Cady Huffman to Lead ADM21 in “Our Favorite Son” From THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES

American Dance Machine for the 21st Century will release its latest joyous virtual video, "Our Favorite Son" from the Broadway musical The Will Rogers Follies, performed by Cady Huffman in the role of Will Rogers, and 10 original Broadway cast members, along with 10 of ADM21's featured dancers. "Our Favorite Son" will begin streaming free to the public on at 6:00 A.M, Tuesday, November 16, 2021 on www.adm21.org/will.

The virtual video of "Our Favorite Son" was directed by Tony Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Joshua Bergasse and conceived by Nikki Feirt Atkins, with original choreography by Tommy Tune (Associate Choreographer Jeff Calhoun) and staged by Patti D'Beck, Dance Captain on the original Broadway production.

ADM21's "Our Favorite Son" was produced by Douglas Denoff and filmed and edited by Elsa Stallings, with lighting design by Ken Billington, costume coordination by Ricky Lurie, and artistic direction by Nikki Feirt Atkins, the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of ADM21.

Performers in ADM21's virtual video of "Our Favorite Son" (in alphabetical order) include original cast members Maria Calabrese Heyburn, Colleen Dunn, Sallie Mae Dunn, Eileen Grace Reynolds, Kimberly Hester, Cady Huffman, Luba Mason, Dana Moore, Angie Schworer, Allyson Tucker-Mitchell, and Leigh Zimmerman. ADM21 dancers are Jordan Betscher, Alyssa Epstein, Julia Feeley, Julia Harnett, Naomi Kakuk, Danelle Morgan, Kenna Morris, Kristyn Pope, Christine Sienicki, and Lizzy Tierney.

The film's director Josh Bergasse said, "It was absolutely thrilling to help ADM21 capture this incredible group of dancers performing one of the most memorable and iconic numbers from The Will Rogers Follies. My greatest hope for this video is that we create new musical theater fans."

"I am so grateful to Tommy Tune for allowing ADM21 to reconstruct and perform his iconic works," said Nikki Feirt Atkins. "And thank you to Jeff Calhoun for his choreographic contribution to "Our Favorite Son"! I am particularly grateful to Patti D'Beck, who was the Dance Captain for The Will Rogers Follies, for agreeing to stage this joyous number for our video. Patti is meticulous and exacting as a stager and at the same time, she creates an incredibly loving, inclusive, and positive learning environment. It was wonderful to have a cast consisting of 10 original cast members and 10 current ADM21 dancers. I truly enjoyed working with Patti, Josh, Elsa and the entire cast to put this video together."

The Will Rogers Follies, a musical with lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman, opened on Broadway on May 1, 1991 at the Palace Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune, the original cast included Keith Carradine as Will Rogers, Dee Hoty as Betty Blake, Dick Latessa as Clem, and Cady Huffman as Ziegfeld's favorite chorus girl. The show, which ran for 981 performances, told the story of the life and career of famed stage and film actor, vaudeville performer and humorist Will Rogers, set against the backdrop of the Ziegfeld Follies, for which Rogers often headlined.

Learn more at www.adm21.org.