Wichita actor, director appears at Tabor dinner
Local actor and director Wayne Bryan of the Music Theatre of Wichita provided entertainment Tuesday for the annual Tabor College family-style chicken dinner.
Performing scenes from "The Will Rogers Follies," Bryan portrayed the cowboy comedian famous for quipping, "I never met a man I didn't like." With Dr. Brad Vogel accompanying, Bryan recreated some highlights, including timely quips from the legendary humorist, a few rope tricks and songs from the score by Cy Coleman, Betty Comden and Adolph Green: "Give a Man Enough Rope," "Look Around," and "Never Met a Man I Didn't Like."
Currently in his 17th season as producing director for MTW, the native of southern California has appeared on Broadway and on television, including an "NBC Movie of the Week" and "M*A*S*H."
After Bryan worked with comedy writer Abe Burrows, performing the Broadway revival of "Good News!" he personally was selected by Richard Rodgers of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame to perform in the Broadway show "Rodgers and Hart: A Musical Celebration."
Since coming to Wichita, Bryan has produced 80 large-scale musicals at MTW, which has seen attendance jump from an average of 51,000 patrons to more than 70,000 a year.
He has served on several national arts panels and published many articles about the American musical. He continues to lecture and strives to celebrate and safeguard the survival of all arts with Wichita citizens and business leaders.
Bryan was the 1999 recipient of the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award given by the National Conference for Community and Justice in recognition of fighting discrimination and encouraging diversity. In addition, he received the Governor's Arts Award as an Individual Artist in 2002.
MTW is the highest subscribed non-profit arts organization in Kansas, and also has been the recipient of awards, including the 1997 Governor's Arts Award for excellence and the 2000 Pride of City Award from the City of Wichita.
