Well, the last Broadway revival did employ a few more players than the National production did.
I can imagine a "poor" Follies being effective. It was done that way in 2006 at the Landor in London, although I am told the production was not especially good. And that while a small and intimate Follies might work, it really was too small. It's a 60-seat theatre. Someone I trust told me that the real original book was used so that was good.
I'd like to believe that one day we will see a first-rate Follies, but I am doubtful. I don't think the problems with the Paper Mill, the Roundabout, the last Broadway revival and, judging from the filming as best I can, the National had all that much to do with lack of money. Here and there, yes. It would be nice to see a production in which the right characters were in "Who's That Woman?" I can't remember at this point whether the National hired enough performers that they didn't need to have someone playing a former headliner also in "Who's That Woman?"
In any case, despite a lot of money having been spent on the National Follies, it seemed to me worse than any of the productions I mentioned above, and I didn't much like any of them. Really misdirected. They've all been misdirected, but that one seemed to me even more misdirected. |
