Joan Palethorpe News

After 23 years of entertaining the world, The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies will be closing their doors May 18, 2014 after completion of this their last season The Last Hurrah!

On November 1 the annual Palm Springs Follies opened their 22nd spectacular season with an all new show entitled Dance to the Music featuring special guest star Lorna Luft. Slick, scintillating, sophisticated, sassy - the ladies are dressed...or should I say undressed more provocatively than ever - the show runneth over with ageless appeal. And what is more vitally expressive than dance? Move, move, move to musical styles that cover the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s! After that, they are quick to point out, real music stopped.

Incredible to believe but the Palm Springs Follies is in its 21st season with an all new production called Hot!Hot!Hot! Equally unbelievable is the fact that I have seen and reviewed 10 of these shows since 2005, which means I've returned sometimes twice in one season. I'm really hooked on the Follies. You know why? It's one-of-a-kind. There's nothing like it anywhere. It has beautiful ladies - and none under 60. It has stunning gentlemen - the youngest ... 58 years young. These folks can dance and sing and lead the parade as if they were still in their prime. Well, I guess they are, and age, like the saying goes, is just a state of mind - at least if you look that good. Their music includes the good old standards of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s-songs that they truly know how to sing, because they grew up listening to and singing them. And of course, those glorious costumes are simply gorgeous to look at! The performers, the music, the costumes - is that enough? Hell, yes!

Singer Mary Wilson is the guest star with the current Palm Springs Follies show Let the Good Times Roll through May 16. At 66 this lady is beautiful and has as much dynamic energy as she did when she performed with The Supremes in the 60s , so she fits right into the Follies. All these folks look and act like they are at least 20-30 years younger - take Dorothy Kloss, the oldest living showgirl according to the Guinness Book of World Records. At 86 she has gorgeous legs like Juliet Prowse and can still tap dance at electric speed.