The Donald Invites 200 To Marla's Broadway Debut

NEW YORK - A critic panned her even before her Broadway debut, but Marla Maples got scattered applause and appreciative laughs when she performed in the Tony Award-winning "Will Rogers Follies" last night.

New York magazine critic John Simon had advised theatergoers a week earlier to see the musical before the off-and-on companion of millionaire developer Donald Trump took over the role of "Ziegfeld's Favorite" from Tony nominee Cady Huffman, who left to make movies.

Maples opens "Follies" with a song but spends most of the next 2 1/2 hours in sort of a Vanna White role: walking on and off the stage wearing next to nothing, carrying signs as cover-ups.

Simon said Maples "studied mostly at the Donald Trump Academy and surely cannot hold a candle to Miss Huffman - and I'm not just talking about the disparity in height."

Trump snorted when asked about Simon's review.

"It's inconceivable that a man could give a review before he's even seen her," Trump said yesterday.

Trump also pointed out that Maples is 5 foot 9. "Is that short?" he said. Huffman, who was nominated for a Tony in the part, stands 5 foot 10.

Last night, Maples appeared nervous and stiff at first but relaxed considerably as the show went on.

The show began a few minutes late because of the commotion around Trump as he greeted the 200 guests he had invited. They included television personality Kathie Lee Gifford and her husband, Frank; Kathie Lee's co-star, Regis Philbin; Mike Wallace; Henny Youngman, LaToya Jackson; and Keith Carradine, the originator of the Will Rogers role. Mac Davis now plays the role.

"I guess there's a certain curiosity, a fascination," Philbin said.

Talk-show host Maury Povich wanted to satisfy his curiosity about Maples - and find another possible role for the leggy blond. "I like Mac Davis, and of course we want to see what Marla does. And of course we want her on our show," Povich said.

Wallace was at a loss for words when asked how Maples did. When pressed for a comment, he told a reporter to "go look for a drama critic."

Davis paid onstage tribute to his co-star's much-hyped first night by ad-libbing a line in the first act when Maples handed him a copy of The New York Times. "She does wonders to the circulation of The Times," Davis recited, adding: "Donald's too, I bet."

Maples had rehearsed for the past four weeks, often up to six hours a day.

Trump said the 28-year-old Maples was "very nervous" but added that "she's confident she has real talent."

"If she pulls this off like I know she can, it'll show great courage," said Trump. "There's truly a lot of pressure on her."

The Georgia-born model, who had no stage experience and is not known as either a singer or a dancer, decided to try out for the role three months ago.

According to the show's producer, Pierre Cossette, Trump did not put up money to get Maples in the show. Not that he didn't play a role. Cossette and Trump are golfing buddies, and they all just happened to be having dinner together when Cossette was looking for a replacement for Huffman.

"I said, `You'd be terrific as "Ziegfeld's Favorite",' " Cossette recalled telling Maples. Then he put her to work with associate producer Phillip Oesterman before a formal audition. Now she's got a six-month contract - at wages above scale, which would have paid her just over $950 a week.

"Her asset is that she's stunningly beautiful and has a great charisma," Cossette said. He said he had "no idea" if Maples could act, but that stage experience was not necessary for the role.

As a line in the play explains, "In a Ziegfeld show, everybody who's dressed can sing."

The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times contributed to this report.