Madison Beach Club Follies Marks 90th Year With Music From The Beatles To Bieber

MADISON, CT — The Madison Beach Club Follies will celebrate its 90th year with a show featuring music spanning multiple decades, from the Beatles to Justin Bieber.

The annual production is a long-running Madison shoreline tradition that is primarily performed by teenagers, who rehearse throughout the summer while balancing jobs, sports, internships and other activities. This year's program includes songs and dances from styles ranging from be-bop and disco to the Macarena and the Strut.

Many cast members were born decades after the Beatles first arrived in the United States, but they have learned songs made popular by earlier generations.

"Music is one of those intangibles that live on through the generations, taking us back to times and places that stay with us forever," Follies co-chair Alise Ferency said. "We're here to take that musical highway from the '50s right on up to today."

Teen cast member Vincent Konstantino said he was unfamiliar with many of the show's selections before joining the production.

"I didn't know these songs — and these dances — even existed. But now I know who Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Burt Bacharach are. It's fun to learn their music right along with my friends who never heard of them either!" Konstantino said.

Other performers in the show include Quin Walz, Emma Ferency, Charlie, Lee, Loretta Newcomb, Claire Walsh, Taylor Bauer, Natalia Cewe, and Connor Cewe.

The show includes about 20 songs representing several decades of popular music and dance.

"The Follies is a historic intergenerational shoreline tradition," Follies Director Matthew Harrison said. "This year's show promises high-energy dancing and impressive local talent that will appeal to audiences of all ages."

The production also includes a Beatles medley and the Madison Beach Club's annual kickline performance.

The Follies will be open to the public at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 31.

Tickets are $10 for children ages 13 and younger and $25 for adults. They are available at the Madison Beach Club front desk, 128 Island Ave., Madison.