Musical Review - Follies

About the show: 

Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies", a musical revue (based on the Ziegfeld Follies), that played in that theatre between the World Wars. It focuses on two couples, Buddy and Sally Durant Plummer and Benjamin and Phyllis Rogers Stone, who are attending the reunion. Sally and Phyllis were showgirls in the Follies. Both couples are deeply unhappy with their marriages. Buddy, a traveling salesman, is having an affair with a girl on the road; Sally is still as much in love with Ben as she was years ago; and Ben is so self-absorbed that Phyllis feels emotionally abandoned. Several of the former showgirls perform their old numbers, sometimes accompanied by the ghosts of their former selves. The musical numbers in the show have been interpreted as pastiches of the styles of the leading Broadway composers of the 1920s ands '30s, and sometimes as parodies of specific songs.

The Broadway production opened on April 4, 1971, directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, and with choreography by Bennett. The musical was nominated for eleven Tony Awards and won seven. The original production, the most costly performed on Broadway to that date, ran for over 500 performances but ultimately lost its entire investment. The musical has had a number of major revivals, and several of its songs have become standards, including "Broadway Baby", "I'm Still Here", "Too Many Mornings", "Could I Leave You?", and "Losing My Mind".

More information about the show: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follies

My opinion: 

Another Sondheim musical with wonderful songs. Sadly this production didn’t really

impress me. 

It hard to explain why, but here we go. 

We watched it at the National Theatre and I really liked the stage and the stage design. However, it didn’t really work in the performance. The orchestra played behind the stage and somehow the sound got blocked and didn’t really come through. It didn’t really match with the singing (sound wise, not timing wise). 

Most actors and actresses were always on stage, I didn’t really know where to look. I also felt like some characters weren’t very well cast. 

Some others were perfect for their roles and did a wonderful job. I also liked how they did some of the songs.

The spark just didn’t fly for this show. Maybe I expected too much, but something was definitely missing for me.

Musical Review - Company

About the show: 

Company is a 1970 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The original production was nominated for a record-setting fourteen Tony Awards and won six.

Originally titled Threes, its plot revolves around Robert (a single man unable to commit fully to a steady relationship, let alone marriage), the five married couples who are his best friends, and his three girlfriends. Unlike most book musicals, which follow a clearly delineated plot, Company is a concept musical composed of short vignettes, presented in no particular chronological order, linked by a celebration for Robert's 35th birthday.

Company was among the first musicals to deal with adult themes and relationships. As Sondheim puts it, "Broadway theater has been for many years supported by upper-middle-class people with upper-middle-class problems. These people really want to escape that world when they go to the theatre, and then here we are with Company talking about how we're going to bring it right back in their faces.

My own opinion: 

I saw Company once before, 20 years ago (I was about nine years old), when my theatre group performed it. My mum was in it and since I was still quite young, I only allowed to watch the dress rehearsal. It’s not really a show you would take your children to, because of what it is about. 

Anyway, here we are in 2019 and I finally got to see a West End production of this fab show. Stephen Sondheim is one of my fave musical composers and I just love the songs from Company. I also think the story is fun and entertaining. The lyrics are absolutely brilliant!

The special thing about this production was the transgender aspect of it. The main role Bobbie is originally played by a man, but they did it with a woman this time. They also turned some other things around. It worked really well and made it special and unique. 

The production and the staging were brilliant!!! It’s a very lively show, there are so many things going on, but they did an awesome job with all the scenes, as well as the choreography for the songs. The show is so much fun to watch, I would go again immediately!

Assassins – A Musical by Stephen Sondheim

About the show:

Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert, Jr. It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a revue-style portrayal of men and women who attempted (successfully or not) to assassinate Presidents of the United States. The music varies to reflect the popular music of the eras depicted.

The musical first opened Off-Broadway in 1990, and the 2004 Broadway production won five Tony Awards.

More info on the musical: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassins_(musical)

More info on the show at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London:

Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory

My opinion:

As a big musical fan I was really excited to see this show. I’ve been a Sondheim fan for ages, I even wrote my thesis about him for my Baccalaureate.

We are doing the show next year with our theatre group, so it was pretty special. When the cast was announced I couldn’t believe my eyes! There he was: AARON TVEIT, one of my favourite musical actors. I first saw him in Gossip Girl and then properly in the Les Misérables movie. He has an amazing voice and he’s an awesome actor.

The theatre is in an old chocolate factory, a very special place. We went for dinner there first, it was delicious. Well, when we sat there and ate, he came in and got ready ;) My mum’s comment when he came in (I had my back to the door): A good looking guy just came in…

Well, now let’s get to the show. The venue was in a basement kind off set-up, with six rows on the right and six rows in the left, they were playing in the middle. We sat in forth row and it was great to have the actors so close.

The show is really intense and none of the actors, whether it was a same role or a big

one, left the stage. They were always in character walking around and coming up to where the audience was. They put a lot of heart and emotions into the acting and the songs. It was awesome to see their expressions so close. The acting was brilliant and they all had their accents well lined out. The songs were something else, they not only live with a melody and the singing, the need a lot of emotions and skilled singers. They have done a great job. There wasn’t much dancing, but the choreographed parts were fantastic, small things, but very effective.

The scenes changes and the costumes changes were perfectly integrated into the show and it all had a nice flow with the orchestra playing music in between. Small props and effects made the show very dramatic, but also very authentic.

I loved every part of this show. The actors were fantastic, especially the men. But of course the best part for me was Aaron ;) He is amazing to see LIVE on stage, his acting is marvellous and he has the voice of a god!!!

 

After the show we went to have a drink in the bar and I was really hoping for Aaron to come out. And he did… There were other young girls waiting for him and he signed their programs and took a picture of them. I became like a child again, a bit shy, but I went up and told him, how amazing he was, how great the whole show was and that it was awesome seeing him live. He signed my program and then my mum took a picture of us!!! THE BEST NIGHT EVER!!!! He’s so nice in person and he’s the only man looking great in a beard and moustache, I prefer him without though ;)

I found a little interview on broadway.com with Aaron talking about the show at the Menier Chocolate Factory:

Before we left, we found a second program with his signature and two other signatures, I just took it ;)

That was by far the best experience ever! I still can’t believe I’ve actually met him 

❤️❤️❤️

One last comment on the show: GRIPPING!!!!

Signed programs and ticket

The group