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Follies - The Lyric Stage Company of Boston

    Reviewed by David Hurst

    Having opened September 5 and garnered good notices in both The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald, I was eager to see The Lyric Stage Company's new production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's epic masterpiece, Follies. As enthusiasts of this show know, good productions of Follies are a rare event, indeed, coming into existence about as frequently as Brigadoon appears out of the mist. To be sure, there have been great productions such as Paper Mill Playhouse's 1998 mounting which should have moved to Broadway but didn't. (Instead, we got the miscast Roundabout revival at the Belasco in 2001, the less said about which the better!) And there have been extraordinary productions, such as the recent ENCORES! staging in February 2007, with a star-studded cast (including Victoria Clark and Donna Murphy) and a life-changing orchestra.

    Still, the original 1971 Broadway production ofFolliesdirected by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett looms large in musical theatre history and for good reason. Starring Dorothy Collins, John McMartin, Alexis Smith and Gene Nelson, not to mention the never-to-be-recreated sets, costumes and lights of Boris Aronson, Florence Klotz and Tharon Musser, it is still theFolliesto which all others aspire and for which all true Sondheim acolytes weep. With that said, and in spite of the difficulty in its casting and production,Folliesis done with surprising regularity in regional theatres and audiences are (almost) always the better for it. Fortunately, the Lyric Stage production, directed with equal parts fearlessness and recklessness by Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos, is mostly a success, overcoming its technical and budgetary limitations with style and verve.

    Boasting a veritable who's who of Boston divas, Veloudos has assembled the top-notch cast. Playing the central couple of Sally and Buddy Plummer are Leigh Barrett and Peter Carey, both of whom are superb. Barrett has an ideal voice for Sally and sings with a wistful innocence that barely masks the unrequited love burning beneath her surface. Carey is a born clown and uses his manic energy and formidable dancing skills to excellent effect, especially in "The Right Girl" and the difficult "God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues." Their rapport is palpable with their book scenes together being some of the strongest in the production. As Phyllis and Ben Stone, Maryann Zschau and Larry Daggett both have strong moments even if their portrayals ultimately feel misdirected and unfocused, particularly toward the end of the show. Zschau displays a terrific voice in Phyllis' showstopper, "Could I Leave You?," but she has trouble connecting emotionally with Daggett. That may not be her fault, however, as Daggett is playing Ben with a strange gay overtone that left me wondering whether his and Veloudos' intention was to infer that part of Ben's mid-life crisis was rooted in his sexuality. I don't think that's the case but it makes Daggett's acting choices all the more puzzling. Still, in spite of that, Ben's breakdown in "Live, Laugh, Love" was creditable, even if Veloudos' staging of the end of the Loveland sequence was the messiest of the evening.

    As for the juiciest numbers in Follies, the Weismann Girls all acquit themselves beautifully. Kathy St. George gets all her laughs as Solange LaFitte, nailing "Ah, Paris!" with both a delightful French accent and all the words! As Hattie Walker, Jacqui Parker sings "Broadway Baby" in a socko-boffo style that means business with a capital 'B,' while Kerry Dowling mops up the floor as Stella Deems in "Who's That Woman?" Far too young for Heidi (and, strangely, on-stage in a wheelchair), Dawn Tucker's gorgeous voice belies her character's age in a radiant reading of "One More Kiss," joined by the creamy soprano (complete with the optional, floated high-C at the end) of Young Heidi, the lovely April Pressel. Last, but certainly not least, is the irrepressible Bobbie Steinbach whose delivery of "I'm Still Here" must already be a Bostonian legend. Steinbach, whose tart delivery of Carlotta's zingy one-liners is a highlight of this Follies, has a radiant stage presence and timing to spare. I recently saw her step in for Mary Louise Wilson as Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music in concert with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall and, based on these two shows alone, I'd pay to watch her read the phone book.

    To be sure, there are moments where Veloudos' staging falters, seems crowded and feels out of synch. This is also true of the choreography by Ilyse Robbins that, while functional, is cramped by the constraints of the space in which she's working. In their defense,Folliesis difficult enough to stage on a proscenium stage, let along an intimate, three-quarter thrust where the 240-member audience is literally on top of the performers. But there are some ungainly transitions and Veloudos doesn't make the most of Sally, Buddy, Phyllis and Ben's 'younger selves' (well played by Michele DeLuca, Phil Crumrine, Aimee Doherty and Josh Dennis) in terms of his staging. Scott Clyve doesn't have nearly enough lighting instruments at his disposal to create the ghostly illusions he's attempting to represent theFolliesgirl's younger selves, but he does the best he can with what he's got. Similarly, costume designer Rafael Jaen has taken the 1971 setting very literally, having found a myriad of ghastly gowns and accessories that, while true to the period, aren't exactly flattering for the women she's dressing. Unfortunately, the Loveland sequence costumes can only charitably be described as an afterthought. Musically, however, the Lyric'sFolliesis impressive. It should be noted the cast all sings unamplified and the eight-piece orchestra, conducted with sensitivity and precision by Jonathan Goldberg, played Sondheim's magnificent score with a surprising fullness of sound that never overwhelmed the vocalists.

    In the end, every production ofFolliesis a rare chance to see the haunting elusiveness of our life's choices as embodied by one of the greatest scores ever written. Fortunately for us, the Lyric Stage's valid effort is a chance worth taking.

    "Follies" continues at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston (140 Clarendon Street; 617-585-5678) thru Oct 11.

    For the past six years, David Hurst has been the resident Theatre Critic for NEXT Magazine. Prior to that he was the Cabaret and CD Critic for Show Business Weekly. He has written for Opera News, is a regular contributor to Cabaret Scenes and is a member of the New York Drama Desk and Drama League.

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