HOUSTON, May 5, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ensemble Theatre fires up for its 2009-2010 season finale musical, Five Guys Named Moe, with an opening night and media reception Thursday, June 24, 2010, 6:30PM at 3535 Main St, Houston, TX 77002.
Five Guys Named Moe is a musical revue by American writer/ actor Clarke Peters highlighting the music of early twentieth century jazz musician and songwriter Louis Jordan. The show originated in the UK in 1990 where it ran for several years on the West End and won the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. The revue premiered on Broadway in 1992 and was later nominated for two Tony Awards: Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical.
"It was definitely a way for me to use my voice as a black performer to empower others, something I've tried to do in every way I can," says Peters. "And, it combines everything I love into one wonderful package: song, dance, comedy, improvisation, stage acting, and, of course, writing, an art I am trying my hand at more and more these days."
Audiences will meet the lead character Nomax, who after losing his woman and ending up flat broke meets five jazzy fellows: Big Moe, Four-Eyed Moe, Eat Moe, No Moe, and Little Moe who emerge from his 1930's style radio to comfort, cajole, wheedle and jazz him with the hit songs of songwriter and saxophonist, Louis Jordan, one of the most revered talents of the 20th century. With more than 50 top 10 singles and instantly recognizable classics such as "Early in the Morning," "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," this great composer brought a popular new slant to jazz that paved the way for the rock-and-roll of the 1950s.
Previews: June 19, 20, and 23, 2010 Show Run: June 24 – July 25, 2010
Performances: Thursdays: 7:30p.m.; Fridays: 8:00p.m.; Saturdays: 2:00p.m. and 8:00p.m.; and Sundays: 3:00p.m.
For tickets and seating availability call: 713-520-0055 or visit: www.ensemblehouston.com
Peters is currently starring in Treme, an HBO series that takes place in New Orleans where communities including jazz musicians, chefs, and Mardi Gras Indians work to rebuild the culture of the city and their lives following Hurricane Katrina. He has a diverse body of work in stage, film, and television. He has performed in the stage productions of: Five Guys Named Moe, Chicago, Witches of Eastwick, Blues in the Night, King, and Unforgettable. His work in television also includes his role as detective Lester Freamon on HBO's The Wire.
Louis Jordan was known as "The King of the Jukebox" and garnered much popularity during the later part of the swing era. Jordan had 57 R&B hits, 18 of which made number one on the R & B charts between 1942 and 1950. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and ranked as number 59 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 100 Greatest Artist of All time in 2004.
The Ensemble Theatre's 2009-2010 Season is sponsored in part by grants from the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and Texas Commission on the Arts. Continental Airlines is the exclusive airline sponsor for The Ensemble Theatre. This production is generously underwritten by Spectra Energy, Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, and CenterPoint Energy.
The Ensemble Theatre was founded in 1976 by the late George Hawkins to preserve African American artistic expression and to enlighten, entertain, and enrich a diverse community. The theatre is known as the only professional theatre in its region dedicated to the production of works portraying the African American experience. In addition to being the oldest and largest professional African American theatre in the Southwest, it also holds the distinction of being one of the nation's largest African American theatres that owns and operates its facility with an in-house production team. Board President Emeritus Audrey Lawson led the capital campaign for The Ensemble's $4.5 million building renovations that concluded in 1997.