Victorian Opera presents the first full, professional production of Stephen Sondheim's musical Follies in Australia. The cast, featuring veteran performers Merlyn Quaife, Marina Prior, and Geraldene Morrow, explores themes of memory, regret, and the enduring power of the past through the story of a once-great revue show, the Weissman Follies, gathering in a condemned theatre.
On a Tuesday morning, Victorian Opera is channelling a 1920s Broadway revue. Interwar glitz and glamour are substituted with sweatpants and trainers. Victorian Opera is pulling together the choreography for the number. Merlyn Quaife, Marina Prior and Geraldene Morrow will be performing together in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. Rhonda Burchmore, playing Stella, leads a troupe of ageing dancers through a half-remembered number from their glory years.
Soon, they are joined by the spectres of their younger selves. Burchmore, in tap shoes, is leading a company of ghosts. The decades interweave. Follies won’t be so familiar to Australian audiences. Victorian Opera is calling this the first full, professional production of Follies in Australia (though some point to the Festival Theatre Company’s 1979 production at the Camberwell Civic Centre). The show sees the veteran performers of the Weissman Follies, a once-great revue show (heavily based on New York’s Ziegfield Follies of the 1920s and ’30s), gather in a condemned theatre to reminisce and reflect. As they rehash old glories and tensions, they are shadowed by younger performers, the ghosts of their youth. The young rub shoulders with the old, glamour rubs shoulders with faded grandeur. At times, the performers on stage range from their 20s to their 80s. The show is said to have been inspired by an evocative photograph of Gloria Swanson, in a gown and red feather boa, standing in the rubble of New York’s Roxy Theatre in 1960. The photograph says it all: the past lies in ruins behind us, and looking back can only be bittersweet. “It’s all about memory and regret and the looking back on your life that people can only do when you get to a certain age,” says Quaife, who plays the elegant Phyllis. “There’s something very profound about doing this as an older actor. It’s a specific but highly relatable topic for so many people.” In the rehearsal room, assistant choreographer Mitchell Fistrovic Doidge is guiding the cast through steps. “We never had kids, or made much money,” says Stella at the end of “But on the whole, all things considered…” she tails off. One of the younger dancers, the ghosts, gets a note to make it a bit less somber. Despite being one of the best-known works of musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim, Follies won’t be so familiar to Australian audiences., the movie version. Too bloody long!” Quaife is a soprano with a storied career in opera, and musical theatre isn’t exactly her natural habitat, but the characters cross genres. “Theatre is theatre,” she says. “The same kinds of people are drawn to it.” Quaife plays Heidi, a retired Broadway legend with a feature song in the middle of the show. “It’s a beautiful Viennese waltzy song which says you shouldn’t look back,” says Quaife. “But of course, everyone’s looking back.” Quaife is no exception. She was at home in Bendigo when the email came through offering her the role. She happened to be with Prior at the time. Prior has been one of Quaife’s students since she was 14. “She was my first and only singing teacher,” says Prior. “Singing was all I ever wanted to do, all I was ever going to do.” Quaife recalls telling Prior she’d been offered the role then and there. Until now, they’d never worked together outside their four decades of singing lessons. “She almost burst into tears,” says Quaife. “She’s not sugary and fluffy,” Prior says of Quaife. “She tells me what I’m doing wrong. She rarely tells me what I’m doing right. There are plenty of people to pump your tyres up. What you need in a teacher is someone who cuts through and says you can do that better.” To this day, she returns to Quaife when she takes on a new role. “I go for what we call a tune-up,” she says. “We spend a great deal of the lesson just talking.” Appearing alongside Prior and Quaife is Geraldene Morrow, who, at 82, is sure she’s the oldest person in the cast, and holds her own in the dance rehearsal. She’s been on stage for eight decades, since she was two years old. Prior also considers Morrow a mentor, having performed with her in “When you do a musical, it’s a slog,” says Prior. “It’s not glam. You become family. As soon as I saw Geraldene, we just slotted straight back into the relationship. It feels the same, standing next to her on stage. It’s so familiar.” As the performers settle into their nostalgic characters, preparing to take to the stage of the art deco Palais Theatre alongside familiar faces, looking back is inevitable. A few weeks ago Quaife found herself delving into her personal archives for a show on radio station 3MBS. “It does feel like I’ve created a PhD-worth of work,” she says. “I have no regrets. The body starts not doing what you want it to do. The voice is fine.
ARTS ENTERTAINMENT MUSICAL THEATRE STEPHEN SONDHEIM VICTORIAN OPERA FOLIES MARINA PRIOR MERLYN QUAIFE GERALDENE MORROW AUSTRALIA
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Opera Singers Master the Magic for 'Siegfried & Roy: The Unauthorised Opera'Kanen Breen and Christopher Tonkin, the stars of a new Australian opera about Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, are learning the art of live magic.
Read more »
Thousands of Victorian Students Begin their First Day of SchoolThousands of Victorian students, including many starting prep for the first time, began their 2025 school year. This year marks a significant milestone as the state government works towards its goal of building 100 new schools by 2026. The story highlights the excitement and nervous anticipation felt by both students and parents on this special day, while also showcasing the diversity and growth of Victorian schools.
Read more »
Victorian Labor Faces Backlash Over Meme Mocking Dutton FamilyThe Victorian Labor Party has been criticized for using a meme on social media that mocked Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and his wife, Kirilly.
Read more »
Mallacoota: A Picturesque Victorian VillageDiscover the charm of Mallacoota, a seaside village in regional Victoria known for its beautiful lakes, delicious seafood, and relaxing atmosphere.
Read more »
Mallacoota: A Victorian Seaside VillageDiscover the charm of Mallacoota, a picturesque seaside village in Victoria, known for its stunning natural beauty, delicious cuisine, and unique history.
Read more »
Victorian Labor Party Posts Mocking Dutton MarriageOpposition leader Peter Dutton has criticized a Victorian Labor Party social media post that mocked his marriage. The post, which has since been removed, showed a manipulated newspaper headline about Mr. Dutton and his wife and included a derogatory slogan. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ordered the post's removal, stating that families should be off-limits.
Read more »