Over the years of its many productions, Cygnet Theatre has returned time and time again to the great works of Stephen Sondheim. From “A Little Night Music” to “Sweeney Todd” and “Assassins,” the company continues to successfully and beautifully produce the works of one of Broadway’s greatest composers. It’s fitting that Cygnet has selected another Sondheim musical—”Follies”—as the first show in their new home in Liberty Station, the $43.5 million theater complex known as The Joan.
Sondheim’s 1971 musical follows a group of retired showgirls and performers from the ’20s to ’40s who have returned to a dilapidated and soon-to-be demolished Broadway theater for a final farewell. “Follies” begins as a friendly reunion with performers of all ages looking back on their illustrious careers in show business, only for drama, regret and resentment to surface and take over the event. The show employs time jumps to juxtapose the past with the present, creating an eerie sense of foreshadowing as the younger versions of the performers look on at the older individuals they have grown into.
The heart of the show lies with a central quartet of Sally, Buddy, Phyllis and Ben, roommates and friends from back in the day. Sally (Sandy Campbell) found her way to Buddy (Russel Garrett), while Phyllis (Karole Foreman) ended up with Ben (David S. Humphrey). However, after reuniting, Sally finds that she could never let go of her younger years with Ben, which is when all the relationships begin to unravel. The second act revolves mainly around these four, with each of their individual storylines ending in a spectacle of song and dance.
Campbell and Foreman command the story as Sally and Phyllis, respectively. Their solos in the second act are a wonderful conclusion to the story. Sally’s folly, “Losing My Mind,” is sung beautifully by Campbell, while Phyllis’s folly, “The Story of Lucy and Jessie,” is given a powerhouse of a performance by Foreman. Other standout performances in the musical include Melinda Gilb as Stella and Leigh Scarritt as Carlotta.
The dilapidated and crumbling theater is wonderfully designed by Andrew Hull, with faded gold, broken arches and weathered wood. Elisa Benzoni’s costumes are beautiful and work perfectly within the two time frames, with the performers of the past wearing elegant neutrals and golds, while the 1970s time period is filled with bold and bright-colored dresses. The glittering headdresses steal certain moments of the show.
Sean Murray’s direction takes what could be a confusing and messy timeline and turns it into an engaging drama that is easy to follow. There’s never any confusion as to who is who and when certain moments take place. Even with ghosts of showgirls past, the presentation makes complete sense and winds up being a clean and concise story at two and a half hours long.
The Joseph Clayes III Theater, where “Follies” is held, has astounding acoustics and sound. Patrick Marion’s musical direction and the entire band sounded great in the space—a wonderful and noticeable improvement in the state-of-the-art new theater.
Although it might not be Sondheim’s most famous or enthralling musical, Cygnet has presented “Follies” with all the stunning spectacle and powerhouse performances they have become known for. As the inaugural musical in the new theater, it is sure to deliver glitz, glamour and ghosts of Broadway past.
“Follies” runs until Oct. 12. Visit cygnettheatre.org for ticket information.
(Photo Credit: Karli Cadel Photography)
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