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The Will Rogers Follies:
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Stage Production Notes
Inspired by the words of Will and Betsy Rogers, The Will Rogers Follies is an upbeat celebration of the life of American folk hero and international superstar Will Rogers, told through lavishly staged revue-style production numbers.
Famous for the phrase “I never met a man I didn’t like,” Will Rogers was an immensely influential personality who appeared on stage, radio, film, television, and in print media in the early twentieth century. He was famous for his accessible rhetoric, and ability to relate to the everyday man. Rogers was at the peak of his fame when died in a plane crash in 1935.
Director Tommy Tune, composer Cy Coleman, and lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green collaborated to bring Will Rogers’ life to the stage. The team recognized that Rogers did not have a particularly drama-filled life, and used the convention of a Follies revue to bring “theatricality” to Rogers’ narrative.
The revue was the final collaboration of musical comedy team Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
After 33 previews, The Will Rogers Follies opened at the Palace Theatre on May 1, 1991 — the last musical to open in the 1990/91 season.
The lavish production received mixed reviews. While Newsweek critic Jack Kroll described the show as “the nicest, most agreeable musical on Broadway,” New York Times critic Frank Rich summarized it was “the most disjointed musical of this or any other season.” Michael Feingold, writing for Village Voice, stated that while it was “bright, noisy, audience-friendly and harmless” Will Rogers Follies did not have any heart.
Even if The Will Rogers Follies was viewed as “a triumph of style over substance,” the revue was nominated for a slew of awards, including 11 Tony Awards. It took home the Tony Award for Best Musical, beating out Miss Saigon, Once on This Island, and The Secret Garden.
The Will Rogers Follies also won the Tonys for Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Direction of a Musial, Best Lighting Design, and Best Original Score. It also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.
Despite the awards, The Will Rogers Follies received strong criticism for its racism and sexism.
Although the title character and director of the piece were of Native American decent, The Will Rogers Follies was criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of Native American people. A year after it opened, the show came under fire for its failure to hire “minority-group actors.”
The revue also came under fire for its advertising, which used billboards featuring scantily clad showgirls with Will Roger’s initials branded onto their behinds.
In 1992, Mac Davis, who was playing the role of Will Rogers on Broadway, presented a speech at the Democratic Convention. The speech was a verbatim transcript of a popular radio speech about unemployment that the real life Rogers had delivered in 1931.
It was reported that the producers had opted not to make the 300 seats in the second balcony available to the public in order to improve the appearance of the ticket grosses. The producers claimed it was due to obstructed views and the lack of a city-approved elevator to the fifth floor.
The revue played on Broadway for 981 performances before closing on September 5, 1993.
The Will Rogers Follies toured nationally with members of the original Broadway cast.
It has been speculated that more people saw The Will Rogers Follies musical than people who actually saw Will Rogers live in person.
The revue continues to be performed around the United States and is available for licensing through the Tams-Witmark Music Library.
Inspired by the words of Will and Betsy Rogers, The Will Rogers Follies is an upbeat celebration of the life of American folk hero and international superstar Will Rogers, told through lavishly staged revue-style production numbers.
Famous for the phrase “I never met a man I didn’t like,” Will Rogers was an immensely influential personality who appeared on stage, radio, film, television, and in print media in the early twentieth century. He was famous for his accessible rhetoric, and ability to relate to the everyday man. Rogers was at the peak of his fame when died in a plane crash in 1935.
Director Tommy Tune, composer Cy Coleman, and lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green collaborated to bring Will Rogers’ life to the stage. The team recognized that Rogers did not have a particularly drama-filled life, and used the convention of a Follies revue to bring “theatricality” to Rogers’ narrative.
The revue was the final collaboration of musical comedy team Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
After 33 previews, The Will Rogers Follies opened at the Palace Theatre on May 1, 1991 — the last musical to open in the 1990/91 season.
