Alexis Smith Costume Question

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 8:46am

Recently, I have noticed that there were two different costumes for Alexis Smith's 11 o'clock number "The Story of Lucy and Jessie" in Follies. If anyone could help me figure out which one was worn in New York and which one in Los Angeles, it might help track down when the mysterious Follies home movies were shot. Here is a picture which includes Florence Klotz´s costume design as well as some photographs with Alexis wearing one of the two costumes. Notice that this has a less wide neckline as well as a little collar going around it. https://www.tumblr.com/search/follies%201971 Here is the other costume (sold on eBay some time ago!!) which features a much wider neckline and lapels. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/alexis-smith-broadway-follies-tony-169536607 All help is very much appreciated!

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 08:46 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 9:28am

Despite the Barbara Matera and Western Costume labels, the one from the auction seems like it might have been an early costume, subsequently discarded. The collar seems all wrong.

But my memories from the performances I saw are more about her legs than her neck, from the two-dollar seats in the back of the balcony. My close-up remembrances are primarily from the Time magazine cover.

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:28am

Well, in Follies in Miniature video it is noticeable that dress has the same pattern on the front as the one from the sketch. Since there isn´t a shadow of a doubt that the Follies in Miniature footage was shot in New York, I would dare say that the dress with the collar was used in New York and that the one with the lapels was used in Los Angeles. Updated On: 4/1/15 at 11:28 AM

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 11:34am

Here is what Deester2, who is the one who owns the copy of the Follies Dubbed footage in wonderful condition said on a previous message board:

"I believe that much of the silent footage I have used was shot on the closing night in Los Angeles. Florence Klotz's assistant shot the stuff from the wings, and we know it's LA because of Alexis's dress in "Lucy and Jessie," which was redesigned for LA. So, there is footage from the wings of Alexis in this dress in "Lucy and Jessie," and we can surmise that ALL the footage shot from the wings was shot that same night in LA. I also think the long shot which can be seen in "Who's That Woman?" and "Live Laugh Love" was from the same night, perhaps the final performance in LA. "

But then why does that set of footage start with footage of the Winter Garden Theatre marquee?

Updated On: 6/6/15 at 11:34 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 2:06pm

That remains a mystery.

[Almira]

Posted: 4/1/15 at 2:38pm

This may just add to the confusion or have no relevance at all.. but in the mid 90's there was a shop in West Hollywood, CA that had the had Smith's Lucy/Jessie costume on display for sale.

I presumed it was from the Los Angeles production, but it could just as easily have come from the Broadway production.

It had the collar "up" as in the tumblr set of pictures.

I was mostly struck by how petite she was.

Updated On: 4/1/15 at 02:38 PM

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 4:32am

Well no, actually I was beginning to figure it out. The one with the collar up was used in New York, and the one with the larger neckline was used in LA on tour. 

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 04:32 AM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 7:51am

I saw the show twice on B'way, August and December, and only recall the dress in the group shot.  The question I have: why was it redesigned?  As most people here know, Bennett did re-choreograph the number either late in NYC or just before LA.  I remember Smith talking about that.  It was tweaking rather than a re-do.  I wonder what he re-did, specifically?  (Apparently Jan Maxwell did about 4 versions of the number in the last B'way edition. I saw the penultimate preview in DC, and it was very different there than it ended up in NYC.)  One thing I always note: how little actual dancing Smith did.  It was a strut and pose number with most of the energy in the final section carried through the stunningly employed arm movements, a kind of trick since the chorus turning their backs full on the audience created a brand new focus on Smith, the song peaking with her verticle movements up center.  A brilliant way to make all eyes land on Phyllis, the stage awash in color, Smith's legs and arms the centerpiece.  None of the subsequent stagings came close to that excitement; both times I saw it, the song stopped the show.

Another random observation about the dress:  Klotz put Smith in two red dresses that at least seemed distant cousins.  Phyllis changed into a "performance" (Loveland) version of the color she'd been in all evening.  In subsequent productions, Phyllis gets a new dress, usually a differnet color, and in Maxwell's case, a new wig.  

 

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/2/15 at 11:23am

Frankly, I am not a big fan of the recent choreographies The Story of Lucy and Jessie, especially comparing them to the first. They don't seem to be from that time period. 

The only other solution I have to the mystery is this: during the LA tryout Alexis wore the costume with the lapels. Then it was changed to the one with the collar up for New York. Then during the tour it was changed back to the first costume. This doesn´t seem too logical though. 

 

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 11:23 AM

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/4/15 at 5:29am

I've just realised something however. Follies just had a tryout in Boston, not Los Angeles too, before going to New York. So, it would make sense if the Los Angeles tryout footage has the Los Angeles costume in it, wouldn't it?

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 05:29 AM

[justoldbill]

Posted: 4/11/15 at 1:44pm

Perhaps the "ebay" dress was an early reject that just never left the theatre (it isn't very flattering or follies-esque, and could be used as a temporary back-up if the regular costume needed repair).  That show seemed to use everything that was made for it with nothing going to waste- I saw the original production four times and all the way through to the final performance, the male drag "Margie" and "Sally" (and their costumes) were still cavorting through the chaos segment, and it has been reported that Dorothy Collins' "Losing My Mind" dress had been originally earmarked for Sheila (not Alexis) Smith.

Updated On: 4/11/15 at 01:44 PM

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 4/15/15 at 10:30am

(Sorry for the late response, I hadn't seen your comment!)

That is quite interesting. 

After having come across a section from the book "Everything was Possible: the Birth of the Musical Follies", I think I may have come up with a solution.

During the Boston tryouts Alexis did the Uptown Downtown number with a Rita Hayworth costume. Then as a joke, they presented her with an old costume, which however worked, so she wore that a couple of performances. Then The Story of Lucy and Jessie went in during the last couple of performances in Boston. Florence Klotz then created the first Lucy and Jessie costume (collar up, X pattern on the front) for NY. Then when the show toured, they created the second costume (larger neckline, lapels).

This means that the b-roll sound footage is definitely from a rehearsal in the LA tour, and the 29 minute dubbed footage is also from LA. The Follies in miniature is from NY, and so is the other footage (which I still know very little of and can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plZ8L77WM18 .

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 10:30 AM

[1971FolliesFan]

Posted: 6/6/15 at 12:19pm

To make things clearer (since I think that what I wrote above is kind of confusing), I made a video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt6yuV5snog

Updated On: 6/12/15 at 12:19 PM