Joshua Mooiweer

Musical Theatre Foundations 2017

1970
FOLLIES

1. Composers
Music & Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim Book: James Goldman

2. Premiere Date:
April 4, 1971

3. List of Characters/Type/Voice Part

Character Description Type VOICE PART

Sally Durant Plummer *also Girly even after Sweet, Mezzo-soprano
young version routine of marriage to beautiful older
Buddy woman
Benjamin Stone *also young Wall street man, has Handsome Baritone
version everything, married to older man
Phyllis
Phyllis Rogers Stone *also Married to Ben, smart Smart, diva Alto
young version and dry older woman
Buddy Plummer *also young Married to Sally, Kind, older Baritone
version realtor man
Carlotta Campion Resillient older movie Elegant older Alto
star woman, film
star-like
Stella Deems Veteran of Follies Older woman, Alto
traces of
beauty
Heidi Schiller Broadway legend Elegant Soprano
woman
Hattie Walker Broadway star Sweet, Alto
knowledgeable
woman
Emily & Theodore Whitman Married song and Quirky older Alto/Baritone
dance team couple
4. Music

TITLE SUNG BY SONG TYPE/BALLAD-

UPTEMPO
Beautiful Girls Roscoe and Company Opening, exposition/Ballad
Dont Look at Me Sally and Ben I am/Uptempo
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs Ben, Sally, Phyllis and Buddy, Narration/Uptempo
Young Ben, Young Sally,
Young Phyllis and Young
Buddy
Ah Paris!/Broadway Baby Emily, Theodore, Solange, Cameo/Uptempo, Ballad
and Hattie
The Road You Didnt Take Ben I want/Uptempo
In Buddys Eyes Sally I want/Ballad
Whos That Woman Stella and Company Cameo/Uptempo
Im Still Here Carlotta Cameo/Uptempo
Too Many Mornings Ben and Sally I want/Ballad
The Right Girl Buddy I am/Uptempo
One More Kiss Heidi and Young Heidi Cameo/Ballad
Could I Leave You? Phyllis I want/Uptempo
Youre Gonna Love Young Ben, Young Sally, I want/Uptempo
Tomorrow/Love Will See Us Young Phyllis and Young
Through Buddy
The-God-Why-Dont-You- Buddy I am/Uptempo
Love-Me Blues
Losing My Mind Sally Emotional climax, I
want/Ballad
The Story of Lucy and Jessie Phyllis and Company I am/Uptempo
Live, Laugh, Love/Finale Ben and Company I am, emotional climax/Ballad

5. Plot Summary with Location of Songs

In 1970, the surviving members of a pre-war Follies gather for a reunion. The theatre is
to be demolished so they are remembering the old days. (Beautiful Girls) Sally and Buddy and
Phyllis and Ben have married, Sally talks to Ben for the first time in a while. (Dont Look At Me).
Younger versions of each of them appear as Ben and Buddy recall waiting for the girls in their
dressing rooms. (Waiting for the Girls Upstairs) As the show progresses, players perform their
old acts. Solange, (Ah, Paree!) Hattie (Broadway Baby). Ben regrets lost opportunities he hadnt
taken in the past. (The Road You Didnt Take) Sally talks to Ben about her life with Buddy and
his devotion for her. (In Buddys Eyes) Young versions of both appear and show that in the past
they confessed their love. Each follies girl sings with their past selves about the toll time has on
their looks. (Whos That Woman) This revisit to the past points out the flaws in each marriage.
Carlotta sings of her pride in her age and past. (Im Still Here) Ben confesses to Sally that he is
still in love with her and they kiss. (Too Many Mornings) Sally believes this means that they will
get marriage because of this, Ben thinks otherwise but not before Sally leaves to get ready to
leave with Ben. Buddy has seen everything and regrets not marrying another girl. (The Right
Girl) Buddy tells Sally she is done and she thinks that Ben will be marrying her. Buddy reveals
that he has helped Sally too much with mental episodes and visits to rehab. Heidi sings (One
More Kiss). Phyllis kisses a waiter and tells Ben their marriage isnt working. Ben asks about
divorce, Phyllis is offended. (Could I Leave You?) Phyllis, Sally, Ben, and Buddy with their
younger selves enter and they all start yelling at each other. Ben tells Sally he has never loved
her. Every character has a nervous breakdown leading to Loveland, a heaven-like Follie. Each
principal and their counterpart sings of what they want. (Youre Gonna Love Tomorrow/Love
Will See Us Through) Buddy sings of his two loves, Sally and Margie (The God-Why-Dont-You-
Love-Me Blues). Sally sings of her obsession with Ben. (Losing My Mind) Phyllis sings of her two
sides (The Story of Lucy and Jessie) Ben sings of his cleverness and recklessness, but his song
goes wrong and he breaks down. (Live, Laugh, Love) He runs off and cries for Phyllis. Ben and
Phyllis console each other. Buddy and Sally go back to their hotel. Their younger selves watch
their older counterparts leave.

6. Climactic Plot Structure

Stasis Reunion happening of Follies

Exposition Members introduced, Sally/Buddy and
Phyllis/Ben married
Inciting Incident Ben and Sally reunited for the first time in a
while
Rising Action Sally talks of Buddy and Ben talks of regret
Crisis Ben confesses love to Sally
Climax Ben kisses Sally, then rejects her, talks to
Phyllis of divorce
Denouement Loveland
Resolution/Conclusion Ben breaks down and cries for Phyllis
New Stasis Younger selves watch older selves leave.
WORKS CITED

Sondheim, Stephen, James Goldman, Alexis Smith, Gene Nelson, Dorothy Collins, John McMartin,
Yvonne De Carlo, and Hal Hastings. Follies: Original Broadway Cast Recording. Broadway Angel,
1992. CD.