Ziegfeld Follies of 1909 Williams, Bert performer Theatrical Performance 1909-06-14 Jardin de Paris (atop the New York and Ccriterion Theaters) A musical revue in two acts, 16 scenes. Sketches and lyrics by Harry B. Smith. Music by Maurice Levi. Staged by Julian Mitchell and Herbert Gresham. Dances arranged by Julian Mitchell.Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld. Opened 14 June 1909 at the Jardin de Paris (atop the New York and Criterion Theatres) and closed 7 August 1909 after 64 performances. Dancer Bessie Clayton (who would produce her own dance spectaculars in vaudeville) played the role of the Maitre de Ballet, with Nora Bayes as Carmen LaTosca, a Prima Donna; Lillian Lorraine in titillating "Linger, Longer, Lingerie" with the female chorus. "Moving Day in Jungle Town" allowed Ziegfeld to offer the first of the many jungle spectaculars. The show's most memorable production number suggested each state should present the nation with a battleship (all battleships at the time were named for states and each chorus girl was dressed to represent a state, her hat modeled after the dreadnoughts of the day. (Norton 1909.13). Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Bordman, Gerald: American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. New York: Oxford University Press (1992). Norton Anthology of Drama: Norton Anthology of Drama: Nineteenth Century to the Present (Vol. 2). W.W. Norton & Company (2009). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.909