"THE “FABULOUS PALM SPRINGS FOLLIES”

In March of this year I visited my friends Ted & Dwayne in Palm Springs, California. It was my first time there and my hosts had gone overboard to make sure that I didn’t miss a thing. We rode the Aerial Tramway to the snow covered heights of Mount San Jacinto, hiked the trail of the Tahquitz Canyon to the awesome 60’ waterfall and spent a day at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens.

One memorable evening we changed course. This was our night to “make whoopee” and we lived it up by attending the world famous “Palm Spring Follies”. This is a Broadway-type performance of music, dance and comedy of the 30’s and 40’s, with a cast that is old enough to have lived it!

I must admit that I was pretty skeptical about watching a bunch of “elder hoofers” do their thing. I knew that the performers ranged in age from 57 to 82 and I was prepared to be generous in my acceptance of their old-age shenanigans.

Was I ever wrong! From start to finish the Follies proved to be an exceptionally professional performance. The cast sang and danced with a zest that even a teenager would envy.

About mid-way in the evening Riff Markowitz, originator of the Follies, introduced the performers individually. He gave their names, ages and a brief biography of their backgrounds. Most of them were “retired” from a career in acting and dancing and they loved the opportunity to be back in the spotlight again.

There were male dancers, of course, but it was the women who captured the hearts of the audience. They swept on stage with their multi-colored fan headdresses and took their bows as Riff called out their ages. The last one, of course, was the 82 year old dancer and the audience gave her a standing ovation.

It was a night to remember and, as I write this, I can’t help but think of our own Lucy, of "Golden Lucy’s Spiral Journal". I’ve not only seen her picture but I’ve enjoyed her blogs and I’ll bet that (at age 84) she could be up on that stage in Palm Springs giving them all a run for their money