When you’re checking off the list of reasons why you should plan a visit to Palm Springs – sunshine, great resorts, shopping, outdoor sports and spectacular scenery – don’t overlook live musical theater. We’re talking specifically about the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, a professionally produced show that has proven so successful that it is now in its 19th season.

The cast of the Follies is an incredibly talented group of older folks – somehow the term “senior citizens” just doesn’t seem to apply here – who all had long careers performing on Broadway, on national television and in some of the best theater groups in the country. The 16 cast members have all been at the top of their profession, singing and dancing their hearts out in major productions in the country’s best venues.

Now, with ages ranging from late 50′s to the oldest working showgirl at 86 years young, the cast members have found a way to continue performing their physically demanding roles at a time in their lives when many people consider walking the dog a major physical accomplishment.

Make no mistake, this is not just a group of old people pretending to be young — not by any means. These entertainers are the real deal, every bit as energetic as the dancers you saw in all those old Gene Kelly movies and performing routines so strenuous that even young people would have to get in shape to pull them off.

And no doubt these exhaustive dance numbers must take their toll. As Master of Ceremonies Riff Markowitz kidded at the end of the show: “You all need to go home now because we have to take a nap.”

This year’s show is a review of popular songs from the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s. On one medley the group may be dressed in costumes and hairstyles of the World War II era, while in another part of the show it’s all about Elvis and the styles of the 50′s. Beatles music and other elements of the 60′s are created in still another part of the show.

There are also the glitzy showgirl numbers that feature the lady cast members dressed in elaborate costumes adorned with frilly flowers and feathers and headdresses half again as tall as the ladies. Skin-tight body suits give the impression they are exposing lots of flesh covered only by a few bright ornaments placed in strategic locations. No matter the age, all of the performers are in amazing shape and proud to show it off.

The three-hour show is well-paced, broken up by guest performances that are usually famous show business names. During our visit, the guests were the Four Aces, a popular male vocal group from the 1950′s that saw 30 of their songs reach the Top 40. Another guest was Brad Cummings, an extremely talented ventriloquist who kept the audience in stitches and proved to be one of the show’s highlights.

At the center of this production is Markowitz, who actually is a co-founder of the Follies. Markowitz, who has a background in television production, says he learned how to work an audience when he would go out and do the warm-up before a live television taping. Today, Markowitz has the jokes and timing down pat and is an obvious stand-up talent who could go toe-toe with Leno or any of the greats. His frequent monologues are spread out over the evening and often poke fun at growing old – a subject the older-than-average audience completely understands.

But in case you were thinking this show is just for old people, it’s really not. It’s hilarious and entertaining for mid-teens on up, but especially for those middle-age and older. While the songs and costumes may be dated, the humor is contagious and the performances are breathtaking.

On this, our most recent visit to Palm Springs we focused on downtown Palm Springs (site of the Follies), where we enjoyed browsing the shops along North and South Palm Canyon Drive. Everything is within walking distance and one great suggestion is to plan to have lunch in one of the sidewalk cafes.

While the desert communities are famous for their mega resorts with golf courses and spacious grounds, we enjoyed a more “close-in” experience this time staying at the Holiday Inn Resort, just a mile or so from the downtown shopping area. One of just a few Holiday Inns nationally that are permitted to use the “resort” designation in its name, this hotel went through a major renovation in the last couple of years and is built around an Olympic-size swimming pool and spacious and popular pool patio area. The kids will enjoy the “Dive-in” movies presented outdoors each night in the pool area.

The resort is surrounded by palm trees and features a Moroccan style fountain. Holiday Inn Resort offers a complimentary shuttle to downtown Palm Springs and, if you want to dine on property, Billy D’s Restaurant has a sports bar feel and is popular with guests who want to watch sports on one of several big-screen TV’s.

The rooms at the Holiday Inn Resort also feature wide flat-screen televisions as well as other resort-style amenities such as mini-toiletries, high-quality beds and linens, refrigerators, poolside or balcony views, work stations and tables where you can dine in-room. Best of all, the prices at Holiday Inn Resort are quite competitive.

On this particular trip we had some outdoors fun in an area known as the Indian Canyons. Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Palm Springs, the Indian Canyons are several canyons preserved by the Agua Caliente Cahuilla Indians and open – for a fee – to the general public for hiking, horseback riding and picnicking. There are four canyons altogether, each with different features.

