We're overwhelmed and grateful that last week's opening of Let The Good Times Roll was so enthusiastically received by our preview audiences, and we wanted to share with you a brief video clip of highlights.

With special show times of 3:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., you will first be welcomed to the Plaza Theatre with a courtyard champagne reception. Next, you'll find the theater lobby decked out in holiday finery along with special New Year's décor. Then, when you reach your seat, you'll receive a gift bag containing a Follies poster, streamers, hat and noisemaker.

Finally, at the appointed hour ("Rio de Janeiro New Year's" for matinee goers), you'll be covered in a cascade of confetti to the strains of Auld Lang Syne while the Follies Man and cast happily join the audience in welcoming for 2010.

Tickets are going fast to both performances with the early show still having the best selection. Log on soon to www.psfollies.com to purchase your tickets for "New Year's Eve at the Follies!"

Perhaps the most anticipated of these is our "soon-to-arrive" Great Moments At the Follies Vol. 2 CD. This over 90-minute collection of music and comedy features many of the Follies' most-spectacular production numbers, boffo guest star performances, the riotous comedy of our renowned variety acts, and, of course, the wit and wisdom of the Follies Man. The approximate ship date for this item is October 26.

Let The Good Times Roll! is now featured on colorful tee shirts, coffee mugs and fashionable tote bags, and our new selection of exquisite holiday ornaments evokes all the glamour and glitz of a Follies performance.

Finally, a special find in the Follies warehouse allows us to now offer—for a limited time only—a complete set of Follies souvenir books containing all three full-color editions. What better way to recall the Follies' entire 19-year history?

The Follies only orders a limited supply of souvenir merchandise each season, so be sure to order soon while there's still the best selection!

Some Follies Fans prefer to visit our Plaza Theatre Box Office in person or speak with an agent in our Reservations Office to book their Follies tickets, so we are happy to announce that those two offices re-open this Monday, September 21. The former is open from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and the latter, from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., both Monday through Friday.

Our agents will be happy to tell you all about our newest edition entitled Let The Good Times Roll! With the economy apparently on the rebound, it's time to celebrate YOU and what better way than a trip to the Follies? There'll still be plenty left for the grandkids, so if not now, then when?

And, as always, you can book your tickets online seven days a week, 24 hours a day by visiting the Follies online box office.

But either way, don't miss what we guarantee will be our best show ever as we celebrate happy days with the greatest good-time music of the '40s, '50s and '60s!

Planning a birthday or anniversary celebration? A family, school or military reunion? Why not include the Palm Springs Follies in your plans to make your event extra memorable!

We offer special rates of up to 40% off for groups starting with as few as 10 people.* Some additional special benefits for groups include free marketing materials to promote your Follies trip, on-site greeting by a group representative, free souvenir buttons for all attendees and group recognition by the Follies Man at the performance. Refreshments, souvenirs, or both can be added to your package for a nominal fee.

Call or email our Group Sales Department for more information at
(760) 778-7657.

*Group rate savings are based on performance, seating availability and number of tickets purchased.

Officially, there's another month until summer ends, but for the Follies cast, it's now winding down, so rehearsals for our all-new show can commence.

They all made good use of their time off since the season closing in May. Be sure to click the photo album to view a slideshow of their travels and activities and read about their adventures.

Marilyn has "spread the word" about the Follies for the past three seasons as an ambassador and has also spread the word about Palm Springs for many years around the globe while serving in the Peace Corps and the AmeriCorps Vista . . . all after the age of 67!

According to Marilyn, "I actually attended the Follies on its opening day back in 1992. Little did I know that I’d not only be an employee someday, but that I’d be the recipient of this wonderful award. The Follies is not only an enormously entertaining show, but also sends a message about successful aging that is so important. I am truly honored to be a part of it."

All season long, we're bringing back the greatest good-time music of the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s. We'll dance! We'll sing! We'll laugh . . . and we promise you'll want to do the same!

From Big Bands and Swing to Doo-Wop, Motown and Pop, we played these songs on the jukebox, listened to them on our Hi-Fi's, and watched them performed on TV, always in glorious black-and-white.

Through December 31, the Follies also presents its annual salute to the holiday season and, then, from January through May, we add a rollicking mambo-fest, Follies-style!

Add classic vaudeville by way of ventriloquist extraordinaire Brad Cummings and his prehistoric dinosaur "Rex"; four world-famous guest stars - Susan Anton, The Four Aces, Rita Coolidge and Mary Wilson; along with our legendary line of Long-Legged Lovelies and Follies Gentlemen (all 56 to 86 years young!) . . . and the Follies' 19th season promises to be our best show ever!

