If you had a chance to relive the past, would you take it? That's the question at the center of "Follies," which will be performed at Susquehanna Stage from Friday, July 23, through Sunday, Aug. 1.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, "Follies" reunites performers from a musical revue that ran between World War I and World War II until closing in 1941. "The theater where the Follies were is being torn down," said Sharon Boyer, who portrays Heidi Schiller in the show and is also the vocal director. "The characters come together 30 years after the last Follies, in 1971, to reminisce."

The show focuses on two couples - Buddy and Sally Durant Plummer and Benjamin and Phyllis Rogers Stone. The two women were showgirls in the Follies and, despite their outwardly successful lives, all four people are fundamentally unhappy.

The cast features young adults who portray various Follies performers in their younger years. "They are sort of ghosts on stage, playing the performers from the past," explained choreographer Jill Gagliano. "They are onstage, but they don't really interact with the current-day characters."

"Follies" is a bittersweet show, said Lorraine Ford, who portrays Phyllis.

"The show is a really interesting exploration of life," she stated. "Wouldn't you like to look back and watch a movie of your life and see, as a mature adult, how the decisions you made as a 21-year-old are affecting you now?"

Gagliano noted that audience members may seem themselves in the characters. "Think about going to your high school reunion," she remarked. "You might go in with preconceived notions of who people were or what you thought you would be or who you would become, but now maybe your life hasn't turned out the way you thought it would."

Lindsay Bretz-Morgan, who plays Sally in the show, said the musical doesn't have a typical happy ending or saccharine sweetness to it. "The characters in this show are very relatable," she stated. "These are people who are going through life, but they are not truly happy. They're just going with the flow of life and where it takes them, and I think a lot of people can relate to that."

Mike Kohler, who portrays Ben, said "Follies" isn't performed often because it's a technically challenging show. "The music is hard, the lyrics are hard, the costumes are elaborate and there's a lot of different styles of dance in the show," he noted.

Gagliano said that despite the challenges of putting on "Follies," the result is well worth it. "The music is fabulous, the costumes are incredible, and the dancing is great," she stated. "It's just an all-around wonderful show."

"Follies" celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Broadway debut this year, and Susquehanna Stage will hold a special event, "Follies at 50," on opening night, July 23. The event will feature a wine and cheese social before the performance and a catered event after the show.

For more information or to purchase tickets to "Follies," visit http://www.susquehannastage.com.