FOLLIES at Carnegie Hall

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:29pm

Follies, featuring an all-star cast of Tony Award winners and nominees, will be the tenth presentation in the Transport Group's Anne L. Bernstein Concert Series—for one night only—on Thursday, June 20, at 8:00 p.m. at Carnegie Hall.  Follies will be directed by Transport Group Artistic Director and five-time Drama Desk nominee and two-time Obie Award winner Jack Cummings III with musical direction by Joey Chancey.  Hannah Oren serves as creative producer and Merri Sugarman, CSA serves as casting director.

The cast of Follies includes Broadway stars Julie Benko (Funny Girl), Mikaela Bennett (Renascence, BBC Proms West Side Story), Michael Berresse (Tony nominee, Kiss Me Kate), Alexandra Billings (Wicked), Klea Blackhurst (Everything the Traffic Will Allow), Harolyn Blackwell (Candide, Porgy and Bess), Stephen Bogardus (Tony nominee, Love! Valour! Compassion!; Falsettos), Norbert Leo Butz (two-time Tony winner, Catch Me If You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), Len Cariou (Tony winner, Sweeney Todd), Carolee Carmello (three-time Tony nominee, Parade; Falsettos), Jim Caruso (Liza’s At The Palace), Nikki Renée Daniels (Company, The Book of Mormon), Christine Ebersole (two-time Tony winner, Grey Gardens, 42nd Street), Katie Finneran (two-time Tony winner, Noises Off, Promises, Promises), Santino Fontana (Tony winner, Tootsie), Alexander Gemignani (Tony nominee, Carousel; Sweeney Todd), Miguel Gil (Kimberly Akimbo), Olivia Elease Hardy (Kimberly Akimbo), Erika Henningsen (Mean Girls), Grey Henson (Tony nominee, Mean Girls, Shucked), Fernell Hogan (Kimberly Akimbo), Jennifer Holliday (Tony winner, Dreamgirls), Rachel Bay Jones (Tony winner, Dear Evan Hansen; Here We Are), Isabel Keating (Tony nominee, The Boy from Oz), Adriane Lenox (Tony winner, Doubt), Norm Lewis (Tony nominee, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess), Ryan McCartan (Heathers), Donna Murphy (two-time Tony winner, Passion, The King and I), Thom Sesma (Pacific Overtures, Man of La Mancha), Barbara Walsh (Tony nominee, Falsettos; Company), Nina White (Kimberly Akimbo), Jacob Keith Watson (Merrily We Roll Along, Carousel), and Karen Ziemba (Tony winner, Contact).

The evening will feature the original Jonathan Tunick orchestrations played by a thirty-piece orchestra, and will also feature a selection of Michael Bennett’s original choreography restaged by original cast member Mary Jane Houdina.

This unique concert series features a different lineup of performers for each song, rather than a role portrayed by one actor for the entire evening.  Additionally, in lieu of the musical’s book scenes, backstage stories and anecdotes from the creation of the original production are woven between songs.

The evening will be hosted by Kurt Peterson, who originated the role of Young Ben in the 1971 Broadway production, as well as licensing executive and theatre historian Ted Chapin, whose memoir Everything Was Possible is taken from his daily diaries during the pre-Broadway run of Follies, on which he served as intern during his senior year of college.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:34pm

I am weak.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:34pm

This puts that LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC concert to shame! What a lineup, and I like the conceit of different performers doing different songs, not one person per role.

I won't begin to guess who's singing what, but I hope Rachel Bay Jones will be doing "Buddy's Eyes" or "Losing My Mind." Her work in HERE WE ARE felt very Sally-adjacent.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:34pm

That is quite a lineup of performers! Harolyn Blackwell! I wonder if she's doing "One More Kiss"?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:35pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "This puts that LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC concert to shame!"

Tbh, I already forgot that was happening.

 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:39pm

Prices are very reasonable.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:41pm

Very reasonable prices too, compared to some other shows. $144 top price, but most of the orch is $94 to $108.

I only read about half the cast list before buying. Maybe I'll get around to reading the other half eventually. 😆

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:42pm

I've never clicked a "Purchase" button faster in my life. 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:43pm

See y'all there!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:43pm

Jesus, each time I look at that cast list there's someone else listed I didn't notice. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:47pm

Yeah, it's an incredible breadth of talent from the last fifty years.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 12:55pm

This cast, 30 piece orchestra, original choreography!!

I LOVE that the Kimberly Akimbo kids are in this.

[ChiDoc]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:06pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "This cast, 30 piece orchestra, original choreography!!

I LOVE that the Kimberly Akimbo kids are in this."

"You're Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Through"?  It's what the people would deserve.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:11pm

Looks like I have to educate myself on Follies before June 20th! 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:13pm

I can think of few things more thrilling than the start of this overture. Gonna be amazing to hear that at Carnegie Hall. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:15pm

If I were placing bets -- a few guesses on who sings what...

Buddy's Blues - Norbert Leo Butz

I'm Still Here - Christine Ebersole

Who's That Woman - Jennifer Holiday

Could I Leave You -- Donna Murphy (or maybe she'll do Lucy and Jessie?)

Broadway Baby - Klea Blackhurst

Carolee will do a Phyllis song and Rachel Bay Jones will do a Sally song.

Len Cariou as Dmitri Weissman

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:17pm

So Jennifer won’t be singing “And I Am Telling You I’m Still Here”?

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:21pm

Jordan Catalano said: "So Jennifer won’t be singing “And I Am Telling You I’m Still Here”?"

Jordan, I know we've had our differences in the past, but I'm really starting to appreciate your comments on here :) 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:35pm

Happy 50th to ME! See ya'll there.

The idea (hope?) of Harolyn Blackwell singing One More Kiss is just too too. And can I also hope that Mikaela Bennett be young Heidi for that? I just saw her as Rose of Sharon in the Grapes of Wrath concert this week and she was utterly magnificent. 

Oh...and Alexandra Billings. Jesus. This is just so marvelous. 

[Huss417]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:44pm

This seems too good to be true but I have ordered my tickets. :)

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:58pm

UGH...I'm actually in the city UNTIL the morning of the 20th.   Have to figure out if I can alter that.   Waaaah.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 1:59pm

Yeah - you need to alter that lol

[barcelona20]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 2:12pm

Any chance at all of this being recorded somehow?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 2:19pm

barcelona20 said: "Any chance at all of this being recorded somehow?"

Not likely but never say never, I suppose. 

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 3:07pm

Now I can't unsee Rachel Bay Jones as Sally, and pray for a full-flegged revival with her