Darlin's,
With all the religious holidays in April, I can't help thinking of the prophet's warning: "The End Is at Hand!" Not the End of the World (as far as I know), but the end of our 15th Birthday Season on May 21. You only have seven, short weeks to catch our current show, Surprise!, with guest star, Jo Ann Castle, before it closes on May 21.
Of course, we're already hard at work on next year's Follies (Gotta Dance! with guest stars Gogi Grant, Gloria Loring and Mimi Hines), but once the current edition closes, it will never be seen again. I promise you don't want to miss it. (And should the World itself come to an end anytime soon, don't add missing the Follies' birthday to your list of regrets at the Pearly Gates.)
Easter and Passover (and Mother's Day right around the corner) mean visitors to feed and a hectic schedule of special dinners and brunches. To help you plan for this onslaught, the Follies website lists dozens of the Desert's finest restaurants, with enough variety to please even the pickiest eater. Or if you're a Follies Favorite and determined to do your own cooking, you'll want to check out Long-Legged Lovely Angela Paige's recipe for Egg Salad.
We had a wonderful surprise last Sunday when our old friend, Kirk Douglas, attended the Follies with his wife, Ann, and his son and daughter-in-law, Joel and JoAnn Douglas. Kirk told me he loved the show, but he's a gracious and kind man, so what else could he say to me? I was gratified to hear later that he was just as enthusiastic about the performance even when I wasn't around.
Last month, I asked you to send your favorite jokes directly to my mother, and the response has been tremendous. Alas, the poor woman found some of your tales just a tad too modern. Now I have to explain to a little, old, grey-haired lady why "There once was a man from Nantucket" who met all his dates over the Internet! Still we appreciate all your contributions and we are still adding them to Mother's page.
And so, Darlin's, in this season when we celebrate deliverance and renewal, may you be delivered from all your worries and renewed in all your dreams. And of course, keep dancing!
Riff Markowitz
"The Follies Man"
Mother's Day will soon be upon us. Sure, it's a holiday of suspect origin, rather cynically maintained by the greeting card, candy and cut-flower industries, but does any of that matter to Mom? Of course not! Not when she has to face her friends and all of their bragging about the great gifts they receive from their kids.
Make Mom the envy of her crowd by giving her a trip to the Follies! (For secured status as Favorite Son or Daughter, bring Mom yourself and enjoy our Mother's Day Matinee on May 14th.) Or if your mother is the independent type who likes to set her own schedule, give her a Follies gift certificate. She can buy her own ticket and apply any money left over to a Follies souvenir book or CD, or a host of other great Follies souvenirs.
From April 1 through the end of the season on May 21, American Express is offering DOUBLE Membership Rewards® points to Follies patrons who use their American Express cards to purchase Follies tickets, Follies Fashion or other Follies memorabilia. (Note: you must be enrolled in American Express' Membership Rewards program before you make the purchase.) Here is your chance to earn valuable bonus points while making sure you're included in the Follies' season-long, 15th birthday party.
Shirley M. loved the Follies. She went to the show every year and kept her collection of Follies souvenir books carefully fanned on her coffee table. Each Christmas, she outfitted all of her relatives in Follies sweatshirts and took their photograph, which she cheerfully attached to her fridge with magnets.
But like most Follies patrons, Shirley M. was a caring person and she worried about the State of the World. She worried about the dwindling rain forest and the shrinking polar ice caps. She worried about illiteracy in Appalachia. She founded Pekinese Without Poppas, a non-profit organization devoted to finding homes for abandoned show dogs.
And though the homeless Pekes took up more and more of her time, Shirley continued to worry. "Was she doing enough?" she asked herself repeatedly, never satisfied by her answer. "Was it
right to spend time and money indulging her passion for the Follies," she wondered, "when there was always a Pekinese somewhere in need of chopped sirloin?"
Fortunately, Shirley M. confided her quandary to her best friend, Margery C. "You don't have to choose between doing good and enjoying the Follies," said Margery, "you can do both at the same time!" And Margery C. explained how.
The very next day, Shirley M. called the Follies Group Sales Department and booked a block of tickets for an upcoming performance at the group rate, a savings of up to 40% off the list price. Then, over the next few weeks, she sold those tickets at a premium price of her choosing. To her friends and family. To her neighbors. To fellow dog lovers she met in the park. And once the money was collected, Shirley M. donated the difference between the price she paid and the price she charged to Pekinese Without Poppas.
This story has a happy ending. Pekinese were rescued. A great time was had at the Follies by all of Shirley's friends, new and old. (Of course, they clapped the loudest for Olate's Canine Capers.) The Follies Man even announced the group from the stage, helping to publicize the plight of hapless show dogs. And for three hours, Shirley M. forgot her worries and just enjoyed a great show!
(Editorial note: Shirley M. is not a real person, but a composite of the many philanthropists who enjoy the Follies while raising funds for worthy causes. You can do the same. To get started, simply call the Group Department at (760) 778-7657.)
Although the Long-Legged Lovelies of the Follies receive a lot of well-deserved attention for their shapely figures and elaborate costumes, the gentlemen of the Follies, the Dapper Dans, more than measure up in terms of talent. Listed in ascending order according to their ages, the current Dapper Dans include:
Dan Collins, 56, is both the "youngster" of this bunch and the newest addition to the cast; he makes his debut in this year's Follies. Dan has appeared in television, films and music videos, and in theaters all across the country. He spent years in Las Vegas and top night clubs, partnering some of the most legendary dancers of the past century, including Carol Lawrence, Mitzi Gaynor and Cyd Charisse.
Richard Byron, 57, is a native Californian, but has worked from coast to coast in musical theater, including co-starring roles with Debbie Reynolds, Dixie Carter, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Elaine Stritch and Cathy Rigby. For many years, Richard also directed his own theater, the Austin Musical Theatre in Texas.
Wayne Albritton, 63, landed his first Broadway hit, Carnival, within days of arriving in New York at the age of 19. There followed a distinguished career in Las Vegas, including years as a Moro Landis dancer, and long runs at the Stardust and MGM.
Randy Doney, 66, appeared in some of the best-loved Broadway musicals of all time, including My Fair Lady, Camelot and La Cage Aux Folles. Randy also spent 11 years on The Carol Burnett Show and, more recently, played a tap-dancing psychiatrist on Frazier.
Hank Brunjes, 73, first appeared on Broadway in Pal Joey in 1952. Roles followed in the original productions of West Side Story, Mame, The Rothschilds, Chicago and Sugar Babies, as well as work on television and in such classic films as The Electric Horseman, Dog Day Afternoon and Three Days of the Condor.
Dick France, 76, sang and danced in Mary Martin's legendary tour of Annie Get Your Gun in 1948. He followed that triumph with numerous appearances on Broadway, in London's West End, on The Ed Sullivan Show, and at the White House. This is Dick's fourth year with the Follies, having taken time off last year to recover from quadruple coronary-bypass surgery.
To read the full bios and other insights into any and all of these talented men, go to "The Gentlemen of the Follies" page of the Follies website.
We partner with over fifty restaurants, hotels, attractions, retailers and special services to assist you in making your visit to Palm Springs and the Follies even more enjoyable.
For a complete listing plus additional helpful details, please visit the "Visitor Information" page of the Follies website by clicking here. Some vendors even make special offers exclusive to Follies patrons, so please check this webpage before your next visit. This page also includes parking information, street directions and weather information to make planning your Follies visit as easy as possible!
The Follies box office is open seven days a week and can be reached by calling (760) 327-0225, or you can purchase tickets online 24 hours a day at www.psfollies.com and see your exact seat location at the time of booking. The Follies box office, located at the entrance to The Historic Plaza Theatre, is also open seven days a week.