Lance Brown’s
“Will Rogers Now!”
August 24, 2008

            Coming in August, the A.R. Mitchell Museum is proud to present Lance Brown of Chicago as Will Rogers in a one-man show with two acts. Join us Sunday afternoon, August 24, from 2:00 to 4:00 for this amusing and oh so relevant event.

            Lance Brown's Will Rogers Now! is a journey into the roots of the American experience. This highly entertaining portrait of a gentle American hero honors Will Rogers in words, theater and song. The theatrical premise is that, some 70+ years after his death, Will has come down from heaven for a visit… and he finds us as funny as he ever did.

            The universal quality of Will Rogers' humor still holds true today, 73 years after his death. It was Will Rogers who was quick to point out "I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." Or looking on the bright side of taxes, he quipped, "Thank God we don't get as much government as we're payin' for."

After years of study and performing as Rogers, Brown has at his command a fascinating collection of Will’s newspaper articles, radio monologues and off-the-cuff comments that still ring so incredibly true today. Lance brings us history, heroes, and hilarity, a few rope tricks and a few tears, but mostly the irrepressible spirit of Will Rogers and hope for our troubled times. The beautiful historic Jamieson Building and the paintings of Rogers’ contemporary Arthur Roy Mitchell will provide the perfect setting for “Will Rogers Now!”.