Court Theatre Presents FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE Review—Talent Parade

Court Theatre FIVE GUYS NAMES MOE
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Darrian Ford, Lorenzo RushJr., James Earl Jones II, Kelvin Roston Jr, Eric A.Lewis Photo: Michael Brosilow
Court Theatre FIVE GUYS NAMES MOE
(left to right) Kelvin Roston Jr, Stephen Allen, James Earl Jones II Photo: Michael Brosilow
Court Theatre FIVE GUYS NAMES MOE
(left to right) Eric A. Lewis, Darrian Ford, James Earl Jones II, Lorenzo Rush Jr, Kelvin Roston Jr. Photo: Michael Brosilow
Court Theatre FIVE GUYS NAMES MOE
(left to right) Stephen "Blu" Allen, Lorenzo Rush Jr., Darrian Ford, James Earl Jones II, Eric A. Lewis, Kelvin Roston Jr. Photo: Michael Brosilow

Resident Artist Ron OJ Parson’s First Musical at Court Theatre

For many, the 6-man band playing the jump blues standards that are Louis Jordan’s Greatest Hits (Piano/Band Leader, Abdul Hamid Royal; Trombone, J.P. Floyd; Bass, Chuck Webb; Drums, Harold Morrison; Trumpet, Sam Hankins; Reeds, Jarrard Harris) will in itself be worth the price of admission.   They sit on a perch above and behind what feels like a gauze curtain, allowing you to tune them in and out as you shift focus to the talents on the stage.

Talents they are!- these five triple threat Moes ,and the young modern day man they are attempting to school, Nomax. Nomax (Stephen ‘Blu’ Allen) has just been jilted by his long time girlfriend who tired of his bad ways, and these five Moes (Eat Moe, James Earl Jones II; No Moe, Eric A. Lewis; Little Moe, Darrian Ford; Four Eyed Moe, Kelvin Roston Jr. and Big Moe, Lorenzo Rush Jr.) have jumped into his life to teach him the a, b, c’s of being a man. They sing of ways to navigate getting hitched and getting nookie. They cajole him that there is no reason for him to stop drinking if he’s only going to start again. They roll their eyes at his slowness to get how he isn’t getting it, in all senses.

It’s the rare moment when these Moes stand still (Movement/Musical Staging, Christopher Carter). Toe heel gliding as an ensemble across the stage, bouncing off three snaked tubes that give them a gymnasium within the set (Scenic Design, Courtney O’Neill), or Big Moe shimmying his oversized chest with a smile oversized in scale to match—this is a perpetual motion machine ensemble with rhythm.

27 songs —catchy tunes all—and YOU join in the performance! (No spoiler details here—other than to caution women to wear shoes they can dance in, just in case.)

Five Guys Named Moe is first and foremost about FUN.

Playwright: Clarke Peters

Director: Ron OJ Parson

Music Director: Abdul Hamid Royal

Associate Director: Felicia P. Fields

Recommended.

Note: This is now added to the Picture this Post round up of BEST PLAYS IN CHICAGO. Click here to read — Top Picks for Theater in Chicago NOW – Chicago Plays PICTURE THIS POST Loves.

Note: an excerpt of this review appears in Theatre in Chicago. 

 

When:

Thru October 8

Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30 PM
Fridays 8:00 PM
Saturdays 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sundays 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM

Where:

Court Theatre
5535 South Ellis
Chicago

 

Tickets:

$44+

For tickets call 773 753 4472, visit the box office at the Court Theatre location or the Court Theatre website.

All photos by Michael Brosilow.

Amy Munice

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY AMY MUNICE.

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