WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: The Will Rogers Follies

Anyone who knows anything about the history of broadway knows that the Ziegfeld Follies were some of the biggest and most sustained early resident successes in the world's theatre capital. And whilst the best known musical work that tells the story of the "Folly Girls" is arguably that of Stephen Sondheim from 1971, this exponent of Tony winning combination of composer Cy Coleman, lyricists Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and playwright Peter Stone, stands up as its own entity remarkably well, itself gaining six Tony awards from eleven nominations at the 1991 ceremony.

"The Will Rogers Follies" ran on broadway for over two years and almost 1,000 performances, between 1991-1993, in a production led by Tony nominated actor, Oscar winning songwriter Keith Carradine in the titular role. In spite of the terrific success of this original production, the show has never been seen on the professional stage since the mid 90s, largely due to the controversy surrounding its depictions of race and gender.

A production image from a regional revival of The Will Rogers Follies

Given the success of Sondheim's musical, there is certainly a precedent of success for stories surrounding the Ziegfeld Follies in the west end, and there is no reason why "The Will Rogers Follies" couldn't be a success with a few rejigs and a good director to steer the ship in a manner that both respects the original material and makes it palatable for a 21st century audience.