A true theatrical event, this legendary masterpiece is considered by many to be the greatest musical ever created.brbrThe time is 1971, and theatrical impresario Dimitri Weissmann (famous for his garish Weissmann Follies of yesteryear) hosts a reunion of ex-Follies performers in his crumbling theatre, setting the stage for a parade of brilliant '20s, '30s and '40s pastiche numbers that have become every bit as famous as their models: "Losing My Mind," "I'm Still Here" and "Broadway Baby," to name a few. Amid the reminiscing, two middle-aged couples confront some unpleasant truths about their past and present and come face to face with the future.brbrSurreal, sophisticated, compelling, heart-wrenching and epic in scope, "Follies" uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naivete in the post-Kennedy years. It is a showcase for powerful dramatic actors, featuring a large cast rich in character, which provides opportunities for seasoned older performers.
BroadwayWorld.com has confirmed the news with a production spokesperson that FOLLIES star Jan Maxwell was hit by traffic while crossing 45th Street following the Saturday, October 29 matinee. Online reports indicated that the star had been hit by a minivan, suffering injuries to her arm and leg. She was unable to perform on Saturday night and will also be out at the Sunday matinee to stay home and recuperate. She hopes to make a speedy recovery and get back to performing on stage at the Marquis Theatre, which could be as soon as Tuesday evening, November 1.
Carla Cook, Brandon Victor Dixon, Jared Grimes and Adriane Lenox have been cast in Duke Ellington's Cotton Club Parade, opening November 18 at New York City Center.
PS Classics is set to release the new cast recording for the revival of FOLLIES on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com. According to PS Classics.com, the album will feature 33-34 songs with some dialogue lead-ins, scenes, and speeches.
Welcome to BroadwayWorld's new feature, and first-ever talk show, BACKSTAGE WITH RICHARD RIDGE. Follow Richard as he visits Broadway's best and brightest in their Broadway dressing rooms and favorite hang outs to talk about their lives, careers and all of the things you don't know, but want to know.
You've seen Richard chat with Spidey lovebirds Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano, visit with UK's First Lady of musical Theatre, Elaine Paige, and go downtown to chat with Jonathan Groff about all things GLEE, Lea Michele and The Submission. Today, Richard is back in Times Square at the Marquis Theatre for some quality time with fan favorite Jan Maxwell, currently starring as 'Phyllis' in Follies. During the talk, Jan speaks candidly about being a young struggling actress in New York, her shortcomings (cooking!), and how she almost left the city for good before she even got going...until she found 'Angels.'
Roundabout Theatre Company has announced Stephanie J. Block will join the Tony Award winning company of Anything Goes performing the role of 'Reno Sweeney' while Sutton Foster is filming a television pilot for 2-3 weeks in November. Specific performance dates will be announced shortly on www.anythinggoesonbroadway.com.
MASTERWORKS BROADWAY, recently praised by the Wall Street Journal for its ongoing reissue campaign, continues to make good on its promise to open its vaults with more classic cast recordings previously unavailable in the CD era.
Bright, sunny, clarion-voiced leading lady Liz Callaway is not only known for her roles in the Broadway productions of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, BABY, CATS, MISS SAIGON and THE LOOK OF LOVE, but also for her string of highly-successful studio albums - among them, the sensational 60s ode THE BEAT GOES ON and the musical theatre-centric THE STORY GOES ON, in addition to last year's superlative PASSAGE OF TIME - and, she is also well-loved for stunning live stage double-bills with her sister, Ann Hampton Callaway - represented on record by SIBLING RIVALRY and, now, the new live album and show all about baby boomers and their sensational music, titled BOOM! In this all-encompassing conversation, Callaway and I parse her predilection for certain composers - Burt Bacharach, Jimmy Webb, Stephen Sondheim and many more included - as well as her memories of working with some of the most important musical theatre creators of the twentieth century over the course of her thirty-year career, such as legendary director Hal Prince and Sondheim himself on projects diverse as MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, A STEPHEN SONDHEIM EVENING and FOLLIES: IN CONCERT. Plus, we also talk about Callaway's various musical influences, her childhood, her first Broadway show and first Broadway onstage experience, revisiting MERRILY twenty years later with the entire original cast, live versus studio performing, as well as what's coming up next for her in the coming months and new year - including the Christmas stage spectacular, YULETIDE - and more!
Celia Keenan-Bolger, Colin Donnell, Betsy Wolfe and Elizabeth Stanley have been cast in Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, the first New York City Center Encores! production of season. Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, will be directed by James Lapine with music direction by Rob Berman and musical staging by Dan Knechtges. Merrily has been extended for a two-week run, and will play for 15 performances, February 8-19, 2012 at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.
