Sunday in the Park with George

I will preface by saying that Sunday in the Park with George is a very close second behind A Chorus Line on my list of favorite musicals, so you won't get objectivity from me. In my opinion, this is the most perfect score ever written for the musical theatre. The complexity of Stephen Sondheim's work, and the way in which it mimics Seurat's pointillistic style, is a marvel. It is highbrow and cerebral, yet also emotionally resonant and accessible.

I love Annaleigh Ashford, but I was surprised when she was cast as Dot/Marie. She doesn't fit the mold of the women who have played the role in major production. That being said, I found myself actually laughing tonight. This show presents pretty heavy material, but Annaleigh was able to mine out every little nugget of comedy. Conversely, this made her more emotional moments even more heart wrenching. I found her Marie to be more engaging than any of the others I've seen. Her southern drawl peppered act II with sass, which again, made the ballads ever more powerful. Her connection to her mother in the painting during "Children and Art" was palpable.

Jake Gyllenhaal is thoroughly impressive as George. You'll be shocked when you hear him sing. He's not just one of those actors who happens to sing well...he's a Singer with a capital S. His portrayal of the dogs is a highlight as the comedy juxtaposes the seriousness of Act I George. His impeccable diction makes the fast paced numbers,  namely "Color and Light" and "Putting it Together," a dream to listen to.

The supporting cast fills out the painting with standout performances from Erin Davie and Ruthie Ann Miles. This is truly an ensemble show and it's refreshing to see actors, the aforementioned specifically, who have starred in previous shows be able to blend into the chorus, yet deliver a knockout line when the libretto dictates.

I firmly believe that our favorite shows affect us differently at different phases of our lives. We relate to characters differently, a previously ignored song stands out, or a particular scene is revealed to us in a new light. That new moment for me tonight was Dot's speech before "Move On". When she explains what she learned from George, she talks about concentration. When she was younger, she thought it meant standing still and focusing, but now she knows concentration means feeling comfortable where you are, not living in the past or the future. This really stuck me. It's a common sentiment to live in the moment and live for today, but the idea of concentration really gripped me. In a sense, she's admitting that George was never in the wrong in their relationship, but he helped her to grow and change, which helps her to go forward. It's absolutely gutting to think that two people can be right for one another all along, but the timing doesn't work. However, Dot and George don't feel that way in the end. They honor their time together and move forward. I always say that Sunday is the most cathartic closing number in the entire musical theatre canon and George's final spoken sentence really provides closure and hope for the audiences. "White a blank page or canvas, his favorite, so many possibilities."

Win Tickets to FOLLIES on Broadway!

Two-time TONY winner Bernadette Peters stars in this production of Follies as Sally Durant Plummer. For which role and which show did she win her first TONY award? 

Answer the question in the comments section below. The contest will run until Thursday September 22nd at 11:59 pm at which time (2) winners will be chosen at random to receive a pair of tickets to a select performance of Follies on Broadway. Please include your email address in the post so we can contact the winners.

FOLLIES on Broadway

“WHITE-HOT. VIBRANT & MOVING.
A vigorous heart beats at the center of The Kennedy Center’s revival of FOLLIES.”
–Ben Brantley, The New York Times

“****! A DELUXE PRODUCTION OF A DAZZLING MASTERPIECE.”
–Adam Feldman, Time Out New York

The Kennedy Center’s lavish and landmark new staging of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award®-winning musical FOLLIES comes to Broadway’s Marquis Theatre (46th St. between Broadway and 8th) for an historic limited engagement, complete with its 28-piece orchestra and a cast of 41—led by such Broadway babies as two-time Tony® winner Bernadette Peters, four-time Tony® nominee Jan Maxwell, two-time Tony® nominee Danny Burstein, three-time Emmy nominee Ron Raines and Olivier Award winner Elaine Paige.

Purchase Between Now and  October 2

$89 Orchestra/Front Mezz (reg. $135/$125)

$65 Mid Mezz (reg. $95/$85)

Order August 7 – October 2, Use code 2BUDDY

Call: 877-250-2929

Online: Ticketmaster.com (http://www.ticketmaster.com/Follies-tickets/artist/852845?CM_MMC=Follies+website-_-Follies-_-landing+page-_-get+tickets)

Visit: The Marquis Theater, 46^th Street between Broadway and 8^th Ave.

