30 Years Ago: The Will Rogers Follies

May 1, 1991 was the official opening day of The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue. This musical bio-pic in the spirit of Barnum and George M. played at the historic Palace Theatre, and achieved the seemingly impossible by propelling Keith Carradine ahead of both James Whitmore and Will Rogers Jr. as the nation’s chief impersonators of the great Oklahoma humorist and lariat artist. While it had elements of revue, including a full period dance chorus and references to the Ziegfeld Follies (with Gregory Peck supplying Ziggy’s voice), it was also a proper plotted book show, penned by Peter Stone, with lyrics by Comden and Green, tunes by Cy Coleman, and staging by Tommy Tune.

John Denver was the original choice to play Rogers; he turned it down, and it’s just as well, for he would have been entirely too Muppet like. Later in the run, Mac Davis and then Larry Gatling of the Gatling Brothers stepped into the role (and in and out of the twirling lasso). Later there were some gimmicky additions to the cast, such as Mickey Rooney, and Marla Maples (soon to be married to Donald Trump). The show ran for two years, and then toured nationally through 1994. A 60 year old Pat Boone played the title role in the 1994 Branson production. Meanwhile Carradine would play Rogers again in Mrs. Parker and the Viscious Circle (1994).

For more on Will Rogers go here.

To learn more about vaudevillestars like Will Rogers consult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous.