Stephen Sondheim has just announced that his multi-Tony Award winning Musical FOLLIES is finally going to be made into a movie almost 50 years since it first opened on Broadway . That original production directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, starring Alexis Smith (Phyllis), John McMartin (Ben), Dorothy Collins (Sally), Gene Nelson (Buddy), Yvonne De Carlo, (Carmen) won 7 Tonys. However it was the second-most costly performed on Broadway to that date and although it ran for over 500 performances but ultimately lost its entire investment.
Since then it has become one of Sondheim’s most revived musicals right across the globe and many of Follies songs have been come cult classics such as I’m Still Here, Losing My Mind, Broadway Baby and ‘Too Many Mornings’ and performed by some of the best singers of the day.
The announcement included the fact that 4 time Olivier Award winner Dominic Cooke, known for the quiet drama On Chesil Beach will take on directorial duties. Cooke directed a West End revival in 2017 which also had a return engagement earlier this year.
However as yet , there has been no word on which stars will be given the juicy roles of following in the footsteps of the likes of the late great Elaine Stritch to belt out “I’m Still Here’ . So we have taken it upon ourselves to give Messrs Sondheim and Cooke our ideas on who they should cast.
First Brit Tracie Bennett who stunned London and Broadway as Judy Garland in End of The Rainbow , and then played Carlotta in the National Theatre’s production of Follies.
And two-time Tony Award winner Patti Lupone may never have appeared in any of the Follies productions BUt she has made ‘I’m Still Here’ one of her favourite shows and she gives a stunning rendition of it.
Four-time Olivier Award winner Brit actor Imelda Staunton was also in the National Theatre’s production of Follies in 2017. Here’s a clip of her singing ‘Some People’ from Gypsy at the Olivier Awards in London when she picked up the Best Actress in a Musical again.
