But tonight, just before the wrecking ball arrives, Weismann is having a party, a reunion of the stars and chorus girls who appeared in his shows all those years ago. Sondheim's score, on the other hand, is, if anything, too rich and plenteous to be contained in a single show. This production deals best with the background. It's a stunning opening, matched for sheer emotional impact just a few times during the show proper. What's so moving about this juxtaposition of past and present is its utter lack of regret.
Foreground works less well.
Though all are undeniably talented, none has the star power or oomph to accomplish the tour de force that the second act necessarily must be. Indeed, star power is mostly lacking in this Follies . After the 1985 concert version at Lincoln Center and the recent Paper Mill Playhouse revival, we've become accustomed, rightly or wrongly, to viewing Follies as a showcase for celebrities of yesteryear. And that's about it. Fully aware of the show's drawbacks, and certainly disappointed by some of them, I still can't get Follies out of my head.