Thursday, December 10, 2009

We had the most enjoyable evening last night in Palm Springs. I am sure many of you have also enjoyed the Palm Springs Fabulous Follies (now in it's nineteenth year with over 3 million patrons). I have seen stories and read about the unique cast in the media. Since we are in Palm Desert for a week, we decided to take in the show.
What makes the Follies unique? The cast is comprised totally of senior citizens – mostly in the 70’s. There is the “baby” at 56, but the prize goes to Dorothy Dale Kloss who at the age of 86, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "Oldest 'Still Performing' Showgirl in the World." Yes, the picture at the right is current and looks just like her -I want her genes.
I knew the show would be good – just to marvel at the ability of the dancers and singers. But I was surprised at the beauty and grace of the cast. The ladies wore impressive, Las Vegas style, showgirl costumes that required a lot of strength - just to hold up the headpieces. The rest of of the costume took courage to wear even for a very young person.
What an uplifting experience. We laughed hard at the ventriloquist Brad Cummings and his prehistoric dinosaur "Rex. We enjoyed the music of guest star—Susan Anton, crowned Miss America the year I was born.
The Master of Ceremonies and co-founder, Riff Markowitz, was funny and kept the audience engaged and laughing between acts. If you would like to read more about the history of the Fabulous Follies, click Here.