3.5 Follies!

It's camp o'clock! Peter & Nathan turn to Sondheim’s 1971 iconic Follies, a show that takes a loving—but brutal—look at nostalgia, camp, the power of memory, and the danger of looking back.

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We talk about:

Nostalgia. The role of nostalgia and the warning articulated in Follies: "never look back"
Camp. The nature of camp, Susan Sontag’s essay "Notes on Camp" and how Follies explores campiness, drag culture, and the excesses of the 20th century
Women. Follies as a show about women and women’s bodies
Spirits. Ghosts, the communion of saints, and the past's impact on the present
Aging. The spirituality of aging, what it means to be fully alive, and the power of endurance

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You’ll hear:

The Prologue, "Beautiful Girls," "Broadway Baby," and "In Buddy’s Eyes" as performed by Bernadette Peters, Jayne Houdyshell, Michael Haynes and the company of the 2012 Broadway Revival production
The late, great Barbara Cook singing "Losing My Mind" from the 1985 Concert Recording
The legendary Elaine Stritch performing "I’m Still Here"—which you have to watch on YouTube and then find all the other women in red singing their Sondheim tributes: https://youtu.be/3Xz1TUgdG6A

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Check out some of our all-time favorites!

Phantom of the Opera
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Jesus Christ Superstar!
Schmigadoon! (Season 1 / Season 2)
West Side Story!
Yentl!
Frozen!
Barbie!

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