Spectacular Senior Follies prepare Broadway-style production

Tag : Curtain Style
Spectacular Senior Follies prepare Broadway-style production 12:00 AM CDT on Friday, July 25, 2008 By CAROLYN TILLERY / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

When the curtain rises on the September production of SpectacularSenior Follies' As Time Goes By at the Eisemann Center, audiences will be treated not only to arousing song-and-dance show, but the collective talents of anunusual cast.
"There are just so many talented seniors in Dallas; they sound likea young cast," said Mark Carroll of Dallas, the creative forcebehind the show. "You have to be 55 to be in the show, but it's anageless show."
Working with a more mature cast definitely has its perks.
"There's less ego," he said. "We're a little wiser at this age andjust want to get the job done and produce a quality product.There's always a few exceptions, but we won't go into that!"
Among the 150 performers are five Ms. Senior Texas winners and aMs. Senior America.
"When the audience sees the women in costumes, they will see howbreathtakingly beautiful they are," Mr. Carroll said.
Work on the production began about a year and a half ago. The lastfour months, Mr. Carroll said, have been pretty intense.
"The caliber of talent that showed up at the audition was amazing,"he said. "I far surpassed in what I envisioned in the caliber oftalent, the sets, costumes, everything. It's going to be as good asanything you'd see on Broadway."
The musical production features nostalgic song and dance classicsfrom the 1930s and 1940s, as well as elaborate costumes,reminiscent of the legendary Ziegfeld Follies, Mr. Carroll said.Starring with Mr. Carroll are: Class Act, Buster Cooper, JoeCutaia, Dallas Tap Dazzlers, Trella Hart, The Levee Singers with EdBernet, Lu Mitchell, Beth and Rodney Pirtle, Rosemary Rumbley andThe Ladies and Gentlemen of the Follies and The Follies Lovelies.
The 72-year-old entertainer, who has been in show business for 55years, said one of his greatest strengths is knowing how to usetalented people and make them "look and sound their best."
Carolyn Tillery is a freelance writer in Dallas.
tillery@swbell.net