Le monde des musicals

His woman left him, he's broke, and it's almost five o'clock in the mornin'. But don't be worryin' 'bout our hero, Nomax. Out of Nomax's '30s-style radio pop FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE. They cajole, wheedle, comfort and jazz him with the whimsical hit songs of Louis Jordan, one of the most beloved songwriting talents of the twentieth century.

With more than fifty top ten singles on the rhythm and blues charts, this great composer and saxophonist brought a popular new slant to jazz that paved the way for the rock-and-roll of the 1950's.

ACT ONE
As the pre-show music fades, a voice reminds the audience that recording devices are illegal and the Sound Operator brings up "Rock Doc" over the system. At the conclusion of the song, a radio announcer's voice informs his listeners that they just heard Louis Jordan's "Tymphany 5." The curtain rises on a man, NOMAX, listening to this radio station in his home with a bad case of the blues Early in the Morning.

At the end of the song, voices are heard offstage complaining about the noise, and, although Nomax screams back at the voice, he switches off the radio and gazes out the window. Suddenly, accompanied by a big bang and a puff of smoke, NO MOE appears with four friends--LITTLE MOE, FOUR-EYED MOE, BIG MOE and EAT MOE Five Guys Named Moe. In there introductory song, Nomax learns that they are the "greatest band around." Thoroughly confused, Nomax asks why they are in his house. They tell him that he's been abusing himself with cigarettes, booze, and self-deception and that they've come to straighten him out Brother Beware. In this song the five guys teach a lesson on how to avoid getting hooked by a woman and call upon the audience for verbal support.

When the song ends, Nomax is ready to agree with them, but Little Moe turns the tables on Nomax and sets him straight, informing him that woman should be treated as partners and equals. Eat Moe challenges Little Moe's term "equals," claiming that the woman he saw Little Moe with last week was so "humungous" she could easily dominate him. The five guys proceed to reveal the joys of big women I Like 'Em Fat Like That.

Nomax is starting to lose his patience with the five Moes and wants them out of his house. They tell him that they can't leave until he "gets the message," and they sing him another song that is relevant to his life Messy Bessy. In this song, a man begs his woman, Bessy, not to get "messy" or drunk, saying "when you've had a couple of drinks, woman, you just might start a riot." Nomax, failing to see how this song has anything to do with him, adds that his woman doesn't even drink. They respond "So who's the Messy Bessy in your house?"

Nomax tries to escape the five guys named Moe, but they sit him down and tell him about Jack and Jill Pettin' and Pokin'"/"Life is So Peculiar. These two newlyweds are always at each other's throats and everyone sees them fighting and yelling all of the time. The thing that makes them different, however, is that they really love each other and love fighting together…and making up.

Finally, after a bit of bickering between Nomax and the five guys, No Moe asks Nomax to tell them what is going on with him and his woman I Know What I've Got. Nomax reveals that he does, in fact, love his woman for better or for worse, but that he "forgets" to tell her so. Four-eyed Moe tells him that he'd better tell her soon, or he'll lose her forever Azure Te.

Nomax admits that he hasn't always been the most considerate guy--forgetting birthdays and anniversaries, etc.--and he wonders if he ought to just start over with someone new. The Moes try to convince him that "lovin' and leavin'" ain't no way to live, and sing him a little song about being alone Safe, Sane and Single. In this song, the boys joke about how a woman changes once she becomes a man's wife (and not for the better!). Nomax thinks that staying safe, sane and single sounds like a good idea, but the guys, once again, try to convince him that he's wrong. They tell him that he needs to stop taking people for granted; to stop being a Saigo boy. When Nomax asks what a Saigo boy is…they tell him Push Ka Pi Shi Pie. This song involves the entire audience. Lyrics drop from the ceiling, and the Moes teach the refrain to the crowd while dropping a few one-liners along the way. The audience should forget themselves during this roaring good time and give in to the music, the dance and the "Push Ka Pi Shi Pie!"

At the end of the song, No Moe tells the audience to go have a drink and meet them back on the stage in 15 minutes.

ACT TWO

Nomax and the group come back feeling great and talking about a gig they have to go to and some more "work" they have to do on Nomax. But first, they tell him about the good food, music and drinks they once knew at the welcome-one-and-all parties in New Orleans Saturday Night Fish Fry. Nomax agrees that fish frys sound like the way to party and he asks for another drink. This allows the five guys to confront him about his drinking problem What's The Use Of Getting Sober When You're Gonna Get Drunk Again?.

Nomax is now listening and beginning to reflect upon his own life. In a sort of confession he sings "If I Had Any Sence," which tells how he came to leave his home, his parents, and his sweetheart. He knew he was headed down the wrong path, but he had too much pride to turn back. Nomax tells the guys that he is going to try to change. They reply that trying isn't good enough and tell him what his friends are saying about him Dad Gum Your Hide Boy.

