Review Big Wig numbers prove big success

Bigger really is better. Or at least it was in Mask and Wig's Male Chauvinist Wyg, which opened last night in the Houston Hall Auditorium. The bigger numbers -- those that involved more castmembers, music, and colorful costumes -- were consistently better rehearsed and funnier. Smaller skits tended to pack a lesser comedic punch. Mask and Wig shows are staged in a revue format which features a series of funny skits, a la Saturday Night Live, with occasional "commercials" and musical interludes. But while every skit was mildly amusing, it was the big production numbers which produced the big belly laughs. For example, a parody of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" entitled "The Walk" featuring College Senior Al Bingham as Sheldon Hackney as a Pink Floyd band member was brilliant. The transitions between such songs as "Frats on the Walk" and "Comfortably Dumb" were smooth and left the audience in stitches. Other smaller skits such as "Myth Destroyer Man" and the debut performance of the rock group "Bad Habit" lacked the extra something that would have made the skit really work. But despite these occasional lulls of laughter, a number of Wiggers' comedic talents shined through. College senior Rob Forni stood out for his roaringly funny portrayals of characters ranging from William Buckley to the troubled teacher of an SAT prep class. Forni continues to be one of Wig's consistently funny actors and his antics on stage always keep the audience laughing. Also deserving of kudos were College junior Christian Fletcher as the loser in the finals of the "Suave Olympics" and College sophomore Michael Shames as the leading man in the mafia musical which closed the first act. Extra credit goes to Shames for his talents both as a dancer and as choreographer for the show. The choreography was complex yet clean, and in occasional solos, Shames really put on a show. Another highlight of the evening was the debut of Wig Business Manager Ira Hillman, a Wharton senior. The show was Hillman's first appearance in a University show, and judging by the audience's applause, it should not be his last. Lastly, the Mask and Wig band, headed by Wharton junior Steve Raneri and College senior Steve Coopersmith, provided excellent musical accompaniment for the action on stage, but more noticeable were the snippets of popular songs such as R.E.M.'s "Shiny Happy People" played during set changes. Male Chauvinist Wyg continues through Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in the Houston Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $6 and are available on Locust Walk.

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