The lavish production received mixed reviews. While Newsweek critic Jack Kroll described the show as “the nicest, most agreeable musical on Broadway,” New York Times critic Frank Rich summarized it was “the most disjointed musical of this or any other season.” Michael Feingold, writing for Village Voice, stated that while it was “bright, noisy, audience-friendly and harmless” Will Rogers Follies did not have any heart.
Even if The Will Rogers Follies was viewed as “a triumph of style over substance,” the revue was nominated for a slew of awards, including 11 Tony Awards. It took home the Tony Award for Best Musical, beating out Miss Saigon, Once on This Island, and The Secret Garden.
The Will Rogers Follies also won the Tonys for Best Choreography, Best Costume Design, Best Direction of a Musial, Best Lighting Design, and Best Original Score. It also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Musical.
Despite the awards, The Will Rogers Follies received strong criticism for its racism and sexism.
Although the title character and director of the piece were of Native American decent, The Will Rogers Follies was criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of Native American people. A year after it opened, the show came under fire for its failure to hire “minority-group actors.”
The revue also came under fire for its advertising, which used billboards featuring scantily clad showgirls with Will Roger’s initials branded onto their behinds.
In 1992, Mac Davis, who was playing the role of Will Rogers on Broadway, presented a speech at the Democratic Convention. The speech was a verbatim transcript of a popular radio speech about unemployment that the real life Rogers had delivered in 1931.
It was reported that the producers had opted not to make the 300 seats in the second balcony available to the public in order to improve the appearance of the ticket grosses. The producers claimed it was due to obstructed views and the lack of a city-approved elevator to the fifth floor.
The revue played on Broadway for 981 performances before closing on September 5, 1993.
The Will Rogers Follies toured nationally with members of the original Broadway cast.
It has been speculated that more people saw The Will Rogers Follies musical than people who actually saw Will Rogers live in person.
The revue continues to be performed around the United States and is available for licensing through the Tams-Witmark Music Library.
Filmed Production Notes
The Will Rogers Follies was the first Broadway musical to receive international financing in exchange for filming and touring rights. After Pacific Overtures (1976), it was the second Broadway musical to be taped for distribution on Japanese television.
As was the case with Victor Victoria several years later, the musical was filmed by Japan Satellite Broadcast (JSB) who had invested $2 million of the $6.25 million capitalization. The landmark agreement between producer Pierre Cossette and JSB received front page coverage in Variety, and was negotiated with the inclusion of the creative team. The contract included 9 television airings per year over 3 years on JSB station Wowow, described as a “sort of HBO of Asia.”
The telecast featured an introduction by director Tommy Tune, who was filmed walking from his limo, into the orchestra of the Palace Theatre.
The Will Rogers Follies is not officially available to view. A VHS is available to view at the New York Public Library Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, however it is only accessible to approved researchers. A DVD, containing Japanese subtitles, is available from The Film Collectors Society of America, though it is not clear if this is a legal copy.
The Will Rogers Follies was the first Broadway musical to receive international financing in exchange for filming and touring rights. After Pacific Overtures (1976), it was the second Broadway musical to be taped for distribution on Japanese television.
As was the case with Victor Victoria several years later, the musical was filmed by Japan Satellite Broadcast (JSB) who had invested $2 million of the $6.25 million capitalization. The landmark agreement between producer Pierre Cossette and JSB received front page coverage in Variety, and was negotiated with the inclusion of the creative team. The contract included 9 television airings per year over 3 years on JSB station Wowow, described as a “sort of HBO of Asia.”
The telecast featured an introduction by director Tommy Tune, who was filmed walking from his limo, into the orchestra of the Palace Theatre.
The Will Rogers Follies is not officially available to view. A VHS is available to view at the New York Public Library Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, however it is only accessible to approved researchers. A DVD, containing Japanese subtitles, is available from The Film Collectors Society of America, though it is not clear if this is a legal copy.
