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<\/a>The band, post-show. Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n
I don\u2019t think a lot of people realize how important the actual\u00a0musicians<\/em>\u00a0are to\u00a0musicals<\/em>, which is a shame. But the opening night audience of this production seemed to have received that memo! The entire assemblage appeared to be with me in adoring the jazzy band, led by Musical Director Abdul Hamid Royal, (who served the same role in that original Broadway production a quarter of a century ago! How is that even possible?!) We all stayed standing at our seats\u00a0after the show was over to hear the band finish up.<\/p>\n (L-R ) Jacques C. Smith, Trevon Davis, Rogelio Douglas, Jr., Eric B. Anthony, Obba Babatund\u00e9, and Octavius Womack. Photo by Craig Schwartz, as is the big one at the top of the page.<\/p><\/div>\n I totally recommend\u00a0Five Guys Named Moe<\/em>\u00a0to all music lovers. The show is all about the music. The story itself is actually weak, (a drunk man, played by Obba Babatunde, imagines a group of singers come out of his radio to help him with his love life, through song and dance, of course,) because the narrative is designed for the sole purpose of showcasing these famous Louis Jordan-penned songs from the \u201940s.<\/p>\n The music is great, the songs are fun, the staging is just about perfect, (my friend, Marcia, deemed it \u201cbrilliant minimalist,\u201d) and the six actors are spot-on. What\u2019s not to like?<\/p>\n All five \u201cMoe\u201ds are excellent. They are, (in alphabetical order):\u00a0Eric B. Anthony as \u201cEat Moe\u201d\u00a0(who\u2019s the best dancer of the bunch);\u00a0Trevon Davis as \u201cLittle Moe\u201d;\u00a0Rogelio Douglas, Jr. as \u201cFour-Eyed Moe\u201d (he\u2019s the best singer);\u00a0Jacques C. Smith as \u201cNo Moe\u201d; and\u00a0Octavius Womack as \u201cBig Moe.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a lot of humor involved, which I always appreciate.\u00a0 Much of it comes from \u201cEat Mo,\u201d a guy after my own heart. My favorite line in the whole show is one I myself have uttered many a time: \u201cHow is that a party with no food?!\u201d You tell \u2019em, Eat Moe! (And, by the way, he\u2019s the skinniest one!)<\/p>\n Obba Babatund\u00e9. Photo by Craig Schwartz.<\/p><\/div>\n I\u2019ve always had my own opinions on tap dancing, but much of it was colored by my old dear pal, Fayard Nicholas, of the stunning tapping Nicholas brothers. And as I was watching Rogelio Douglas, Jr. and Eric B. Anthony do the only tap dance in Five Guys Named Moe<\/em>, choreographed by Keith Young, I found myself thinking of just how much he would have been a fan of this duo\u2019s stand-up straight, smooth, presentational style.<\/p>\n Another aspect of the show that brought a smile to my face is that mature, long-time actor\u00a0Obba Babatunde\u00a0totally keeps up with the quintet of young \u2019uns. And I\u2019m sure that he\u2019s taught them a thing or two about show business along the way. What a worthwhile experience for them to star alongside this man.<\/p>\n (Clockwise from left) Trevon Davis, Octavius Womack, Jacques C. Smith, Eric B. Anthony, and Rogelio Douglas Jr. (in the middle.) Photo by Craig Schwartz.<\/p><\/div>\n Actually, there are only two tiny things that bothered me at all about this wonderful production. Firstly, four of the guys are just about the same size, yet one of them plays\u00a0Little\u00a0<\/em>Moe. \u00a0And he\u2019s not even the smallest of that quartet! So, that\u2019s a bit confusing.<\/p>\n And the other teensy complaint I have is that, for the first few numbers on opening night, the fabulous band was just a tad too loud for me to be able to decipher the all-important lyrics. That situation is actually a wash for me because I loved the music so much that I would have been happy to hear it all<\/em> at that volume, but I also wanted to enjoy the clever words.<\/p>\n But neither one of those are negatives<\/em>; they\u2019re just observations. There\u2019s really nothing weak about this show!<\/p>\n So, for a good time, call the\u00a0Nate Holden Performing Arts Center right away, for your tickets to this show!\u00a0\u00a0What a fun activity this is any time, but especially if you\u2019re in town for this long holiday week-end.<\/p>\n Five Guys Named Moe<\/em>\u00a0running through June 11, 2017<\/strong> FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE Ebony Repertory Theatre is bringing back this iconic musical that first ran on Broadway twenty-five years ago! What a treat for Los Angeles audiences! It\u2019s such a fun upbeat show. I don\u2019t think a lot of people realize how important the actual\u00a0musicians\u00a0are to\u00a0musicals, which is a shame. But the opening night<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Nate Holden Performing Arts Center \u00a0 4718 West Washington Boulevard\u00a0\u00a0323-964-9766\u00a0 www.ebonyrep.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"