The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, July 07, 1999, Page Page 7, Image 7
EVENTS
Theater: "The Colored Musei
Trustus Theatre, through Jub
Box Office: 254-9731
R&B: Robert Newton and
i n i n t l * i tv i i
tusrete, / p.m. July 11, miay J
Wednesday, July 7,1999
By Emily Streyer
Features Editor
Perhaps we've all spent a lonel;
evening at home after a breakup, lis
tening to the radio. Not all of us, how
ever, have watched five singing
dancing
guys, all
named M ^
M o e . I 1 ?. >
come out I M '
VJ VL
shop The- ?
atre's production
of the 1992 Tony-nominate<
musical "Five Guys Named Moe" open;
Friday. Left by his woman, blue fron
his own company and drunk from thi
liquid in his small black flask, the lone
ly Nomax listens to the Louis Jordai
tunes of the late 1940s and early 1950s
But before he can feel too sorry for him
self, the Moes appear, to educate hin
in the ways of personal relationships
As they help the astonished Nomax se<
the light, Big Moe, Little Moe, No Moe
Four-Eyed Moe and Eat Moe weave to
gether the revue of composer Louis Jor
dan's songs.
Known as the King of thi
Jukebox, Jordan's styles ranged fron
jazz to blues to big band to swing to ca
lypso, and influenced early rock V rol
performers such as Ray Charles, B.B
King, James Brown and Chucl
Beny, according to producer Kathleei
Newman.
T1"Li iTIBMU*!
HM I I Ma&itg&?BXfE?Kr T i jaSh
U/l
am,"
7 17.
Lu3ark
this theater's makm
ing good steps in
mn1n/1ir?rf mrAwrAnn
iiiiiuuiiig cv ci y unc
in the commu PJf
r director Tom .
Wm h I Beard said, J
VJ J?* ? noting the per- J
m/ formance at ^
IL* M ? Workshop A
ftp J Theatre last
fall of the
V . | S Harlem ReJ
j naissance-set
musical "Ain't Misbehavin',"
in which several "Five Guys
Named Moe" cast members also ap_
peared.
The cast, as varied as the music,
y ranges in age, height and experience,
and it departs from the usu
al ensemble of six African,
American males. Beard and I
director and I
choreograph- I
er Cindy Hp
^ ^ Flach cast a
I woman as Big
Moe and a *
J Caucasian as ^ ,
r Nomax. R&. J
The -4
i change isn't a big deal for s 1
s those involved. Flach had * .
a originally intended to cast ifl
b five men as the Moes, but,
i- after auditioning 11 actors
a for Big Moe alone, could not I
fill the role. She thought of I
- Valdina Hall, with whom she |
a had worked in several shows,
i. and knew Hall could do it.
b "Big Moe has feminine characteristics,"
!, she said, noting that the character is
- the most nurturing
of the Moes, pro- ^ A
tecting Nomax when ^M MM
the others pick on MM MM
i him for his clueless- M MM I
ness. . # If I |
1 Hall has been M W M
1. acting in Columbia
t for nine years, havi
ing appeared in
"Ain't Misbehavin'," "Little Shop of Horrors"
and "The Best Little Whorehouse
f "^5^ v^dSi^l
SF ii r^i^.-w^i- j *& 11 *
^ff^TTvTyi ...^F . ...i IE "' wff'HBWH
Etc.
The Gamecock
in Texas." She moved to the area
from New York four years before that.
She doesn't make her living from acting,
however: "Oh God no -1 act up. 1
Fiue
I'm a nurse by profession; I act up on
the side," Hall said. She didn't think
twice about stepping into a male role, f
"I was a tomboy all my life, so Fm used i
to it." i
r
Wf. i
Jason Shuffler, a student at the Col- 1
lege of Charleston studying musical 1
theater and arts management, had no
reservations about c
taking the role of i
Nomax, which was s
intended for an 1
m African-American, i
other than "to try 1
and do it justice. (
He's wanted to do 1
the show ever s
since seeing a pro- 1
duction in Washington, D.C. When he j
found out Flach, with whom he'd (
worked before, 1
was directing it,
I he said, "I begged
Uai? 4-/-V n 1 /lrt rt/-% *MI4
I ?nurau pivui>t pui :
I a white guy in it
I ... Luckily it
I worked out. It's a
I tough show to get
I down. It looks
I simple, but it's reI
ally hard. [But]
| it's a. lot of fun."
- SI
1
as No Moe. Henderson
has been
seen
A |v1
rav ^ j| pE
2 K^9
HT > . tL
W Jl*
TJllM ^
stages
in "Romeo
Sinatra," "Love's Fire"
and "The Oresteia."
First-time performer Wayne
I Davidson, Four-Eyed Moe, is
I an active-duty warrant officer
I at Fort Jackson. Tm also a budding
professional speaker," he
Bj said. "I'm looking to make a
transition; in order to be a better
public speaker, you need to
be a performer."
! Bobby Craft, who has appeared
in
over 50
shows on Co1
u m b i a .
stages, plays M m M
Little Moe. B B M
K w e s
Blair, Eat
\K i.
iviue, ItXtJIll"
y graduated from Heathwood Hall and
leads to Duke University in the fall.
Several of the actors remarked up)n
the dancing requirements of the
show. The actors move constantly,
singing and dancing, an aerobic feat
Henderson calls "brain-crossing," notng
that singing is done with the left
irain while the right brain oversees
lancing. Blair mentioned that he A
lad done theater before but this
show was significant for him
Decause of the dancing. "PeoDie
don't know me as a
lancer ... It's amazing to I
De in a cast of so many I
talented people," he said. HK^ hTs
The second act has I
rvtArn nf o vniniA fonl flion
Liiuic; ui a. luvut iuui man w&m'
the first. It's set at the I
Funky Butt Club, where
the Moes have a performance
date. The numbers I
in both acts, including "I I
Like 'Em Fat Like That," I
"Safe, Sane and Single," I
"Push Ka Pi Shi Pa" and
"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Clockwise
Chickens," engage the au- Bobby Cra
dience with call-and-re- yaldina H
sponse, direct address nenflWon
and other participation. All photos
of Workshc
TE OF THE DAY
News, gossip and opinions
for film junkies
ittp://www.darkhorizons
.com/
Page 7
Anyone with
pulse wil
find him
s e 1
^
you're not careful, you migh
find yourself onstage - the performer
start a conga line near the end of th<
first act and request a few volunteer
during the show.
The performers are supported by *
five-member band of sax, keyboard
trumpet, bass and drums, a mix mir
rored in the glittery, cartoonish Moes
decorating the set.
"Five Guys Named Moe" runs at f
p.m. July 9-10, 11-18 and 20-21 foi
lined
about 90 minutes. The July 18 shov
begins at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 fo
? adults and $13 for students, militar
and senior citizens. Group rates an
available for 15 or more people. Fo:
more information, call 799-4876.
W%
from center: Terrance Henderson an
ft, cast of "Five Guys Named Moe'
all and Jason Shuffler, the Moe;
and Craft.
iy Emily Streyer except top right courtes
>p Theatre.