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The lights around the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign will go red and yellow to celebrate Broadway’s iconic FOLLIES making its debut locally in a star-studded, six-show engagement that features a 45-person cast, including 12 of Las Vegas’s original showgirls.
Clark County commissioners will attend a brief ceremony at the sign on Monday, April 8, at 8:30 a.m., with Metropolis Theatricals Las Vegas LLC, showgirls, and others. The public is invited.
“Las Vegas is in for a treat, as the Broadway spectacular, FOLLIES, debuts this week with six showings,” said Commissioner Ross Miller. “This is not just any Broadway show. This one is iconic, and this version, while in its original format, will be set in Las Vegas with the closing of the Tropicana Hotel as the backdrop. It will still contain all the original music and lyrics.”
Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom agreed. “This group was formed to present high-quality, groundbreaking theatrical works via local performers to as wide and varied an audience of Las Vegas locals as possible,” he said. “They have done yeoman’s work to create what really sounds like a spectacular production.”
“We are so thrilled to bring the grandeur of FOLLIES and this production to the Southern Nevada community,” said Tom Michel, FOLLIES producer and co-founder of Metropolis Theatricals Las Vegas. “We’re so grateful to Commissioners Ross Miller and Tick Segerblom for honoring the show and our new resident theater company with the changing of the Welcome to Las Vegas lights – this just speaks to the bright future of professional community theater and its importance to Clark County.”
The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign is located on the Las Vegas Strip south of Russell Road and was created in 1959 after the Clark County Commission approved funding for the project on what was then Highway 91. Submitting the lowest qualified bid was Western Electric Display, Inc. (aka “Western Neon”), purchased by YESCO in the 1960s. The design, characteristic of the Googie architecture movement, was created by Betty Willis. The 25-foot-tall sign was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, Clark County’s centennial year. The sign, like the rest of the Las Vegas Strip, is in unincorporated Clark County.
FOLLIES will feature special appearances by Tony Award® nominee Andrea McArdle (Broadway’s original Annie and star of ”Beauty and the Beast” and “Les Misèrables,” among others); Tonight Show icon and comedian Pete Barbutti; Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter and entertainer Clint Holmes, the sensational singer/performer/comedian Kelly Clinton-Holmes; four-time Grammy® winner and first “Pip,” Merald “Bubba” Knight; internationally renowned opera sensation Frederica von Stade; Broadway legend Ted Chapin; and an introduction by legendary impressionist Rich Little. A dozen of Las Vegas’s legendary showgirls will join the cast, including Anna Bailey, the first African-American showgirl ever to appear on the Las Vegas Strip.
The seven-time Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical features music and lyrics by the late Stephen Sondheim, including some of his most iconic songs such as “Broadway Baby” and “I’m Still Here.” The show, in its original format, will be set in Las Vegas with the closing of the Tropicana Hotel as the backdrop for the cast getting together one last time. A few slight Vegas spins will be added throughout while maintaining the integrity and all the dazzle for which the original production is known.
FOLLIES is produced by Metropolis Theatricals Las Vegas LLC with Tom Michel, David James Robinson and Sean Stephenson. Robinson is also serving as director of the production. The show is produced in partnership with JOI Jazz Orchestra led by Musical Director Dave Loeb, UNLV College of Fine Arts, The Showgirl Legacy Foundation and its historical advisor, The Neon Museum. This production of FOLLIES is dedicated to the memory of Las Vegas music legend Bill Fayne.
FOLLIES will feature six performances April 11-14 at the Access Showroom at Aliante Casino + Hotel + Spa at7300 North Aliante Pkwy. Its opening night performance on Thursday, April 11, will be black tie and conclude with a champagne toast. Show dates and times:
Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m. (Black Tie Opening Night)
Friday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 14 at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
FOLLIES, Stephen Sondheim, and James Goldman’s legendary production will be brought to life in a spectacular performance featuring a 45-person cast, including 12 of Las Vegas’s original showgirls. The limited-run engagement will be a star-studded affair.
Tickets are on sale now at ShowgirlsComeHome.com. Connect socially on Facebook, and find more information on the show, cast and crew at ShowgirlsComeHome.com.