Follies in Concert
Follies is a musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman that is set in the dilapidated and soon-to-be demolished Weisman Theatre where former performers from the Weisman’s Follies remember the trials and tribulations of their younger selves. A special concert version was filmed at Lincoln Center in 1985, and a documentary of the concert was released on television, VHS, and DVD.
Where to watch
theatrical history
Following a month of previews in Boston in early 1971, Follies opened on Broadway on April 4, 1971 at the Winter Garden Theatre. It was directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, with Bennett also providing choreography. The cast included Dorothy Collins, John McMartin, Gene Nelson, and Alexis Smith.
Follies was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning 7 including Best Actress in a Musical (Alexis Smith), Best Choreography (Michael Bennett), Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz), Best Direction of a Musical (Harold Prince and Michael Bennett), Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser), Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim), and Best Scenic Design (Boris Aronson).
After 522 performances, Follies closed on Broadway. Despite critical acclaim, the production was deemed a commercial flop after it failed to recoup its $800,000 production costs.
UK & West End
Follies premiered in the UK in Manchester at the Forum Theatre in 1985.
The musical was first performed on the West End in 1987 at the Shaftsbury Theatre. The production was directed by Mike Ockrent, and choreographed by Bob Avian. Diana Rigg, Julia McKenzie, Daniel Massey, and David Healy led the cast.
New York Philharmonic Concert Version
The New York Philharmonic presented a concert version of Follies in 1985. A documentary with substantial footage of the concert was released by PBS in 1986. The documentary was later released on VHS and DVD (see Filmed Production Notes below).
Broadway Revival - Roundabout Theatre
In 2001 Roundabout Theatre presented the first Broadway revival of Follies at the Belasco Theatre. Under the direction of Matthew Warchus, the revival was choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and featured Blythe Danner, Gregory Harrison, Judith Ivey, and Treat Williams. The revival was nominated for 5 Tony Awards and 3 Drama Desk Awards. It ran for 117 performances.
New York City Center - Encores!
New York City Center presented a limited engagement Encores! production of Follies in 2007. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, the production featured Donna Murphy, Victor Garber, Victoria Clark, and Michael McGrath.
Second Broadway Revival
A second Broadway revival, based on the 2011 Kennedy Center production, opened in August 2011 at the Marquis Theatre. Directed by Ed Schaeffer and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, the production featured Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, and Ron Raines. The revival was nominated for 10 Drama Desk Awards, winning for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein), Outstanding Costume Design (Gregg Barnes), and Outstanding Revival of a Musical. The production was also nominated for 8 Tony Awards, winning for Best Costume Design of a Musical. It ran for 152 performances.
Opéra de Toulon
In 2013, the Opéra de Toulon in France staged a new production, which was filmed live and later released on DVD (see Follies (2013).
UK National Theatre
In 2017, the UK’s National Theatre staged a highly celebrated production at the Olivier Theatre. Directed by Dominic Cooke and choreographed by Bill Deamer, the production featured a 21-piece orchestra and a cast of 37 including Imelda Staunton, Janie Dee, Philip Quast, and Peter Forbes. This production was broadcast live in cinemas around the world through the National Theatre Live program (see Follies (2017).
Feature Film
In 2019, Deadline announced that Dominic Cooke was adapting Follies into a feature film. Late in 2021, the New York Times and Backstage announced a feature film was in development with Heyday Films and BBC Films, though Cooke was no longer attached to the project. Further details have yet to be released.
Follies was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning 7 including Best Actress in a Musical (Alexis Smith), Best Choreography (Michael Bennett), Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz), Best Direction of a Musical (Harold Prince and Michael Bennett), Best Lighting Design (Tharon Musser), Best Original Score (Stephen Sondheim), and Best Scenic Design (Boris Aronson).
After 522 performances, Follies closed on Broadway. Despite critical acclaim, the production was deemed a commercial flop after it failed to recoup its $800,000 production costs.
UK & West End
Follies premiered in the UK in Manchester at the Forum Theatre in 1985.
The musical was first performed on the West End in 1987 at the Shaftsbury Theatre. The production was directed by Mike Ockrent, and choreographed by Bob Avian. Diana Rigg, Julia McKenzie, Daniel Massey, and David Healy led the cast.
New York Philharmonic Concert Version
The New York Philharmonic presented a concert version of Follies in 1985. A documentary with substantial footage of the concert was released by PBS in 1986. The documentary was later released on VHS and DVD (see Filmed Production Notes below).
Broadway Revival - Roundabout Theatre
In 2001 Roundabout Theatre presented the first Broadway revival of Follies at the Belasco Theatre. Under the direction of Matthew Warchus, the revival was choreographed by Kathleen Marshall and featured Blythe Danner, Gregory Harrison, Judith Ivey, and Treat Williams. The revival was nominated for 5 Tony Awards and 3 Drama Desk Awards. It ran for 117 performances.
New York City Center - Encores!
New York City Center presented a limited engagement Encores! production of Follies in 2007. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, the production featured Donna Murphy, Victor Garber, Victoria Clark, and Michael McGrath.
Second Broadway Revival
A second Broadway revival, based on the 2011 Kennedy Center production, opened in August 2011 at the Marquis Theatre. Directed by Ed Schaeffer and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, the production featured Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, and Ron Raines. The revival was nominated for 10 Drama Desk Awards, winning for Outstanding Actor in a Musical (Danny Burstein), Outstanding Costume Design (Gregg Barnes), and Outstanding Revival of a Musical. The production was also nominated for 8 Tony Awards, winning for Best Costume Design of a Musical. It ran for 152 performances.
Opéra de Toulon
In 2013, the Opéra de Toulon in France staged a new production, which was filmed live and later released on DVD (see Follies (2013).
UK National Theatre
In 2017, the UK’s National Theatre staged a highly celebrated production at the Olivier Theatre. Directed by Dominic Cooke and choreographed by Bill Deamer, the production featured a 21-piece orchestra and a cast of 37 including Imelda Staunton, Janie Dee, Philip Quast, and Peter Forbes. This production was broadcast live in cinemas around the world through the National Theatre Live program (see Follies (2017).
Feature Film
In 2019, Deadline announced that Dominic Cooke was adapting Follies into a feature film. Late in 2021, the New York Times and Backstage announced a feature film was in development with Heyday Films and BBC Films, though Cooke was no longer attached to the project. Further details have yet to be released.
Film history
The idea for Follies in Concert was reportedly conceived by RCA record producer Thomas Z. Shepard as a means to record Sondheim’s score in its entirety. Co-produced by Ellen M. Krass, the concert was presented at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall with the New York Philharmonic over two sold-out nights in September 1985.
The concert was directed by Herbert Ross who, according to John J.O’Connor in the New York Times, “approached it as a staged oratorio.”
The concert featured Sondheim musical and notable Broadway alumni including Lee Remick, Elaine Stritch, George Hearn, Liz Callaway, Mandy Patinkin, Barbara Cook, Carol Burnett, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.
In his review for the New York Times, Frank Rich noted how the audience “simply erupted into pandemonium” in the opening number “Beautiful Girls.” Rich had high praise for Sondheim’s score, stating Follies “can take its place among our musical theater's very finest achievements.” Rich described the score as “a shimmering amalgam of musical echoes - of Ravel, Gershwin, Kern and Arlen, among others,” and noted that “the Philharmonic's rendition revealed more clearly than ever how completely the composer's own caustic point of view remakes and unifies the musical memories into an original whole.”
According to an interview with Ellen M. Krass in the Los Angeles Times, director Herbert Ross was initially reluctant to film the concert but agreed after a long discussion with Krass. Although Krass had wanted to film the entire concert, she had difficulty in obtaining funding, an issue she would again encounter almost twenty years later when filming Sondheim’s Company with the New York Philharmonic. Regarding funding, Krass was stated in The Los Angeles Times, “The talent worked for scale. But we had the unions to deal with; and the Philharmonic, which only works in two-hour clips, must be paid for those two hours. That’s why we decided to take 12 songs and follow them through rehearsal to final performance.” The concert was reportedly filmed for around $300,000, a small film budget even for the time.
The concert was filmed with four cameras under the direction of Michael Houldey…
In early 1986, RCA released a 2-disc album of the concert.
Although Chicago Tribune critic Richard Christiansen was pleased that the new recording had the Sondheim score in its entirety, he felt the recording did not match the live event. He stated that “The recording lacks the electricity of the event,” and felt that the musical did “not necessarily improve when it is blown up into a quickly assembled concert extravaganza backed by a symphony orchestra.”
