Oakland East Bay Presents 'Follies' and Panel Discussion

Oakland East Bay Symphony presents a concert version of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Follies. The featured singers are Val Diamond, Sheri Greenawald, Sharon McNight, Rita Moreno, Trente Morant, Tami Dahbura, Mindy Lym, Melody Moore, Katy Stephan, Darla Wigginton, Ben Jones, Clark Sterling, Greg Zema and the Berkeley Broadway Singers. The featured dancers are Joy Gim and Joral Schmalle and The Golden Follies.

On Saturday, May 3, a panel discussion on the themes of Follies will take place at the Veteran's Memorial Building on 200 Grand Ave. The keynote spoker will be Ted Chaplin, author of "Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies" and the President and Executive Director of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. Panelists include Lucha Corpi, Bill Bell, Bonnie Bell, Glen Pearson and Barbara Oliver.

Performances of Follies are Friday, May 16 at 8pm and Sunday, May 18 at 2pm. There is a free pre-performance talk an hour before curtain. Follies is being presented at the Paramount Theatre on 2025 Broadway in Oakland, CA. Tickets are $25-$70. Call the box office at 510-625-8497 or 415-421-8497 or visit the website at www.OEBS.org.