And, of course, Follies Impresario Riff Markowitz is your personal guide through the unique realm that is "Follies Land." He hasn't missed a performance in 18 years and he isn't likely to start now! And that's fortunate because it wouldn't be a Follies without his unique blend of cutting-edge satire and Old World savoir-faire.

We, too, wish we didn't have to wait another year for her next visit!

The Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week is a culinary celebration featuring restaurants from the entire Coachella Valley! Participating restaurants are offering a three-course menu at the fixed price of either $24 or $36 per person.*

Don't miss this exciting opportunity to experience some of the best restaurants the Desert has to offer. Restaurant Week is the perfect time to visit your favorite restaurant or try something new, as chefs prepare delicious three-course meals for your dining pleasure at a fixed price.

* Tax, beverages and gratuity are not included.

This handsome crooner has starred in Broadway musicals, Las Vegas showrooms and countless TV shows, including serving as long-time host of The Hollywood Squares.

Don't delay in purchasing tickets for his first-ever Follies appearance.

Handsome Crooner Has Shone in Nightclubs, Film, Television and Broadway

When it comes to show-stopping entertainment, you name it, John Davidson has done it! And the "it" is just what audiences will see when this multi-talented dynamo debuts at The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies on March 10, playing through May 9, 2009.

Starting out 44 years ago, fresh from a degree in Theater Arts at Denison University, Davidson co-starred in the Broadway show, Foxy, opposite the legendary Bert Lahr.

From there the credits for the everlastingly youthful singer and actor multiply exponentially.

Theater: Lead in Broadway revival of Oklahoma; lead in Rodgers & Hammerstein's original State Fair; lead in regional and national productions of such hits as The Music Man, Camelot, Carousel, Man of La Mancha, Chicago, Neil Simon's Rumors, Will Rogers Follies; his very own theater for three years in Branson, Missouri.

Movies: Starring or supporting roles in The Happiest Millionaire, Edward Scissorhands, Airport 80 and others.

Television: Three years as host of Hollywood Squares; The John Davidson Show for two years; 80 appearances on The Tonight Show - the only singer to achieve that milestone; regular host of The Kraft Music Hall, That's Incredible! and The $100,000 Pyramid; even a dramatic role on Streets of San Francisco. And that's not all.

Nightclubs: Introduced to Las Vegas audiences by Jack Benny in 1966, he has headlined at the Las Vegas Hilton, the MGM Grand, Caesar's Palace, the Riviera, the Desert Inn, the Golden Nugget and Harrah's.

In recent years he has written and starred in his autobiographical musical, Father/Son (& Holy Ghost), derived from growing up as the offspring of two ordained American Baptist ministers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Davidson and his wife Rhonda, whom he met in Branson while she was singing with Vicki Carr, even found the time to create a popular game, Borderline, that educates children in world geography.

He has three achieving children in John, Jr., a business consultant; Jennifer, a professional ice skater; and Ashleigh, who appeared with her father on the national tour of State Fair and, while still a high school honors student, has her sights on a career in the arts.

Through it all the Big Smile of Papa has dominated. You don't think of handsome, mop-haired John Davidson without envisioning the beaming countenance that exudes natural exuberance to frame his unique singing and performing talent. He comes to The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies as the celebrity guest for the spring run, aglow with the fervor to please an audience with which the 67-year-old veteran star can identify.

For those who don't want to feel "left out," we've just added a terrific Route 66 cap to our lobby souvenir stand and online store.

First known as the Muriel Cigar Girl, this talented beauty quickly gained stardom in film, TV, Las Vegas and Broadway.

The video below is just a sample of what you'll see on stage at the historic Plaza Theatre.

On January 15, 2009, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet declared that day to be "Dorothy Kloss Day" for residents and visitors of Palm Springs, California.

Presenting her with a proclamation onstage during the show's third act in front of newspaper reporters and television news crews, Dorothy received a standing ovation from the Follies audience who attended this very special performance.

"Dorothy Kloss is an inspiration!" said Pougnet. "Her example and outlook on life is a true testament to the fact that getting older just means getting better! That's why it is an honor to proclaim today as ‘Dorothy Kloss Day' in Palm Springs."

"I can't believe it . . . I'm just thrilled," Kloss told the Mayor and the Follies Man. "Thank you for this wonderful honor."

Follies guest star Freda Payne has received a significant amount of airplay lately on KDES Radio, the Desert's favorite Oldies station, due — in part — to the recent show attendance by the their popular morning personality and program director Danny Fox.

Their recent interview was like a trip down memory lane by two experts of a remarkable musical era.

