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starring: Andre Gregory, Arthur Rubin, Barbara Cook, George Hearn, Jim Waltondirected by: Michael Houldey
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 0014381103830
Format: Color, NTSC
Label: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Release Date: July 24, 2001
Running Time: 90 minutes
Sales Rank: 48559
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: March 14, 1986
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Editorial Review:
Description:
The incomparable Stephen Sondheim brought his sensational Follies to the stage in 1971 where it was hailed as 'monumental theater' by The New York Times. Fourteen years later, the magic was recreated by an unparalleled gathering of stage and screen luminaries performing with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center for a wildly enthusiastic audience. This one-night-only performance became a legendary event in Broadway history--Follies in Concert! The evolution of this unique, historic event is exclusively captured in this film, from the first rehearsal--just four days before the show--to the last-second butterflies just before the curtain rose. This is a rare treasure for all fans of musical theater. Includes the memorable songs 'Losing My Mind' and 'I'm Still Here' and an all-star cast: Carol Burnett, Liz Callaway, Betty Comden, Barbara Cook, Adolph Green, George Hearn, Howard McGillin, Liliane Montevecchi, Phyllis Newman, Mandy Patinkin, Lee Remick, and Elaine Stritch. 90 minutes.
Amazon.com essential video:
Follies in Concert: Four Days in New York provides a backstage look at a genuine Broadway event, the 1985 concert performance of Stephen Sondheim's 1971 Broadway musical Follies. A star-studded roster is backed by the New York Philharmonic, featuring principals Barbara Cook, Mandy Patinkin, Lee Remick, and George Hearn, supported by the likes of Carol Burnett, Liliane Montevecchi, Elaine Stritch, and Liz Callaway. Unfortunately, this 90-minute documentary only includes about 47 minutes of actual concert footage--ironic because the purpose of the concert was to record the whole score after the original Broadway cast recording had omitted or shortened many songs.
Still, what's here is not to be missed. Sondheim's musical brilliantly captures the memories and heartache of a long-lost era and the performers who embodied it. At a reunion of the fictional musical revue The Weismann Follies, the long-retired players relive their careers through pastiches of past songwriters, sometimes accompanied in song or dance by the ghosts of their previous selves. At the same time, four of the people (two married couples) remember their pasts and wonder whether they chose their spouses--and the course of their lives--correctly. This film includes glimpses of the rehearsals and comments from the actors and Sondheim himself that lend depth and insight to the production. And even if only about half of the actual concert is represented, the closing 'Loveland' sequence is almost complete, and 'Who's That Woman (The Mirror Song)?', though heavily edited, does provide some sense of the choreography. --David Horiuchi
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Heartbreaking!!!!
I remember watching the initial airing of this concert on television and at one point stood up and screamed at the TV. I could not beleive that what should have been an historic, television event, was actually a schmaltzy, PBS documentary about the concert. I, like most every person I knew who were interested in musical theater at the time, were pissed! Why? Why? Why? Why couldn't they have taped and shown the entire concert instead of this 90 minute fluff? Yes, I am sure all the performers were ... Read More
Rating:  - Sondheim and Peters!
FOLLIES was one of Stephen Sondheim's most glorious musicals with one of the most memorable scores he has ever written. A huge score and a cast of over 40 major characters, it is a huge undertaking in any form and this concert version was no exception. FOLLIES was the story of a reunion that takes place in a an old theater, about to be demolished, among several follies performers from the past, now in their 50's, 60's, and 70's, reuniting for a final goodbye to their theater, orchestrated by the ... Read More
Rating: - Sondheim's Follies - How to Make a Musical.
In spite of the fact that I am a Follies Fanatic, junkie, and completist, I missed this concert. Back in 1971, I was too young to fully appreciate Follies and although I bought the OBC and loved it, I didn't get to see FOLLIES on stage before it closed.
By the time 1985 rolled around, I was ecstatic at the thought of this revival and planned on buying tickets and attending. It "sold out" within an hour or so and I coudn't get tickets. I should have slept on the ground in front of Lincoln ... Read More
Rating:  - This video is as cracked as the face on the logo :(
I REALLY like the soundtrack and the originally broadcast show I saw on PBS years ago. The stars and the songs are incredible. However, this DVD only shows parts of most of the songs and omits some of the very best songs and scenes altogether. It is also a grainy copy that looks like it was dubbed on an old VHS video tape. Please save yourself the time, the money, and the memories, if you have seen this show before. Sometimes the memories are better than the reality. Athough that is also the message ... Read More
Rating: - Aging Gracefully.
"Beautiful Girls". What a fantastic opportunity for lovers of Broadway musicals to see the behind the scenes creation and making of a successful musical in four days. This film is in part documentary combined with hi-lights of the finished performance at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic. The story line of "Beautiful Women" attending a Follies Reunion so many years into retirement is powerful and awakens thoughts of aging. Mandy Patinkin, Carol Burnett, Barbara Cook and Lee Remick lead an all star ... Read More
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