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WMBMm s Me i by movie musicals. 1 was born With a foot .defoririity, which I had ?╟╓til \ was 18 years old, l wore built-up shoes and braces, that sort of thing. Blit, of course, you always want the thing that you don?╟╓t have, and l always wanted to dance. .. ?╟úSo, 1 left Oklahoma when. 1 was 18, went ter California, 'started study- ing dancing and had a natural ability for at. i was in my first movie three months later.'* mm ?╟≤ Jackson was, in the modern dance department at UCLA while he-was get- ting his master's degree in art. He also served as-an assistant professor in the music department. After college, he was Fred Astaire?╟╓s assistant Choreog- rapher. He was also a regular dancer A on the ?╟úDanny Kaye Show.part- jm nered dancers like Cvd Charisse JM on various television specials JB and in movies and spent time jH| as a professional photogfa- Jm pher for Saks Fifth Avenue. ?½ ?╟úI?╟╓ve always been inter- 1H % i . ested pft creativity, and whether I?╟╓m designing a cos- ; ?╟≤ tame,} writing a piece of music or i choreographing a dance, the principles of creating: are all the same but the tools are different, Fm not very interested in the .business of show business, Fm j very interested in the creative?½ process/?╟╓said Jackson. ' In handling so many aspects the new ?╟úFolies Bergere,?╟Ñ Jackson ?;.M is able to draw' from his wealth of;/.:?½ experience. His focus on ?╟úThe ISIB Best of Fojies Bergere ... Sexier than Ever?╟Ñ is to bring,the essence of theater into the production arid to increase the presence of the j|^H glamorous showgirl. In addition to three existing, successful seg-1 wM merits of the show, Jackson has 1?½ added a few numbers from the f?½ 1975 edition of the ?╟úFolios.?╟Ñ He ?½ has- created 12 new segments and. a ?½ Bv Hilary L Green 11 n a 1 e th at Mips around 1CF numbers.' it?╟╓s a fast-paced^ pro^ ^ duction, needless to / - say, involving a tabu- *3 louif cast dad in^magr;. * nificent costumes, The ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ, just gets better and beffer and is~ an absolute inhsLsee. V./N APRIL 18, THE ?╟úFOLIES Bergere,?╟Ñ the longest-running production show in Las Vegas, debuts ?╟úThe Best of the Folies Bergere ... Sexier than Ever.?╟Ñ It in 1959 that impresario Lou Walters, Barbara?╟╓s dad, arranged for the Paris-born ?╟ú'Folies Bergere?╟Ñ to land in Las Vegas. Over the past ,38 years,; many; performers have beep in and out of the show', which has been a spring- board for many entertainers, like Lance Burton. He cherishes fond memories of his nine-year stint, almost growing up onstage al the ?╟úFolies.?╟Ñ The ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ. has succeeded in maintaining its reputation for featur- ing tall, statuesque showgirls, an .old- fashioned storybook theme and music- hall format. The famous ?╟úCan Can" seg- ment is still an audience favorite. Award-winning choreographer Jerry Jackson became the director of the ?╟úFolies Bergere?╟Ñ in 1975 and he is large- ly responsible for the new show. He is ?╟≤credited as being the creator, director, choreographer and costume designer of the show; plus he wrote and helped to produce special music for the ?╟úFolies.?╟Ñ. t Jackson manages to pack even more, into his, schedule: ?╟ú1 have the Sand Castle in Guam, which is quite, a large theater. There?╟╓s no gambling and no hotel, it?╟╓s just a theater. From the success of that show', they?╟╓re building a large; mult i milli on dollar theater in Saipan for me to put a show into. Fve also had the Princess Casino in Freeport, in the Bahamas, for 13 years.?╟Ñ Originally from Oklahoma, Jackson has accumulated :M amazing list of cred- its, including staging the 80th anniver- sary of ?╟úCasino ||| Palis?╟Ñ in Paris and choreographingfhe l 00th anniversary of the ?╟úFolies Bergere,?╟Ñ in Paris in 1967. ?╟úI was always fascinated,, as a child, FOLIES?╟Ñ FANTASTIQUE ?╟÷ Las Vegas' longest-running production show offers the best of revue entertainment ?╟úThe Best of the Folies Bergere' ?√ß Where ?╟≤ Tropicana ?√ß When?╟≤ Fri.-Wed. ?√ß Information ?╟≤ 739-2411 64 April 20, T997/SHOWBIZ