Follies in Concert, a documentary featuring footage from the concert along with backstage footage and interviews, was broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances on March 14, 1986. The documentary was part of a weekend long schedule of musical programming for PBS to conclude their annual fundraising drive that included An Evening with Barbara Cook, Benny Goodman - Let’s Dance: A Musical Tribute, and Gala of Stars featuring the Vienna Philharmonic.
Critics were not enamored by the Follies in Concert documentary, often wishing that a full version of the show had been broadcast instead.
New York Times theatre critic John J. O’Connor noted that while the “splendid” RCA album “to an extraordinary degree… capture[d] the excitement and sheer joy, on stage and in the audience,” the television capture of Follies in Concert was “likely to create some confusion, if not resentment, because it is not what this title suggests.” Although he felt the backstage interviews “capture the great dedication and respect among the performers and the entire production staff,” he ultimately hoped the documentary would inspire the release of the full film.
Richard Christiansen writing for the Chicago Tribune was frustrated that the documentary truncated the songs - “which defeats the original purpose of the project,” and felt that the film most successful aspect was its backstage interviews and interviews with “the always articulate Sondheim.”
Writing for New York’s Daily News, Kay Gardella was frustrated by the “nuts and bolts” backstage approach and noted “it would have been preferable to see a performance of the original “Follies” rather than this butchered version.”
Follies in Concert is available on DVD.
The concert was directed by Herbert Ross who, according to John J.O’Connor in the New York Times, “approached it as a staged oratorio.”
The concert featured Sondheim musical and notable Broadway alumni including Lee Remick, Elaine Stritch, George Hearn, Liz Callaway, Mandy Patinkin, Barbara Cook, Carol Burnett, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.
In his review for the New York Times, Frank Rich noted how the audience “simply erupted into pandemonium” in the opening number “Beautiful Girls.” Rich had high praise for Sondheim’s score, stating Follies “can take its place among our musical theater's very finest achievements.” Rich described the score as “a shimmering amalgam of musical echoes - of Ravel, Gershwin, Kern and Arlen, among others,” and noted that “the Philharmonic's rendition revealed more clearly than ever how completely the composer's own caustic point of view remakes and unifies the musical memories into an original whole.”
According to an interview with Ellen M. Krass in the Los Angeles Times, director Herbert Ross was initially reluctant to film the concert but agreed after a long discussion with Krass. Although Krass had wanted to film the entire concert, she had difficulty in obtaining funding, an issue she would again encounter almost twenty years later when filming Sondheim’s Company with the New York Philharmonic. Regarding funding, Krass was stated in The Los Angeles Times, “The talent worked for scale. But we had the unions to deal with; and the Philharmonic, which only works in two-hour clips, must be paid for those two hours. That’s why we decided to take 12 songs and follow them through rehearsal to final performance.” The concert was reportedly filmed for around $300,000, a small film budget even for the time.
The concert was filmed with four cameras under the direction of Michael Houldey…
In early 1986, RCA released a 2-disc album of the concert.
Although Chicago Tribune critic Richard Christiansen was pleased that the new recording had the Sondheim score in its entirety, he felt the recording did not match the live event. He stated that “The recording lacks the electricity of the event,” and felt that the musical did “not necessarily improve when it is blown up into a quickly assembled concert extravaganza backed by a symphony orchestra.”
Follies in Concert, a documentary featuring footage from the concert along with backstage footage and interviews, was broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances on March 14, 1986. The documentary was part of a weekend long schedule of musical programming for PBS to conclude their annual fundraising drive that included An Evening with Barbara Cook, Benny Goodman - Let’s Dance: A Musical Tribute, and Gala of Stars featuring the Vienna Philharmonic.
Critics were not enamored by the Follies in Concert documentary, often wishing that a full version of the show had been broadcast instead.
New York Times theatre critic John J. O’Connor noted that while the “splendid” RCA album “to an extraordinary degree… capture[d] the excitement and sheer joy, on stage and in the audience,” the television capture of Follies in Concert was “likely to create some confusion, if not resentment, because it is not what this title suggests.” Although he felt the backstage interviews “capture the great dedication and respect among the performers and the entire production staff,” he ultimately hoped the documentary would inspire the release of the full film.
Richard Christiansen writing for the Chicago Tribune was frustrated that the documentary truncated the songs - “which defeats the original purpose of the project,” and felt that the film most successful aspect was its backstage interviews and interviews with “the always articulate Sondheim.”