Website: www.FolliesBroadway.com

**Conditions: Valid for performances through 10/2/11 All prices include $2 facilities fees. Limit 8 tickets per order. Offer subject to availability and prior sale. ALL SALES FINAL. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet sales are subject to standard service fees. Offer may be revoked at any time or modified at any time without notice.  

A Toast To That Invincible Bunch: My Review of Company

Please dont' think it blasphemous when I say that Company is not my favorite Sondheim musical because I found the New York Philharmonic's production, which I saw in a humble movie theatre, to be impeccably done. It is technically a "staged concert," though my only previous experience with the show is the 2006 Broadway production directed by John Doyle in minimalist fashion. Because this show centers around everyday upper-middle class white folk, the simple staging suits it best. I know this phrase is tossed around a lot, even by me, but I really look at Company as "a play with music." There aren't too many showstoppers or flashy dance breaks, but the book and the story really shine. We open with bachelor Bobby's (Neil Patrick Harris) friends hiding in his apartment to surprise him for his 35th birthday. The play is not linear; it uses a series of vignettes to show Bobby's exploration of marriage through the lens of his married friends and three girlfriends.

Neil Patrick Harris is not the egotistical, set-in-his-ways Bobby seen in many productions, but rather he seems genuinely open to considering marriage. Throughout the play Bobby visits four couples where he learns important lessons about marriage, almost as if he were Ebeneezer Scrooge but without the ghosts. The first couple we are introduced to is Sarah (Martha Plimpton) & Harry (Stephen Colbert) who are both "on the wagon". They bicker about how long they'be been free from their addictions, his to alcohol and hers to food, while Bobby tries to intervene and assuage the situation. Colbert is a classic example of why Sondheim is for actors who sing rather than singers who act. He may not be a songbird, but comic timing, well that he has down pat. He and Plimpton have a kinetic chemistry that radiates from the silver screen, particularly when their witty repartee escalates into a hilarious karate match. Despite their fighting, they look forward to sleeping next to one another, which is Bobby's first lesson about marriage.

Susan (Jill Paice) & Peter (Craig Bierko) are the Southern Belle-Ivy League power couple and both actors do a fine job with relatively small parts. Susan is so charming that Bobby "wants to be the first to know when Peter leaves her". To his surprise they tell him they are divorcing. For Bobby, their divorce makes him even more cynical about marriage. Though Bobby is more of an observer and rarely comments on the marital problems of his friends, it is easy to see that Harris' wheels are always turning. He is taking stock of his friends though he cannot yet process what he's seen.

Next we meet Jenny (Jennifer Laura Thompson) and David (Jon Cryer) as they are lighting a joint with Bobby. Thompson is a very giddy Jenny, reminiscent of what she did with Glinda in Wicked, and Cryer is spot on as the very dry David. Jenny is uber-conservative and never swears, but when she is high, David takes great joy in hearing her repeat his obscenities. Bobby finds this charming, especially when David tells him that Jenny doesn't really enjoy pot, but she does it to please him.

You Could Drive A Person Crazy,  one of the more hum-able numbers from the show is a trio performed by Bobby's girlfriends Marta (Anika Noni Rose), April (Christina Hendricks), and Kathy (Chrissie Whitehead) as they discuss his skittish and noncommittal ways. He is their "hobby" and they're "giving  him up". The choreography is simple, but Whitehead stands out as the one with the most formal dance training and leaves the other two in the dust. Though Rose and Hendricks make up for the lack of dance technique in acting and presence, this number could've used more rehearsal. Rose's Marta is the standout among the three overall and her Another Hundred People is a highlight of the show. When she speaks of her love for the city and its energy I truly felt it, even in the movie theatre.

The act ends with Amy (Katie Finneran) & Paul (Aaron Lazar) on their wedding day. Amy has cold feet and can't stand the thought of being faithful to one man for the rest of her life. Amy is one of those roles that can be so tacky with the wrong actress but it is in good hands with Finneran and her Not Getting Married Today  is the best I've ever heard. Harris makes it quite clear that Bobby has feelings for Amy and he all but encourages her to call off the marriage. This is a cruel realization that Amy is off the market as she decides to marry Paul.

Act II kicks off back at Bobby's party and he blows out the candles followed by Side by Side, a song and dance number where he and all his friends sing about the joys of partnership. The choreography is based on call and response between the two-somes and it is a rude awakening for Bobby when he has nobody to finish his steps.

