Riff Markowitz, Co-Founder of Palm Springs Follies, Dies at 86

Riff Markowitz, the co-founder and managing director of the Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, has died at the age of 86.

Markowitz co-founded the Follies in 1992 with Mary Jardin. The one-of-a-kind variety show featured performers ranging in age from 55 to over 80, and ran for 23 seasons at the Palm Springs Plaza Theatre before closing in 2014.

Before coming to the valley, Markowitz also worked in television, producing musical variety and comedy specials for HBO, and co-creating the HBO mystery anthology series “The Hitchhiker.”

He is survived by his partner, Leila Burgess, as well as his siblings, nieces, and nephews.

The Palm Springs community remembers Markowitz as a visionary who brought vibrancy, humor and celebration of life’s later years to the stage.