As I checked my morning texts in late March, I discovered an overwhelming surprise. An invitation to the final reunion for “The Folies Bergere” and Adieu to “The Tropicana Hotel.” The doors to the hotel would be locked two days later, with an implosion looming.
The hotel had been home to “The Folies Bergere” for forty-nine years. I clicked accepted without any hesitation.
Although I had never attended a reunion, this was a wonderful opportunity to see old friends and experience the end of an “era.” Memories flooded my mind as I recalled being hired in New York City as the lead dancer for the 1964 edition of “The Folies Bergere.”
The lounge of the hotel was buzzing with three hundred show people. One dancer had a crowd around her as she told the story of a roll-in bed with Elvis. A tour guide said, “I felt like part of the cast, taking tourists to see the show nightly for twenty years.”
It was a night of reflection and the sharing of stories.
A stranger asked me, “Would you pose for a photograph with my daughter? “ I replied, “I would be happy to.”
She then told me, “ I already have a picture of you on my phone with my daughter on her twelfth birthday. She is posing just like your life-size image at “The Springs Preserve.” Surprisingly, I had no idea my showgirl photography from “The Folies Bergere” was on display there.
I looked at her daughter and said.” Let’s hit that pose together this time!” We started
laughing and enjoying the moment.
I asked her mom, “ Are you a dancer?” She shook her head, affirming, “ Yes. I was an acrobatic dancer for thirty years with “The Folies Bergere” right after my high school graduation. The chance meeting for the three of us, is a cherished memory.
One final word of wisdom: When you learn your image is in a museum, you know you are “OLD.”
