©Broadway Beat June 1998
The television show "Broadway Beat" did a feature on the recording session of the Papermill Playhouse production of Follies. The feature aired June 15 & 16, 1998, when there was a strong possibility the show would move to Broadway. Unfortunately, those plans fell through. This is a transcript of Michael's interview. Michael: Who knew it would turn into this whole kind of...scene, of it being - And being involved in something that's hot news, you know, after doing things like My Favorite Year and somehow sort of things that - And doing Cats for a year and a half where, even doing the record breaker, which was exciting, at the same time, it doesn't have the aplomb this sort of has, and that's been really exciting. And then, you know, the reviews, I mean, that's crazy, when those came out, you know, so I hope we move, and I hope everybody gets a chance to see this, because I think it needs to be seen, and should be seen. So that's thrilling. And who knew we'd move to Broadway. Robert Johanson said to me, you know, you know, come do this, I think this would be really, this will be good, and we want it to move, and so we had an, he kind of had an idea that this could happen, you know, with this impressive cast that he assembled. Interviewer: Well, I hope so because there are so many people who never had a chance to see the original. I was fortunate enough to have seen it at The Winter Garden, but this was the closest production. I've seen a few of them across the country, but I think this comes the closest to the real thing. Michael: Yeah. Well, he's, Robert is such a wonderful dramaturgy, and I think what he - with dramaturgy, and I think he did a wonderful job working with Mr Goldman in recreating and shifting some stuff around and tightening the book and, and hopefully - You know, you're going to have those people who are very traditionalist, who saw the show, and they're saying oh, it doesn't have the bite, or it's not this, or it's not that. There's been, there's been some of that going around. But on the whole, I think people who are having a first experince with the show are, are so happy with it, and very fulfilled. My sister, who's a nurse, was moved. She said it's the most moving thing she's ever seen me do. And I was, like, so shocked, because I, I had no idea she would be touched by it, because I think it's a very kind of specific piece to the business and stuff, and will she get the, what's going on with these chorus girls coming back. And she was so touched by it, and I thought, wow, that's a real indication that, of the kind of...I don't want to say Average American, but the people will - it's not just an elitist show, which is what I think it has an idea that oh, Follies will only play to New York audiences, theater audiences for like a year. Maybe this will have an audience of tourists, of people coming in who will respond to the show. main Follies page

©Broadway Beat
June 1998

The television show "Broadway Beat" did a feature on the recording session of the Papermill Playhouse production of Follies. The feature aired June 15 & 16, 1998, when there was a strong possibility the show would move to Broadway. Unfortunately, those plans fell through. This is a transcript of Michael's interview.

Michael:
Who knew it would turn into this whole kind of...scene, of it being - And being involved in something that's hot news, you know, after doing things like My Favorite Year and somehow sort of things that - And doing Cats for a year and a half where, even doing the record breaker, which was exciting, at the same time, it doesn't have the aplomb this sort of has, and that's been really exciting.

And then, you know, the reviews, I mean, that's crazy, when those came out, you know, so I hope we move, and I hope everybody gets a chance to see this, because I think it needs to be seen, and should be seen. So that's thrilling.

And who knew we'd move to Broadway. Robert Johanson said to me, you know, you know, come do this, I think this would be really, this will be good, and we want it to move, and so we had an, he kind of had an idea that this could happen, you know, with this impressive cast that he assembled.

Interviewer:
Well, I hope so because there are so many people who never had a chance to see the original. I was fortunate enough to have seen it at The Winter Garden, but this was the closest production. I've seen a few of them across the country, but I think this comes the closest to the real thing.

Michael:
Yeah. Well, he's, Robert is such a wonderful dramaturgy, and I think what he - with dramaturgy, and I think he did a wonderful job working with Mr Goldman in recreating and shifting some stuff around and tightening the book and, and hopefully - You know, you're going to have those people who are very traditionalist, who saw the show, and they're saying oh, it doesn't have the bite, or it's not this, or it's not that. There's been, there's been some of that going around.

But on the whole, I think people who are having a first experince with the show are, are so happy with it, and very fulfilled. My sister, who's a nurse, was moved. She said it's the most moving thing she's ever seen me do. And I was, like, so shocked, because I, I had no idea she would be touched by it, because I think it's a very kind of specific piece to the business and stuff, and will she get the, what's going on with these chorus girls coming back. And she was so touched by it, and I thought, wow, that's a real indication that, of the kind of...I don't want to say Average American, but the people will - it's not just an elitist show, which is what I think it has an idea that oh, Follies will only play to New York audiences, theater audiences for like a year. Maybe this will have an audience of tourists, of people coming in who will respond to the show.

main Follies page