review - Follies Forever: 2011 Palm Springs Follies (PSF) All New Show

(Lesley Gore)

(bottom two photos:  glorious songbird of the Follies Judy Bell and Follies gent Randy Doney) (photos by Stan Mazin)


Follies Forever


What can one add about the success of the Follies in this their twentieth season but to say one big 'Bravo'! I attend the show every season, sometimes twice - ever since 2005 - and never go away disappointed. It never fails to lift my spirits high! This year, there is a very large video screen in back of the stage that shows a montage of pictures of the careers of each and every Follies' lady during the Pretty Woman segment and continues to churn out great photos and pretty graphic images to accompany segments throughout the show. It's amazing!


This year's theme, celebrating 20 years, is a retro look at mid-century music and dance: of the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. There are songs like: "You Stepped Out of a Dream", "Venus", "Summer Wind", "Temptation", with a bevy of pop tunes like "Stayin' Alive" and "I Got You Babe" saluting film and TV, and a great mix of Broadway fare such as "America", "Cabaret", "All That Jazz", "I Hope I Get It" from A Chorus Line and the classic "42nd Street". What variety, like a sumptuous buffet!

What better guest star than 60s pop legend Lesley Gore, who still looks fantastic and sings her fanny off! In her 20 minute set she performs "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows", "Judy's Turn to Cry", "She's a Fool", "Maybe I Know", and of course gold hits "It's My Party", which rocketed her to stardom in 1963 at 16 years of age, and "You Don't Own Me". Gore, really for the first time, sang what a teenage girl was thinking and feeling, helping to set precedents for feminine causes. She remains a truly remarkable performer.

Also on hand is superb Canadian juggler Rejean St. Jules, who manipulates clubs and balls ... oh, and what he does with those balls in the finale? Well, I won't spoil the fun! Go and visit the Follies and see for yourself!
This act left me wanting more!!

Rejean St. Jules

Host Riff Markowitz, always a funny man with miles of sarcasm, kept his monologues short and sweet with some funny stuff about Mel Gibson and 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'. The finale is as always a loving salute to America and to the military men and women in the audience who have served her admirably throughout the years.
Welcome handsome Robert Amore to the gents this season. At 56, he's the youngest and new kid on the block.

Robert Amore

A great 20th Anniversary show! Follies Forever means just that! May they - and it - never die!

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PS Follies @ Historic Plaza Theatre
128 South Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs, California
(760) 327-0225
www.psfollies.com
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