1971: Follies at the Winter Garden Theatre

Stephen Sondheim's tale of the old theatre called "Follies" opened at the venerable Winter Garden Theatre on March 24, 1971 and played to 522 audiences. Sondheim composed the music and wrote the lyrics to all the songs performed in "Follies" and won a Tony award for his remarkable score. The late Michael Bennett, who choreographed the show's imaginative and complex dance moves won a Tony as well.  Co-directors Hal Prince and Michael Bennett also took home Tony gold in the Best Director category.

With a book by James Goldman, "Follies" is a musical tale about showgirls who once performed in Ziegfeld Follies type reviews, except they're called Weismann Girls. They return for a poignant reunion celebration in the ghostly and tattered remains of the theatre where they flourished in their youth. Each of the former Weissman girls has an opportunity to reminisce in song. They relive memorable moments from their glory days and explore old relationships and romances.

The original cast numbered over forty-five players, making "Follies" one of the most complex of all Sondheim musicals to mount. In fact, the show's complexity required the services of two directors: Hal Prince and Michael Bennett.

Starring in key roles were Dorothy Collins, John McMartin, Gene Nelson, Alexis Smith and Yvonne De Carlo. At the Tony awards, Smith and Collins competed in the same category as Best Actress in a Musical. Alexis Smith won the coveted prize.

A successful revival of "Follies" hit the Broadway boards in 2001.
 

2011: Follies at the Marquis Theatre (UPDATE)

A new version of Follies is once again playing to SRO audiences on Broadway. The 2011 production, first presented at the Kennedy Center earlier this year stars Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell and the legendary Elaine Paige. This go-round, it's Miss Paige who has the distinction of singing the rousing anthem, "I'm Still Here" (right).

The reviewers for the new Follies offered universal acclaim. With specific reference to Elaine Paige's performance, the New York Times said, "As Ms. Paige performs 'I’m Still Here' — with a galvanizing fierceness that makes this much-performed song sound fresh and stinging — it’s not just an anthem of survival but also of rage against ravaging time."

And Barbra Streisand must have heard the good buzz. She and James attended a preview performance in early September. Elaine Paige told her listeners all about the Streisand visit during the Oct. 2 episode of her radio show.

Gold statues sometimes . . .

While we're on the subject of the 2001 revival of "Follies," it's worth noting that the cast included two actors who have played opposite Barbra Streisand on the big screen. Blythe Danner, of course, was first directed by Barbra in "The Prince of Tides" and then later shared some screen time with her in "Meet the Fockers."

Character actor Louis Zorich played the impresario Dimitri Weissman in the revival. You might remember Zorich as Nick the Dispatcher in "For Pete's Sake" (right).

Barbra's ode to "Follies" includes just one song, but it is arguably the score's most memorable. In the show, the character Carlotta Campion reminisces about the longevity of her career with the anthem, "I'm Still Here."

In 1993, Barbra gave it a go during her comeback concert in Las Vegas. As if to proclaim to the world that she was back, Barbra launched into her own version of "I'm Still Here" - complete with revised lyrics just for the occasion.
 

Mimi Hines and Blythe Danner

Since 1971, there have only been two official Broadway revivals of "Follies." The 2001 edition was a three month limited run at the Belasco Theatre. Blythe Danner, Gregory Harrison, Judith Ivey, Treat Williams and Polly Bergen were cast in the principal roles. Blythe Danner received a Tony nomination as Best Actress in A Musical, and Polly Bergen's rendition of "I'm Still Here" secured her a nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

In February 2005, New York's City Center Encores! series presented "Follies" in a special limited run of six performances. Veterans from stage and screen were brought together for this production. Donna Murphy, Victor Garber, Christine Baranski, Philip Bosco (as Weismann) and Mimi Hines headed the all star cast. Notices were generally good across the board, but one particular performer caught the eye of New York Times chief critic, Ben Brantley: "Ms. Hines’s terrific “Broadway Baby” is so touching because it’s as if she’s rediscovering underused muscles ... as she goes along."

Mimi Hines, of course, replaced Barbra Streisand as Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" on Broadway and kept the show running successfully for an additional two years. Since then, she has been a mainstay of the stage and nightclubs. Her portrayal of former Weismann girl Hattie Walker was so good, and her rendition of Sondheim's "Broadway Baby" so riveting, that Hines was asked to reprise that particular performance at the "Broadway for Medicine" all star benefit the following month.