This is not the vulgar Pigboy
Rush Limbaugh is a big fat radio powerhouse, but
in the comedy "Rush Limbaugh in Night School,"
his manager has disturbing news: His chief rival,
a Latino commentator, is nibbling away at Limbaugh's ratings.
Rush must learn to speak Spanish -- pronto.
Disguised as a liberal -- certainly an extreme
makeover -- Limbaugh attends language classes in Greenwich Village
and encounters feminists, environmentalists and
other targets of his daily scorn.
He also meets a fellow middle-aged student who
ignites his dormant romantic side. What he doesn't know is that
she's a former Weather Underground heiress on
the lam from the feds.
He also could never have predicted that he would
end up with the lead role in a Shakespeare festival production
of "Othello," starring opposite Garrison Keillor's
Iago and Jackie Mason's Roderigo, under the direction of Spalding Gray.
Yes, the Theater Pops production for SummerStage
2004, "Rush Limbaugh in Night School," is a skewering satire.
But liberals and conservatives alike can come
together here, promoters claim.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" fans shouldn't expect to see a left-only perspective. Dittoheads shouldn't fear their hero being crushed.
Randy Whalen promises he can be an equal-opportunity offender.
"This is going to appeal to the people who hate
Rush Limbaugh," said Whalen, the co-director and star as Limbaugh.
"But we're pretty evenhanded in the satire. It
also makes fun of the tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing softies. It takes
aim at everybody."
Call him crazy -- crazy! -- but he sees Limbaugh
fans attending to vent some election-year angst, Limbaugh-loathers
attending to poke fun and both leaving the theater
enlightened.
"I think this play is for people who are not happy with the status quo, and who are interested in change," Whalen said.
"I think we all need to be more tolerant. I think
both sides have a lot to offer, and when you hear one side talking about
how wrong the other side is all the time, it
doesn't make sense to me.
"I just hope that people understand the context
in which this is done," Whalen said. "It's not done to divide people,
but to entertain and, hopefully, enlighten some
people.
"I think live theater is a place where good things can happen. I know that people can come to our show and have fun and laugh -- laugh a lot."
Whalen co-directs with Jenny Jackson this show, which he describes as a "political fantasy love story."
The cast also includes Graciela Ganer, George Newton, David Virili, Jenny Guy, Brandon Painter, Patrick Bruce and Warren Scholl.
Appearance-wise, Whalen is the right size and
he's balding, seemingly a natural fit for playing Limbaugh.
From early in the process, it was obvious that
Whalen would portray the radio personality -- to all but Whalen.
"It was everyone else who kept saying, 'Well, you're playing Rush, aren't you?' " he said.
Then he recalled a conversation he had with Ken
Spence, his close friend and Theater Pops collaborator for many years,
shortly before Spence's death from cancer in
April.
"I was up in Ken's hospital room, and he said, 'Well, you're doing it! You know you're doing it!' And I said, 'OK!'
"It was the right decision. It's a light comedy, and I needed a comedy right now."
And was it the right decision to play Limbaugh himself? Far right, Whalen says.
"Yes, I'm pretty good," he said, laughing. "What does our friend Mr. Limbaugh say? 'Talent on loan from God.' "
This is not the vulgar Pigboy
RUSH LIMBAUGH IN NIGHT SCHOOL
Who:
Theater Pops for SummerStage 2004
When:
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; also 8
p.m. Aug. 5-7, 2 p.m. Aug. 8
Where:
Liddy Doenges Theater of the Tulsa Performing
Arts Center, Second Street and Cincinnati Avenue
Tickets:
$10, 596-7111, www.tulsapac.com, PAC box office