Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim smiles at the April 5 opening of his Follies at the Belasco Theatre. With the creator of Sweeney Todd and Company is Betty Garrett, who plays Hattie Walker and once starred in the movie musicals "On the Town" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
Sondheim's Follies recreates the theatrical milieu of magnificently costumed and coiffured girls and the vaudeville dancers and performers, who made up the "follies" shows between the two world wars. At the crumbling Weismann Theatre, ghosts and showgirls from the theatre's legendary past reunite and reflect on their lives. When Folliesfirst opened at the Winter Garden on April 4, 1971 the production was directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett, with choreography by Bennett. Follies earned seven 1972 Tony Awards and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. The revival of Follies is set to run through Sept. 30.