Follies (1971)
Words & Music: Stephen Sondheim
Book: James Goldman
Premise: In a crumbling Broadway theatre about to be demolished, former performers reunite for one last gathering. Against the backdrop of ghostly showgirls and glittering memories, two middle-aged couples confront the disillusionments of their lives and marriages. The reunion becomes a hall of mirrors in which past and present collide – nostalgia, regret and failed dreams laid bare. Sondheim’s score shifts between pastiche and piercing confession, capturing both the glamour of the old Broadway revue and the ache of lost time.
Background: Follies was conceived by Harold Prince and book writer James Goldman, inspired by a 1960s article about a reunion of Ziegfeld Follies girls. Prince, collaborating with Sondheim after Company, envisioned a musical about memory, regret and the decay of American optimism, staged against the ruins of a once-grand theatre. Sondheim wrote a score that blended pastiche numbers echoing early 20th-century Broadway styles with contemporary, emotionally raw songs. The original 1971 production at the Winter Garden Theatre – directed by Prince and choreographed by Michael Bennett – was famed for its extravagant design and bold theatricality. Although it initially lost money, the show won widespread critical acclaim and has since become a landmark in the musical theatre canon.
Major productions/concert performances/recordings:
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1972 Los Angeles Production
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1973 Stock Tour
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1976 Equity Library Production
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1985 Manchester [UK] Production
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1985 Lincoln Center Concerts
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1987 London Production [Revised]
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1995 Theater Under the Stars Production
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1996 London Concert
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1998 Paper Mill Playhouse Production
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2001 Broadway Revival
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2002 Reprise! (Los Angeles) Production
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2002 Royal Festival Hall Production
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2006 London Production
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2007 London Benefit Concert
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2007 Encores! Concerts
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2011 Kennedy Center Production
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2011 Broadway Revival
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2013 Opéra de Toulon Production
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2015 Royal Albert Hall Concert
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2017 London Revival (National Theatre)
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2024 Carnegie Hall Concert
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2025 Northern Ireland Opera
Broadway Production (1971)
Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway at 51st St, New York, NY
Tryout: Colonial Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts
Previews: 20 February 1971 (three previews)
Opens: 20 February 1971
Closes: 24 March 1971
Winter Garden Theatre, New York
Previews: 24 March 1971 (12 previews)
Opens: 4 April 1971
Closes: 1 July 1972
Performances: 522
Producer/Director: Harold Prince, in association with Ruth Miller
Director/Choreographer: Michael Bennett
Musical Director: Harold Hastings
Orchestrator: Jonathan Tunick
Dance Music Arranger: John Berkman
Scenic Production Designer: Boris Aronson
Costume Designer: Florenze Klotz
Lighting Designer: Tharon Musser
Sound Designer: Jack Mann
Cast:
Major-Domo: Dick Latessa (replaced by Joseph Nelson)
Sally Durant Plummer: Dorothy Collins
Young Sally: Marti Rolph
Christine Donovan*: Ethel Barrymore Colt (replaced by Terry Saunders on 7 June 1971; Jan Clayton on 27 February 1972)
Willy Wheeler: Fred Kelly (replaced by Donald Weissmuller)
Stella Deems: Mary McCarty
Max Deems: John J. Martin
Heidi Schiller: Justine Johnston
Chauffeur: John Grigas
Meredith Lane: Sheila Smith (replaced by Marion Marlowe on 29 January 1971; Terry Saunders on 24 April 1972)
Chet Richards: Peter Walker
Roscoe: Michael Bartlett
Deedee West**: Helon Blount (replaced by Sonja Levkova)
Hattie Walker: Ethel Shutta
Young Hattie: Mary Jane Houdina (replaced by Jacqueline Payne)
Emily Whitman: Marcie Stringer (replaced by Camila Ashland)
Theodore Whitman: Charles Welch (replaced by Ted Lawrie)
Vincent: Victor Griffin
Vanessa: Jayne Turner
Young Vincent: Michael Misita
Young Vanessa: Graciela Daniele (replaced by Margot Travers)
Solange LaFitte: Fifi D’Orsay
Carlotta Campion: Yvonne De Carlo
Phyllis Rogers Stone: Alexis Smith
Benjamin Stone: John McMartin
Young Phyllis: Virginia Sandifur (replaced by Alexandra Borrie)
Young Ben: Kurt Peterson (replaced by John Johann)
Buddy Plummer: Gene Nelson
Young Buddy: Harvey Evans
Dimitri Weismann: Arnold Moss
Kevin: Ralph Nelson (replaced by David Roman; Roy Barry)
Young Stella: Julie Pars
Young Heidi: Victoria Mallory (replaced by Marti Rolph)
Party Musicians: Taft Jordan, Aaron Bell, Charles Spies, Robert Curtis
Show Girls: Suzanne Briggs, Trudy Carson, Kathie Dalton, Ursula Maschmeyer, Linda Perkins, Margot Travers
Singers, Dancers (Guests, Waiters, Waitresses, Photographers, Chorus Girls, Chorus Boys, etc.): Graciela Daniele, Mary Jane Houdina, Sonja Levkova, Rita O’Connor, Julie Pars, Suzanne Rogers, Roy Barry, Steve Boockvor, Michael Misita, Joseph Nelson, Ralph Nelson, Ken Urmston, Peter Walker, Donald Weissmuller
* Character renamed “Christine Crane” during run
** Character renamed “Sandra Donovan” during run
Musical Numbers:
Act One
“Beautiful Girls” – Roscoe
“Don’t Look at Me” – Sally and Ben
“Waiting for the Girls Upstairs” – Buddy, Ben, Phyllis, Sally, Young Buddy, Young Ben, Young Phyllis, Young Sally
†“Rain on the Roof “ – Emily and Theodore
“Ah, Paris!” – Solange
“Broadway Baby” – Hattie
“The Road You Didn’t Take” – Ben
†“Bolero d’Amour” [instrumental] – Danced by Vincent and Vanessa
“In Buddy’s Eyes” – Sally
“Who’s That Woman?” – Stella and Company
“I’m Still Here” – Carlotta
“Too Many Mornings” – Ben and Sally
Act Two
“The Right Girl” – Buddy
†“One More Kiss” – Heidi and Young Heidi
“Could I Leave You?” – Phyllis
The Loveland Sequence:
The Folly of Love
†“Loveland” – The Ensemble
The Folly of Youth
“You’re Gonna Love Tomorrow” – Young Ben, Young Phyllis
“Love Will See Us Through” – Young Buddy, Young Sally
Buddy’s Folly
“The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me Blues (Buddy’s Blues)” – Buddy
Sally’s Folly
“Losing My Mind” – Sally
Phyllis’ Folly
“The Story of Lucy and Jessie” – Phyllis
Ben’s Folly
“Live, Laugh, Love” – Ben
†Numbers not included on the Original Cast Recording.