The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Palace Theatre, NYC
Producer: Japan Satellite Broadcasting, Pierre Cossette, Martin Richards, Sam Crothers, James M. Nederlander, Stewart F. Lane, Max Weitzenhoffer, Arc Media
Book: Peter Stone
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Director: Tommy Tune, Film: Walter C. Miller
Musical Director: Eric Stern
Orchestrations: Billy Byers
Choreography: Tommy Tune
Scenic Design: Tony Walton
Costume Design: Willa Kim
Lighting Design: Jules Fisher, Film: Alan Adelman
Sound Design: Peter Fitzgerald
Hair and Wig Design: Howard Leonard
Stage Manager: Gary Natoli, Rita Cossette
Cast:
Keith Carradine (Will Rogers), Dee Hoty (Betty Blake), Dick Latessa (Clem Rogers), Cady Huffman (Mr. Ziegfeld’s Favorite), Vince Bruce (The Roper), John Ganun (Will Rogers Wrangler), Troy Britton Johnson (Will Rogers Wrangler), Jerry Mitchell (Will Rogers Wrangler), Jason Opsahl (Will Rogers Wrangler), Tom & Bonnie Brackney and the Madcap Mutts, Paul Ukena, Jr. (Wiley Post), Roxanne Barlow (New Ziegfeld Girl), Maria Calabrese (New Ziegfeld Girl), Rebecca Downing (New Ziegfeld Girl), Colleen Dunn (New Ziegfeld Girl), Toni Georgiana (New Ziegfeld Girl), Ganine Giorgione (New Ziegfeld Girl), Eileen Grace (New Ziegfeld Girl), Luba Gregus (New Ziegfeld Girl), Dana Leigh Jackson (New Ziegfeld Girl), Stephanie Pope (New Ziegfeld Girl), Angie L. Schworer (New Ziegfeld Girl), Carol Denise Smith (New Ziegfeld Girl), Aimee Turner (New Ziegfeld Girl), Jillana Urbina (New Ziegfeld Girl), Wendy Waring (New Ziegfeld Girl), Christina Youngman (New Ziegfeld Girl), Gregory Peck (Voice of Mr. Ziegfeld), Gregory Scott Carter (Freddy Rogers), Rick Faugno (Will Rogers, Jr.), Tammy Minoff (Mary Rogers), Lance Robinson (James Rogers), Tom Flagg (Mr. Ziegfeld’s Stage Manager)
Theatre: Palace Theatre, NYC
Producer: Japan Satellite Broadcasting, Pierre Cossette, Martin Richards, Sam Crothers, James M. Nederlander, Stewart F. Lane, Max Weitzenhoffer, Arc Media
Book: Peter Stone
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Director: Tommy Tune, Film: Walter C. Miller
Musical Director: Eric Stern
Orchestrations: Billy Byers
Choreography: Tommy Tune
Scenic Design: Tony Walton
Costume Design: Willa Kim
Lighting Design: Jules Fisher, Film: Alan Adelman
Sound Design: Peter Fitzgerald
Hair and Wig Design: Howard Leonard
Stage Manager: Gary Natoli, Rita Cossette
Cast:
Keith Carradine (Will Rogers), Dee Hoty (Betty Blake), Dick Latessa (Clem Rogers), Cady Huffman (Mr. Ziegfeld’s Favorite), Vince Bruce (The Roper), John Ganun (Will Rogers Wrangler), Troy Britton Johnson (Will Rogers Wrangler), Jerry Mitchell (Will Rogers Wrangler), Jason Opsahl (Will Rogers Wrangler), Tom & Bonnie Brackney and the Madcap Mutts, Paul Ukena, Jr. (Wiley Post), Roxanne Barlow (New Ziegfeld Girl), Maria Calabrese (New Ziegfeld Girl), Rebecca Downing (New Ziegfeld Girl), Colleen Dunn (New Ziegfeld Girl), Toni Georgiana (New Ziegfeld Girl), Ganine Giorgione (New Ziegfeld Girl), Eileen Grace (New Ziegfeld Girl), Luba Gregus (New Ziegfeld