Hendricks' April relies heavily on flighty-ness and though its cute at the beginning, it slows the pace and by the end of Barcelona, you feel you've been watching the same scene for an hour. Things pick up when Bobby takes Marta to visit newly divorced Susan & Peter who are still living together. She is so excited by the prospect of a live-in divorce and adds that to the list of things she loves about New York City.

The penultimate scene is the show, features everyone's favorite number, The Ladies Who Lunch performed by Patti LuPone as Joanne. In between toasting her first and second husbands, she takes time to recognize that special class of women who "lounge in their caftans planning a brunch on their own behalf." LuPone can command any stage large or small and this is a perfect diva role for her. She puts her own spin on this number that is so closely connected with Elaine Stritch. She really takes her time and each lyric is crystal clear. She approaches it more as a scene than a song and its much more about diction and pacing than pitch and vibrato. She has the tall order of playing two roles: the real Joanne that her husband Larry (Jim Walton) is privy to and the more brassy abrasive Joanne that the rest of the world sees. She does each one impeccably well and the shift in her eyes when Larry tells Bobby that he hopes he can meet the real Joanne one day is a thing of beauty.

The final scene leaves Bobby very confused and Harris seems quite pained as he thinks of everything bad that there is about marriage. "Someone to hold you too close, someone to hurt you too deep, someone to sit in your chair and ruin your sleep." His friends coax him from afar to realize that all of this elements of relationships that he perceives to be negative are just simple reminders that he is alive, something that he has been alone too long to remember. This transitions seamlessly to Being Alive, the emotional heart of the show. Sondheim is a master of the 11 o'clock number. Almost all of his shows feature an emotional catharsis where the protagonist learns a (sometimes hard to stomach) lesson. In Sunday in the Park With George, its Move On and in Into The Woods its Children Will Listen. Its the same as Losing My Mind in Follies  and Send In The Clowns in A Little Night Music.

We never really know what happens to Bobby but back in his apartment his friends leave, thinking he has forgotten about his party, and he reemerges to sit in his chair and grin before the lights go out. A pessimist may think that Bobby has pulled the wool over his friends' eyes and decided to remain alone even after they've shown him the "joys" of marriage. But I like to think that Bobby has finally grown up and realized that he can't make it on his own.

Who's That Woman: My Review of Follies

Some of Stephen Sondheim's most catchy tunes, ornate costumes and sets, and the divine Miss Bernadette Peters...what more could you ask for? Many musical theatre aficionados will not be happy with a production of Follies until one directly matches the original from 1971, but the Kennedy Center's current incarnation does a completely respectable job in hearkening back to the original while updating in a few places. The production is what I'll call hauntingly stunning in that the visuals are sharp and memorable while they evoke a feeling of longing for what once was...or never was. The opening moment will stay with me forever and yet it is remarkably simplistic. As the lights come up ever so dimly, a gorgeous showgirl ever so slightly raises and lowers her arms. As she begins to turn to face down stage, other show girls enter unison with the overture and we are immediately transported back to 1940 when the dancing girls were the epitome of style and class.

The first star entrance is that of two-time Tony winner Bernadette Peters in the role of Sally Durant Plummer. She looks so darn sweet and hopeful as she swoons at the thought of returning the New York City and reuniting with those from her past that she almost reminds you of little orphan Annie. This is not the strong, domineering Bernadette that we saw in Gypsy, or more recently in A Little Night Music, but a fragile and delusional woman who seems to forget that she is well beyond her showgirl days and therefore, past her prime. She is soon reunited with a diverse cast of characters that were her friends and fellow dancers 30 years prior, most noticeably her former roommate Phyllis Rogers Stone played by the luminous Jan Maxwell. Director Eric Schaeffer does a beautiful job of incorporated the younger selves, or ghosts, of Sally and Phyllis as well as their respective husbands Buddy and Ben in the song Waiting For the Girls Upstairs, where we learn that the foursome went dancing many a night after the boys waited for the girls at the stagedoor. We also learn very quickly that Sally is not and has never been happy with Buddy, as she has always longed for her first love Ben who married Phyllis so many years ago.

In the beginning of the first act we are treated to Broadway Baby, Ah Paris, and In Buddy's Eyes. Linda Lavin, Regine, and Ms. Peters respectively perform the heck out of these songs, though they appear more as cabaret numbers rather than integrated pieces of the show. This may be a flaw in the show's book or in the direction, but I'm willing to forgive that because of what comes up next, the show-stopping Who's That Woman led by the commanding Terri White. She taps, she belts, what doesn't she do? The choreography is relatively simplistic, but this production number performed by all the former showgirls is just so entertaining that you want to be on your feet dancing along with them. Watching Bernadette tap in her LaDucas is just one of most delightful things I've ever seen.

