GLITTER, GHOSTS AND GOLDEN-AGE GLAMOUR:
DESPITE THE SCRIPT, CYGNET’S FOLLIES
MAKES A BIG SPLASH AT THE JOAN

Cygnet Theatre staked the debut of their new theater complex “The Joan” on a fairly solid bet: Stephen Sondheim. Given he is one of the great darlings of the theatre world, a musical with a score by Sondheim is a smart choice, especially one such as Follies, as it is so infrequently produced (although Broadway has seen a few revivals) — the last full production in San Diego that I could find any record of was at the Civic in 1990.

(front) Patti Goodwin, (back) Sierra Goria

The original 1971 Broadway production is legendary: people lucky enough to see that Harold Prince/Michael Bennett version maintain that it was one of the most breathtakingly spectacular theatrical events ever, however problematic James Goldman‘s libretto may have been (or I should say, still is). It’s a highly complex, massive show requiring a huge multi-talented cast of mostly middle-aged to elderly actors to portray Follies performers from the days of old in modern times. Indeed, actual stars in their later years, such as Yvonne De Carlo, appeared in the original. And it’s packed with songs that pay tribute to different Golden-Age Broadway composers and their signature styles, some of which are perfect (“Broadway Baby”). The legions of Sondheim fans are no doubt champing at the bit to see this show live, which is why it’s a great bet for Cygnet.

Drew Bradford, Nio Russell

That said, Sondheim is not everyone’s cup of tea and I myself have found myself loving some (Company, which opened the year before Follies in 1970, is my favorite by far) and hating others — much to the shock and horror of fellow theatre lovers. I floundered in between for Follies, which I liked, but didn’t love. But there’s a lot to like.

Audrey Deubig, Sandy Campbell

At a crumbling New York theater on the eve of its demolition in 1971, numerous former showgirls who worked for renowned producer Dmitri Weismann (Will Doyle) reunite for a bittersweet farewell party at the Weismann Theatre. Key among the many gathered together are our four central characters: two ex-dancers and their husbands. Sally (Sandy Campbell) is now married to salesman Buddy (Russell Garrett) and her beautiful-but-hardened ex-roommate Phyllis (Karole Foreman) arrives with her wealthy husband, Ben (David S. Humphrey). Old memories surge as the women, once part of Weismann’s troupe, reconnect with past dreams and disappointments. Sally still yearns for Ben, her youthful love, while Buddy senses her distance. Phyllis hides her own discontent beneath sophistication and sarcasm, clashing with Ben’s craving for sweetness in his life. The struggles of the four of them are offset against learning the backstories of the other former Follies girls, who range in age from their forties to seventies.

David Humphrey, Melissa Glasgow, Kaia Bugler, Abby DePuy, Christopher Lopez,
Alyssa Anne Austin, Boston Antunes, Sierra Goria, Brice Daniel

Perhaps the brightest stars of Follies shine from behind the scenes. The collaboration between choreographer Katie Banville and director Sean Murray once again proves a San Diego goldmine. As we shift from past to present to surreal dreamscape, their work is so seamlessly intertwined that it’s hard to separate scene from song, dance from drama. For this non-choreographer, it’s staggering to imagine how Banville first envisioned the intricate stage pictures we see, then managed to coordinate them across a cast in constant motion.

Russell Garrett, Ian Bartlett

Much of the production’s force comes from the characters appearing alongside their younger selves—sometimes mirroring gestures, sometimes moving in counterpoint. At times the younger selves speak to reveal the past, but more often they embody memory through movement. One especially intricate sequence, where past and present collide in a whirlwind of choreography, lands with startling power.

Karole Foreman

The foursome work seamlessly together — with Campbell and Foreman reunited after their standout turns in Cygnet’s A Little Night Music (2018) — but it’s Foreman who leaves the deepest impression. No surprise: after her searing, near-solo tour de force as Billie Holiday last year, she now gives Phyllis a potent blend of bitterness and yearning, while still allowing us to feel her vulnerability. When she delivered the line, “How do you wipe tears away when your eyes are dry?” in “Could I Leave You?” a chill ran down my spine.

Melissa Glasgow, Russell Garrett

The others, however, are hardly overshadowed. Garrett strongly unleashes his inner clown late in the show, when Goldman frames the foursome through their personal “follies” in the fever dream Loveland when the decaying theatre dissolves from brittle party chatter into a fantasia of sequins, footlights, and Technicolor grandeur, and the quartet steps into vaudeville-style numbers that lay bare their inner longings. Campbell keeps us teetering between sympathy and exasperation with Sally, then pierces the heart with a devastating “Losing My Mind.” And Humphrey, blessed with the most commanding voice in the cast, fills the theatre with baritone warmth that borders on operatic — yet never tips into excess.

Ralph Johnson, Leigh Scarritt, Kaia Bugler, Anise Ritchie, Melinda Gilb

Among the other ladies, two performances stand out. Melinda Gilb is a delight as the irrepressible Stella, bringing spunk and sparkle to “Who’s That Woman” decades past her dancing prime (in the number, she leads the older showgirls, mirrored by younger selves). And what a treat to see Leigh Scarritt — rarely on the stage side of a production these days — tear into the role of Carlotta. She nails the sass and edge, landing not only every laugh line Goldman wrote but squeezing humor from moments that might fall flat in lesser hands. Her Act II showstopper, “I’m Still Here,” was delivered with more melodic clarity than even the original cast album, and it brought down the house.

Leigh Scarritt

So where does the “like-not-love” come in? It has nothing to do with the production — the issue is the script (“virtually plotless” according to Sondheim). The early sections over-extrapolate, and several numbers run far longer than they need to, making the 2 hours and 40 minutes (with intermission) feel even longer. Garrett shines in “The God-Why-Don’t-You-Love-Me Blues,” but one can’t help wishing he didn’t have to linger on it quite so much. The two sequences, The Folly of Love and The Folly of Youth — early numbers that reflect on the characters’ past mistakes and romances, helping set up the themes of regret and memory — initially confuse more than they clarify and add little to the story; the show regains momentum once the focus returns to the four main characters in the present.

Russell Garrett

If you know you’re not a fan of Sondheim and his notoriously discordant choices, Follies isn’t likely to win you back over. For everyone else, Cygnet has put together an excellent and very enjoyable production of a show that has a lot of great parts, even if there are a few more of them than necessary.

Leigh Scarritt, Kaia Bugler

photos by Karli Cadel Photography

Follies
Cygnet Theatre Company
Joseph Clayes III Theater (280 seats)
Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center (“The Joan”), 2880 Roosevelt Rd.
Wed-Fri at 7; Sat at 2 & 7; Sun at 2
ends on October 12, 2025
for tickets, call 619-337-1525 or visit Cygnet

(front) Anise Ritchis, (back) Katherine Chatman