The Will Rogers Follies - 1991 Tony Awards

[@smichelle65]

Some people can't walk & chew gum at the same time; Keith Carradine can walk, sing, perform complicated hand choreography, play tambourine, and chew gum at the same time.

[@clairebeliever]

i do this choreography in my dance school. we're only 6 in the class but we do it very well, haha!! i do it in class when i'm bored. all my classmates are absolutly fascinated haha!

[@movienut6158]

I echo the thoughts and comments here. We saw the "Follies" on Broadway....yes it was 20 years ago.....and the show was simply wonderful. I even met (briefly) Keith Carradine, after the show, as he was heading to his car. Nice fellow. We were able to go backstage (beautiful ladies!) to purchase a Follies window card signed by all the STARS for an "Actors for Equity" Aids event. Nice poster. Thanks for the

[@sheilabloom6735]

I saw this show in NY and Carradine was truly amazing. He was Will Rogers. What a great show.

[@mzmiller52]

Tommy tune always had a few numbers that just gave you such joy and you sat in awe. Look at the original staging of "nine". We'll raise a glass from grand hotel and of course, favorite son. And he gave us twiggy on Broadway.

[@xak999]

I saw the original cast of "Nine" which became--and still is--my favorite musical of all time. Also attended "Grand Hotel" at the height of its run. I and my much older business partner were bawling through "We'll Take a Glass." Imagine, two str8 men dancing in friendship. Yet there we were, 7th row center in awe of Michael Jeter and (by now) Brent Barrett for they were playing US.

[@jptaylor]

This is truly a fantastic show. So well written and produced. I love this show!!

[@LPM12]

I am blown away, why I have never seen this number, i dont know? Glad I have tho!!

[@edreid7872]

The hand jive number is absolutely incredible...I love it..❤

[@BornYesterday0126]

They make it look so easy!

[@llcooljay1887]

I love this show. It's so beautiful.

[@gerzman1]

Tommy Tune was the Coreographer on this show

[@splinky45]

Yes and yes!

[@evancortez2]

I saw "The Will Rogers Follies" with Keith Carradine and Cady Huffman when it originally ran on Broadway. My gosh has it really been 20 years already?? Seems like it was just yesterday!

[@johnyzero2000]

Willa Kim designed the costumes and won a well deserved Tony. Check out that rainbow staircase!

[@Dramaqueen4891]

:) in this show right now :)

[@TheRandomcrazychick]

Me too! it's crazy!!!

[@NathaniaDemecillo]

9 years later Me: *Decides To Search This Up*

[@avafronstin4542]

make it 13

[@splinky45]

The choreography is by the brilliant Tommy Tune!

[@theatreandfriends]

ARE THEIR HATS TAMBOURINES? That is amazing.

[@Chuck0856]

The rehearsal time for that must have been amazing .

[@grease58]

A timeless show- Will's words STILL ring true today. BEST LINE- (Will's father, Clem)- "I always counted on you getting an education, boy, so you wouldn't have to worry about winding up in Congress"................PRICELESS!!

[@danielperkins1429]

I have had the pleasure of playing Clem professionally. One of my favorite roles and that's one of Clem's best lines!

[@latvialubbu]

im doing the favorite son routine at school its FRIGGIN HARD!

[@stevemulwitz8683]

PRECISION AT IT'S BEST

[@MegaPffft]

Spectacular ..........

[@SingLaxAct]

yeah me too im doing this for the play im in... deff hard to learn but fun

[@d.g.n9392]

This is so entertaining

[@calicojo3536]

4:42. Now that’s cool

[@versboy3973]

to all the haters: I saw this show and Miss Saigon that season. This was by FAR the better show. The other was just bigger. Dont confuse the two

[@scorpioninpink]

Miss Saigon is dreadful and it honestly did not age well.

[@splinky45]

Willa Kim, who designed many Broadway shows.

[@Robmars11]

Saw it loved it\

[@MrsLeota]

I don't know about you, but doing that stair dance would make me scared to fall

[@LawriLuvsLemonade]

When I apply for jobs, one of my special skills will be knowing the second part of this performance (3:49) because some people in my musical theatre class (including me) are doing this number for our mock Tony awards. I'm excited to learn this, but it looks hard as heck.

[@sarahramon2502]

LawriLuvsLemonade it took my show choir four days... to learn that first bit. Good luck.

[@strawberryhearts4]

My schools doing this in the spring. Now I'm scared haha

[@MikeA15206]

They were afraid in the beginning no doubt, but they are professionals.

[@margaret.phillips987]

Mike Anderson has

[@pauldriscoll5356]

For the choreography on "Favorite Son"....look to the 1930's musical "KING OF JAZZ".

[@xak999]

It also became a tradition for Tommy Tune to have a 'seated dance' in his shows. "Follies Bergeres" in NINE for instance and chairs figure into the schematic design all through "Grand Hotel."

[@thickmacaroni9148]

I need the dialogue at 3:30 but I honestly can’t tell what they’re saying half the time

[@tallpaul521]

Brilliant choreography by Tune. But the major question is..how did all the gals make that quick change from "Willamania" to "Favorite Son".

[@mediocremaiden8883]

Those are different 'gals' Broadway shows typically have very large casts. Well, the big musical song and dance type production..I think the only one who had a quick change was Cady Huffman who just threw a jacket over her leotard. I know you asked this a couple years ago you've most likely forgotten but hope I helped ! 🤗

[@NathaniaDemecillo]

2020?

[@AbiS1018]

I think one of them girls is a teenage Sutton foster

[@stvp68]

Isn't Sutton Foster in the chorus somewhere?

