FOLLIES Headed to Warner Theatre This Spring

Considered by many to be the greatest musical ever created, FOLLIES, will be presented by the Warner Stage Company on the Warner Main Stage May 6-14, 2017.

Surreal, sophisticated, compelling, heart wrenching and epic in scope, FOLLIES by musical theatre legend, Stephen Sondheim, and author, James Goldman, uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naiveté in the post-Kennedy years.

The time is 1971, and theatrical impresario Dimitri Weissmann hosts a reunion of ex-Follies performers in his crumbling theatre, setting the stage for a parade of brilliant pastiche numbers, including "Losing My Mind," "I'm Still Here," and "Broadway Baby." Amid the reminiscing, two middle-aged couples confront some unpleasant truths about their past and present, and come face to face with the future.

The Warner Stage Company's production of FOLLIES is directed by Michael Berkeley with music director Willard C. Minton and choreographer Donna Bonasera.

Performances are May 6, 12 and 13 at 8:00 pm and May 7 and 14 at 2:00 pm. To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit warnertheatre.org.

Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat Studio Theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region.