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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Five Guys Named Moe Also see Susan's review of Disney's The Little Mermaid
The show created by Clarke Peters is a jukebox musical in the truest sense: the songs all come from the repertoire of Louis Jordan, known in his time as the "King of the Jukebox." Jordan (1908-75) was a pioneer of "jump blues," a melding of blues and jazz and a precursor to rock-and-roll and, later, hip-hop. O'Hara worked with his choreographer, Byron Easley, to move the songs away from their original 1940s-'50s setting and give them a contemporary, boy-band sound and look. The plot, such as it is, concerns Nomax (Kevin McAllister), a sad and lonely man listening to records by Jordan and his group, the Tympany Five, on an old-fashioned radio. Then the music comes to life as the Five Guys Named Moe invade his room to teach him some lessons about life and love. They are Big Moe (Sheldon Henry), Little Moe (Clinton Roane), No Moe (Jobari Parker-Namdar), Four-Eyed Moe (Travis Porchia), and Eat Moe (Paris Nix), and they take over Clint Ramos' bi-level set and shine in Dede Ayite's costumes under Alex Jainchill's vivid lighting. Easley's choreography ranges from sleek ensemble work to flashy solo turns, notably Henry's call-and-response on "Caldonia" and Nix's sly way with "Knock Me a Kiss." Other highlights include the zany calypso "Push Ka Pi Shi Pie," the smooth "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie," and the rollicking "Saturday Night Fish Fry." The Moes (and eventually Nomax) strut, slide, and at one point invite audience members to join in the dancing. The orchestra led by music director Darryl G. Ivey underpins the entire show and the musicians' interplay with the singers adds measurably to the excitement of the performance. Arena Stage
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