UPSTAGE THEATER presents FOLLIES
A true theatrical event, this legendary masterpiece is considered by many to be the greatest musical ever created. Surreal, sophisticated, compelling, heart wrenching and epic in scope, Follies by musical theatre legend, Stephen Sondheim, and author, James Goldman, uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naivete in the post-Kennedy years.
Val directed, vocal directed, and designed set & lighting for the production. The show was set in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts - SecondStage.
A new concept for a classic!
As characters explore the Weismann Theater and memories begin to resurface, they see younger versions of themselves and witness their biggest life decisions being made before their eyes. While Follies is normally done with each character having a younger version of themselves, Upstage's production of Follies featured a new past-and-present concept where each actor portrayed both the younger and older version of their character.
This concept was supported by lighting, sound, and staging which transported the audience through time and made for a magical experience.
During Act II, the characters are transported to the fictional setting of their Follies numbers—Loveland—in which each allegorical song is inspired by a composer of the era. Just as the score for Follies is a pastiche of different composers, the costumes, designed by Margot Johnsen and Beatrice Bell, took inspiration from the original 1910s - 1930s showgirl outfits to construct a stunning landscape of Loveland attire.
Director, Vocal Director, Lighting Designer — Val Zvinyatskovsky
Choreographer — Shaya Ben-David
Costume Designers — Margot Johnsen & Beatrice Bell
Asst. Vocal Director — Venice Ella Mayor
Sound Designer — Elliott Orr
Assoc. Scenic Designer — Keenan Dyrby
Production Consultant — Samanthan Belding
Producer — Bonnie Fought
Technical Director — Jon Garber
Stage Manager — Emma Rensin
Asst. Stage Managers — Mars Ezakadan & Zoe Stern
Production Stage Manager — Olivia Spreen
Lightboard Operator — Eli Jones
Soundboard Operator — Alex Orr
Grid Crew — Keenan Dyrby, Laxya Kumar, Madara Linde, Skyler Riordan
