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"Whisks the audience away to a time when Americans had heroes they truly loved, and entertainment that truly entertained!"
-Variety-
The life of the legendary cowboy, entertainer and American folk hero Will Rogers is given the razzle-dazzle treatment in this glittering musical, complete with tap-dancing chorus girls, rope-twirling cowboys, a Tony Award-winning score and, at the center of it all, the humorous and gently satirical observations of one of the most original American heroes of the twentieth century.
Runs from Friday, May 5 - Saturday, May 20, 2017!
(The Box Office is open Mon.-Fri., 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. and Saturdays, during the run of show.)
REMEMBER: Kids K-12 are half-price on Mondays and Tuesdays!
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The Will Rogers Follies
in the News
-Deseret News-
He was kind of a big deal, an entertainer-of-all-trades and a larger-than-life legend whose popularity was soaring during the Depression.
People nowadays know the name Will Rogers but aren't really sure why.
When "The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue" opens at Pioneer Theatre Company on Friday, May 5, he will come to life again in the medium in which his career began....
-Salt Lake Tribune-
Pioneer Theatre Company brings alive the story of the iconic American anti-politician,
who spurned fake news before its time....
Will Rogers may have served as the honorary mayor of Beverly Hills, even launched a fake news campaign for president in 1928, but the iconic American humorist didn't have much use for politicians.
"Don't go around telling the truth," the actor who was America's highest-paid entertainer in the early 20th century famously said. "In an American election nothing can hurt you more then telling the truth."
With its upcoming run of the Tony Award-winning The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue,
Pioneer Theater Co. ushers Rogers back into the limelight. This large production introduces Utahns
to the man's life and wit. It also places his well-documented love of humanity center-stage,
turning his famous sayings like, "I never met a man I didn't like" into centerpiece songs.
Those perfectly choreographed, dazzling bits on a musical stage?
They gotta start somewhere...
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What goes into those intricate, complicated, fast-paced dance scenes?
Well, a whole lot of practice.
You'll have to check back to see the real thing, but if you've ever wondered what it takes to create perfect synchronicity with 15 cast members on stage, this will give you an idea.... |
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Director's Notes
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| by DJ Salisbury, Director/ Choreographer |
On this, my tenth production directing
and/or choreographing
The Will Rogers Follies
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after having been dance assistant on the original workshop and Broadway production, and after traveling the country in the cast of the national tour, I am tremendously happy - but not at all surprised - to report that the show still entertains me thoroughly and moves me deeply.
Yes, there's plenty of eye candy and glamor, but our rehearsal...
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Will & "Ziegfeld's Favorite"
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Chryssie Whitehead and
David M. Lutken
Interview by Madeleine Rex, Publicity Manager
Costumes, talent, humor, music and rope tricks all set the stage for a raucous evening!
eBackstage has enjoyed watching David M. Lutken (Will Rogers) and Chryssie Whitehead (Ziegfeld's Favorite) on the set of T
he Will Rogers Follies. Some of the funniest parts of the show are their banter between the two of them. We took a moment to ask them both...
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Becoming a "Trick Roper"
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| David M. Lutken as Will Rogers |
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If you look at the cast list, you'll see the name
AJ Silver, who's identified as the "Trick Roper/Whip Specialist."
You know if Trick Roper/Whip Specialist is listed, you're going to be watching some action on stage.
In real life, Will Rogers traveled around the world, performing rope tricks at rodeos or other western-themed events. When (invariably) the rope would slip, or he'd fumble the move, Rogers would ad-lib
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The Life of Will Rogers
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Norman Large and David M. Lutken
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"
When you find yourself in a hole-stop digging."
-Will Rogers
1879: Born on November 4, the youngest of eight siblings, at the Dog Iron Ranch in Indian Territory, near present day Oologah, Oklahoma to Clement Van Rogers and Mary America Schrimsher.
1898-1902: Works in Texas as a cowboy in Texas, then as a gaucho in Argentina.
1902: Joins Texas Jack's Wild West Circus as a trick roper and rider.
During his performances, he discovers his gift for interacting with the audience through his witty sense of humor...
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Pioneer Theatre Company's 2017-2018 season will open with the Utah premiere of the Tony Award-winning
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,
based on the bestselling novel by Mark Haddon. The season will include the hit musicals
Newsies
and
Mamma Mia!
, as well as the new musical
Bright Star,
written by Grammy Award-winning artists Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. Also in the season are
A Comedy of Tenors,
the sequel to the hit comedy
Lend Me a Tenor
by Ken Ludwig; the world premiere of
"i"
by Jeff Talbott, which was read as part of PTC's 2016-2017 Play-by-Play reading series; and one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies,
Twelfth Night.
In the Heights, the musical that earned
Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda his first Tony, is the season's Concert Musical.
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"Visual Dream"
ARTIST BRAD TEARE built a successful career
illustrating for publishers such as The New York Times and Random House, where he did book covers for authors such as James Michener, Anne Tyler, and Alice Walker.
The exhibit "Visual Dream" runs during
The Will Rogers Follies,
May 5 - May 20, 2017.
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Meet our Equity Cast for THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES
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And as the voice of
Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.:
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SYNOPSIS & CONTENT ADVISORY
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Synopsis:
A song-and dance musical celebration of the life of Will Rogers, the legendary American cowboy, humorist, and entertainer. Ziegfeld showgirls, lasso rope trick artists, choruses of tap-dancing cowboys and showgirls all enliven this revue of Rogers' life, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Score in 1991.
RUNNING TIME: Two hours and thirty minutes; which includes a fifteen-minute intermission.
Media Photos
HERE
for
THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES
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| L-R: Lisa Brescia and David M. Lutken |
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| L-R: Norman Large and the Ziegfeld Follies |
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We wish to thank the voters of Salt Lake County for this production
MARRINER S. ECCLES FOUNDATION
S.J. and JESSIE E. QUINNEY FOUNDATION
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