Performance Riverside continues its 2006-2007 Broadway Series with The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue.  The Will Roger Follies breathes life into the legend of the great American hero and humorist with all the flash and dazzle of the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1991, the original production won Tony Awards for Musical, Score, Costume Designer, and Lighting Designer. Broadway legend Tommy Tune won dual awards as Choreographer and Director of a Musical. Performance Riverside’s production runs February 9-18, 2007.

“The Ziegfeld Follies” were lavish revues and many of the top entertainers of the era such as W. C. Fields, Eddie Cantor, and Fanny Brice appeared in the shows,. The Follies were also famous for beautiful chorus girls known as Ziegfeld girls. The girls were usually decked in elaborate costumes by designer Erté that would become the talk of Broadway the following day.

Rogers appeared in most of the “Ziegfeld Follies” from 1916 to 1925. Will became a standout by working up comic commentary on news and newsmakers. He’d walk on stage in his cowboy outfit, twirling his lasso, and say, “Well, what shall I talk about? I ain’t got anything funny to say. All I know is what I read in the papers.”

By the early thirties, Rogers was America’s most influential popular and cultural voice, reaching 40 million Americans with his columns and radio commentaries. He was America’s most widely read newspaper columnist and his radio show was the nation’s highest rated weekly broadcast. He’d even conquered Hollywood, named top ‘Box Office Draw’ in 1934, and number two in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and 1935 (behind Shirley Temple.)

His life was cut short by a plane crash at the age of 55 following a performance at the California Theater in San Bernardino, California.  One can only wonder what new heights Rogers would have achieved had he lived. Still, the influence of his wry “social commentary” humor can be seen in the standup careers of Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor, Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Bill Maher and John Stewart.  Many of his memorable lines still resonate:

• “About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.”
• “I’m not a real movie star. I’ve still got the same wife I started out with twenty-eight years ago.” 
• “There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.”
• “Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke, when it used to be vice versa.”

Picking up the mantle and celebrating Rogers’ part in the lineage of American topical humorists in Performance Riverside’s production is Danny Michaels. This is his seventh time in the role that won him LA’s prestigious Drama-Logue Award in 1998. On reprising the role, Michaels laughs and says “He’s like an old friend….every time I revisit him, he still makes me laugh…and cry.”

The Landis Performing Arts Center is located on the Riverside City College campus at 4800 Magnolia Avenue. Performances for Will Rogers Follies are on February 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 8 pm, and February 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 2 pm. Tickets are $42, $36, $29, and $24.  A specially priced “Discovery Theatre” performance for school and senior groups is also available on February 8 at 10 am.  For more information, contact the Landis Box Office at 951-222-8100, or visit www.performanceriverside.org.