Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies” is inherently an train in nostalgia, in addition to a critique of it. With a guide by James Goldman and music and lyrics by Sondheim, the 1971 musical depicts a bittersweet reunion of showgirls from a glitzy musical revue of the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s one final time earlier than their outdated theater is torn down, whereas two unhappily married couples look again at their youthful selves and surprise how completely different their lives may have been.
Now the musical itself is older than the outdated days had been in its story, and the truth that Sondheim died final 12 months provides solemn resonance.
Though the rating is way beloved, the present is seldom absolutely staged due to its advanced calls for and huge forged. In reality, San Francisco Playhouse’s present manufacturing lays declare to being the present’s absolutely staged skilled San Francisco premiere. It has been produced elsewhere within the Bay Space, and San Francisco’s forty second Road Moon did a live performance model as not too long ago as 2018.
The SF Playhouse manufacturing was initially scheduled for summer season 2020 however was shelved amid the COVID-19 shutdown. Its current opening was initially deliberate for July 6 however rescheduled twice as a consequence of breakthrough COVID instances among the many forged.
It’s an formidable piece to tackle, particularly in plague occasions, with 21 actors on the stage and a seven-piece orchestra led by music director Dave Dobrusky.
The current-day variations of the characters are sometimes mirrored by their youthful selves, in dramatic scenes in addition to in musical numbers. That includes a variety of synchronized dancing in Nicole Helfer’s full of life and sharply executed choreography. Glamorous showgirls clad in Abra Berman’s enjoyable, glitzy costumes loom across the edges of the motion, as ghostly reminiscences of happier days.
On the middle are former roommates Sally and Phyllis and their once-eager beaus turned routinely dishonest husbands, Buddy and Ben. Natascia Diaz wanders into the reunion in a cheerful daze as Sally, however on the coronary heart of that daze is delusion born of deep unhappiness and disappointment in life that comes out fantastically in her mournful songs. Sally had a fling with Phyllis’ husband, Ben, many years in the past, and he or she nonetheless pines for him.
Chris Vettel is easy however callous as Ben. There’s nothing in him that means he may return Sally’s affection. Even their individually pretty voices don’t fairly harmonize.
The reliably humorous Maureen McVerry takes all this drama in stride as Phyllis, lengthy settled into her sad marriage by testing of it. Anthony Rollins-Mullens is much less sanguine as Sally’s husband, Buddy, a chatty charmer resigned to a largely loveless marriage however drawing the road at rekindling outdated flames.
The 2 hubbies are completely paralleled by Chachi Delgado’s boisterous younger Buddy and Cameron La Brie’s restrained younger Ben, and Samantha Rose Cárdenas and Danielle Cheiken seize the as but uncrushed hopefulness of younger Sally and Phyllis.
We don’t actually get to know all the opposite ex-showgirls except for which musical quantity each performs, and possibly a little bit small discuss. However golly gee, what musical numbers they're, from Lucinda Hitchcock Cone’s brassy “Broadway Child” to Frederick Winthrop’s crooning “Lovely Ladies” to Cindy Goldfield’s world-weary anthem “I’m Nonetheless Right here.”
Sondheim being Sondheim, typically two or three completely different songs wind up being reprised concurrently, expertly interlaced. The songs are a pattern platter of early Twentieth-century musical kinds together with early Broadway, vaudeville, cabaret and operetta, typically loving pastiches of particular composers.
Creative director Invoice English’s staging actually involves life in Helfer’s choreography and the skillful use of mirroring, although there are a selection of scenes of individuals conspicuously standing round listening as a pair individuals carry out. English and Heather Kenyon’s rotating set of components of the outdated theater is successfully unglamorous, grounding romanticized reminiscences in prosaic actuality.
An undercurrent of weariness pervades the manufacturing, which solely accentuates the melancholy on the coronary heart of the present. It’s an extravaganza that doesn’t a lot dazzle as resonate deeply with no matter regrets and disappointments the viewer may need introduced alongside.
Contact Sam Hurwitt at shurwitt@gmail.com, and observe him at Twitter.com/shurwitt.
‘FOLLIES’
By Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman, introduced by San Francisco Playhouse
By: Sept. 10
The place: San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Publish St., San Francisco
Operating time: Two hours and 45 minutes, one intermission
Well being & Security: Proof of vaccination required, masks have to be worn within the theater; superior on-line ticket purchases strongly inspired
Tickets: $30-$100; 415-677-9596, www.sfplayhouse.org