The Gentlemen of the Follies!

At age 13

Hank Brunjes

"Summertime is a good time to recharge my batteries. I love taking dance classes at my favorite studio in Manhattan and having time off to visit family and friends in New York."

Hank Brunjes had barely turned 20 when he first made it to Broadway in the 1952 revival of Pal Joey. He followed it up with a role in the original production of Leonard Bernstein's landmark West Side Story and then a succession of Broadway hits: Mame, The Rothschilds, Chicago, Working and Sugar Babies, the latter stint lasting seven years, including national tours.

The Follies' Company Dance Manager, Leila Burgess, was his schoolmate at New York's High School of Performing Arts and helped persuade him to come out of retirement and join the show in which, at 79, he is now in his ninth season.

On television, the facile performer appeared on The Guiding Light, The Ed Sullivan Show, Voice of Firestone and The Jackie Gleason Show. His film work included The Electric Horseman, Dog Day Afternoon and Three Days of the Condor.

Hank has become a Palm Springs resident. He has one married son and a grandson who live in England.

MORE FUN FACTS

Hank actually grew up in Brooklyn, under the historic bridge, and at the age of four was steered to tap dancing and singing lessons by his mother.
A confirmed bachelor, he philosophizes, "Men marry because they're tired, women because they're curious, and, in the end, they're both disappointed."
A city kid, he took to the outdoors and likes to fish, go camping and travel. Gulliver's Travels is his favorite book. He also has abiding interests in playing drums and watching people.
The most interesting phase of his career was working with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller in Sugar Babies, and one night being pushed on stage by Rooney and forced to take a bow, although he didn't even perform that evening.
The arduous physical requirements of the Follies, he says, "call for serious work ethics and also living like a monk . . . ha ha."

Wayne Albritton

"My favorite childhood memory of summer is visiting my parents' relatives in the backwoods of Mississippi, and I do mean backwoods!"

Baseball lost a hot prospect when Wayne Albritton, a college shortstop, opted to become a dancer. At 69, he returns for his 12th season at the Fabulous Follies. He . . . Read More!

Randy Doney

"Summer is the time to rest and regroup in preparation for another fun year at the Follies--and yearly doctor exams. At this age health is priority."

When a Follies cast member suffered an injury 13 years ago, Randy Doney came in to rehearse on a Tuesday, and on Wednesday he was on stage for opening . . . Read More!

Dick France

"Spending time woodworking in my shop, painting landscapes and seascapes, and taking our dog Samson on early morning walks are my favorite summer activities."

Three decades of teaching dance didn't dim Dick France's urge to go out there and do it himself, yet one more time! At 82, he is in his 10th . . . Read More!

John Kendrick

"Summer is for riding the 'big' roller coasters--in the front seat, of course--rollerblading, and ziplining on a wire through a forest or down a mountain."

At 58 years of age, John Kendrick is now in his fourth season with the Fabulous Follies. He grew up in upstate New York, around Binghamton and . . . Read More!

Carter Poust

"Summertime is the season to get together with friends and family living in other parts of the country. Pool parties and barbecues are always the best way to play catch up."

Born in Geneva, Illinois, but raised in Boulder, Colorado, this veteran dancer earned a bachelors degree in theater and dance . . . Read More!