“Follies” is a tsunami of a musical with wave after wave of showstoppers wowing the audience. Still fresh after its premiere 50 years ago, the show, now at the Ahmanson Theatre, boasts a wonderful cast, fabulous costumes and delightful staging. The music and lyrics remind us again of the wit and talent of Stephen Sondheim. The songs are about love and marriage and life, spiced with a touch of cynicism.
The book by James Goldman centers on “elderly” members of a Ziegfield Follies-type of show who are meeting again after a hiatus of 30 years. However, any fear that age matters can be laid aside, because these actors and actresses can sing and dance without arthritic interference.
Where are they now, the glamorous ladies who decorated the stage in their youth? Each one has a story to tell, some sad, some funny. Two couples are at the center of the action and they are played wonderfully well. Their marriages are frayed by time but, through clever staging, we find out how they came together. Phyllis is played by Jan Maxwell, who is so svelte in her bespangled gown, one would think she has not eaten in 30 years. She aces her songs, such as “Could I Leave you.” The other female lead, Sally, gets a bang-up performance by Victoria Clark. The tears must come when she sings, “Losing My Mind.”
The two husbands, Ron Raines as Ben and Daniel Burstein as Buddy, could not be better. They have some terrific numbers, like Buddy’s “The God Why Don’t You Love Me Blues” and Ben’s “Live, Laugh Love.” Along the way, each of the Follies “girls” and their guys perform the terrific Sondheim numbers. These stellar performers include the redoubtable Elaine Paige, Terri White, Jane Houdyshell, Mary Beth Peil, Christian Delcroix, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Lora Lee Gayer, Michael Hayes and many others.
The staging is brilliant, as we enter the backstage of a theater about to be razed. Walking through the scenes are the ghosts of Follies girls past, wearing the lavish costumes and skyscraper headdresses associated with them. An appropriate kitschy set leads us into the second act and its humorous spin on love.
The story moves smoothly, as the younger versions of the characters act out scenes of the past. Everything is so well integrated, a great deal of credit must go to the director, Eric Schaeffer. The costumes designed by Gregg Barnes are amazing. You can tell so much about the characters based on what they are wearing. Derek McLane, the scenic designer, has distinguished himself by providing perfect backgrounds. The live orchestra, under James Moore, makes an important contribution.
This show is such a treat, it would be folly to miss it!