The rest of Act I includes the phenomenal I'm Still Here by an illustrious Elaine Paige who has a penchant for the over-dramatic. At the end of the act things really fall apart as Buddy and Phyllis realize that his wife is in love, and borderline obsessed, with her husband. Too Many Mornings, the act I finale is beautifully staged between Sally, Ben (Ron Raines) and their young ghosts. Ben goes so far as to kiss Sally and being the egotistical womanizer he is, it means nothing to him though Sally takes it as an announcement of love and a marriage proposal. Ms. Peters is quite fantastic in this scene as we sympathize with her Sally because Ben is playing so nonchalantly with her emotions.

Act II gives us a much better look at the talents of the show's other stars Jan Maxwell and Danny Burstein. Her Could I Leave You is a perfect example of why Sondheim normally casts actors who sing rather than singers who act. Her attention to character and emotion in this song about divorcing Ben is spot on and though her vocal tone is not always perfect, we'll forgive her. We reach the emotional climax of the show in Loveland a dream sequence where the primary characters and their younger selves deliver performances that reveal their deepest emotions. Buddy's Blues is a vaudeville-style number that demonstrates Danny Burstein's true talents as a song and dance man as well as a gifted actor and Live Laugh Love shows us how emotionally tortured Ben has felt throughout his life. The Story of Lucy and Jessie is meant to be a showstopper for Phyllis, but unfortunately the choreography does nothing for Jan Maxwell but make her look inadequate while the male ensemble pulls focus. The highlight, for me, of the second act is Sally's Losing My Mind where she reveals the depths of her obsession with Ben and the turmoil it puts her though day after day as the smallest things from the sun and a cup of coffee make her daydream of him. I've said it before but watching Bernadette Peters sing on stage is like taking a master class in acting a song. She stands still downstage center for the entire song and never moves, not even her arms. Every ounce of emotion is on her face and in her voice. Her performance of this song is something I will remember for my entire life.

It is debatable whether the show ends with a tiny bit of hope or in complete despair and I guess it depends on the person. I'll paraphrase the final lines, but after Ben decides to stay with Phyllis, Buddy walks Sally out of the theatre and tells her they'll wait until tomorrow and decide what to do, to which Sally responds that it is already tomorrow. I guess we'll really never know what happens to these characters after the show ends and that is, for me, the most frustrating part of the show.

Its been nearly a week since I saw Follies and I've been trying to formulate my opinions, but I've struggled. One conclusion that I've come to is that every important piece of plot and emotion is covered in the songs so perhaps this show is better done in concert than in a fully staged production. Then those great numbers like Broadway Baby won't stand out because they don't fit into the plot, but simply because they are fantastic songs.

STAGE TUBE: Sondheim Talks Lyrics, Life, and More with PBS Video Content (BroadwayWorld.com)

Listen to living Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim as he discusses his work with PBS' Jeffrey Brown. From Follies and Company to A Little Night Music and Sweeney Todd, Sondheim has given us some of the American musical theatre's greatest treasures.

STAGE TUBE: Sondheim Talks Lyrics, Life, and More with PBS Video Content (BroadwayWorld.com)

Barbie's Showtune of the Day #15: Send In The Clowns

Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music is arguably Stephen Sondheim's most well known song. Countless singers have performed and recorded this song, but in my opinion, nobody does it as well as Bernadette Peters in the current Broadway revival of the show. Unfortunately I do not have access to a video of the full song, but this clip provides a nice glimpse at her incredible performance, not to mention her iconic voice.

Reply For Your Chance To Win A Pair Of Tickets To A Little Night Music On Broadway!

Isn't it rich? Aren't they a pair? Those of you who have been following my blog know how much I loved the current Broadway revival of A Little Night Music. Not only is the show itself fabulous, with a music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, a book by Hugh Wheeler, and direction by Trevor Nunn, but Broadway has not seen a pair of actors with the talent and onstage chemistry of Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in some time. A Little Night Music is simply the most lovely production I've seen on Broadway in years and Bernadette Peters, in the role of Desiree Armfeldt, gives the most memorable performance that I have experienced in all my years of theatre-going.

