theatre gang agree with me.

#SondWho

[alece10]

Feb 5, 2019 16:26:24 GMT danieljohnson14 said:

How's it's selling this time around? I know last time around it sold out most performances but I'm tempted to give it a second chance. It doesn't seem like there is as much hype around it this time, probably in part because theatre fans wanting to see it have already seen it so there isn't that "unknown" kinda hype. I may look into getting a cheap ticket.

I'm going to an early preview and when I looked last week there were only 2 seats left but not sure how it's sold later in the run.

[anthony40]

Feb 5, 2019 12:39:40 GMT craig said:

This might have already been covered, so apologies if so, but was there beef between Imelda and this production? I seem to recall a quote something along the lines of "I won't be returning to that production" which could have a few different meanings depending on the emphasis.

Regardless, I saw the original run from fantastic forward stalls seats and thought it was sensational. Losing My Mind is probably my favourite musical theatre song and I thought Imelda did a great job with it. I really love her as a musical theatre actress.

I don't believe this to the case at all Craig.

Imelda Staunton lives down the road from me and i spoke to her not long after the closure of Follies. Don't forget, this is a busy woman.

She did Sweeney Todd. On the non-matinee days she was filming Malificent.

She also did a play at the Hampstead Theatre- People Like Us (I believe)- which then transferred to the West End.  Then came Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, then Gypsy. And then on the back of that Follies.

In between that she was not only in the booth recording the recently released cast recording and making the film Finding Your Feet that was released in February last year. not to mention doing voice over work for both Paddington films.

When I spoke to her she told me that apart from emails, she doesn't do any social media and at this stage the her involvement with the cast recording was over and to quote ms Staunton herself she said "Nothing upcoming up (apart from Finding Your Feet) and it's time for a break and for a "life"'

[wickedgrin]

I am revisiting this a week on Friday at a preview. There are seats at all prices and I find with the NT that busy or sold out performances often have returns on their website and so it is always worth checking regularly.

[Deleted]

anthony40 I think you're thinking of the play "Good People" in-between Sweeney and Follies.