History Theatre / Follies

* LostEpisode: Has never been filmed professionally and unlike Assassins, no full bootleg versions of the play in its various forms exist. Moreso the 1985 concert performance video version was 70% behind the scenes material with the songs that were featured in said video, largely featured without any context as the numbers were performed outside the context of the story. Furthermore, soundtrack versions of the musical have largely been incomplete or missing dialogue that explains the various plots and songs. It was not until the 2011 version's soundtrack was released that "Follies" was released in a manner that was remotely complete. However now averted since The 2013 Toulon Production was screened on TV and the 2017 National Theatre Production was screened live to Cinemas.

* LyricalDissonance: The song that closes Act I, "Mirror Mirror," sounds like a cheery toe-tapper, but the actual lyrics are about a girl who, [[DoubleEntendre upon reflection]], [[note]] blame Sondheim[[/note]] realizes she is living the high life to try and escape her own inner emptiness.

* BreakTheCutie/BreakTheHaughty: Or more precisely, reveal the cutie (Sally) and the haughty (Phyllis) are more broken than they're initially letting on.

%%* BettyAndVeronica: Sally/Phylis/Ben and Sally/Buddy/Ben

* GratuitousPanning: On the original cast album, Yvonne De Carlo's vocal on "I'm Still Here" gradually slides across the stereo spectrum.

* MinorCharacterMajorSong: Carlotta ("I'm Still Here") and Hattie ("Broadway Baby") both count as this. Because their songs are so important, revivals have tended to cast notable performers in these roles (Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/ChristineBaranski and Creator/BettyBuckley have all played Carlotta, while Elaine Stritch, Betty Garrett and Linda Lavin are among the names who've been cast as Hattie).

However, the meat of the plot focuses on two middle-aged married couples. The women, Sally Durant Plummer and Phyllis Rogers Stone, are former chorus girls and friends who, in their youth, were courted by Buddy Plummer and Benjamin Stone, respectively. The foursome always met up after the curtain call. Both couples are now deeply unhappy with their marriages. Buddy, a traveling salesman, is having an affair with a girl on the road; Sally, who'd had a brief affair with Ben before he married Phyllis, is still as hopelessly in love with him as she was years ago, and so depressed that she can barely function. Ben is a super-successful businessman turned philanthropist, trying to hide his impending midlife crisis and nervous breakdown; Phyllis, meanwhile, feels abandoned by Ben--both emotionally and physically, due to his refusal to have children--and has turned outwardly cold towards her husband as a result.

However, the meat of the plot focuses on two almost-middle-aged married couples. The women, Sally Durant Plummer and Phyllis Rogers Stone, were chorus girls and friends who, in their youth, were courted by Buddy Plummer and Benjamin Stone, respectively. The foursome always met up after the curtain call. Both couples are now deeply unhappy with their marriages. Buddy, a traveling salesman, is having an affair with a girl on the road; Sally is still as much in love with Ben as she was years ago, and so depressed she can barely function. Ben is a super-successful businessman turned philanthropist, trying to hide his impending midlife crisis/nervous breakdown; Phyllis, meanwhile, feels abandoned by Ben -- both emotionally and physically, due to his refusal to have children -- and has turned outwardly cold towards her husband as a result.

However, the meat of the plot focuses on two almost-middle-aged married couples. The women, Sally Durant Plummer and Phyllis Rogers Stone, were chorus girls and friends who, in their youth, were courted by Buddy Plummer and Benjamin Stone, respectively. The foursome always met up after the curtain call. Both couples are now deeply unhappy with their marriages. Buddy, a traveling salesman, is having an affair with a girl on the road; Sally is still as much in love with Ben as she was years ago, and so depressed she can barely function. Ben is a super-successful businessman turned philanthropist, trying to hide his impending midlife crisis/nervous breakdown; Phyllis meanwhile feels abandoned (emotionally and physically, due to his refusal to have children) by Ben and has turned cold outwardly towards her husband as a result.

''Follies'' is considered by some to be Sondheim's masterpiece, though the play itself has had a long and bumpy road. The musical was an AcclaimedFlop when it debuted in 1971, resulting in Creator/CapitolRecords releasing the cast album in a heavily-butchered single LP release as opposed to the original double-album set that was planned. A full soundtrack would not resurface until 1985, when the entire score was performed live for a charity benefit by a star studded cast, which was released on CD (sadly the VHS and later DVD release focused mainly on the recording of the concert). The success of "Sunday In The Park With George" and "Into The Woods" gave Sondheim and Goldman the leverage to revive "Follies" in the UK in the late 1980s, where the play finally found commercial success. However, Goldman (who had long disliked the play's dark tone and downer ending) insisted on rewriting the play to give it a much more upbeat tone and ending.

