Follies give 15th annual show

A decade-and-a-half old tradition will continue tonight as scores of Wharton MBA students take to the stage to show what their lives are all about -- their joys, their pains, and their worries. The Wharton Follies' 15th show, "Alice in Whartonland" tells the story of a lost Alice and her confusing journey through a world where people are always late, but never know where they are late to. Alice, played by second year MBA student Perrie Taylor, travels from one skit to another, which satirize different aspects of graduate life. Trends of the 80s and the 90s are well represented in the show. Skits range from "I'm failing, and I can't get up," to an ad for Calvin Klein's "Recession." The play also features a game of Jeopardy with host Vance Hall, and old Farmer Joe Wharton being told "if you build it, they will come." Even Rainman's Raymond Babbitt is part of the show, masterfully played by first year MBA student Paul Amorusso, who interviews a prospective job applicant and reprimands her for not flying Qantas Airlines. First year MBA student Andra Bowman shines as the Synergizer rabbit -- the Follies' version of the white rabbit -- and as Shakespeare's Juliet. Undergraduates may have a hard time understanding much of the humor in the show, since it is geared mainly toward the graduate students. The beginning of the show is full of MBA humor, which makes for a slow beginning, but it picks up speed soon after. Still, almost everyone should be able to enjoy an exciting show filled with energetic dances and good music. "[We wanted something] really colorful, really bright and with a lot of energy," said second year MBA student Eric Green, one of the show's writers. Alice in Whartonland opens tonight at the MTI Tabernacle Theatre at 37th and Chestnut streets, and will run through Saturday. Showtimes are 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., and a few tickets are still available at the theater's box office.

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