[@xak999]

No.

[@meredithchandler73]

She did the first national tour. She was never in the Broadway production.

[@ChickenGeorgeClooney]

Everyones arguing whether it shouldve gone to this or miss saigon when it really shouldve gone to The Secret Garden. (Although, of the two, I do prefer Miss Saigon despite its *ahem* insensitivities simply because Will Rogers, to me, is not an interesting character. The show is held up by Tommy Tune's direction and choreography, but without it its just barren. Miss Saigon, however, is filled with captivating characters in an epic story with much better music. However, again, The Secret Garden surpasses both on every front.

[@richardbullis6263]

I heard Colleen Dewhurst called it yellow face caricature. I did not see any plays but Will Rogers looks good and a good time at the theater.

[@breadway6781]

Agreed. The only thing I’d say is that Miss Saigon had the better score out of all the nominations that year. Will Rogers Follies score is unmemorable even to the greatest, longest, most open and devoted theater fans

[@Sodapop-gi4bu]

Once On This Island deserved to win best musicals over Will Rogers Follies tbh this has great Coreagraphy but once on this island has a way better story and the music is beautiful

[@xak999]

But it's fictional. (or is it, I'm not going to check). The other choice was MIss Saigon, and Will Rogers' Follies represented American values after going with foreign product with scenery pizzaz (the barricade in Les Mis, the chandelier in Phantom and, best of all, the helicopter in Miss Saigon,) so often. Even though W.R. Follies is actually terribly written (all the creators have done better work elsewhere), there's no denying the infectious invention of Tommy Tune's staging and choreography and that's what made it win out. The best song in Once On This Island, was cut before the show opened but can be heard in one of the "Lost In Boston" series of albums put out on CDs during the 90s. It's called "Come Down From The Tree" and if you really love this show, you must, you absolutely must seek it out. Also, if you happen to see this at all, the 2018 Tony Awards are this very evening honoring shows of the 2017-2018 Broadway Season and "Once On This Island" is nominated in the Best Musical Revival category. It's competition comes from the revivals of "My Fair Lady" and "Carousel." The new version of "Once On This Island" is at the Circle in the Square which presents all sorts of scenic changes because it is essentially Broadway's only theatre (almost) in-the-round. No seat is more than eight rows from the stage. It is very intimate. I hope you rush a trip to New York to catch it before it closes and break a leg at the ceremony tonight. Sometimes behemoth productions such as "My Fair Lady" and "Carousel" cancel each other out and suddenly the spotlight is on your choice. Just having written this reply has added a special layer of suspense to whatever happens tonight.

[@xak999]

CONGRATULATIONS! "Once On This Island" took on the heavyweights and WON! Only surprise of the entire night!

[@OfficialJoseLee]

THIS beat Miss Saigon???? Why?

[@spacedog605]

Jose Lee Well, it was a Cy Coleman score and Tommy Tune choreography. Lot's of talented people involved.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

Because it was (and remains) a much better show.

[@superdisney5535]

Miss Saigon lost due to backlash.

[@breadway6781]

Sadly it was because of British backlash, that’s why people think so low of it. Without it, Miss Saigon would’ve won, if not best musical, at least the acting awads, which it did, best original score and best orchestrations, which should’ve been won by Miss Saigon. Will Rogers Follies is good, but not the best musical by Cy Coleman, or even during its time. The direction and choreography are impeccanble though.

[@timothywright6219]

Cool Choreography I'll give it that. But Miss Saigon was not treated well by the Tony's, not in 1991 OR 2017. In fact, it was robbed. Miss Saigon is an amazing and beautiful show, regardless of whatever the haters say about it. Five words to describe this show (Will Roger's), however charming: Cheesy, Tacky, Shallow, Simple, and Garbage (compared to other members in the same category including Once on this Island, The Secret Garden, and particularly Miss Saigon). Call the other nominees whatever you want to reassure yourself of your simple taste, but that doesn't change the injustice that true justice was not served. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're probably to shallow-minded to understand that too.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

You've obviously never seen the Will Rogers Follies

[@scorpioninpink]

Miss Saigon was a dreadful show and this is coming from a Filipino who grew up learning Lea Salonga as a hero lile figure in my country for winning a Tony Award. It was already dated at that time and did not age well for a musical. It also painted the Vietnamese is a very bad light because they are resisting the imperialist and a show that is really just a white savior complex cliche.

[@MrsLeota]

that staircase rountine would stink if u were afraid of falling down stairs

[@patriciajames8799]

I saw this show when American musical theater of San Jose did it back in the 1990s it blew me away. So the guy who did not like it he is the one who is full of shit.

[@nycruise]

"Dated" - besides which the "hand ballet" of the chorines is obviously inspired by the dancing bellboys in the movie version of the Marx Brothers' Broadway musical "The Cocoanuts".

[@tommytimp]

That's an old vaudeville and Ziegfeld tradition. it comes from before The Cocoanuts.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

The idea of a 'follies' in 1991 was intentionally dated, dimwit ...and to great effect

[@SpicyTake]

#Betodidnothingwrong

[@AlanClaytonGrayard]

Do not believe everything you see!!! not even?

[@AvalonMorley]

What is that yucky looking theater they're in?

[@josephcarlisle1943]

Well that was shit. God were the other nominees for this year robbed.

[@xak999]

While many would disagree, "Will Rogers' Follies," I believe is one of the weaker Best Musical winners. But you're wrong about what you just saw. The full "Willamania" number is nearly 11 minutes in the original on-stage (and a cozy 6:11 on the cast album, with two dance extensions) and is a lot bigger and more spectacular than what they can show here.