Licensing Company: Concord Theatricals
Will Rogers Follies
PROGRAMMED INSTRUMENTS
Keyboard 2
Keyboard 3
$275.00
Presented in the style of a Ziegfeld Follies revue, The Will Rogers Follies chronicles the life of the beloved American entertainer through snappy tunes, elaborate production numbers, and comic sketches.
PROGRAMMING NOTES
This licensed orchestration is based on the Original 1991 Broadway Production.
This show is orchestrated to be stick conducted from the podium and has 3 separate keyboard books. Only Keyboard 2 and 3 have programming. All 3 books will require excellent players to navigate the parts and the programming/
Keyboard 1 is the primary piano book and will require an advanced player who is well versed in jazz, jazz standards, and who can improvise over jazz chords fluently. There is no programming in this book where it is feasible, this part can be played on a live acoustic piano.
Keyboard 2 has the bulk of the programming and unique patches in the show. Some of the sounds and patches include celeste, harp, strings, pedal steel guitar, recorder, harmonica, accordion, mallet percussion, harmonium, guitar, and various percussion instruments. There are also some sound effects that are triggered in this part as well.
Keyboard 3 is essentially the string supplement book but it is not an optional string book as it is in other shows such as Oklahoma and South Pacific. This book is designed to complement the live players and often has different harmonies and passages. In addition to the strings in the various articulations, there is also some harmonica and a jaws harp.
ORIGINAL MUSIC TEAM
Book by: Peter Stone
Music by: Cy Coleman
Lyrics by: Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Music arranged by: Cy Coleman
Inspired by the words of Will Rogers and Betty Rogers
Music orchestrated by: Billy Byers
Musical Director: Eric Stern
Original 1991 Broadway Orchestra
Conducted by: Eric Stern
Associate Conductor: Karl Jurman
Assistant Conductor: Joe Passaro
Keyboards: Karl Jurman and Patrick Brady
Concertmistress: Amy Hiraga Wyrick
Violin: Heidi Carney and Robert Shaw
Viola: Crystal Garner
Cello: Joe Kimura
Trumpet: John Frosk, Joe Mosello and Danny Cahn
Trombone: Jim Pugh, Larry Farrell and Paul Faulise
French Horn: Tony Cecere
Reeds: Chuck Wilson, Dale Kleps, Alva Hunt, Vincent DellaRocca and Frank Santagata
Drums: Ray Marchica
Bass: Richard Sarpala
Guitar: Scott Kuney and Larry Campbell
Percussion: Joe Passaro
Harmonica: Robert Paparozzi
Music Copying Service: Larry Abel
Music Contractor: John Miller
SHOW DESCRIPTION
“The Will Rogers Follies is a show about Will Rogers — a unique American, who, though he died in 1935, remains a beloved figure remembered for his humor, his wisdom, and his just plain common sense. At the heart of his populist philosophy was his most famous statement: ‘I never met a man I didn’t like.’ Rogers became the biggest, most popular, and highest paid star of every existing medium of his time — stage, screen, radio, newspapers, and public appearances. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that he was the greatest star this country has ever produced.” — Peter Stone, 1994. The show’s buoyant score by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by Comden & Green, includes “Will-a-Mania,” “Our Favorite Son,” “My Unknown Someone” and “Give A Man Enough Rope.”