She is so right, it's "In buddy' eyes." Could listen to Julia sing it everyday for the rest of my life. Always brings tears to my eyes. Thanks si much for posting this.
I remember seeing this production, and was impressed by the entire cast - especially the spectacular performance of "I'm Still Here" by the legendary Dolores Gray.
I met Julia mckenzie when playing sally in follies .ive always been a fan of her but when we spoke together she was so warm and kind. She made me so happy. I miss seeing her. ❤
This production is when I fell in love with musical theatre; a superb version. Now all these years later I totally understand why Sondheim wouldn't let it be done again. Cutting "The Road You Didn't Take" and "Live, Laugh, Love" watered it down so much. Nervous breakdowns are so much more theatrical than "make the most of it". This production was driven by Sally's folly rather than Ben's "got to have it all..." American dream... Also, the beginning of globalisation and tourists becoming the major audience. Vividly recall seeing it one night; pandemonium, show stopper after show stopper, audience listening with full rapt attention. Amazing. I went back next day for the matinee, audience all non-English speakers and baffled and bored. Got to understand the language to appreciate a Sondheim show, not so much with, "Cats".
Saw the second night, and another show towards the end of the run. Whilst I enjoyed it, the changes annoyed me, particularly as I'd seen Howard Lloyd Lewis' stunning production twice at the Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe in 1985 which was a faithful recreation of the original. Shortly before the London production opened, I literally ran into Sondheim as I came out of a pub in Long Acre, Covent Garden to do some Christmas shopping as he was hurrying to a rehearsal at the Shaftesbury. I managed to exchange a few brief pleasantries with the Great Man but after the encounter had to return to the pub in total white-faced shock to avail myself of a few stiff single malts, much to the amusement of my colleagues whom I had just left at the bar. History does not record what Sondheim thought of being accosted by a scruffy unshaven oik dressed in tatty jeans and a leather bike jacket but I can only imagine it was probably not complimentary :) I hasten to add that I was not impolite in my approach, professing my profound thanks for the genius of Sunday In The Park With George, and told him that we had a mutual connection in that I had worked with Stuart Pedlar several times (one of the two pianists on Side By Side By Sondheim and rehearsal pianist for Sweeney Todd at the Lane) which momentarily endeared me to him. He then apologised to me and said he had to get to the theatre post haste.
Thank you for the love for "in Buddy's Eyes" long my absolute favorite Sondheim song, often outshone by other bigger songs. Such a beautiful yet ultimately sad song. Pathos.
what do you mean Dolores Grey hadn't played London since the original Annie get your gun ?? she replaced Angela Lansbury in Gypsy at the Picadilly theatre in 1973
@ciaranhagghaggerty326: Aliens from outer space are trying to connect with us mere earthlings. We communicate that they are foolish and all efforts are a series of FOLLIES but they persist. Like others, they find Sondheim (and they know where he is!) too deep and prefer Jerry Herman. But they don’t understand how Angela Lansbury brings the fox back alive in MAME and is cutting up dead bodies into pies with SWEENY TODD. The aliens are looking for another universe to conquer. Stay tuned or stay away.
It's really not true to say Follies was originally a "giant flop". That's just mythologising in order to make the Macintosh production seem like some kind of breakthrough. In fact, the original Follies ran for nearly a year. But it failed to make its mney back because they'd massively over-capitalised on the show. It was too lavishly and too expensively staged. But that's hardly the same thing as a show closing early with only dismal reviews. In any case, the Mackintosh production was hardly a significant re-invention - just a couple of new songs, neither of which have been used in subsequent productions (though I personally prefer Ah, But Underneath to The Ballad of Lucy and Jessie).
