Ziegfeld Follies (play)

The theatrical productions known as the Ziegfeld Follies were first seen at the Jardin de Paris theater in New York City in 1907 and flourished there until 1931. The Ziegfeld Follies became the model for large-scale musical revues from the first show until the mid-1950s, when televised revues became more popular than stage revues.

American theater manager Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. took command of the theatrical revue form with his annual Follies productions. These shows combined comedic scenes, chorus and solo songs, and dancing, performed by a wide array of star entertainers. In their early years, the Follies productions were arranged around a script, but most critics agreed that the plot was the least important part of the show. One of the most important elements of Follies productions was the large number of chorus girls featured in the show; these “Ziegfeld Girls” were expected to dance, sing, and look beautiful for audiences. Their costumes became increasingly revealing as the revues continued into the 1920s. The Ziegfeld Follies were at their height during that decade, costing thousands of dollars to produce and epitomizing the extravagant and exuberant quality of life in 1920s America.

By the 1920s, the Ziegfeld Follies were being held every year at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City. Although the Follies did not immediately experience major competition, similar revues began to emerge in the 1910s and 1920s. The theatrical producers known as the Shubert Brothers owned a significant portion of the American theater industry, and in the early 1920s, a slew of revue series appeared—including the Greenwich Village Follies, Earl Carroll’s Vanities, Music Box Revues, and George White’s Scandals—all vying for space on the Broadway stage.

Notable Cast and Crew

Ziegfeld’s lavish shows rose above the rest of the competition. His broad spectrum of performers often included stars that not every producer would feature. One of these was Fanny Brice, a Jewish comedian who made her Follies debut the same year as African American comedian Bert Williams. The two were highly successful in the format that the Follies offered, allowing them the possibility of working with large groups or in solo numbers, both of which were acceptable revue performance types. Brice continued appearing in the Ziegfeld Follies into the early 1920s, as did some others from the 1910s Follies productions. For example, comedian W. C. Fields was first a part of the show in 1915 but continued to appear on the Ziegfeld Follies stage intermittently until 1925. Another important star was Will Rogers, who performed songs, demonstrated rope tricks, and told jokes in the Ziegfeld Follies well into the middle of the decade. A major draw for much of the 1920s was performer Eddie Cantor, who was famous for his interpretations of songs such as “If You Knew Susie Like I Know Susie” (1925), as well as his comedic skills in entertaining skits. Other regulars included the duo Van and Schenck, known for their comedic songs, and singers Vivienne Segal, Ann Pennington, and Billie Burke, who became Ziegfeld’s wife in 1914 after his divorce from stage performer Anna Held. Some of the other Follies stars, including the Eaton sisters (Mary, Pearl, and Doris), rose from the ranks of chorus girls to become major celebrities.

Lyricist Gene Buck and composer Dave Stamper wrote much of the material for the Ziegfeld Follies. Additional composers included Victor Herbert, Irving Berlin, Rudolf Friml, Louis Hirsch, and Raymond Hubbell. Some of the songs to emerge from these shows include “Second Hand Rose,” “My Man,” and “Weaving (My Dreams).” The large orchestra played music for tableaux vivants and huge chorus and dance numbers.

The visual elements of the revues were also important; the sumptuous scenery and players’ costumes, created by top New York designers, became legendary. Women were draped in costumes that mimicked dollar bills, animals, and even the city skylines. Elaborate choreography gave performances another layer of visual splendor.

The secondary title for the show eventually became Glorifying the American Girl, and Ziegfeld made this the name of his motion picture revue, released in 1929. This film presents a huge theatrical number at the end, featuring entertainers Helen Morgan, Rudy Vallée, Mary Eaton, and Eddie Cantor.

Impact

Ziegfeld died in 1932, but his Follies productions continued to appear on stage, on the ice, and in motion pictures. Films relating to Ziegfeld’s life and the history of the Ziegfeld Follies continued to be made in subsequent decades, including The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Ziegfeld Follies (1945), and Funny Girl (1968).

Bibliography

Cohen-Stratyner, Barbara Naomi. Ned Wayburn and the Dance Routine: From Vaudeville to the Ziegfeld Follies. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1996. Focuses on the career of choreographer Ned Wayburn, noting his invention of a walking style that displayed the costumes of Ziegfeld Follies performers.

Davis, Lee. Scandals and Follies: The Rise and Fall of the Great Broadway Revue. New York: Limelight Editions, 2000. Provides a history of the musical revue form on American stages, including the development of the Ziegfeld Follies.

Rogers, Will, and Arthur Frank Wertheim. Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992. Features the entertainer’s reflections on American politics and society during the 1920s and his experiences performing in the Ziegfeld Follies.

Van der Merwe, Ann Ommen. The Ziegfeld Follies: A History in Song. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009. Offers an overview of the musical numbers performed throughout the history of the Ziegfeld Follies.

Ziegfeld, Richard E., and Paulette Ziegfeld. The Ziegfeld Touch: The Life and Times of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. New York: H. N. Abrams, 1993. A biography written by Ziegfeld’s relatives, presenting information on his personal life, career as a theatrical manager, and impact on the history of American theater.