The Will Rogers Follies is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman.
| The Will Rogers Follies | |
|---|---|
 Original Broadway Playbill | |
| Music | Cy Coleman |
| Lyrics | Betty Comden Adolph Green |
| Book | Peter Stone |
| Productions | 1991 Broadway |
| Awards | Tony Award for Best Musical Tony Award for Best Score |
It focuses on the life and career of humorist and performer Will Rogers, using as a backdrop the Ziegfeld Follies, which he often headlined, and describes episodes in his life in the form of production numbers. The Rogers character also performs rope tricks in between scenes. The revue contains snippets of Rogers' "homespun" style of wisdom.
Synopsis
edit- Act I
Rogers frequently speaks directly to the audience and to Florenz Ziegfeld himself, who often interjects to question the progress of the show and to give some directorial advice. After introducing the audience to his friends and family, Rogers discusses leaving home at 19 to become a cowboy in Argentina. Ziegfeld tells Rogers that he must "meet the girl". Although Rogers met Betty Blake at a train station, Ziegfeld creates a more "theatrical" meeting by having her lowered romantically from the Moon.
Because Betty is eager to marry Rogers, the show moves forward several years to a time when Rogers is playing in a small Wild West revue. The couple is about to be married, but Ziegfeld interrupts, saying that the wedding has to be delayed, because it must occur in the first act finale. So, as Rogers' success continues to grow, he and Betty travel around the country performing and produce four children. Rogers gets his big break when he is invited to join the Ziegfeld Follies and, by the early 1910s, he is a big vaudeville and radio star. He is about to leave for Hollywood to start a career in film, when it is at last time for the finale and the wedding.
- Act II
Rogers is at the zenith of his popularity, the country's biggest and highest paid star of every medium of his time– stage, screen, radio, newspapers, and public appearances– and is even asked to run for president. This doesn't leave him much time for Betty, and she begins to feel neglected and starts singing the blues. Rogers comes home with "a treasury of precious jewels," and all is forgiven. The good mood doesn't last long, however, as bill collectors and creditors come knocking at the door. Ziegfeld has lost his fortune, and the Great Depression is in full swing. Herbert Hoover asks Rogers to give a speech to the nation. Rogers also reconciles with his estranged father. The show ends with the fatal plane ride in Alaska that Rogers shares with Wiley Post, a character whose cheerful invitation, "Let's go flyin' Will!" is heard throughout the show.
Songs
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Original cast and characters
edit| Character | Broadway (1991)[1] |
|---|---|
| Will Rogers | Keith Carradine |
| Betty Blake-Rogers | Dee Hoty |
| Clem Rogers | Dick Latessa |
| Ziegfield's Favorite | Cady Huffman |
| Unicyclist/Roper | Vince Bruce |
| Wiley Post | Paul Ukena Jr. |
| Mary Rogers | Tammy Minoff |
| Freddy Rogers | Gregory Scott Carter |
| Jimmy Rogers | Lance Robinson |
| Will Rogers Jr. | Rick Faugno |
Productions
editAfter thirty-three previews, the Broadway production opened on May 1, 1991, at the Palace Theatre, and closed on September 5, 1993 after 981 performances. Directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune, the original cast included Keith Carradine as Rogers, Dee Hoty as Betty Blake, Dick Latessa as Will's father Clem, and Cady Huffman as Ziegfeld's favorite chorus girl. Replacements later in the run included Mac Davis[2] and Larry Gatlin as Rogers, Mickey Rooney as Clem, and Susan Anton and Marla Maples as Ziegfeld's favorite chorus girl. The recorded voice of Gregory Peck was heard as Ziegfeld.
The original choice of the authors to play Will Rogers was John Denver,[3] but, due to a perceived insult from librettist Peter Stone, Denver bowed out of consideration for casting.
The show also enjoyed a number of national tours, with Carradine, Davis, and Gatlin in the first National tour in 1993 and 1994.[4] Pat Boone starred in the musical in Branson, Missouri in 1994. The role of Betty (his wife) was played by Marylee Graffeo(Fairbanks). Variety noted that "Broadway Came To Branson with the bow of the 'Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Review' in the new Will Rogers Theater last Saturday...Pat Boone is a solid hit in Branson as Will Rogers in the 'Follies.'" The music was not live but digitalized.[5][6]
Awards and nominations
editOriginal Broadway production
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Tony Award | Best Musical | Pierre Cossette, Martin Richards, Sam Crothers, James M. Nederlander, Stewart F. Lane, Max Weitzenhoffer | Won |
| Best Book of a Musical | Peter Stone | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score | Cy Coleman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green | Won | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Keith Carradine | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical | Dee Hoty | Nominated | ||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical | Cady Huffman | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Tommy Tune | Won | ||
| Best Choreography | Won | |||
| Best Scenic Design | Tony Walton | Nominated | ||
| Best Costume Design | Willa Kim | Won | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Jules Fisher | Won | ||
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Musical | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Keith Carradine | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreography | Tommy Tune | Won | ||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Billy Byers | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Music | Cy Coleman | Won | ||
References
edit- ^ Playbill 1991 Bio Cast Listaccessed 07/31/2023
- ^ Witchel, Alex. "On Stage, and Off" The New York Times, April 24, 1992
- ^ "THE IRREPARABLE INSULT: JOHN DENVER DOES NOT STAR ON BROADWAY AS WILL ROGERS". September 20, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- ^ (no author). "People in the News, Domestic News", The Associated Press, September 4, 1993 (no page number):"The national tour, now in Los Angeles, will continue its 96-week run through June 26. Mac Davis has replaced Keith Carradine as Will Rogers in the touring show. Gatlin, now the lead on Broadway, is expected to replace Davis early next year."
- ^ CBS News Transcripts, Show: CBS This Morning, "Pat Boone Discusses His Role In "Will Rogers Follies"", Anchors: Mark McEwen, April 26, 1994
- ^ Archerd, Army. "Just for Variety", Daily Variety, April 13, 1994 (no page number)