"Who's That Woman" staging

[goodlead]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 12:30pm

The point of this number, it seems to me, is to contrast the diminished ability of the older actresses with the dazzling performances of their younger counterparts.  To do that effectively, you need to show the  older  actresses struggling to keep up and making mistakes as they do.

But none of the videos I have seen, including that of the original production staged by Michael Bennett, take this approach. All of them show the older actresses giving near-flawless performances.  They may look dumpier than the young ones, but boy, can those girls fox trot -- and more.

It may be that the choreographers thought this was necessary if the number  was going to get a big hand when it ended, but I think it cuts against the mood of the show.

Your opinions?

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 12:51pm

It is one of the greatest production numbers ever. Just enjoy it for its brilliance. They are older, they are pumped, they are rising to the occasion, they do better than they should, but they are all body types, degrees of sophistication, etc., and clearly pale next to their former selves. In terms of thinking man’s production numbers, this may be THE BEST.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 4:07pm

I feel like the point of Who's That Woman is less to show what the women have lost in terms of dancing ability than to show what they've gained in terms of personality. There is, of course, the cynical edge that they might not dance as well as their counterparts, but typically the counterparts are also much less interesting as dancers (which also usually goes for the actors playing their younger selves), coming together as generic but technically achieved Sexy Girls as opposed to a gaggle of striking, varied, and entertaining women.

[jagman1062]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 5:29pm

I believe that the contrast of the more polished performances of the women's younger selves to the less polished performances of their older selves only adds to what I think is the actual point: that people enjoy going back to a time in their youth when there was camaraderie and a group/team effort to achieve something.  I see the women as reliving a time in their lives that they enjoyed and will not realize again. As people age, it's a nice feeling to go back and recapture a part of their youth, even temporarily.  I always find this number to be quite poignant in that regard in that the women share a special bond and try to recreate a performance.  Sure, they may not be able to perform at the same level of their former selves, but the nostalgia of the piece is heartwarming, and the women still prove to themselves, and to the audience, that they still got it (to some extent).

[Valentina3]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 6:30pm

Who's That Woman walked so Disney's Encore could run.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 6:53pm

In the most recent broadway revival (which I saw at the Kennedy Center, early in previews on Broadway, and before it closed) they DID show the women missing steps, "marking" parts if they wanted, heck Elaine Page spent a couple of moments slightly doubling over and looking winded. It was all played with a great deal of fun and any mistakes were clearly staging and not the actual actress messing up. 

But part of all of Follies is the memory and the mind playing tricks on us. The number starts off with goofs and fun but then builds and builds and by the end the women ARE fabulous. Now is that really how those characters were dancing? Or are they all in their heads and memories young and doing it flawlessly? It's an audience-pleasing show-stopping number in any production AND it's brilliant in its construction.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 8:29pm

It really is one of the greatest things ever put on a Broadway stage.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 8:45pm

I know a woman who danced in L'L ABNER. She's 82 years old now and I've seen her dance and she's still as graceful as they come.

I'm not about to give away Carol Lawrence's age but she, too, could dance circles around younger performers.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/9/20 at 8:46pm

Double post

Updated On: 4/9/20 at 08:46 PM

[justoldbill]

Posted: 4/10/20 at 9:08am

Anyone who can remember the original production (I can), knows that the idea of showing 'older versus younger' was taken care of just fine in the "Bolero D'Amour" number, which remains for me the final word on THAT question.  Brilliant as "Who's That Woman?" was, the bolero number will always be my favorite number in the show, as it showed not only a 'slice' of the entertainment style of the age of the Follies as part of the show's kaleidoscope, but the physical extensions of the younger people as opposed to the limitations and concessions of the older couple showed the aging process side by side in a way that "Who's That Woman?" could only hint at.  Who could tell that point would be lost in subsequent productions?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/10/20 at 6:40pm

Valentina3 said: "Who's That Woman walked so Disney's Encore could run."

I have no idea what that means??

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 4/11/20 at 1:12am

I think Valentina just means that this song is essentially the original version of Disney's Encores show (where old cast members come together to recreate their high school show).

It's funny because I was just listening to this song today and I've never seen a production of Follies either live or filmed so I didn't know the younger dancers were also on stage with them.  But I was thinking that it would probably be one of those numbers where if it was real life they'd be tripping a bit and out of breath, but for the sake of showmanship and theater, it would probably be a near-perfect synchronized dance where everyone magically remembered the steps.  I do like the idea of the audience seeing them as how they imagine themselves doing all the moves correctly and such, though.

[IronMan]

Posted: 4/13/20 at 8:04pm

And don't forget that the show also contains another old/young number: One More Kiss. The aging operatic voice dueting with the young effortless soprano is one of my many favorite moments... "never look back..."