The Broadway cast of FOLLIES will be heading to the recording studio this week, and PS Classics is set to release the new cast recording for the revival on November 29. To pre-order the double-disc album online at $14.95, visit www.psclassics.com.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will open the 2011-2012 Printing Partners Pops Series season with the world premiere of a new symphonic concert stage production titled Do You Hear The People Sing - The Dream Concert! featuring music from renowned Broadway lyricist Alain Boublil and Broadway composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of the hit musicals Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, in concerts Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, at the Hilbert Circle Theatre and Sunday, October 9, at The Palladium at the Center for Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.
The Casting Society of America has announced winners of the 27th Annual Artios Awards®. The bi-coastal award ceremonies were held on Monday, September 26 in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, and at the District 36 in New York. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below!
PS Classics will record the new Broadway cast album of the Kennedy Center's acclaimed revival of FOLLIES on October 3 & 4, 2011 for a late November 2011 release. FOLLIES features a book by James Goldman and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The complete two-disc set will be produced by PS Classics co-founder Tommy Krasker, who has helmed over a dozen Sondheim cast recordings. The recording is now available for preorder on the label's website, www.psclassics.com.
According to a tweet from Terri White, the Broadway transfer of the Kennedy Center's production of FOLLIES will receive a cast recording. Other online reports from cast members note that the recording will appear on the PS Classics label and will be a double album.
The Casting Society of America will fête their own on Monday, September 26, 2011, at the 27th Annual Artios Awards®. The award ceremonies will be held simultaneously at the The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles (reception will commence at 5:45 p.m. PDT) and at District 36 in New York (reception will commence at 5:30 p.m. EDT). For ticket information, please call (212) 868-1260 , or (323) 463-1925 , or visit artios@castingsociety.com.
This is the final week for the showcase of 'A Strange and Separate People' by Jon Marans. It is presented by Stacy Shane, the original producer of Marans' critically acclaimed, award-winning play, The Temperamentals.
This is the final week for the showcase of 'A Strange and Separate People' by Jon Marans. It is presented by Stacy Shane, the original producer of Marans' critically acclaimed, award-winning play, The Temperamentals.
Last week, we asked what was your favorite recording of FOLLIES. The winner was the 1971 Original Broadway Cast Recording, with an overwhelming 48% of the vote. Ranking second amongst fans with 29% was the most recent 1998 recording featuring the Paper Mill Playhouse cast.
'A Strange and Separate People' by Jon Marans is presented by Stacy Shane, the original producer of Marans' critically acclaimed, award-winning play, The Temperamentals.
Producers Ben Sprecher and Louise Forlenza, in association with Tony Fusco and Larry Feinman, and by special arrangement with/and based on the Vereinigte Buhnen Wien GmbH production, announced that the new musical REBECCA, based on the classic novel by Daphne du Maurier novel, will open on Broadway Sunday, April 22 at a Shubert theater to be announced. Previews will begin Tuesday, March 27. Sierra Boggess (currently starring in Master Class, The Little Mermaid, Love Never Dies) is in negotiations to play the role of 'I.'
It is one of the most famous show of all time. And, on Sunday, August 7, FOLLIES will return to Broadway starring the beloved talents of Elaine Paige, Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein and Ron Raines, with more stars to be announced.
The Ensemble Theatre Artistic Director Eileen J. Morris announces the theatre's 35th anniversary season lineup, a variety of comedies, dramas, classic, and musical productions.
Reprise Theatre Company presents Barbara Cook in Concert. It will have one performance only on Monday, May 16 at 8:00 pm, at UCLA's Freud Playhouse. Barbara Cook in Concert is the latest in Reprise Theatre Company's tradition of presenting Broadway stars and legendary entertainers in concert, which have included Patti LuPone, Carol Burnett, Sutton Foster, Ben Vereen, Kristin Chenoweth, and Brian Stokes Mitchell.
On April 11, 2011, Virginia's Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre honored esteemed stage and screen actress Bernadette Peters with the company's second Stephen Sondheim Award. The award, established in 2009 in honor of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The 2011 Sondheim Award Gala was chaired by Ted and Mary Jo Shen; Honorary Hosts include Stephen Sondheim, Helen Henderson, His Excellency Gary Doer and Ms. Ginny Devine, The Honorable James Moran, His Excellency Giulio Terzi and Ms. Antonella Cinque, and The Honorable Jim Webb and Mrs. Webb. The Sondheim Award Gala helped to benefit Signature Theatre's numerous artistic, education, and community programs. Last year's recipient was stage, screen, and television icon Angela Lansbury. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you official photo coverage of the event. Click here for BroadwayWorld's own recap of the event.
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