All of the above is happening on the way to a gig that the five Moes have. At the conclusion of the song, a drum roll is heard and the Five Guys Named Moe are introduced at the "Funky Butt Club" by an unseen announcer. This begins the show within the show, and includes the following songs: "Let The Good Times Roll," "Reet, Petite & Gone," "Calcedonia," "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'," "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," and "Look Out Sister." (This "show" includes much witty banter with the audience and several opportunities for audience participation.)

The Five Guys Named Moe close their show and find Nomax, who finally "gets it." He is ready to see his woman, Loraine, again. But is she ready to see him? Hurry Home," "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby," "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' - Reprise

Nomax is now on the phone apologizing to Lorraine and telling her that he really loves her. Just before hanging up the phone he tells Lorraine that he is on his way and smiles as he switches of the radio Five Guys Named Moe - Reprise.

The musical was originally presented at the Theatre Royal Stratford East by Philip Hedley as an in-house production. Cameron Mackintosh opened it on 14 December 1990 at London's West End Lyric Theatre. The original Stratford East cast of Kenny Andrews, Paul J. Medford, Peter Alex Newton, Omar F. Okai, and Dig Wayne, were joined by Clinton Derricks-Carroll replacing Clarke Peters, all transferred with the production where it ran until 4 March 1995. It re-opened at the Albery Theatre on 25 May 1995 where it was recorded for commercial DVD with the following cast: Tee Jaye Jenkins, Trent Kendall, Monroe Kent III (Nomax), Jason Pennycooke, Richard D. Sharp and Feruma Williams. The production ran with this cast until 13 January 1996.

The Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Charles Augins, opened on 8 April 1992 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, where it ran for 445 performances and 19 previews. The cast included Jerry Dixon, Doug Eskew, Milton Craig Nealy, Kevin Ramsey, Jeffrey D. Sams, and Glenn Turner.

The "Moe" band was: Reginald Royal, piano; Luico Hopper, bass; Brian Kirk, drums; Reggie Pittman, trumpet & flugelhorn; Gregory Charles Royal, trombone; and Mark Gross, saxophone and clarinet.

The 2010 Edinburgh Festival/West End production, directed by Paulette Randall and starring Clarke Peters himself as Nomax, as well as Ashley Campbell, Christopher Colquhoun, Carlton Connell, Paul Hazel and Horace Oliver as the Moes opened on 5th August 2010.

Act I
"Early in the Morning" (Music and Lyrics by Jordan, Leo Hickman, and Dallas Bartley)
"Five Guys Named Moe" (Music and Lyrics by Larry Wynn and Jerry Bresler)
"Beware Brother Beware" (Music and Lyrics by Morry Lasco, Dick Adams, and Fleecie Moore)
"I Like 'em Fat Like That" (Music and Lyrics by Claude Demetrius and Jordan)
"Messy Bessy" (Music and Lyrics by Jon Hendricks)
"Pettin' and Pokin'" (Music and Lyrics by Lora Lee)
"Life Is So Peculiar" (Music and Lyrics by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen)
"I Know What I've Got" (Music and Lyrics by Sid Robin and Jordan)
"Azure Te" (Music and Lyrics by Bill Davis and Don Wolf)
"Safe, Sane and Single" (Music and Lyrics by Jordan, Johnny Lange, and Hy Heath)
"Push Ka Pi Shi Pie" (Music and Lyrics by Jordan, Joe Willoughby, Walt Merrick)

Act II
"Saturday Night Fish Fry" (Music and Lyrics by Ellis Walsh and Jordan)
"What's the Use of Getting Sober" (Music and lyrics by Busby Meyers)
"If I Had Any Sense (I'd Go Back Home" (Music and Lyrics by R. McCoy
"Dad Gum Your Hide Boy" (Music and Lyrics by Browley Bri)
"Let the Good Times Roll" (Music and Lyrics by Fleecie Moore and Sam Theard)
"Reet, Petite and Gone" (Music and Lyrics by Spencer Lee and Jordan)
"Caldonia" (Music and Lyrics by Fleecie Moore)
"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (Music and Lyrics by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer)
"Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" (Music and Lyrics by Jo Greene)
"Choo, Choo, Ch'boogie" (Music and Lyrics by Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, and Milton Gabler)
"Look Out Sister" (Music and Lyrics by Sid Robin and Jordan)
"Hurry Home" (Music and Lyrics by Joseph Meyer, Buddy Bernier, and Robert Emmerich)
"Is You Is or Is You Ain't Ma' Baby" (Music and Lyrics by Billy Austin and Jordan)
"Five Guys Named Moe" (Reprise)

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Five Guys Named Moe

Aucun dossier informatif complémentaire concernant Five Guys Named Moe