Review: FOLLIES at Volksoper, Wien

Follies, Stephen Sondheim’s timeless masterpiece is a unique work of musical theatre. Much more than a simple musical comedy, but nonetheless it has its elements. It is a brave attempt to confront the audience not only with their own weaknesses, but also with their shared memory, as the musical simultaneously evokes and bids farewell to a faded era, a defining element of American culture, the revue theater of the 1920s and 1930s. And Follies does all this by using very special stage and dramaturgical devices, by continuously reflecting the present and the past, and by music that evokes the era and at the same time puts it in quotation marks.

The very first one Austrian Follies production at Volksoper Wien is successful in so many respects. Musically, the show represents such a quality that fans could only hope for in their wildest dreams. The huge orchestra plays the difficult score at the highest possible level (musical direction by Michael Papadopoulos), the singing is thoroughly very fine, with some real highlights such as Carlotta’s I’m Still Here, one of the greatest of all creations by Sondheim, performed more than convincingly by Sona MacDonald, or the ultimate showstopper, Broadway Baby.

Of the main protagonists, Bettina Mönch (Phyllis) and Drew Sarich (Ben) are both outstanding singing-actors, their solo numbers, especially The Story of Lucy and Jessie and Live, Laugh, Love were done marvelously. They not only dramatically outshine the other couple, albeit Ruth Brauer-Kvam (Sally) and Peter Lesiak (Buddy) are more than serviceable. The former’s performance at the mini-Follies (Losing My Mind) is a real gem.

One thing that is somehow a bit problematic about this production is the dramaturgical intervention that transports the musical’s plot to future Wien/Austria. Follies is so deeply rooted in the traditions of American musical theater that it simply ignores any similar attempts. However, this is at most a small beauty patch on an otherwise unforgettable evening.

Photo credit: Barbara Pálffy / Volksoper Wien

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