"One More Kiss" was recorded and appeared for the first time on 1992 re-release.
Boston Tryout Numbers
Intermission introduced after first preview
Act One
"Beautiful Girls" – Roscoe and Company
"Don't Look at Me" – Sally, Ben
"Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" – Buddy, Ben, Phyllis, Sally, Young Buddy, Young Ben, Young Phyllis, Young Sally
"Rain on the Roof" – The Whitmans
"Broadway Baby" – Hattie
"Ah, Paris!" – Solange
"In Buddy's Eyes" – Sally
"Bolero d'Amour" – Vincent and Vanessa
"The Road You Didn't Take" – Ben
"Who's That Woman?" – Stella and Company
"Can That Boy Fox Trot!" – Carlotta
"Too Many Mornings" – Ben, Sally
Act Two
"The Right Girl" – Buddy
"One More Kiss" – Heidi, Young Heidi
"Could I Leave You?" – Phyllis
"Loveland" – Company
"The Folly of Youth: You're Gonna Love Tomorrow" – Young Ben, Young Phyllis
"The Folly of Youth: Love Will See Us Through" – Young Buddy, Young Sally
"Buddy's Folly: Blues" – Buddy and Friends
"Sally's Folly: Losing My Mind" – Sally
"Phyllis's Folly: Uptown Downtown" – Phyllis and Dancers
"Ben's Folly: Live, Laugh, Love" – Ben and Company
Awards
Tony
Best Music and Lyrics (Stephen Sondheim)
Best Director (Harold Prince and Michael Bennett)
Best Actress in a Musical (Alexis Smith)
Best Choreographer (Michael Bennett)
Best Scenic Design (Boris Aronson)
Best Costumes (Florence Klotz)
Best Lighting (Tharon Musser)
Recording
Follies - Original Broadway Cast Recording
Producer: by Dick Jones
Engineer: Bob Arnold
Recorded: 11 April 1971
Album cover art and design: David Edward Byrd
Liner notes (including synopsis): Larry Cohen
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LP, 1971 [Capitol SO 761] (56 mins.)
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8-track Cartridge, 197? [Capitol 8XO 761] [deleted 1976]
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Cassette, 197? [Capitol 4XO 761] [deleted 1976]
Bonus Track Release
Adds the 1971 recording of "One More Kiss" that was omitted from the original release
Liner notes: Dider C. Deutsch
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CD, 1989 [Capitol CDP 7 92094 2]
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Cassette reissue, 1989 [Capitol C4 92094]
Remixed and Remastered Version
Remastering: Robert Norberg
Liner notes: Marc Kirkeby
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CD, 1992 [Broadway Angel ZDM 7 64666 2 0] (58:14 mins.)
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Cassette, 1992 [Broadway Angel EG 64666]
Newly Remixed and Remastered
Producer for this CD release: Bruce Kimmel
Mixer: John Adams
Masterer: James Nelson
Tape transfers: Ron McMaster
Art Direction and Package Design: Doug Haverty
Liner notes: Bruce Kimmel
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CD, July 2012 [Limited edition of 1,500 copies] [Kritzerland KR-220023-3] (58:40 mins.)
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CD, August 2012 [Second printing of 1,000]
Selections:
Prologue / "Beautiful Girls"* (4:28), "Don't Look at Me" (1:51), "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs" (5:34), "Ah, Paris!"* / "Broadway Baby"* (3:19), "The Road You Didn't Take" (2:45), "In Buddy's Eyes" (2:37), "Who's That Woman?" (3:35), "I'm Still Here"* (4:24), "Too Many Mornings" (4:27), "The Right Girl" (4:30), "One More Kiss" (2:14), "Could I Leave You?" (3:05), "You're Gonna Love Tomorrow"* / "Love Will See Us Through"* (3:42), "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues"* (3:06), "Losing My Mind" (3:42), "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" (1:53), "Live, Laugh, Love" / Finale (3:20)
Selections marked with an asterisk on original LP release have been abridged for recording. All releases after 1989 contain "One Last Kiss". Timings from the 2012 remix. Timings on previous releases vary by a few seconds.