Theater Review : Top-Notch Cast, Direction Power ‘Moe’

Herb and Scott Rogers take their final bow as producers of La Mirada Theatre’s “Broadway Series” with an affectionate, infectious production of the Clarke Peters musical “Five Guys Named Moe,” featuring the “greatest hits” of the legendary Louis Jordan and his memorable Tympany Five.

Actually it’s not so much a musical as it is a bouquet to Jordan’s irrepressible high spirits as heard in his great hit songs, and in some that are less familiar but no less buoyant.

This musical has no book. What it has is more of a page about a young guy named Nomax, who has just been jilted by his girlfriend, Lorraine. As he sits brooding by his radio--an anachronistic period floor model with a modern cordless phone on top--the titular five guys jump out and proceed to give Nomax advice on handling women. Advice given, the five guys disappear behind the radio, and Nomax calls Lorraine to patch things up.

So who cares if there’s no book. The advice is what Nomax needs to hear, and the Jordan tunes are what the audience wants. And they get an earful, the sound and syncopation of Jordan’s best-known recordings, such as “Saturday Night Fish Fry,” “Caldonia,” “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” and the very funny title song.

They also get knowledgeable musical direction at the hands of G. Patrick Gandy, who knows when the tunes should roll and when they should rock, music that set down a solid foundation for pop trends that were waiting over the horizon. Gandy’s lightness of touch both on piano and as conductor re-creates a sound that’s timeless while remaining of its period.

Chris Cruz is Nomax, with a mellow, juicy baritone that’s just right for Jordan’s sensitive blues as well as the up-tempo numbers. The Guys--the sassy and witty Bernard Dotson as No Moe, Lance Roberts as Four-Eyed Moe, the formidable bass of Dan Tullis as Big Moe, the sly humor and addictive rhythm of Harrison White as the ever-hungry Eat Moe, and the high impish energy of Alon Williams as Little Moe--are attuned to a style that goes back half a century, and wear it with panache.

This show, which is not the same as played the Doolittle last summer, has minimal production values, but under Bruce Heath’s tight direction, and with his lively and often intricate choreography, they aren’t missed.

* “Five Guys Named Moe,” La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. matinees, 2:30. Ends May 22. $28-$32. (714) 994-6310 or (310) 944-9801. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.