Writing for New York’s Daily News, Kay Gardella was frustrated by the “nuts and bolts” backstage approach and noted “it would have been preferable to see a performance of the original “Follies” rather than this butchered version.”
Follies in Concert is available on DVD.
cast & creative credits
Theatre: Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center (NYC)
Producer: Ellen M. Krass, Thomas Z Shepard
Book: James Goldman
Music: Stephen Sondheim
Director: Herbert Ross
Film: Michael Houldey
Musical Director: Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Cast:
Andre Gregory (Dimitri Weissman)
Arthur Rubin (Roscoe)
Barbara Cook (Sally Durant Plummer)
George Hearn (Benjamin Stone)
Mandy Patinkin (Buddy Plummer)
Phyllis Rogers Stone (Lee Remick)
Jim Walton (Young Buddy)
Howard McGillin (Young Ben)
Daisy Prince (Young Phyllis)
Liz Callaway (Young Sally)
Betty Comden (Emily Whitman)
Theodore Whitman (Adolph Green)
Liliane Montevecchi (Solange LaFitte)
Elaine Stritch (Hattie Walker)
Phyllis Newman (Stella Deems)
Carol Burnett (Carlotta Campion)
Licia Albanese (Heidi Schiller)
Erie Mills (Young Heidi)
Chorus
Ronn Carroll
Susan Cella
Robert Hendersen
Frank Kopyc
Marti Morris
Ted Sperling
Susan Terry
Sandra Wheeler
Dancers
Karen Fraction
Linda von Germer
Jamie M. Pisano
Elvera Sciarra
New York Philharmonic
Producer: Ellen M. Krass, Thomas Z Shepard
Book: James Goldman
Music: Stephen Sondheim
Director: Herbert Ross
Film: Michael Houldey
Musical Director: Paul Gemignani
Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick
Cast:
Andre Gregory (Dimitri Weissman)
Arthur Rubin (Roscoe)
Barbara Cook (Sally Durant Plummer)
George Hearn (Benjamin Stone)
Mandy Patinkin (Buddy Plummer)
Phyllis Rogers Stone (Lee Remick)
Jim Walton (Young Buddy)
Howard McGillin (Young Ben)
Daisy Prince (Young Phyllis)
Liz Callaway (Young Sally)
Betty Comden (Emily Whitman)
Theodore Whitman (Adolph Green)
Liliane Montevecchi (Solange LaFitte)
Elaine Stritch (Hattie Walker)
Phyllis Newman (Stella Deems)
Carol Burnett (Carlotta Campion)
Licia Albanese (Heidi Schiller)
Erie Mills (Young Heidi)
Chorus
Ronn Carroll
Susan Cella
Robert Hendersen
Frank Kopyc
Marti Morris
Ted Sperling
Susan Terry
Sandra Wheeler
Dancers
Karen Fraction
Linda von Germer
Jamie M. Pisano
Elvera Sciarra
New York Philharmonic
awards & nominations
More info coming soon.
research sources
Articles
Other
- Richard Christiansen, “DOCUMENTARY ON `FOLLIES` CONCERT IS A CUT BELOW,” Chicago Tribune (March 14, 1986)
- Lawrence Christon, “‘Follies’ Finally Making its Way To The Tube,” Los Angeles Times (March 13, 1986), Calendar p.IV
- Kay Gardena, “Sondheim, swing and Strauss,” Daily News (New York) (March 14, 1986), p.79
- Tom Grater, ‘Follies’: Stephen Sondheim Musical Getting Film Treatment From ‘On Chesil Beach’ Director Dominic Cooke, Heyday, BBC Films,” Deadline (Nov 14, 2019)
- Stephen Holden, “MUSIC; Sondheim's 'Follies,' The Uncut Version,” New York Times (Nov 29, 1998)
- John J. O’Connor, “'FOLLIES IN CONCERT' ON CHANNEL 13,” New York Times (March 14, 1986), Section C, p.34
- Michael Paulson, “A Sondheim Surge: Interest in His Work Soars After His Death,” New York Times (Dec 8, 2021)
- Frank Rich, “STAGE: CONCERT VERSION OF 'FOLLIES' IS A REUNION,” New York Times (Sept 9, 1985), Section C, p. 16
- Casting Sleuth, “A Feature Adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman 'Follies' Is in the Works,” Backstage (Dec 10, 2021)
Other
- Author Interview with Ellen M. Krass, (August, 2023)
Written by Luisa Lyons (January, 2024)