Fabulous Palm Springs Follies

Saw the Follies for the first time this May, 2012. Of course have heard about it for many years but have never gone until now. The guest artist were «The Diamonds». They were polished and had impressive, tight harmonies — great arrangements on the tunes. Riff is an impressive emcee and kept our attention. The ventriloquist did some really clever things and made us laugh out loud. The cast looked like they were having a blast and that translated to the audience. Thank you also for doing such a stand-​up job in honoring our men and women in the military. A shout out to the ushers who were so kind, helpful and full of good cheer. My only complaint would be — for the price, it would be nice to have live musicians. Thank you Follies staff and performers for a wonderful afternoon!
Tina M. Costa Mesa CA

I love the follies. Everytime I come to Palm Springs. This is something I want to see. Amazing dancers. The costumes are fabulous. I’m so sad that this place closed. every time I came to California I went here with my sister. I look forward to it every single time. amazing people from 55 to update the 90s can dance like that. truly truly an amazing place this was. it surely will be missed

Went again as, sadly, this is the end. This show was as great as the others. They will be missed

We are saddened to see this thing come to and end Riff just sent everyone an e mail of appreciation etc, however, the thanks goes to this man and all the humor and cleverness he has given us all these years
He is truly a showman and we have loved this production like no other and could see it over and over again and never tire
We wish you Riff the very best at «the home» lol.
Thank you for livening up the desert and keeping everyone entertained. You will be missed.
From Your biggest supporters & fans

It is sad that the show is ending in May after 23 years. Seniors generally seem to hide in the woodwork in the world of show business and celebrity-​dom but they are actually in the spotlight and celebrated here. As mentioned by other Unilocalers, all of the performers are over 55, some more than a couple decades older! A lot of them had years-​long careers on Broadway, some on the big and small screens, too. Yes, they can dance and sing and have a lot of talent, a great inspiration to the rest of us. And they really look like they love doing what they’re doing.
But what up w the Unilocalers who are down on the performance? Helloow, this ain’t Dancing w the Stars, Cirque Du Soleil or current Broadway productions. And yes, that generation (I think of it as the WWII generation, tho pardon my ignorance if I“m off a few years) was/​is extremely patriotic – so why criticize?
Be realistic in your expectations and you will really enjoy the show and be in awe of the performers. I think I was the youngest person in both the audience and the show, so don’t bring your grandkids (or kids, depending on your age), they probably won’t appreciate it (and might fall asleep). The owner/​MC Riff Markowitz was very funny and entertaining, tho’ some might be offended by his humor (including religious jokes) .
The highlight of the show was Darlene Love. Her voice is still AMAZING after all these years!!! If you are seeing her shows (check the Follies website-she’s only in some of the shows), you should check out «20 Feet from Stardom,» and she recently won the Academy Award for that. She’s super-​friendly, signed books/​CDs/​etc. and photo ops after the show.
If the above description is appealing to you, I would definitely recommend you see this before its gone.

I took my 90 year old mother to this show, because I knew that she’d enjoy it. I was a little iffy, but was doing it for her.
I have to say, that I was pleasantly surprised.
Very entertaining. The dancers were amazing. You really can’t take your eyes off of them, because you just can’t believe their age.

This is my second visit to the Follies. The first was about 10 – 12 years ago. It is unfortunate but this is their last season after twenty-​three years. Lights out in a month or so.
If you are not offended by unadulerated patriotism and you like American music going back one hundred years — this show is for you. The youngest performers are in their fifties, and there are several in their eighties — you would never know this looking at them, watching them dance, or listening to them sing. They are engaging and magnificent.
I don’t think that this kind of show comes along very often now — once it is gone, it is gone. This is why we went — wanted to see it one last time. If you like this kind of performance, you should go…

Fun and fabulous. Maureen McGovern was the celebrity guest star, and she knocked my socks off with her range and also with her voice control.
The choreography is fantastic, and so is the music and singing.
I am a professional musician, and I really enjoyed it and appreciated it.

Get here quick as this is the last season before this FANTASTIC SHOW goes away. I have never laughed so hard at the funny bits. These ladies are amazing and the gowns, stunning. I was never bored for a second. (Avoid sitting in the front row as you may get picked to be made fun of !)

Ten years living in the desert, and this was my first visit to the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies. I think that I had heard so much about the Follies that my expectations were set too high.
What I expected: men and women (mostly women) in their 70s and 80s performing jaw-​dropping song-​and-​dance routines, with a variety act or two tossed in. Also, since Susan Anton was billed as the headliner, I expected her to be performing with the rest of the cast.
What I saw: men and women (about even numbers, but with the men in more of a supporting role, which was fine) in their (mostly) 50s and 60s, with one or two 70s, and one in their 80s, moving slowly — and sometimes deliberately — around the stage, while singing fairly well. There was a good ventriloquist act, and the whole evening was peppered with mostly-​brief, mostly-​comedic sets by the Follies’ owner, Riff Markowitz. Susan Anton didn’t show up until after intermission, when she stood (or sat on a stool) alone on the stage and sang five or six songs. Didn’t see her again until after the show when she was in the lobby, hawking her CDs.
The most disappointing part of the evening was the level of dance and choreography; I’m pretty sure most of the women could not have kicked their leg up over waist level, but we’ll never know since they didn’t do even a single kick line. The singing was good, and the little bit of tap dancing was also good. The costumes were very nice, and obviously expensive. Riff Markowitz had a few good lines, but rather than leave us laughing, he left us with an editorial on patriotism, and how no one has the right to «whine» when they disagree with what the U.S. government is doing. I get that it’s his place, and he can do or say whatever he wants, but I didn’t feel that the Plaza Theatre was the best venue for climbing on a soap box. If I’m paying $ 75, I want to be entertained — not preached to.
All in all, I’m glad I went, but it’s not something I need to see again. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what takes their place.

