© Long Beach Press-Telegram
Oct. 22, 1996
Where There's Will, There's Wit and Wisdom
by Paul Langford
Special to the Press-Telegram
It's hard to knock a man who never met a man he didn't like. It's difficult when that man is Will Rogers. And it's impossible when it's Wayne Bryan playing the legendary humorist for Musical Theatre West. Backed by a wonderful chorus, it's an evening that's sure to please.
This musical is subtitled "A Life in Revue," and that it is. Will Roger's life is told as if it were one of Ziegfeld Follies, complete with fantastic costumes and lots and lots of women. Ziegfeld may have been the Aaron Spelling of his day, but no one has come along to replace Will Rogers.
We see him born in Oklahoma territory and develop into a man who can look you right in the eyes, tell you the truth, and not make you mad. It's oddly appropriate that Roger's life is told through the Follies, since he spent almost a decade headlining the Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway.
Roger's wit and wisdom overflow this musical. There's just too much to put in two hours, but what they chose is wonderful.
"Why do banks have so many vice-presidents? The United States Government only has one and no one has been able to figure out something for him to do ... Thank God."
And it's amazing that almost none of it has gone out of style. We see his stormy relationship with his father, Clem (Stephen Reynolds) and the building of his marriage to Betty Blake (Trace Lore), plus lots of dance numbers including "Will-a-Mania," "Our Favorite Son," and "Never Met a Man I Didn't Like."
The show can't work if there's no Will Rogers, and Bryan has the style of the man down pat, really giving the show heart. His interactions with the chorus and everyone else in the cast are delightful, making the show seem very personal. Lore and Reynolds are good, as are the children who play his children, Matt Cohen, Jordan Paul Duke, Nicolas Schneider and Anneliese van de Pol.
Todd Helm heads the orchestra, and they are tight and fast, perfect for this material. Steven L. Gilliam's set designs are colorful and wild, a nice touch to the gentle man who generated so much excitement for those around him.
Back to the Will Rogers Follies 1996 page
