“The Will Rogers Follies” presented by CCU Theatre
“The Will Rogers Follies, A Life in Revue” recreates the glamour of the Ziegfeld Follies, which Rogers often headlined, as a vehicle to revisit Rogers’ life as a cowboy philosopher and star of stage, screen and radio. The show features a lavish set, song and dance numbers and Ziegfeld Follies showgirls. The original Broadway musical won six Tony awards, including best musical and best original score.
Famous for saying “I never met a man I didn't like,” Rogers was a major cultural figure of the 1920s and 1930s. The show captures the essence of Rogers’ homespun wit, which championed the decency of the common man.
The CCU production features musical theatre majors Ryan Shaefer as Will Rogers, Chad Bagwell as Clem Rogers, Meghan McCormick as Betty Rogers, Nicole Borysowicz as Ziegfeld’s Favorite, and Fred Searles as aviator Wiley Post.
Barbara Hartwig, lecturer and artist-in-residence at CCU, is director and choreographer of the show. Hartwig was a follies girl in a national Equity tour of “The Will Rogers Follies” in the mid 1990s. Aaron McAllister, assistant professor of theatre, is music director.
General admission is $15; alumni, senior citizens (65+) and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members, $10; CCU and HGTC faculty and staff, $10 (two per valid ID); CCU and HGTC students, $5 (one per valid ID); teens (11 to 17) and children, accompanied by an adult (10 and under), $5.
For tickets or more information, contact the Wheelwright Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 843-349-2502.