| re: NT Live Follies | |
| Posted by: gcarl44 02:16 pm EST 11/22/17 | |
| In reply to: NT Live Follies - castro 10:40 am EST 11/21/17 | |
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| First, let me say that Follies is my favorite Sondheim show. I saw the original, and, while memory may have impacted my opinion, no production since has come near it (I have seen 5). This NT Follies, from what I can tell from the NY Live screening is by far the worst, although I thought two performers stood out: Imelda Staunton (brilliant) and Tracie Bennett (although at times I thought Bennett was channeling Carlotta through Judy Garland). I particularly like the way "I'm Still Here" was staged. I thought the others performers were lackluster or miscast. 1. The direction, in general) is terrible. While I love the show, there are parts that are problematical, and the director has missed opportunities to make them less so. For example, the parade of Pastiche numbers just happens. The three women just appear (for no reason) one after the other and do their numbers. The director had already introduced the idea of camera interviews with the "guests", so he could have presented the numbers in this vein. As it played, those camera interviews were without purpose and disappeared shortly after their introduction to the plot. 2. While I know that the theater is supposed to be in disrepair, that disrepair has never seemed so cheaply designed. Especially when we get to the Follies numbers , which are supposed to be fantasies; but who has fantasies that are just as depressing (scenically) as real life? The original took us from drab into vivid color and back to drab. 3. Most disappointing to me was the direction of "Who's That Woman" (my favorite, by the way). What happened to the mirror? The gals are supposed to be looking in mirrors while the do the number, and what they see are the ghosts of themselves. It was a chilling moment and number. Here, by the time the ghosts come out, all they do is join what has become a chorus line of dancers. 4. Costumes: What the hell is Phyllis wearing. She is supposed to be a sophisticated socialite. She looks like she is wearing pajamas and a robe. And an ill fitting one at that. In the Lucy & Jessy number she goes from mourning her life to mourning her Folly. That costume should be in red. 5. Movement: I guess the turntable was meant to help create a cinematic flow as actors moved from one part of the theater to another, but when it is not turning and the actors have to move off or to the side, they don't seem to know where to go or how to get there. In the pre show interview, the director states that this is his first musical after a career of directing plays. And it appears that he directed it as though it were a play. Follies should not have been his first attempt at taking on a musical. It is a complex work of art that requires a sure hand in crafting a production that so integrates music and drama that they become one. |
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