Review-Follies-Hong Kong Singers
26-6-13
By: Leeann Bennett
There comes a time for every show, every theatre and every player on stage when the show is over. It’s not so much the falling of the curtain that is so hard but the rising of it to reveal the truth behind the illusion. Such is a lesson that plays out not only on stage but off it in real life. As well as where time marches on but sometimes leaves people clinging onto echoes of the past so much so that they do not see the present, much to the folly of their futures. The realization of the truth is not easy to swallow; though surprisingly it can be entertaining. Such was the theme of the aptly named musical Follies presented tonight by the Hong Kong Singers co-presented by the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre.
The story takes place in 1971 where the Weisman Theatre is set to be demolished as the Weisman Follies gather for one last time to mark the end of the crumbling theatre. Two former best friends, Sally and Phyllis, come with their respective husbands Buddy and Ben, to celebrate and perhaps dance one last number or two and remember the past as ghosts of their younger selves play beside them. Both couples are unhappy in their marriages and the reunion makes them face the more unhappy elements of their past and to try to change their futures though perhaps not in the way they had planned.
It sounds a bit maudlin and maybe a tad heavy on the weighty side of life but it really wasn’t. The actors breezed onstage with an airy lightness, the music never dampened the mood and there were more than a few opportunities to have a laugh or at least a chuckle at the expense of the tritely flawed characters as they bared their tattered souls in song and dance. It was actually quite an uplifting show considering that it’s about a bunch of performers who are now past their prime, looking back at when they were young with regret. I really enjoyed watching seasoned performers who not only had talent but the kind of confidence and stage presence that can only come from experience.
Almost everyone was brilliant though Helena Murche stood out for her portrayal of Sally Durham Plummer. The 49 year old who’s almost willfully kept her naiveté from 30 years ago, obsessing over the love that wasn’t, oblivious to the love that is. Sally isn’t exactly a character you would be rooting for yet Helena’s portrayal made her unforgettable. Moe Moss played her best friend Phyllis, a much more sophisticated woman who has married Ben and now wonders where her life went. I almost overlooked Moe Moss until the second act when she sang what is now my favourite song “Could I Leave You?” She’s also quite the sexy dancer in a feather boa.
The Gentlemen were great too, Jai Ignacio does a great number in a striped jacket you don’t want to miss and Paul Hay was very convincing as Ben, a raconteur who comes to a terrible realization in the second act.
I had never had the pleasure of enjoying a Hong Kong Singers Production and so I had no idea what to expect. In such a case I like to keep an open mind and as tonight was the preview I was going to try to be forgiving. I didn’t need to be. For the most part, the songs were sung in pitch, the high notes were hit, the dances didn’t falter. It was evident that these performers had practised more than enough to make the music and dance flow without mishap even on that deadly looking set of rickety stairs on stage.
It wasn’t perfect; the first act seemed to drag on just a bit despite the best efforts of the cast. I’m not sure why... The performers sang with energy, as was the music played off to the side. The singing was good, the cast was filled with great singers but something was just a teeny bit off. Maybe it was the fact that sometimes I had to strain to hear the lyrics, to understand what was being sung and I will hazard a guess that it was a mixture of sound issues and singers saving their breaths for the last note. Still, I was impressed at the vocal skills being bandied about on stage tonight.
Tickets are $320 for the coming nights and I think it’s worth the extra pennies. There are no fabulous costumes or beautiful backdrops but the stage is entirely filled by the energies and presence of the actors and they do it very well. The production team with Clare Stearns as Director, Forrest Morr as musical Director and Mandy Petty as Choreographer have, together with a great cast, filled the Black Box Theatre with Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics in a very entertaining way. I walked in somewhat sluggish after a long day and actually came out with a spring in my step so if you are looking for some light, uplifting entertainment, then Follies is for you.
Follies is playing through June 30th at the HK Rep Black Box. For more info, click here.
Comments
acr9e
OMG. Those stairs are soooooooooooo scary. I held my breath everytime an actor went down them in the derk.
26 June 2013Musical Fan
Saw Hairspray last night it's much better than Follies. If you can only pick one pick Hairspray it's the better show!
28 June 2013brad jacobs
Saw both and was really disapointed in Follies. Those stairs were a fucking safety hazard. It really took you out of the moment because you were worried an actor was going to die. This critic was really kind to the actors. Didn't like some of the singers.
28 June 2013HKMum
Great performances by the cast.
30 June 2013Job
This has to be one of the worst show I have ever seen in my life! The actors were fine, but the production was a HUGE HUGE HUGE MESS. It made an already difficult storyline even more difficult to understand!
19 September 2013