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ON THE STRIP 1 Longtime Tolies Bergere?╟╓ choreographer says he saw ?╟ writing on the wall?╟╓ Dancers are silhouetted during a performance of((Folies Bergere?╟Ñ in August Tropicana officials announced last week the show's 49-year run would end. By Jerry Fink Las Vegas Sun Legendary choreographer Jerry Jackson wasn't surprised when Tropi- cana officials announced last week they were closing "Folies Bergere.?╟Ñ ?╟úI saw the writing on the wall?╟Ñ said Jackson, who has directed the top- less extravaganza since 1975. He knew after a meeting with new bosses in early December that the show's 49-year run was about to end. "Tolies Bergere' enjoyed an amazing and unprecedented run on the Las Vegas Strip ?╟Ñ Tropicana Las Vegas President Ron Thacker said Thursday in a pre-; pared release. "We are extremely proud to have been part of such an iconic Las Vegas production.?╟Ñ Entertainment Director Lou Walters ?╟÷ father of TV news correspondent Bar- bara Walters ?╟÷ brought the show from Paris and it opened in Las Vegas on Dec: 24,1959. The Tropicana owns the production, one of the last in-house productions on the Strip. It will lay off the 80 showgirls and stagehands when the show closes in March. The financially strapped resort reportedly will soon announce a show to replace "Folies.?╟Ñ Jackson said he saw a dramatic iHMHiiiiRMMl 1 a change in the casino's support for the showin the past six months. "I met with former executives last summer and they were so pro-Tolies,"' Jackson said last week from his home in Los Angeles. "They were high on mak- ing changes to the show. They asked me to come up with ideas, which I did, and they were bowled over by them. "But since then, those people have moved to other areas of the hotel and have no say-so over the show. The new people were not that high on it.?╟Ñ At a Dec. 2 meeting, Jackson was m asked what it would take to get atten- dance numbers up. "I told them they needed to put some money into the production, buy adver- tising and change the state of the econo- my because the numbers for most of the shows are down,?╟Ñ Jackson said. When he walked out of the meeting, he thought: "Well, that's that.?╟Ñ Actually, Jackson said, the Tropicana hasn't spent much money on "Folies Bergere?╟Ñ since 1983. "Keeping that in mind, I?╟╓m surprised it's lasted as long as it has,?╟Ñ he said. "The reason it has lasted is that there has been such a great audience response.?╟Ñ Jackson is sad that about 80 people will be out of work ?╟÷ but not that the showisclpsing. "I have no problems with it closing,?╟Ñ he said. "I would rather it close than to continually try to create without any funds. I?╟╓ve been able to do it for years but I think I've recycled everything in that hotel but the silverware. I don't know what else I can do. I have taken stones off of old costumes and had them sewn onto new costumes or new fabric ?╟÷ you can only do so much. "But I've always tried to keep up the integrity of the show. I have had won- derful cast members and talent to work with, which has been great. I have a lot of friendships with cast and crew and tech- nicians. I wouldn't change that fdr *the world. If you judge a man's wealth by his friends, I'm very rich.?╟Ñ Jackson claims "Folies?╟Ñ is the'lon- gest-running show in the United States. The economy isn't helping other shows in town either. ' V - "When I flew up there in Decerhbbr I noticed the airport was empty and there * was hardly anybody in the hotels ?╟Ñ Jack- son said. "I've been working iri Vegas since the '50s and I've never seen it so sparse.?╟Ñ ; 3?║jjf Jackson did some tweaking: of the show last year and was going to make more changes for the 50th anniversary in December, but now he can relax and enjoy the fruits of his decades of labor in entertainment. "I've turned down jobs for the past 4 year or two,?╟Ñ said Jackson, who tiirfied 73 on Wednesday. "I don't have.any desire to do another show. I have done $o many. I have pages and pages of credits. So unless something really interesting comes up, or there are people I realty want to work with or there's a project that is realty inspiring, I'm not interest- ed.?╟Ñ Jerry Fink can foe reached at 259-:?? 4058 or at jerry @las\egas$unkcipa. 8H li?½! ,4m Ipppll ??J mmmMMmmamm Mil T