Everything Was Possible: The Birth of the Musical Follies

by Ted Chapin, Theodore S. Chapin, Jonathan Groff (Narrator)

As the sole production assistant for Stephen Sondheim’s Follies, Ted Chapin had a front row seat for the creation of one of the most important American musicals of all time. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences, and his rich storehouse of memories forms the core of Everything Was Possible, which itself has become a modern classic of musical theater history. Chapin was there in the drama-filled rehearsal room, typed endless rewrites, ferried new songs around town, pampered the film and television stars in the cast, and traveled with the show to its Boston tryout and back to New York for the opening night on Broadway. 

Combining the zeal of an enthusiast with a journalist’s narrative chops, Chapin takes the listener on a roller-coaster ride through the creation of an original Broadway musical.

Updated to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Follies, this edition includes a new afterword that brings the history of the show forward to today, diving into recent productions around the world, new recordings, the continued promise of a film version, and the legacy of the show in the wake of Stephen Sondheim’s death in 2021.

Audible Audio

Published August 30, 2022

About the author

President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization in New York.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when it first came out in 2001 and devoured it for all the details and stories Chapin brought to the creation of Sondheim's Follies. This reissue is labelled an Update Edition, but the updates are, essentially, in the last two chapters that brings the story of Follies' afterlife up to 2021 and Sondheim's death. It's still a wonderful book, especially with Jonathan Groff's narration to carry the listener through all the trials and travails of the birthing of what is now recognized as a classic of the American musical theater.