[goodlead]

Posted: 4/14/20 at 2:58pm

Another good thing about One Last Kiss is that it pertains directly to the storyline (Ben and Sally) more than the other pastiche numbers do.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 1:16pm

goodlead said: "Another good thing about One Last Kiss is that it pertains directly to the storyline (Ben and Sally) more than the other pastiche numbers do."

I have seen productions of Follies at least a dozen times, probably closer to 15, and never picked up on that.  Very interesting point...jI will have to think on that.

Re another post, I loved the Bolero number in the original production, but I seem to recall that it has not been in many other (any other?) productions I have seen.  Is my memory really getting that bad or was it cut, presumably to cut operating costs or because someone felt it slowed down the show.

re Who’s that Woman, I think it is really one of the greatest production numbers ever.  Interestingly, in the show, there are two other ‘group’ numbers I have always enjoyed more: Waiting Around for the Girls Upstairs (maybe the most brilliantly staged number ever) and Lucy and Jessie.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 4/15/20 at 7:19pm

I feel like in this number the women start Rusty but by the time the song finishes they have found their footing again. it's just like when you do anything that you haven't done in a long time, at first you're going to be more hesitant and out of step but as soon as you get warmed up and comfortable, it's off to the races.

[benfox2]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 4:52am

goodlead said: "But none of the videos I have seen, including that of the original production staged by Michael Bennett, take this approach. All of them show the older actresses giving near-flawless performances. They may look dumpier than the young ones, but boy, can those girls fox trot -- and more."

Does any video exist of the original staging of who's that woman? Or even a recreated version? I know the general concept is the same throughout most productions, but I'd still be curious to watch the original.

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 7:30am

Production assistant Ted Chaplin write a book, titled “Everything Was Possible,” about the rehearsal process for “Follies.” In it he explains that the original performances for “Who’s Tgat Woman” were full of mistakes, which Bennett encouraged. As the mature actresses became more confident with the staging he began to add “mistakes” into the choreography.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/257378.Everything_Was_Possible?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ijwRUl1PeI&rank=1

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 9:54am

Jarethan said: "Re another post, I loved the Bolero number in the original production, but I seem to recall that it has not been in many other (any other?) productions I have seen. Is mymemory really getting that bad or was it cut, presumably to cut operating costs or because someone felt it slowed down the show.


It's exceedingly rare! It was used in the famous Paper Mill production and that's pretty much the only major production that restored it. The recent National Theatre revival cut it after just one preview, but it was used in two all-star concerts in Los Angeles in 2002 (Patty Duke as Phyllis) and at the London Palladium in 2007.

Re:  the mirror number; Victoria Clark wrote on the challenges of the role on the cast, she said "It looked like a triage unit after  Who's That Woman?. People walked off and the ice comes out, the ACE bandages come out, the Band-Aids, the propping the feet up"

Updated On: 4/17/20 at 09:54 AM

[goodlead]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 2:29pm

BenFox2: You can find footage of the original on YouTube: Follies 1971 "Who's That Woman?"

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 4/17/20 at 5:07pm

I've always loved this image of Michael Bennett and the OBC during rehearsals 

[justoldbill]

Posted: 4/18/20 at 10:22am

Also on YouTube- a copy of "Bolero D'Amour" recreated for a production in Michigan by, I believe, Mary Jane Houdina, one of Michael Bennett's dancers in the original production.  I don't have the savvy to transfer it here, but it's still there.  It's pretty faithful in showing what thirty years can do.

Updated On: 4/18/20 at 10:22 AM

[NoName3]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 8:07pm

I've heard several times over the years that Sondheim isn't fond of the Bolero and prefers it be omitted because he didn't write it. I think it was David Shire, at Michael Bennett's insistence, who put it together and did the dance arrangement based on a Sondheim theme. But I'm very open to correction on all this. Updated On: 4/19/20 at 08:07 PM

[NoName3]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 9:22pm

^ Correcting myself already. I should have posted after checking google, not before. Anyway, David Shire put together Tick-Tock from Company, not the Bolero. It's another number that Sondheim allegedly dislikes and prefers omitted because he didn't actually write it. John Berkman was the dance arranger on Follies, so he was probably the person who put together the Bolero from a brief melody Sondheim sketched out, but other people on the show's musical staff could have been involved. Certainly Tunick did the orchestration. The Sondheim Guide calls the Bolero "dance music" and attributes it to Berkman. Updated On: 4/19/20 at 09:22 PM

[morosco]

Posted: 4/19/20 at 10:02pm

I would love to see what Tommy Tune could do with FOLLIES.