Ziegfeld Follies of 1918 Wayburn, Ned performer Pennington, Ann performer Theatrical Performance 1918-06-18 New Amsterdam Theater A musical revue in two acts, 26 Scenes. Staged by Ned Wayburn. Opened 18 June 1918 at the New Amsterdam Theatre and closed 14 September 1918 after 105 performances. Will Rogers joked about American politics and the Irish demand for home rule, but also appeared in musical numbers, lassoing Ann Pennington as she danced, and strutting in white tie and tails with Lillian Lorraine. Stamper provided one of the big production numbers, "I Want to Jazz Dance" (virtually the earliest use for the term in a Broadway song). Stamper's jazz caught none of the newer rhythms that soon pushed the old syncopation aside. It was not even the transitional shimmy. Both songs were simple commercial ragtime. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Bordman, Gerald: American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. New York: Oxford University Press (1992). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html Ned Wayburn (biography) loc.music.tdabio.155 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.368