Third show in the first season of the new Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe (WBTT) theater opens with the popular Five Guys Named Moe, and runs until Sunday, April 3rd. The Clarke Peters musical features the music of Louis Jordan, who was ranked fifth in the list of all-time most successful black recording artists according to Billboard Magazine and, in 2004, ranked 59th on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. It is the second time the Troupe has performed the show; the first production selling out most performances.
"Five Guys Named Moe was a perfect choice for our company," remarked Nate Jacobs, Founder and Artistic Director of WBTT. "It's got great energy, terrific songs and fast-moving choreography with high-spirited, fun, audience participation. With Harry Bryce in town to direct the actors and LaTerry Butler to direct the musicians, I don't see how we can miss."
The cast of Five Guys Named Moe features actors long associated with the Troupe, one enjoying his first season, as well as three guest artists. Leon S. Pitts II will be a familiar face to frequent audience members as he has been on stage almost every season. Porter L. Anderson III is another long-time Troupe member. Mikeyy Mendez is performing in his first season with WBTT, while studying music at a local university.
Guest artists include performers Earley Dean from Seattle, D. William Hughes of New York and Donald Frison, from Memphis, who appeared in this season's Ain't Misbehavin'.
Director of the show is Harry Bryce, who directed Ain't Misbehavin,' this year's season opener. Bryce has had and continues to have an impressive career, with over thirty years experience as a director, choreographer, writer, and arts educator. He founded the Memphis Black Repertory Theatre (MBRT) and served as its producing artistic director for five seasons. He produced and directed twenty-one productions for MBRT including Five Guys Named Moe. Under his direction, MBRT garnered seventeen theatre awards.
Five Guys Named Moe originated in London in 1990 at the Theatre Royal Stratford and ran for more than four years in another theater in the city's West End. The show premiered on Broadway in April 1992 and enjoyed a 445-performance success. The musical was nominated for several Tony awards and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Best Choreography.
The story features a guy named Nomax, whose girlfriend has left him and who is without money. He finds Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Little Moe emerging from his 1930s-style radio to comfort him. They sing the hit songs of songwriter and saxophonist Louis Jordan, whose new slant on jazz paved the way for rock and roll in the 1950s.
"Five Guys Named Moe is a fun, fast-moving musical," Jacobs continued. "Once again, WBTT expects to have audiences dancing in the their seats as they enjoy a talented cast presenting this wonderful production of a timeless musical play."
To order tickets or know more about WBTT, go to the website www.wbttroupe.org or call 941-366-1505.