A revival of Follies, Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s 1971 musical about performers reuniting at a soon to be destroyed theater for one last go at the show, is opening on 12 September. This production stars Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Ron Raines, and Danny Burstein and is a transfer of the acclaimed Kennedy Center production from earlier this year. Follies is arguably the hardest Stephen Sondheim show to perform because of the technical demands of the music and storytelling.

Originally intended to be performed as a one act, 2+ hour show, any production wrestles with how best to handle audience’s needs with the best possible performance. The show immerses the audience in the past and present, building to a stunning climax that is meant to overwhelm. This Broadway revival has already tried the show with and without an intermission. It’s a hot-button issue among theater fans and it will be interesting to see which version premieres on the twelfth. Combined with a score that is expansive and challenging, Follies is a show that can live or die based on the casting decisions.

Here’s a highlight reel from Playbill.com. It, unfortunately, uses the first minute to do a montage of tiny moments in the show over orchestral scoring before showing any of the singing. It’s well-edited and gives a taste of the show. It look like this Follies wants to save the best for a paying audience. I can’t blame them. It’s a limited run with a high profile cast and proven material that almost guarantees a completed run.

UPDATE:

Playbill just posted a second video. Now that’s more like it:

So are you going to try and catch Follies? Sound off below.