Fabulous Palm Springs follies announces its final season
he Fabulous Palm Springs Follies announced todaythat its upcoming 23rd season will be its last.
The final season, themed “The Last Hurrah!,” opens Nov. 1. When thefinal curtain falls on May 18 of next year, some 3 million people will haveseen the Follies — whose cast members range in age from 55 to 83 — performpieces from the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
“It has been an amazing, wonderful ride,” said producer and co-founderRiff Markowitz. “… Many folks don’t realize, though, that the Follies is 9a.m. to 11 p.m., six days a week, 11 or more months of the year. And it’s nowtime to be with family, grandchildren, friends — and my dog.”
Follies spokesman Greg Purdy said Markowitz recently remarked that 22years ago “seemed to be the perfect time to open the Follies, and now is theperfect time to close it.”
“Using our Palm Springs Aerial Tramway as a metaphor, he said that he’drather get off at the top of the mountain than the bottom,” Purdy said.
A statement issued by the Follies indicated that its longtime home, thePlaza Theatre, will be retrofitted for use during the Palm SpringsInternational Film Festival.
“The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies has been an outstanding 22-yearsuccess story in the city of Palm Springs,” said Film Festival Chairman HaroldMatzner. “Founders Riff Markowitz, Mary Jardin and their tremendous cast areto be commended for their incredible talent and creative vision — and the filmfestival looks forward to utilizing the historic Plaza Theatre forscreenings.”
The Plaza Theatre opened in 1936 for the world premiere of the film”Camille,” and hosted performances by such stars as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby andFrank Sinatra. The theater closed in 1987 amid dropping ticket sales. Fouryears later, city leaders asked Markowitz, a retired television producer, howthe theater could be used, and he created the Follies with Jardin.
“In difficult times, the Follies continued to perform and boost ourcity’s tourism. What Riff and Mary did for Palm Springs is beyond compare –hometown folks and visitors will miss seeing them at the Plaza Theatre,” saidPalm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet.
Jardin said the audiences will be missed.
“We hope to show them how deeply we care by putting everything we haveinto this last production,” she said. “We’re going to go all out.”
Markowitz said the last season will be a “greatest hits” run, with thebest dance numbers and variety acts of past years, and three headliners.
Online ticket sales begin July 15 and the box office opens Sept. 30. Fortickets, call (760) 327-0225 or go to www.psfollies.com.
