Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe in Sarasota is letting the good times roll with the rhythm and blues musical, “Five Guys Named Moe.” The show is a vivacious journey through music, dance, and the joyous camaraderie of five charismatic characters.
Set against the backdrop of a lively jazz-infused narrative, this musical extravaganza celebrates the infectious rhythms of 1940s and '50s jazz, blues, and early rock and roll.
“It is just a high-spirited, wonderful piece celebrating an African American musician, Louis Jordan,” said Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Artistic Director Nate Jacobs. “He was of the heyday of Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and … this show is a revue created to celebrate the music of Louis Jordan. So it’s got, ‘Hey everybody, let’s have some fun, you only live once, when you’re dead you’re done. Let the good times roll.’”
The story unfolds around Nomax, a charming young man who is broke and heartbroken after his girlfriend leaves him. While listening to the radio at 5 a.m., five guys named Moe magically emerge from it to encourage him to turn his life around.
Over the course of the show, they guide Nomax, blending humor, wisdom, and soulful melodies into his world.
“All the songs talk about love: finding love, being in love, love lost and love found again,” said Jacobs, who was quick to point out that there’s more than just the music of Louis Jordan in “Five Guys Named Moe.”
The show is emblematic of the type of theater that Westcoast aspires to be.
“I chose it for the season because it’s a celebration of our uniqueness of the Black theater company that we are, and the kind of work that we do and we do well,” Jacobs said.
“Five Guys Named Moe” is on stage in the Donelly Theatre now through April 6.
“Five Guys Named Moe is a must-see,” Jacobs added. “So come, come, come, come, come grab those tickets because shows like ‘Five Guys’ in our theater sell out almost in two weeks and we’ve already been selling tickets for a while.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Louis Jordan was a rhythm and blues pioneer and alto saxophonist.
At the height of his career in the 1940s, Jordan scored 18 No. 1 hit records.
Jordan exhibited a brilliant sense of showmanship that brought audiences first-rate entertainment that transcended racial barriers. Able to communicate between both white and Black audiences, Jordan emerged as one of the first successful crossover artists of American popular music.
In 1936, he joined drummer Chick Webb's orchestra, a 13-piece ensemble that featured singer Ella Fitzgerald. Webb hired Jordan as a singer, sideman, and announcer. A year later, Jordan recorded his first vocal with Webb's band, a song titled "Gee, But You're Swell."
During his stint with Webb, Jordan developed his skills as a front man.
Jordan left Webb’s orchestra in the summer of 1938 to form his own nine-piece band. Billing himself as "Bert Williams," Jordan played shows at the Elk's Rendezvous in Harlem. His long residency at the club eventually prompted him to name his group the Elk's Rendezvous Band before renaming it the Tympany Five.
From the start of his career, Louis Jordan had a knack to combine comedy with music as he performed as the frontman for his own band for over two decades. He also collaborated with other big-name artists such as Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Fitzgerald.
In addition to his career as a bandleader, multi-instrumental musician, singer, and songwriter, he was also an actor and film personality.
He quickly earned a name as one of the elite performers popularizing a dance craze known as the jump blues. It was a swinging dance style that fused blues, boogie-woogie, and jazz. Smaller bands of five or six players would perform jump music — shouted, syncopated vocals, along with comedic lyrics of an urban contemporary nature. There was a strong emphasis on rhythm, using bass, drums, and piano. Once the mid-1940s came along, the electric guitar joined the fray. It was also during this era Jordan’s Tympany Five band introduced the use of the electric organ.
The popular musical genres of today owe their existence to Louis Jordan and the rest of the pioneering acts that shaped blues, R&B, and rock and roll into what they are today. Via Decca Records, Louis Jordan released hit after hit that earned him “The King of the Jukebox” monicker.
In addition to showcasing the toe-tapping tunes of Louis Jordan, "Five Guys Named Moe" explores universal themes of love, self-discovery, and resilience. Through lively performances of iconic songs such as "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" and "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," the Moes uplift Nomax and the audience, transporting them to a world where music has the power to heal and raise spirits.
According to Jacobs, this “Five Guys Named Moe” is one of his favorite Broadway shows.
This is the third time that Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe is producing the musical.
“I love the music of Louis Jordan, and everybody just loves this show,” said Jacobs. “It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s musical. And the story is a soft touch. This man, Nomax, corrects the faults of his decisions and the kind of person that he is, as well.”
WBTT’s Education Director/Artistic Associate Jim Weaver directed and choreographed a cast consisting of Desmond Newson (Eat Moe), Octavian Lewis (Nomax), Michael Mendez (No Moe), Guillermo Jemmott Jr. (Big Moe), Brian L. Boyd (Four Eyed Moe), Adourin Owens (Little Moe), and understudies Terry Spann (Little Moe, Four Eyed Moe, No Moe) and Leon S. Pitts II (Big Moe, Eat Moe, Nomax).
Music director is Steven Zumbrun, who plays main keys. The live band also includes Richard Philbin on reeds; Don Parker on trombone; Vic Mongillo on trumpet; John Walker on drums; and Ian Baggette, Austin Rollings and Dan Haedicke holding down bass duties over the course of the run.
Performances take place in The Donelly Theatre of WBTT (1012 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota).
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. (There will be a talk-back after the matinee show on Sunday, March 23.)
Tickets are $52 for adults, $22 for students and active-duty military (ages 25 and under, with valid ID). Call the box office at 941-366-1505 or visit westcoastblacktheatre.org to reserve your seats.
The mission of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) is to produce professional theater that promotes and celebrates African American history and experience; engages a broad base of patrons and audiences; supports the development of a dynamic group of aspiring artists; and builds confidence in youth of color. Visit westcoastblacktheatre.org for more information.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.