Freda Payne and KDES's Danny Fox

The Follies' complimentary e-cards are a new way for you to say "hello" to friends and family.

The first to be released is our holiday card, so why not save a stamp and send to your entire address book!

The Follies' third-edition Souvenir Book is now at the printer and will be arriving in time for early-December shipment. Editions one and two sold-out and have become among our most popular collectibles. Throughout its 28 glossy, full-color pages (plus centerfold), the Follies' second decade is commemorated with all-new extraordinary photos and fascinating accounts chronicling the show's costumes, sets, cast, variety acts, guest stars and a rarely seen "behind the scenes" peek of the Follies' backstage and dressing room.

It's the perfect memento of your Follies visit or a cherished gift to someone who's never been. Order now in time for the holidays!

Our Follies Fans webpage is continually being enhanced with more cool features (kid-speak!)

This month, we’ve added a fun online Route 66 game, Follies wallpaper for your desktop and Follies avatars for your AOL Instant Messaging.

Also, folks are beginning to send us their Route 66 memories for posting on this page, so please send us yours, if you haven’t already done so.

With 1,900 classic cars on parade, hundreds of food and merchandise vendors, entertainment recalling “days gone by” and half-a-million spectators, nostalgia is apparently still quite hip!

And — for the first time this year — the Follies was honored to be a part of it.

With Showgirl-In-Waiting Belinda Smith-Schober (actually, the Follies’ “still too young to be in the show” assistant choreographer) and our own "Veronica" proudly representing the Follies at VIP events and riding in vintage vehicles, joined by Follies ambassadors in the Follies own vendor booth, we visited with thousands of fans who plan to “rendezvous” next in Palm Springs when the Follies begins its own tribute to the magical Route 66 era.

But before you leave the house, be sure to unplug the percolator.

Here and below are just a few of the photos taken at the Rendezvous, but we invite you to visit our online gallery to view the entire collection and/or download your own photos.

The Follies' Veronica with two of San Bernardino's finest.	Veronica with actor Paul Petersen of TV's "Donna Reed Show"	Veronica & Belinda Smith-Schober with fans	Belinda with Founder & Pres. of the Rte. 66 Preservation Fdn. Jim Conkle (lt.) and Stater Bros. Supermarkets Chairman Jack Brown. (rt.)

Press play below to listen to an audio clip of Jim Conkle on KCAA or click here for a direct download of the file.

Officially, there are still a few more weeks of summer, but for the Follies cast, it has ended, with the first day of rehearsals.

But they made good use of every day since the season closing in May as they describe below. And be sure to click here to view a slideshow of some of their travels and activities.

Natascha Ahlborn

Wherever I visited, I took dance class.

I always enjoy Munich in the summer. I took there some wonderful dance classes. I also visited my sister and niece who live just outside of Frankfurt…and more dance class. Then I went to Paris for a week and was thrilled to see a very famous ballet performed in an amphitheater under the beautiful French sky. And I took dance class.

Upon my return to the States, I spent two-and-a-half weeks in New York. I saw South Pacific, which received a standing reception at Lincoln Center. And then Mary Poppins. Such fun! And, of course, my favorite dance class in New York where I was the most old!

Wayne Albritton

I watched Rachael Ray this summer to try and learn to be a good househusband now that the missus is back to work full time. And, oh yes, spending five-and-a-half weeks with the plumber trying to find the leak under our house’s foundation!

Judy Bell

I had the summer of my life. Went to visit my son in Idaho and we went on his boat to the lake, barbecued, fished, played banjo and guitar…what a trip.

Next went to Orlando, then New York for shows (Mary Poppins) and carousing with girlfriends at Times Square, Central Park and Washington Square.

Then to Sacramento.

Another trip, this time to Arkansas for my 71st birthday.

Next to Las Vegas to see shows (O, Love, and Danny Gans) and more carousing.

Finally, to Optimum Health Institute in Lemon Grove for several days of fasting and spiritual growth.

Now I’m ready to get back to dancin’ and singin’!

Leila Burgess

I spent my summer in the cool breezes of the beach in Carlsbad, relaxing and shopping. Is there any other way? Oh yes, and working.

Hank Brunjes

I spent four weeks in New York and went Latin dancing every night. I also attended the Jerome Robbins exhibit at Lincoln Center and saw video of me as “Riff” in West Side Story. What an honor! Then I spent four weeks at a fishing lodge 400 miles north of Winnipeg. I saw moose, eagles, bears and wolves. I even had an Indian guide!

Leonard Crofoot

I made my annual trip to help out my mother on her ranch in Bend, Oregon. As usual, I cut weeds. 

