The first of many times I saw "Follies" in its pre-Broadway run in Boston - I was totally blown away (McMartin's "forgetting" his lines being the greatest audience fake-out I've ever seen). I was sitting in the front mezzanine at the Colonial, surrounded by some sort of womens group. At the end, one woman turned to her friend and said "Well, Hello Dolly has nothing to worry about."
I was shocked to later discover how many classmates (theater majors!!) totally missed the point of much of the production (one comment - "I was so angry the director made those old ladies walk down that staircase when they were clearly having trouble" - sigh)
