The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies opened its “Get Your Kicks!” season on Tuesday. The entire season (through mid-May) uses the music and history of Route 66 as its inspiration.
The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif., interviewed Route 66 advocate and Follies technical adviser Jim Conkle about the production and the Mother Road. Some excerpts:
What’s the attraction to Route 66?
There is a Route 66 association, fan club or car club in every developed nation of the world. The Route 66 sign is one of the 10 most recognizable icons in the world.
There are probably 300 Web sites that deal with Route 66. My Web site and phones get thousands of inquiries a month about traveling on that road.
Why is it important to keep its memory alive?
No other road has had so many songs, books, TV shows or movies made of it. We have an obligation to preserve this heritage.
Follies’ producers have said the Route 66 theme offers the perfect pivot to transition its music and songs into other generations. Do you agree?
Yes. I purposely went to no rehearsals before the premiere. I wanted to see the show as the audience did. My wife and I were thrilled. I got goose bumps from the song, “You Are My Sunshine.” It was sung to us as kids. It brought a tear to my eye to hear it again.
What do you think draw people into the lore of Route 66?
It’s simply this: There are no strangers on Route 66. They are just friends you haven’t met yet. It’s a commonality that brings us all together. There is no politics on it. It’s a place where we can all be “roadies.”
Freda Payne will be the featured performer until Dec. 31. Susan Anton takes over until March 7, and John Davidson performs from March 10 to May 9. Anton has a set of encore shows from May 13-17.
You can purchase tickets here. Don’t wait until the last minute; shows tend to sell out well in advance.
(Image courtesy of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies)