I need everyone coming up with Follies dreamcasts to remember one very important fact: Phyllis and Sally are a package duo. You cannot cast one without the other, and there must always be balance. Anything that might tip the equilibrium one way or another and the whole show is ruined.
That means making certain you have two actresses of relatively equal notoriety. There can be a little variance here and there in terms of accolades, but they need to be essentially equals in box office draw. This is especially true if your box office draw is objectively less talented in her role than the no-name costar. See 2011 for a prime example. You have one woman who is a Star with a capital S, and the other who is an Actress with a capital A, and tension is inevitable. Particularly when the reviews heavily favor the Actress and disparage the Star. Casting within the same net helps to eliminate this problem.
Physicality is just as important. Phyllis and Sally can break the mold individually, but together they need to retain some universal truths. Phyllis must be taller than (or equal to) Sally. She's the former showgirl who was always known for her leggy sex appeal. She has to be chicer, sharper, and definitely more glamorous. Sally has to be physically contrasting in some way, even if it's something as simple as Vicki Clark's sweet round face. She and Jan Maxwell were essentially identical in terms of dress size. Same with her and Donna Murphy. But their contrasting facial features helped to make her Sally appear smaller and more delicate than she really is. A shorter, curvier Sally is ideal. Someone who looks the part of a frumpy middle-class housewife trying to put on airs.
Talent-wise, Phyllis and Sally need to be at the top of their game in the areas the show requires of them. They do not need to be equally talented in all things (except acting, obviously). Phyllis really should be a stronger dancer*, and Sally should be a stronger singer. But they need to be equally strong in divergent ways. If one is a knockout in her area, and the other merely passable, it's off-balance. If they're both just kind of...fine, then that's all right, I guess. I'll just wonder what the point was in the first place, but sure, fine, whatever.
*choosing which of Phyllis's "Loveland" solos might influence this. Phyllis might not have to be a dancer if you opt for "Ah, But Underneath." But Sally should NEVER be a stronger dancer than she is a singer.
And then there's the age thing. I know I'm a huge proponent of casting older, but it really should be noted that Phyllis and Sally (and Carlotta and Stella while we're at it) are all roughly the same age, and textually are 49-50ish. The appropriate age range should be between 45-55, and the actors should not be cast at the opposing extremes. Ideally they should be within three years of each other. You might get someone who *can* feasibly pass for older or younger, but do not ever suggest to me that your Phyllis be played by a woman in her 70s and your Sally a woman in her 50s. What the fuck is that?
So, bearing all of that in mind, now you can go out and dreamcast to your heart's content.
