Entertainer / author / singer / Ziegfeld Follies comic / radio personality / film star Will Rogers journeyed from a small town in Oklahoma to become the most popular and well-paid performer in each medium invented during his lifetime. His philosophical wit and insightful commentary about world events endeared him to voters and politicians of all parties. When he died in in a 1935 plane crash, his loss was very personally felt by millions of fans and friends around the world. His legacy remained vivid for decades, but was beginning to fade by 1992, when writers Betty Comden and Adolph Green teamed with composer Cy Coleman to create with director-choreographer Tommy Tune a fitting salute to this famous showman. The resulting musical extravaganza, presented in the style of a spectacular edition of the Ziegfeld Follies, ran 981 performances and won Tony Awards for Score, Direction, Choreography, and Best Musical.