A fabulous time!
Their website doesn’t capture the experience very well. The show is sooo much more fun! Highly recommended. Age of people who attended and love it, 56, 32, 30.

The Follies is a great way to spend an afternoon, pricey but a memorable experience. Almost all of the audience is the same age as the performers — 54 – 83. The music, the jokes, and the emcee patter is crafted directly to people of this age. Younger visitors will likely be mystified.
It is inspirational to see the energy of the performers, and the pleasure they seem to get by dancing and singing. The emcee could stand to spend less time being sardonic, and allowing more time to the performers.
Lesley Gore was featured, and she sang wonderfully. Normally, singers 50 years after the height of their career have lost most of the magic, but she is in fine form. Mat Plendl showed us that he can do things with hula hoops that few could even imagine. Fantastic!
The patriotic finale is schmaltzy, kitschy and over the top, exactly as it should stay. These are professional performers, people who have spent their lives in the chorus, singing backup, dancing without feature credits. This is not a senior citizens amateur show. The energy and enthusiasm they show is inspiring, and it makes me want to be more active. Now excuse me while I mambo around my living room.

This was our first time attending this show. we appear to be at the younger spectrum of the demographics that regularly go to the follies. we were entertained. it might be a little expensive for what you get. they advertise $ 29 seats… we were in the next to last row and paid $ 50 per ticket. the MC and owner… riff…thinks he is funnier than he actually is. we’d like to see less of him and more of the actual dances and songs. This follies show is a throwback to the variety show of years gone by. all the dances and routines are performed by 60 and 70 year old performers… too much time was spent introducing them to us. we had two special guests… a guy who does amazing tricks with a hula hoop and 60’s singing icon leslie gore. she was very good… signed autographs afterwards. theater is cozy and comfortable… very decent way to spend 2 ½ hours.

Two of us flew down to Palm Springs from San Francisco and met 4 friends from PS & LA to see Lesley Gore. Her performance was wonderful! But what blew us away was the entire show — fantastic! The hula hoop man blew our mind — YES, hula hoops! The showgirls speaking their resumes accompanied by photos of their career was a highlight. Riff Markowitz was hilarious, and despite someone here complaining there was too much of him, we disagree. It was well worth the price of admission.

Each year, the company comes up with a stellar program of entertainment featuring the cast and guest performers. Our third visit was as much fun as the first! Riff is the perfect MC for this venue and one will always have an enjoyable time and some good laughs at the Follies.

Such a fun way to spend a rainy Saturday! My friend and I were clearly the youngest guests, but we had a great time. I definitely aspire to be a Follies girl when I am 55+…these ladies are looking and moving good! Thanks for giving us great entertainment!

Great Show! I have attended the last 6 shows and thoroughly enjoyed them all. If you are not 55 or older you probably will not «get it» or enjoy the MC interviewing the audience and all of the nuances in the show.
For those of «age» you may be inspired, entertained and delighted to realize that the fact you are getting old doesn’t mean you necessarily will be confined to a wheel chair for the rest of your life. The performers are shining examples of living life to its fullest.

Boy does this show need an overhaul! I have seen this show 3 years in a row. And this year, I wanted to walk out. I don’t know what it is, but Riff has lost his charisma and charm. His jokes are in poor taste, he seems burnt out as if he doesn’t care or he is just now on auto pilot. I agree with other Unilocalers, the cracks about getting old… are old. This show used to be fun and I think they need to energize it, create more of a show for all ages… isn’t that the point of a variety show? Fun for the whole family? Some of Riff”s jokes about gays and old people were awkward. Many people didn’t return after the intermission. And the ventriloquist was not entertaining and not funny.
Some positives about the show are: the dancers (as always) are incredible. Those stars are for them. I love their dance numbers and they are in such incredible shape. Also, Maureen McGovern was the special guest singer… amazing! I never heard of her before. But her voice brought the audience to tears. She’s very talented and thank god for her, she made a piece of the show worth seeing.

Major «thanks» for an unbelievable show! I have never seen my father smile for three hours. On the way out to our car, there must have been 20 people who came up to my Mom and Dad telling them how wonderful they were. My parents cannot stop talking about their day at The Follies!
My brother and sister-​in-​law are coming to town to visit my parents in February. I believe that they will have front row tickets on the 17^th and will be taking my mom and dad again.
Thanks again for making my parents so happy!

I’ve got tons of respect for the performers in this show. They’re all over age 55, most in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and they’re truly young-​at-​heart and full of energy as they sing and dance the night away. But the show has some serious flaws, especially for the very hight ticket price.
The musical accompaniment is horrible. These folks have been in showbiz for a long time — which is cool — so they should know that musicians need work too. The canned music that played behind all the numbers was embarrassingly weak. The guest performer on the night we went, Rita Coolidge, had to perform her songs to Karaōke backing tracks. Why?
I’m a club DJ, so I’m often the first one to defend pre-​recorded music in the right situation, but these ticket prices are $ 50 to $ 100 per seat, and they’re performing classic rock & roll, jazz, and Broadway numbers. A general MIDI synthesizer doesn’t cut it. If, for some reason, they can’t afford actual musicians, they should at least get better backing tracks.
The ventriloquist was fantastic, as were the costumes, many of the dances, and some of the jokes throughout the evening.
Unfortunately the über-​patriotic finale was more than I could take. I’m proud to be from the USA, but I don’t need it drilled into my head that I need to «let the good times roll» ’cause this is America and we’re the best nation on the face of the earth & Uncle Sam & apple pie & song-​after-​patriotic-​song. That kind of blind patriotism doesn’t serve the good of the country. It’s hard times out there. Not everyone can be retired and living in a paradise like Palm Springs.