| re: NT Live Follies | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 12:13 pm EST 11/22/17 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 12:08 pm EST 11/22/17 | |
| In reply to: NT Live Follies - castro 10:40 am EST 11/21/17 | |
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| I saw this last night at the Beekman, which had added another showing and was about 3/4 full. I certainly enjoyed hearing this score again and seeing the show looking larger than life on the big screen. I actually thought Peter Forbes as Buddy was very moving and had the best voice among the principals; even though he's not a dancer and wasn't given anything like Gene Nelson had to do in "The RIght Girl", I still found his acting and singing (and some movement) very good indeed. I liked Imelda Staunton very much; she seemed like some real ladies I've known, almost kind of like I imagine the stories of Laurette Taylor being this woman off the street just going on the stage in "The Glass Menagerie". Staunton very carefully negotiated some of the high notes of Sally, going into a light head voice that probably wouldn't project without amplification, though her belting and middle voice were certainly stronger. I didn't find her playing Sally as crazy from the get go -- she was still hopeful for a Prince Charming Ben to take her away from her life and got disillusioned as the night went on until she was crushed. I do find it puzzling how Buddy is still in love with someone like Sally after all these years when Margie seems to be perfect for him. However, he still can't leave Sally when she clearly can't abide him anymore-- did she ever really love Buddy or was his status as Ben's former best friend the reason she married him and kept him around as a consolation prize? I thought Janie Dee was playing Phyllis the hardest and toughest I had ever seen her played. She seemed indestructible. I thought her singing voice was rather tight and inflexible though she did do well with the dance. Philip Quast's acting was fine and he had a very nice singing voice, though it had a Slavic-type waver when he sustained notes. Some folks here seemed to hate Tracie Bennett, but I must say I really liked her performance, especially her "I'm Still Here" and the way it was staged. The Solange looked and acted fine, but her number was way too low for her, but the Hattie's "Broadway Baby" was a delight -- almost in a Martha Raye/Kaye Ballard vein. I thought it took forever for the ghosts to come out in the "Who's That Woman" number; maybe my knowing there are traditionally ghosts there took away a bit of the enjoyment, although it's such a good number musically. The rather nice problem with "Follies" is that it is so rich in fine musical numbers (and nearly everyone has gone to a school reunion of some sort) that it's open to so much variance in interpretation. I didn't see the original, but have seen the Encores, Paper Mill, Broadway Roundabout and 1/2 of the Lincoln Center Follies in Concert ( I second acted that). I still think the one I enjoyed most was the Paper Mill with Ann Miller and Company, though I still wish that one had kept "The Story of Lucy and Jessie", though Dee Hoty did a great job in a fun staging of "Ah, But Underneath". For such a sad, disheartening show at its core, "Follies" is also so full of vitality and celebrates the love of show business and youthful camaraderie and longings which never went away. At the same time, it mourns the apparent failure of sustainability in the relationships and dreams which grew out of it. |
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