Susan Anton

Long-Legged Lovely becomes a singular attraction with the return of Susan Anton on center stage as guest star of The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. What Las Vegas audiences have enjoyed for the past five years, Palm Springs audiences can now experience the same as she performs her very special tribute to the holiday season — with songs both traditional and contemporary.

The long-stemmed 5'11½" beauty is from apple-growing country east of Yucaipa, half an hour from Palm Springs — Oak Glen is her hometown — which virtually makes her a local celebrity. Born in 1950, she was a Miss California (1969) and second place runner-up in the 1970 Miss America Pageant, but quickly established herself professionally in the Broadway-Las Vegas-Hollywood orbit as a multi-talented theatrical, TV and silver screen personality.

Anton always was an eye-catcher, but the blonde-maned, elegant California Girl mastered pleasing the ear to enhance her image as an entertainer for more than three decades.

Her very first recording single, Killing Time, hit the Top 10 on the country music charts. Her mega-hit album, Foxy, earned her a Gold Record in Japan.

However, the music has always been augmented by her striking looks and vibrant personality. She co-starred in the original Broadway cast of Tommy Tune's Tony-Award winning musical, The Will Rogers Follies. Before that, she had done a straight dramatic role on the Great White Way in Hurlyburly, David Rabe's Pulitzer Prize-winning play directed by Mike Nichols. This versatility has been omnipresent in a long career covering hundreds of roles in television and movies.

She received a Golden Globe nomination as best new female star for the film, Goldengirl, and co-starred in the Las Vegas production of the Broadway musical, Hairspray, opposite Harvey Fierstein. Other notable credits include playing the part of Susan Williams in Stop Susan Williams episodes of the NBC serial-series, The Cliffhangers; two seasons as a regular on the TV series Baywatch; starring in her own NBC-TV variety show, Presenting Susan Anton; working with country great Mel Tillis in a television special, Mel and Susan Together; and touring with the Rockettes for seven years in the Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular.

Earlier Anton sightings included a hitch as the provocative centerpiece in quirky ads for Muriel's Cigar and then a celebrity-scene paparazzi target, but in 1992, she married actor/director Jeff Lester.

Through their own production company, Big Picture Studios, Anton has been the executive producer of an award-winning short film, The Last Real Cowboys, starring Billy Bob Thornton, and a short documentary, Speed of Life.

But it's on center stage that Susan Ellen Anton has the greatest impact on Follies patrons.