Girl), Dana Leigh Jackson (New Ziegfeld Girl), Stephanie Pope (New Ziegfeld Girl), Angie L. Schworer (New Ziegfeld Girl), Carol Denise Smith (New Ziegfeld Girl), Aimee Turner (New Ziegfeld Girl), Jillana Urbina (New Ziegfeld Girl), Wendy Waring (New Ziegfeld Girl), Christina Youngman (New Ziegfeld Girl), Gregory Peck (Voice of Mr. Ziegfeld), Gregory Scott Carter (Freddy Rogers), Rick Faugno (Will Rogers, Jr.), Tammy Minoff (Mary Rogers), Lance Robinson (James Rogers), Tom Flagg (Mr. Ziegfeld’s Stage Manager)
Sources
Books
Articles
Websites
- Dan Dietz, The Complete Book of 1990s Broadway Musicals, Rowman & Littlefield (2016)
- Warren Hoffman, The Great White Way: Race and the Broadway Musical, Rutgers University Press (2014)
- Mark A. Robinson, The World of Musicals: An Encyclopedia of Stage, Screen, and Song (Vol 1: A-L), ABC-CLIO (2014)
- Leland Wilson, Between the Covers: A Revue of Books Related to Will Rogers, lulu.com (2017)
- Ben Yagoda, Will Rogers: A Biography, University of Oklahoma Press (2000)
Articles
- Philippe Bowgen, “Broadway's Tom Wopat Opens The Will Rogers Follies at Finger Lakes Tonight,” Playbill (Sept 3, 2014)
- Robert Epstein, “Japan Lassos Broadway's 'Will' for TV,” LA Times (April 27, 1991)
- Michael Feingold, “The Will Rogers Follies,” Village Voice (May 21, 1991)
- Michael Frym, “The Will Rogers Follies,” Variety (July 16, 1993)
- Jeremy Gerard, “New Japanese bird to sing Broadway tune,” Variety (April 1, 1991)
- Jessica M. Goldstein, “Can BroadwayHD Be The Netflix For Theater?” ThinkProgress (Oct 27, 2015)
- Leslie H. Gelb, “A Look at the City; Holiday Haranguers” NY Times (July 7, 1991)
- John Harris, “The Making of the Will Rogers Follies,” Theater Week, 4(40) (May 13, 1991)
- Jan Herman, “Will Rogers': Flashy but Still Folly,” LA Times (Nov 4, 1993)
- Adam Hetrick, “"The Big Time": The Will Rogers Follies Begins Atlanta Run Sept. 4,” Playbill (Sept 4, 2009)
- Jack Kroll, “Follies of a Folk Hero,” Newsweek (May 13, 1991)
- Frank Rich, “The 2 Personalities of 'Will Rogers Follies’” NY Times (May 2, 1991)
- David Richards, “The Tall Truths of a Yarn Spinner,” NY Times (May 12, 1991)
- Mervyn Rothstein, “On Stage, and Off,” NY Times (Aug 9, 1991)
- Alex Witchel, “On Stage, and Off: Branded by ‘Will Rogers’” NY Times (May 3, 1991)
- Alex Witchel, “On Stage, and Off,” NY Times (May 24, 1991)
- Matt Wolf, “For Tonys, latest often means greatest,” Variety (May 16, 2004)
- Unknown, “Agreement on Casting of 'Will Rogers’” NY Times (June 18, 1992)
Websites
- CMG Worldwide, “Will Rogers: The Official Website of Will Rogers,” Accessed via: https://www.cmgww.com/historic/rogers/
- The Guide to Musical Theatre, “The Will Rogers Follies,” Accessed via: http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_w/will_rogers_follies.htm
- IMDb, “The Will Rogers Follies (1991),” Accessed via: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498448/
- Tams-Witmark Music Library, “The Will Rogers Follies,” Accessed via: http://www.tamswitmark.com/shows/will-rogers-follies/
Written by Luisa Lyons (October, 2017)