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The Spectacular Senior Follies by Jim Heaberg ariety shows used to be a staple of stage never thought I’d be able to be on a big stage, with and TV entertainment. The shows were professional lights, music and sound, ever again. But on every network channel and on at here I am, dancing as happily as ever. Thanks for the least one stage in every major city in opportunity.” VAmerica. Hard to fnd that these days. The mission of the Spectacular Senior Follies is to Well, the variety show is still alive in North Texas. provide a venue for senior citizens to use their skills For the sixth year, the Spectacular Senior Follies is and talents performing as part of an outstanding presenting a live, on-stage show featuring more than production, designed to inspire others to lead healthy 80 talented folks who are still active performers; they life-styles. A secondary mission is to keep the genre just happen to be 55 years young (or better). of the ‘Variety Show’ alive. Reality TV isn’t really The History ‘real’, but every performance of a live stage show is So how does one go about ‘creating’ a show by and for ‘seasoned citizens’? In 2007, 92-year-old Ned Startzel, a former vaudeville star in Pennsylvania, and 73-year-old Dallas musician/performer Mark Carroll, met over coffee, discussed the variety and quality of ‘senior’ entertainers in the Dallas area, and how great it would be to get them on stage together, and the senior follies idea was born, patterned after the highly successful Follies show in Palm Springs, California. They wanted Broadway quality, which takes fnancing, so they introduced their dream to Realtor Ebby Halliday, who agreed to help, along with some friends each had who became part of the Board. In September of 2008, the frst cast of carefully chosen, 55-year+ performers thrilled audiences with their talent and exuberance. The Talent Senior Follies Board Member/Performer Beth Weems Pirtle said, “Auditions are held each year in April, which means we past performers, as well as prospective performers, are required to audition so the director can choose just the right people for each year’s show.” All the performers are volunteers, including several retired professionals. Performer Jackie Troup Miller was thanked (backstage) for lending her talents to the show; she appeared in movie musicals and ‘wrote the book’ on teaching tap dancing. Her response? “I page 4 | www.celebrationmagazine.com