The rest of the time was spent in Culver City, California, with my wife Robin and dog Zou Zou.

Randy Doney

The highlight of my summer was performing at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood, California, with my long-time friend Mitzi Gaynor. It was for an upcoming television broadcast entitled The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Presents TV MOVES! Live.

They showed a video of a number by famed Broadway choreographer Danny Daniels. Live, in front of the video screen, three dancers learned a number in tandem with the video. Then, at the end, the three dancers exited, and Mitzi, Alton and I finished the number. The audience jumped to their feet screaming. Very exciting.

I worked with Mitzi for six years as one of her Four Fellows and did many of her TV specials.  A lot of history here.

Dick France

We went to Tucson, Arizona, to visit friends this summer. Then returned home and worked on my oil painting.

Also, my wife, Karrie, and I went to Las Vegas to visit one of our past students who now dances at the Tropicana. It was wonderful to relax by the pool at the Mirage Resort and Casino.

Jill Gordon

I spent my summer at the beach in Ventura where I rented a house. I even attended the county fair! Sitting in the sand and reading books is my idea of heaven…other than being onstage at the Plaza Theatre!

I also attended the Body World exhibit at the California Science Center. As a dancer, I was especially fascinated seeing the skeletal and musculature of the human body.

Glenda Guilfoyle

I celebrated my 75th birthday with family at my daughter’s house in Valencia, California. It was attended by all seven of my children, my grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

I also went to Hawaii with three of my daughters and two grandchildren.

It was a wonderful summer!

Marcia Harp

I had what might be called an Academic Summer. I went back to visit the dance department at Ohio State University for the first time in 44 years!!!

I, also, attended a high school reunion while visiting family in Barnesville, Ohio. Even saw the restaurant once owned by my daddy...where the juke box jumped with all the music of Route 66!!!

To top it off...completed the categorizing on the rough draft of my book entitled "Where Was I When I Needed ME."

John Kendrick

I went to Juneau, Alaska, where I zip-lined 140 feet in the air through the forest! You can travel many thousands of feet on wires strung from tree-to-tree.

Dorothy Kloss

What a magical trip, Ken, my roommate and I had in Munich.

We saw the German version of the Glenn Miller Band. The drummer is American and–move over Gene Krupa!  After the show, we went backstage and met the leader then went out for a drink together.

Of course, the most wonderful moment was when we got off the underground and entered the central square, Marienplatz (St. Mary’s Square), and viewed the glockenspiel.

We also toured Salzburg.  It’s a lovely city and much to see—Mozart’s hometown. We also saw sites from the The Sound of Music.

Now I’m looking forward to the Follies beginning and, come what may when the show goes on hiatus again, we’ll be off on another adventure!

Joni Naber

My husband and I flew to Cabo San Lucas in June and stayed at the beautiful Finisterra Hotel.  We loved the weather (90's most of the time during the day and cool at night).  We cruised, ate delicious food, had a Margarita (or two!), swam and relaxed.

In July, we toured Monterey and Carmel, and enjoyed a trip down the coastal highway where we had dinner in a lovely restaurant built on the side of a mountain.

Now back to business! 

Jill Owens

It was a wet summer. We went back to our house in Iowa only to see everything around us flooded as the river crested its banks. And then, when we returned to Palm Springs, our house flooded after a freak summer monsoon. What a mess!

While in Iowa, though, I was inspired by my mother-in-law who, at 95, runs circles around me. She plays piano five hours a day in a department store in addition to a full schedule of teaching and other performing engagements.

Lark Romero

After receiving the phenomenal news in late May that I made the Follies cast, the preparation of moving to Palm Springs and tying up loose ends in Orange County have consumed my summer.  With dear friends and family having  "farewell" parties, it has been an exciting blur to say the least. 

I did manage to spend four days in San Francisco shopping, attending the theater, shopping, viewing the Frida Kahlo exhibit at SFMOMA, dining, and did I mention shopping?  One of my goals was to find a bad meal in the City by the Bay; that mission has yet to have been accomplished!

In her address, Kloss told her rapt audience about the Follies audition process, the professional histories of fellow cast members and how they rehearse each new Follies show, while peppering her comments with amusing anecdotes about backstage at the historic Plaza Theatre.

She also described her own history of starting “in the biz’” (when Calvin Coolidge was President!), teaching a then-young Bob Fosse how to tap, her first big break at the Palmer House Empire Room, performing with the USO during the War, “visiting the boys” in military hospitals and her personal hardships, including beating colon cancer.

