Will’s wit

Kevin McKillip ropes you in as the wisecracking, lasso-twirling Will Rogers

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Long before 24-hour cable TV turned urban socialites and Alaskan ex-governors into household names, there was Will Rogers.

From rodeo to the radio, silent film to the stage, Rogerswas the emblematic common man of the 1920s and 1930s, with witticismsculled from peripatetic experience rather than college classrooms.

Unlike much of today’s anti-elite rhetoric, there was nomalice in Rogers’ mirth. The timeless truths in his plainspokenobservations were as inoffensive then as they are now.

As the late humorist/cowboy/actor and all-aroundcelebrity, Kevin McKillip pays tribute to Rogers in his self-composedone-man show, “Will Rogers: An American Original” at StormfieldTheatre. “Rogers” blends puns, political commentary and rope tricksinto a polished portrait of an American archetype. 

Downstage from the Ansel Adams-inspired mountain peakbackdrop by Michelle Raymond, McKillip’s pressed cowboy attire (toppedby a tan 10-gallon hat) immediately transports audiences out ofFrandor. McKillip’s work blends actual quotes and anecdotes drawn fromthe entirety of Rogers’ tragically short life; his passion for hissubject and his charm make Rogers feel like a complete person.

The show’s liveliest moments come from McKillip’s mastery of rope tricks, which provide action and visual flair.

Working against McKillip is the real Rogers’ relativelylost legacy. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rogers has yet toreceive his feature film biopic starring the latest Hollywoodsensation. Consequently, McKillip must not only re-attribute quotes andaccomplishments but also persuade the public of Rogers’ relevancebeyond “he used to be the biggest.”

McKillip keenly excels in the firstarea, intoning lines like, “I belong to no organized party — I’m aDemocrat,” with a natural drawl. But beyond making theconnection to Rogers’ unintentional contribution to today’s ubiquitouschain-email forwards, McKillip struggled to convince Friday’s intimateaudience that Rogers’ cowboy wisdom and soft political jabs still applyto post-modern realities. 

Rogers serves as a living time capsule whose stagepersona remains blissfully unaware of the passing decades. Audiencesare expected to make parallels between past and present assessments ofa perpetually dysfunctional government or Hollywood philandering.

But it should be noted that Rogers was a humorist, not asatirist. Despite his pseudo-campaign for president, a la Pat Paulsonor Stephen Colbert, Rogers’ spirit can be found more plainly inlate-night icons like Jay Leno or David Letterman than Jon Stewart.After all, Rogers’ relatively innocuous punch lines were the reason heappealed to the masses.

’Will Rogers: An American Original’

Through Nov. 20

 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Stormfield Theatre

201 Morgan Lane, Lansing

$18 Thursdays; $24 Fridays and Saturdays; $20 Sundays; $2 off for seniors; $10 students

(517) 488-8450

www.stormfieldtheatre.org

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