Art Imitates Life in Hornsby Follies

Art Imitates Life in Hornsby Follies

Hornsby Musical Society presents next Stephen Sondheim’s Follies at the Hornsby RSL from October 24 to 26, 2013 for the Hornsby Arts Festival.

Set in a crumbling theatre on the verge of demolition, Follies tells the story of past performers from the “Weisman’s Follies” revue show, who have reunited one last time before the theatre’s final demise. Follies takes an affectionate look at the American musical theatre between the two World Wars and provides Sondheim with an opportunity to use the traditional conventions of the musical genre to explore the hopes and betrayals of love, lives and loss. 

The original Broadway production in 1971 took out seven of the eleven Tony Awards for which it was nominated. Follies has subsequently gone on toenjoy a number of major revivals. Its score features many modern Broadway standards, including "Broadway Baby", "I'm Still Here", "Too Many Mornings", "Could I Leave You?”, and "Losing My Mind".

The show will be directed by Alan D. Duncan (who previously directed HMS’s production of Wizard of Oz in 2010), with musical direction by Jeff Fisher and choreography by Michelle Millgate.

“As a lifelong fan of Stephen Sondheim, directing Follies is the culmination of a long-held personal ambition,” says Duncan. “My first experience of Sondheim’s work was appearing in the chorus of an amateur production of Gypsy back home in Scotland the early 1990’s, and since then I have been fortunate enough to direct and perform in and several other of his shows (“Company”, “Assassins”, “Merrily We Roll Along” & “Putting It Together”).”

“The challenges that Sondheim and his writing partners set a production team are always significant – complex musical compositions, intricate dramatic scenarios and emotionally challenging themes are typical – and Follies is no exception.  Structurally, the show is multi-layered, featuring as it does effectively three distinct casts (the old and young Bens / Buddys / Sallys / Phyllises, the “Dames” and the “Dolls”), and with dialogue and songs forming a series of vignettes that flash backwards and forwards between the “current” and “past” times. The balance of comedy and drama is also finely judged, the light relief of the older “Dames” contrasting with the more emotionally involving relationships of the main couples, while the ghosts of the showgirls form a “Greek Chorus” who observe, comment on and link the various scenes.”

There’s a real element of art-imitating-life about Hornsby’s production of this musical based around the idea of re-uniting ageing theatre performers

“The Follies cast bring together a number of old-stagers from the society’s past, some of whom haven't been in a show together for over 10 years – performers such as Ian Johnson, Julianne Horne, Sue Rowe, Gail Whiteand husband and wife duo Richard and Jan Adamson. For the flashback sequences, we’ve worked hard to get a match of the aging “Dames” with their youthfulshowgirl “30-years-ago” versions – though in the case of the character of Carlotta Campion, the match-up was made just a little bit easier by having mother-and-daughter pair Michelle and Alana Millgate play their older and younger selves!

“But for all of Follies pedigree, the show can only really work if it stands up dramatically on stage – by turns touching, sentimental, funny, visceral and even heartbreaking. We therefore made the decision to strip the show back to its basics; everything is presented within the confines of a “black box” stage, the orchestra is “unplugged”, there are minimal props. We hope this approach draws the audience into the action and enables everyone to share in, and be moved by, the “lives, laughs and loves” of the Follies.”

FOLLIES

Book by James Goldman. Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

By arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd. Exclusive agent forMusic Theatre International (NY)

Directed originally on Broadway by Harold Prince. Produced on the West End of London by Cameron Mackintosh.

Hornsby RSL

Thursday 24th & Friday 25th October at 8pm

Saturday 26th October at 2pm and 8pm

www.hornsbymusicalsociety.com.au

More Reading

Community Theatre Seasons 2013

More Community Theatre

Subscribe to our E-Newsletter, buy our latest print edition or find a Performing Arts book at Book Nook.