''Follies'' is considered by some to be Sondheim's masterpiece, though the play itself has had a long and bumpy road. The musical was an AcclaimedFlop when it debuted in 1971, resulting in Creator/CapitolRecords releasing the cast-album in a heavily-butchered single LP release as opposed to the original double-album set that was planned. A full soundtrack would not resurface until 1985, when the entire score was performed live for a charity benefit by a star studded cast, which was released on CD (sadly the VHS and later DVD release focused mainly on the recording of the concert). The success of "Sunday In The Park With George" and "Into The Woods" gave Sondheim and Goldman the leverage to revive "Follies" in the UK in the late 1980s, where the play finally found commercial success. However, Goldman (who had long disliked the play's dark tone and downer ending) insisted on rewriting the play to give it a much more upbeat tone and ending.

''Follies'' is considered by some to be Sondheim's masterpiece, though the play itself has had a long and bumpy road. The musical was an AcclaimedFlop when it debuted in 1971, resulting in Capitol Records releasing the soundtrack to the musical in a heavily butchered single LP release as opposed to the original two LP set as planned. A full soundtrack would not resurface until 1985, when the entire score was performed live for a charity benefit by a star studded cast, which was released on CD (sadly the VHS and later DVD release focused mainly on the recording of the concert). The success of "Sunday In The Park With George" and "Into The Woods" gave Sondheim and Goldman the leverage to revive "Follies" in the UK in the late 1980s, where the play finally found commercial success. However, Goldman (who had long disliked the play's dark tone and downer ending) insisted on rewriting the play to give it a much more upbeat tone and ending.

* DespairEventHorizon: The ending, for [[spoiler: Sally]] - the original script and the 2011 revival event explicitly states that her final line is one, as far as stating that the line (and its variation) "Oh Dear God; it IS tomorrow" should be spoken in a manner totally and UTTERLY devoid of all hope).

* DoubleMeaningTitle: Refers to both the Follies that the characters performed in, and the follies that they have committed.

The play follows a reunion at a Broadway theater where the "Weismann's Follies" were shown. The theater is condemned, and will be torn down in days, taking all of its memories with it. Showgirls of yore, now middle-aged or older, gather to perform their old numbers, variously nostalgic, contented, or confused. Ghosts trail the performers-- the ghosts of their own younger selves.

''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Music/{{Stephen Sondheim}} and a book by James Goldman, originally staged on Broadway in 1971 in a lavish production by producer/co-director Harold Prince and choreographer/co-director Michael Bennett. It follows a reunion of a Broadway theater where the "Weismann's Follies" were shown. The theater is condemned, and shall be torn down in days, taking all of its memories with it. Showgirls of yore, now middle-aged or older, perform their old numbers, variously nostalgic, contented, or confused. Ghosts trail the performers-- the ghosts of their own younger selves.

The plot of the play, however, focuses on two almost-middle-aged married couples. The women, Sally Durant Plummer and Phyllis Rogers Stone, were chorus girls and friends who, in their youth, were courted by Buddy Plummer and Benjamin Stone, respectively. The foursome always met up after the curtain call. Both couples are now deeply unhappy with their marriages. Buddy, a traveling salesman, is having an affair with a girl on the road; Sally is still as much in love with Ben as she was years ago, and so depressed she can barely function. Ben is a super-successful businessman turned philanthropist, trying to hide his impending midlife crisis/nervous breakdown; Phyllis meanwhile feels abandoned (emotionally and physically, due to his refusal to have children) by Ben and has turned cold outwardly towards her husband as a result.

%%* HeelRealization: Ben has one [[spoiler: in the middle of a song.]]

%%* SceneryPorn: Used for great effect with Loveland.

* MinorCharacterMajorSong: Carlotta ("I'm Still Here") and Hattie ("Broadway Baby") both count as this. Because their songs are so important, revivals have tended to cast notable performers in these roles (Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/ChristineBaranski and Betty Buckley have all played Carlotta, while Elaine Stritch, Betty Garrett and Linda Lavin are among the names who've been cast as Hattie).

* AllMusicalsAreAdaptations: Averted

* BettyAndVeronica: Sally/Phylis/Ben and Sally/Buddy/Ben

* HeelRealization: Ben has one [[spoiler: in the middle of a song.]]

* SceneryPorn: Used for great effect with Loveland.

* TrueCompanions: Deconstructed with the couples.
* TooGoodToLast: The original Broadway run.

* OurGhostsAreDifferent: One part LivingMemory, one part that the old theater itself is haunted by the memories of its glory days. Throughout the play, dancers in full "Follies" regalia glide, saunter, and twinkle their way across the stage, in perfect silence. When the older performers revisit their numbers, their younger selves appear and dance or sing in counterpoint. These apparitions are visible only to the audience, but the characters feel something unsettling in the air.

* DependingOnTheWriter: The bulk of the changes to the play largely depend on how heavily John Goldman was involved in the production, as Goldman constantly tinkered and rewrote the play with every subsequent revival. However, since his death, the play has largely moved back towards the original version due to Sondheim's involvement in said revivals.

* MultipleEndings: Various rewrites (initiated by John Goldman) have provided this for the play. The most notable is the UK version of Follies, which replaces Phylis and Ben's "Loveland" songs. Generally speaking, the changes tend to involve the tone of the ending as Goldman wanted the play to have a happy ending with the two couples reconciling at the end and provide hope that they will get their shit together in the end.