The Gentlemen of the Follies!

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 season with the Follies after running the France Academy of Dance, with his wife Karrie, in Tucson, Arizona, since 1970.

Before that, Dick had a distinguished career that began in 1946 with the Chicago Ballet and in 1948 with the touring company of Annie Get Your Gun, starring Mary Martin.

He went on to roles on Broadway in Seventeen, Wish You Here, By the Beautiful Sea (with Shirley Booth), The Girls Against the Boys (with Dick Van Dyke) and Pal Joey. He also performed for President Lyndon Johnson in Oklahoma! at the White House. On TV, Dick made numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Taking his talents abroad, he restaged Wish You Were Here in London, played the lead in Pal Joey and appeared in Noel Coward's Night of 100 Stars. Back on Broadway, he was Steve Lawrence's standby in What Makes Sammy Run and filled in the title role some 30 times.

Dick and Karrie now reside in Palm Springs, where she is a choreographer. During the summer, they reside in Tucson.

MORE FUN FACTS

Dick's son, Sean France, is owner/director of a dance school in Whitehall, Michigan, with his wife, Erin, and their son, Cordin.
The challenge of his life was regaining strength after open-heart surgery in 2004: "I kept thinking, 'I want to re-audition for the Follies.' I did that the next year and made it back in the show."
He was inspired to join the Follies because "I wanted to be in a great production that would equal the same quality and experience I had on Broadway. The Follies is the only show that has that."
Dick grew up in Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, where he learned to swim when he was eight years old.
"I am younger than my years," he says, "because I think young. Having a wife 26 years younger helps, too."?

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!

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 . . . 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!

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!