Rope Tricks


Reviewed 9/17/05

Celebrating its 85th birthday, Phoenix Theatre is offering a show about a star popular around the time of their first season. Ask anyone these days about Will Rogers, and few will know that he was one of the most popular print, radio, and film stars of the first three decades of the 20th century. Still, there will be plenty of people who will recognize his trademark witticisms such as “There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you;” “I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat;” and “I never yet met a man I didn’t like.” The Will Rogers Follies is a bit of fluff by Coleman, Comden, and Greene that may not have a lot of memorable songs, but does have a lot of charm and heart, and when performed well, is a fitting and enjoyable homage to a man who spoke the truth and despite this was still loved by all.

Using as its format the template of the Zigfield Follies, the show that launched Rogers (John Bisom) into the national spotlight, the evening becomes a glamorized biography of a down-home Oklahoma half-Cherokee who started off a rope-trickster and became one of the most beloved commentators on the American spirit. Along the way, we meet his curmudgeonly pa (Mike Lawler); his sweet-as-a-honeycomb wife Betty (Stephanie Likes) and their four kids (Todd Moellenberg, Sydney Hawes, Christopher Moffitt, and Sam Dickman); Wiley Post (Chris Eriksen), the one-eyed aviator with whom he died in an air crash in Alaska in 1935; and Ziegfeld’s Favorite chorine (Molly Lajoie), who leads a group of Ziegfeld Girls (Emily Baker, Heather Duckworth, Jenny Hintze, Holly Moran, Shawna Quain, Elizabeth Reynolds, Heidi Starks, Ashley Stults, and Laurie Trygg) and Wranglers (Robert Basgall, Phillip Fazio, Brian Lavelle, Bill Ledesma, Matt Sopha, and Clark Webb). The evening is full of glitzy numbers with (not quite so) scantily clad young ladies, homespun charm, excellent singing, and some well-placed, guffaw-inducing jokes.

There are a few surprises in Michael Barnard’s staging or Robert Kolby Harper’s choreographic choices. None of the scenes or dance numbers looks any different than you’d expect from a Follies show (or the original Broadway production, for that matter), though some of it feels a little watered down, notably the movement for “Our Favorite Son,” which eliminates its faster-paced reprise. Part of this may come from the fact that the chorines don’t look in synch, a surprising turn. Ziegfeld’s obsession was pinpoint precision that would not allow one or two women to stand out from the rest, but that is not what Barnard’s group does. One of the women is obviously in control the entire time, while one or two others seem a step behind. The gents are better at synchronization, and the leads strongly compensate for some of the chorines problems.

Bisom is a perfect choice for Rogers. He bares a slight resemblance to the original, but he’s also even-tempered in spirit and strong of voice. Rogers’ charm is in good hands when Bisom takes the stage. Betty is a role tailor-made for Likes: her strong pipes (especially beautiful on the opening Saturday night) and sweet disposition make her recreation of this country girl a must-see performance. Lawler is becoming Phoenix Theatre’s go-to guy for these kind of roles, and he once again proves up to the task. Though not a strong, melodic singer, he sells his songs well and turns Clem into a lovable grump. Lajoie’s performance of Zigfield’s Favorite is full of shimmying and cute line deliveries. Kudos are in order for the four child performers, each of who succeeds at being endearing without becoming cloying.

Greg Jaye’s set is exactly as it needs to be; lighted stairs and the occasional flourish. Michael Eddy’s lighting is full of color. Marilyn A. Wick’s costumes are eye-catching, although a couple of the outfits for the chorus members are not particularly flattering. Alan Ruch’s offstage orchestra is very strong and supportive of the singers.