This incredible piece of theatre has recently announced an extension of their Broadway run with a posted closing date of January 9th, 2011. If you haven't seen this production yet, or if you are like me and can't bear to let it close without seeing it again, then here is your chance. Provide the correct answer to my trivia question in the comments section of this post and you are automatically entered to win a FREE pair of tickets to the show. Be sure to also include your email address so I can contact the winner. Post your answers and email addressed by Tuesday November 9th, 2010 at 12pm and I will then chose a winner at random out of the correct responses. Good luck!

Question: Elaine Stritch is most famous for performing which Stephen Sondheim standard?

If you are not chosen as the contest winner, here is a way to save on your tickets to A Little Night Music. Use the fan code LMFAN826 at broadwayoffers.com, call 212-947-8844 and mention the code, or visit the box office at The Walter Kerr Theatre at 219 W 48th st New York, NY. This discount is good for $89 Orchestra/Front Mezzanine seats (regularly $137) or $59 Rear Mezzanine seats (regularly $97-$107) and is valid only through December 26th!

My Most Memorable Theatre Experiences: #7 A Little Night Music

I apologize now if I start gushing, but of my list of top 10 theatre experiences, the revival of A Little Night Music was my most recent show so it is incredibly fresh and vivid in my memory. This show was a highlight of my life as a theatre-goer for several reasons. First of all, it was my first experience with a Stephen Sondheim work live on stage, other than Sondheim on Sondheim, and I was certainly not disappointed. From the top of the overture the final waltz, I was enraptured by the intricacies of the music, eloquence of the text, and the actors' polished performances. I found myself humming in 3/4 time several days after seeing the show. I try to see as many theatrical productions as possible, particularly those with historical significance that have made a grand impact on the musical theatre canon, but perhaps the biggest draw for me was Bernadette Peters. I wanted to see A Little Night Music when Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury were playing Desire and Madame Armfeldt, but I simply had to see this production when Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch took over the lead roles.

I have been a big fan of Miss Peters since I started my vocal training. My voice professor in college was frustrated because I learned vocal technique very quickly, but she was having trouble teaching me to "act the song." Finally, she sent me home with a VHS copy of Sunday in the Park with George and said "watch Bernadette Peters and learn from her." At that moment I got it. I realized that in the musical theatre, one must deliver a song as the character rather than themselves and that that often means letting go of vocal technique in order to allow the characters' emotions to seep through. Because Miss Peters has had such a profound impact on my growth as an artist, I was delighted to finally have the chance to see her on stage.

I was literally shaking in my seat as the curtain rose in the Walter Kerr Theatre. The actors entered in darkness but the moment I saw her signature red curls, I knew that I was in the presence of my Bernadette. I expected to fall in love with Bernadette's performance, and I did, but I also fell in love with the entire company and the show as a whole. Elaine Stritch was perfection in her comic timing and Alexander Hanson was a debonair, yet vulnerable Frederick.  The younger cast members sparkled as well from Leigh Ann Larkin's Petra with her 11 o'clock showstopper The Miller's Son to Erin Davie's Charlotte and her acerbic sense of humor. But the true highlight of the evening for me was Bernadette Peters' Send in the Clowns. This is arguably Sondheim's most well known song and I've heard it many times over, but never truly understood its meaning. But in the context of the show and this specific scene where Frederick rejects Desire's love despite their history, I began to realize the weight of this song. They realize that they are in two very different places and when Desire is finally ready to love Frederick, he has found another wife, and the only way she can cope with the tragedy of the situation is to fake humor. In this respect, the song is truly heartbreaking and while Bernadette was visibly crying during her performance, I was doing the same from my orchestra seat, for many reasons. Not only was I feeling sympathy for Desire and her grief, but I was thinking of how lucky I was to finally see my idol perform live. (This is the point where I gush) I started thinking of how inspirational Bernadette Peters is as a performer and how giving she is to the audience. She has had such a long, illustrious career and she could easily retire or focus on film and concert work, but she has given us all the gift of returning to the stage where I am certain that a whole new generation of theatre-goers are falling in love with her at every performance. As I watched Bernadette Peters in A Little Night Music, I said to myself, "I will never forget this performance," and I'm certain that I never will.

Barbie's Showtune of the Day #11: The Ladies Who Lunch

A friend sent me this video today and I just had to post it. Elaine Stritch...what a broad! Her rendition of "The Ladies Who Lunch" from Company is classic Broadway. Many other women have performed this song but nobody can touch Stritch. Catch her onstage now in Sondheim's A Little Night Music at the Walter Kerr theatre, also starring Bernadette Peters.