We spent an afternoon hiking in the 15-mile-long Palm Canyon, a fascinating landscape with its indigenous flora and fauna that make it seem so far from the glitz and glamour of Palm Springs. This trail features groves of the California Fan Palm, a dramatic tree that provides shade and picturesque scenery along this moderate hike. The grade is gradual and part of the foot path is paved, winding down into the canyon for picnicking by the stream and then up the canyon where visitors can find plenty of interesting rock formations and colorful landscape to explore. Also check out the Trading Post where the tribe has many interesting Indian products and artifacts.

For more information on the Palm Springs area, phone 800-347-7746.

Los Angeles is known the world over for its movie stars and television actors. Yet when “The Theater” is mentioned one immediately thinks of Broadway and not the City of Angels.

However, Los Angeles has a bustling theater scene replete with award winning talent and state-of-the-art venues. After all, actors and directors need to do something in between film projects.

The Pantages Theatre is located on Hollywood Boulevard and is one of the city’s most endearing landmarks. The theater opened in 1930 and was once owned by Howard Hughes.

The theater seats over 2,600 and is a great place to see some of Broadway’s best musicals.

”Rent,” “Grease,” “Mamma Mia!,” “Dirty Dancing,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Legally Blonde” and “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” are all schedule to perform at the Pantages in 2009.

”Rain: The Beatles Experience,” is a Beatles cover-band that will having you believing it’s 1965 all over again. The fake fab four has been booked for an extended engagement in April.

The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 North Grand Avenue and is one of the premier venues in Los Angeles for plays, musicals, classics and revivals.

The Ahmanson has debut six Neil Simon plays and featured performances by such legends as Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison, and James Earl Jones.

Remodel in 1995, the state-of-the-art theater has a seating capacity of 1,600 to 2,000, depending on size and scope of the production. This historic and versatile venue has the largest subscription base of any theater on the West Coast.

In 2009, you can expect to see “Minksy’s” a musical set in the prohibition era, “Frost/Nixon” starring Stacy Keach, and the Tony Award winning musical “Ain’t Misbehavin.”

Later in the year, the Ahamanson will be visited by Dame Edna, the Ballet Hispanico, and Patti Lupone & Mandy Patinkin.

The hilarious musical comedy “Monty Python’s Spamalot” will raise Ahamanson’s curtain as well as the 2008 Pulitzer Prize winning play, “August: Osage County.”

Come 2010, look for performances of “Mary Poppins” and “DreamGirls.”

The Ahamanson Theatre is located within the Los Angeles Music Center, which is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the United States.

Besides the Ahamanson Theatre, the Music Center encompasses three other venues: the Mark Taper Forum, the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion used to host the Academy Awards but the last time the Pavilion gave out Oscars was in 1999.

The Pavilion seats 3,197 and is home to the Los Angeles Opera.

Upcoming performances at the Pavilion include the first two operas in Wagner’s ring cycle, “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walkure.” Also on the schedule is Verdi’s classic “La Traviata.”

Also appearing at the Pavilion in 2009 is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Birds, and the American Ballet Theatre.

The Mark Taper Forum, yet another venue at the L.A. Music Center, also has its share of world-class theater productions. The award winning “Pippin” makes an extended run on its stage, as well as “Lydia,” “Uncle Vanya,” “The Lieutenant of Inishmore,” “Parade,” and “Palestine, New Mexico.”

The Mark Taper Forum opened in 1967 and underwent a $30 million renovation just a few years ago. The Taper is known for staging innovated and risk-taking plays. It was also the host for the world premiere of “Angels in America.”

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Donald Margulies’ new work, “Time Stands Still,” can be seen at the Geffen Playhouse. The low-key drama about journalists covering the Iraqi War stars Alicia Silverstone and Anna Gunn.

The Geffen Playhouse, located in Westwood, was originally built in 1929. In 2001, it was updated with a $17 million remodel. The theater is quite cozy, seating just 525 patrons.

The Ralph Freud Playhouse is yet another destination for theater goers. You can find the theater on the campus of UCLA in the James West Alumni Center.

This year, the intimate theater, and its 586 seats, are schedule to host performances of “Man of La Mancha,” “David Rousseve Reality” and “The Fantasticks”.

It’s quite clear that Los Angeles has a vibrant and diverse theater scene. With its state-of-the-art facilities and its award winning talent, the city of angels produces more than just movies and television shows, it also produces great theater.