Kloss’ message was one of hope, humor and inspiration. A tour operator from Arizona told her afterwards that a regular tour passenger was battling his own cancer and couldn't attend this year’s Follies but Kloss was his inspiration. She immediately scribbled a note to him stating that she expected him to attend this year and she would be waiting. Kloss even gave fledgling “tappers” an impromptu lesson in an adjacent hall.

An afternoon spent with the indomitable Dorothy Kloss is not one anyone soon forgets!

In just a little over a month, the amazing cast of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies will be returning to begin rehearsals for the show’s 18th spectacular edition, entitled Get Your Kicks! The all-new show runs October 28, 2008 through May 17, 2009, and you can learn all about what the Follies has planned on our website.
Online and Follies Favorites ticket sales are now open, so here are the two ways to reserve your Favorite seats:

• Go to www.psfollies.com, click the “Buy Tickets Now” icon and simply follow the easy instructions. If you have any questions, just click the “Need Help Buying Tickets” button and someone will call you back shortly (during normal business hours).

Become a Follies Favorite by downloading our order form then mail or fax that back at 760-322-3196.

SPECIAL OFFER: Any ticket order placed prior to September 1, 2008 (either online or by returning a Follies Favorites form) will receive a complimentary 2nd edition, 4-color Follies souvenir book ($12 value).
And if you’re not yet familiar with the Follies Favorites Rewards Program that entitles you to additional benefits for multiple visits during a single season, visit our “Favorites Only” log-in page for a full program description.

"GET YOUR KICKS" THEMES UPCOMING EDITION

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that’s the best.
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six.

Steinbeck called it The Mother Road. It was nicknamed The Great Diagonal Way, The Main Street of America and The Will Rogers Highway. Most commonly (and officially), though, it was known as Route 66.

Established in 1926 and decommissioned in 1985, it traveled from Chicago to L.A.  – 2,448 miles across the heartland of America.

But it was more than just a road: Through literature, television, film and music, it came to symbolize the American Experience of the Early- to Mid-20th Century.

Whether the westward migration of Dust Bowl farmers, two young bachelors in a Corvette seeking adventure, easy riders looking for their own personal America, or Dinah telling us to “See the USA in your Chevrolet,” Route 66 was the placeholder for all this and more.

The Follies’ 18th season will celebrate Route 66 with an all-new show entitled, “Get Your Kicks.” Our world-famous line of Long-Legged Lovelies and Follies Gentleman (all 55 to 85 years young!) along with “Follies Man” Riff Markowitz will “travel” this highway via music, dance, comedy and all the iconic imagery The Mother Road holds in our collective imaginations.

The Follies Man

Follies impresario and emcee, Riff Markowitz, hasn’t missed a performance in 17 years and he isn’t likely to start now! And that’s fortunate because it wouldn’t be a Follies without his unique blend of cutting-edge satire and Old World savoir faire. As always, the Follies Man is your guide through the unique realm that is “Follies Land.”

Freda Payne

Season Opening Oct. 28 through Dec. 31, 2008
Kicking off the Follies’ 18th season is hit songstress Freda Payne. In addition to her million-selling single, “Band of Gold,” she’ll also be performing selections from her highly praised cabaret show, A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald.  With a career that’s included touring with the Quincy Jones Big Band, performing at the famous Apollo Theater and recording over 20 albums, she now brings to the Follies stage what Variety calls “a truly unique voice that hits an amazing number of notes with a smoky, unusual quality.”

Susan Anton

Jan. 7 – Mar. 8, 2009 and May 12 – May 17, 2009
The beautiful and talented Susan Anton first gained national attention as the Muriel Cigar Girl. Soon thereafter, she was starring on the musical stage in such shows as Broadway’s The Will Rogers Follies and the Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular. She’s also appeared in hundreds of television and film projects, including the starring role in Goldengirl, a film in which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

John Davidson

Mar. 10, 2009 – May 9, 2009
In a show business career spanning over 40 years, the multi-talented John Davidson has received acclaim for his work in theater, television, film and nightclubs. On Broadway he’s starred in State Fair. He’s hosted such TV shows as Hollywood Squares, The $100,000 Pyramid, The Tonight Show (over 80 times) and That’s Incredible!plus numerous comedic and dramatic roles. His film work has included The Happiest Millionaire and Edward Scissorhands. And he’s headlined showrooms from Las Vegas to New York.

Variety Acts

As always, the Follies presents the most brilliant and unusual variety acts from around the globe.

From New York’s Big Apple Circus, the Moscow Circus and, most recently, NBC’s Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Irina Markova and her canines will be making their Follies debut.

And, by popular demand, you won’t want to miss the encore engagement by everyone’s favorite ventriloquist, Mr. Sammy King, and his wiseacre-feathered parrot, “Francisco.”