Barbie's Showtune of the Day #10: Sunday

This is a performance of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday from Sunday in the Park with George. It is the finale of the 1993 concert "Soneheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall." This is also available on DVD form PBS' Great Performances series.

The Barbie Award for Acting a Song: Miss Bernadette Peters

Need I gush anymore about my idol Bernadette Peters? Yes, I think I must. I have always been a fan of Miss Peters' work, but it was not until I began to study classical vocal technique and my teacher pointed me toward Sunday in the Park with George as an example of acting a song that I began to truly respect her as an artist. Her portrayal of Dot/Marie in that show was unparalleled, and she was robbed of the Tony that year in my opinion. Those who have heard her in concert or on solo recordings know that she has a stellar voice, but what I admire about her the most is her ability to sacrifice vocal perfection for the sake of acting and character accuracy.

I had the pleasure of seeing her for the first time on Broadway this week in A Little Night Music (my formal review will come later) and from the moment she first stepped onto the Walter Kerr stage in the opening waltz, I felt tears stream down my face. Now maybe this was because I was a little starstruck and a bit enamored, but goodness does this lady have the ability to grip an audience. Now being a singer myself, I've idolized Bernadette for her vocal abilities, but interestingly enough,  I never once thought of her as a "singer" in this performance, but rather as an "actress." She only sings 1 and a 1/2 songs in the show, but even in those moments, the lyrics are about her character, Desiree Armfeldt, and not about notes or phrases. Her range is incredible, from sarcastic and funny, to terribly heartbreaking. Her Send In the Clowns is simply the best I have ever heard and not because of her voice, but because of her interpretation of Stephen Sondheim's lyrics. The pain felt by her character was so raw and on the surface and was evident in the raspy, shaky quality of her voice. Vocally pristine? No. True to the character? Absolutely. I have always loved the song for its lyrical and musical qualities, but I never truly understood the weight of it until I heard it from the mouth of this indelible songstress. I have never in my life cried so many real tears at a performance. This lovely evening of theatre is one that I will have to force myself not to see again, because as much as I would love to experience it again, I never want anything to cloud the memory of my first time. Thank you Bernadette Peters for restoring my faith and respect for the American musical theatre.

Barbie's Showtune(s) of the Day #9: Selections from Follies

In honor of the spectacular announcement yesterday from the Kennedy Center about their upcoming spring 2011 production of Follies, I thought I would post some of my favorite songs from the iconic Stephen Sondheim show.

In Buddy's Eyes, Follies, as performed by Marin Mazzie--although I think this song works best when performed by a slightly older actress, Mazzie's performance is irresistible and she truly exploits all of the emotion in the song



Losing My Mind, Follies, as performed by Barbara Cook--in my opinion, nobody interprets Sondheim better than Barbara Cook and this performance is just terribly heartbreaking

Bernadette Peters to Star in Kennedy Center's Follies

It was just announced today that Bernadette Peters will headline the upcoming Kennedy Center production of Stephen Sondheim's Follies as Sally Durant Plummer. As Sally, she will perform some of Sondheim's most beloved songs including the heartbreaking "In Buddy's Eyes" and "Losing My Mind." This truly is the year for Peters & Soneheim as she is currently playing the role of Desire Armfeldt in the current Broadway revival of his A Little Night Music. The original production of Follies opened on Broadway on April 4, 1971 and ran for over 500 performances. It features music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. Hal Prince directed the original production Michael Bennett choreographed.

Other casting includes Kim Cattrall as Phyllis Rogers Stone, Danny Burstein as Buddy, and John Dossett as Ben. Peters and Dossett previously shared the stage in the 2003 Sam Mendes revival of Gypsy as Rose and Herbie. Danny Burstein is fresh off of his acclaimed run as Luther Billis in the recent South Pacific revival and will head into the new production of Women on the Verge of A Nervous Breakdown before rehearsals for Follies begin. Cattrall is perhaps best known for portraying Samantha Jones on the hit HBO series Sex and the City and the subsequent films, but she has enjoyed an extensive stage career on London's West End stages.

Tickets for this sure-to-be-wonderful production go on sale January 30th and the run begins May 7, 2011 and closes on June 5, 2011. Now I'm not one for starting rumors, but the last successful Kennedy Center production (Ragtime in 2009) transferred to Broadway and there is certainly a chance that this production, with its amazing source material and star-filled cast, could be Broadway bound. But regardless, what a great opportunity for DC theatergoers to see Bernadette Peters, a living legend, live onstage.