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The show I think I’ve learned the most from is Will Rogers Follies. Playing the character Will from Oklahoma taught me some very different things about life in general. When I tell you about this great American, you’ll understand.
Will Rogers in the early 1900’s took on many roles. To the public he was a Wild West show performer, actor, politician, columnist, ambassador, and a hero. To those closer to him, he was a great friend, a son, loving father, dedicated husband and family man. His famous quote also described the man he was.
“I never met a man I didn’t like”
The whole nation mourned the Death of Will Rogers in 1935 when the plane carrying him and friend Wiley Post crashed in Alaska.
Learning a little about the life of Rogers was the best part of playing him. Reading his words and reciting them makes you want to be a better person. It makes you want to extend your hand to everybody in friendship and love. It makes you want to change the world.
One thing that really made this show different from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat the year before was the dialogue. Joseph was completely sung. Will Rogers was full of dialogue. The show was also longer to put on. However, the result of the show was much the same as, if not better than Joseph. It was a hit with the audience and with all of us that put it on. The cast of this show, many of whom also played in Joseph the year before, was awesome. Some of them came into the show with very little or no experience on the stage. With hard work they learned many long and sometimes difficult choreographed numbers and lines.
One of the requirements of being Will was learning how to rope, something that made me a little nervous. I could hardly tie knots, let alone twirl ropes. We tried to find ropes at local feed and hardware stores, but the ones we bought just weren’t working, I couldn’t figure it out. And my hands were getting very raw and red from trying to spin loops. Eventually I found out the ropes needed were special cotton ropes that I had to order from New York. Ironically the place was the same one that supplied ropes to the Will Rogers Follies on Broadway. After many hours of practice I got the hang of the basics and learned some very cool little tricks which I can still do now, about a year later.
The ending of the show (when it worked) was very cool. Will Rogers finally went on the plane trip with Wiley (who sat in the audience asking him to go flying). After everybody spoke their final thoughts about Will (or me), I sang the full version of the title song “Never Met a Man I Didn’t Like”. While singing, I walked “into the light” at the top of the raked stage and did Will Rogers’ famous pose (scratching his head) in a silhouette. It was a very effective and touching ending, especially after the lines that the people said a few minutes before.
Yet another show I would recommend seeing or being in if ever given the chance. Or read about Will Rogers, it really will affect the way you see other people and yourself.
