musicals

Dead Man's Jazz Club Comedy, music and theater in one night

By: Daniel Vanderhoof, Staff Writer

So do you like watching plays or musicals? If the answer is "yes," or even "maybe" then this week you should go see "That Dead Man's Jazz Club," which is a unique combination of both music and acting. The event cannot be classified as a musical or play, but only as a play with music which in itself is relatively new and ground-breaking.

The play part takes a very different look at life. It shows how small details and unimportant events take up so much of people's personal lives. This theme flows throw the plot of the story as several children inherit a southern jazz club. The director of the spectacle, Christopher Plummer, said, "It gives out a warm and wonderful sense of humor in which we watch a rather intricate plot unfold in many surprises. It has been a great deal of fun and something of a challenge to direct, and it has been a big challenge for the actors with no star and only one small part."

The story, written by M.C. Friedrich, is funny and at the same time profoundly moving. Its characters are all a little off in their own way and sarcasm is a strong main comedic outlet for the performance. Mike Irish, musical composer for the event, said, "There are some great one-liners! The set, costumes, lighting and sound are all first rate. The fact that the play is being reviewed for an invitation to perform at the Kennedy Center makes this a heavy event. Not bad for a bunch of engineers. There is some REAL talent here." Friedrich and Irish started working on the idea of this type of performance two years ago and are really dedicated to the play. This dedication will be quite evident as students see the play; the play itself is a work of art.

The music aspect of the play comes out with a house band within the story that is an eclectic group of men who are called the Vanguards. They play an amazing mix of music that ranges from old to new jazz, which could include anything from a hip-hop tune to Louis Armstrong. There is no correct guess as to what form of music this versatile group will play. Irish stated that he encourages everyone to attend and said, "Seeing the play would be great for individuals, groups of people--it would make a GREAT 'date' event. Plus it gets out early enough, so as not to 'interrupt' the weekend party circuit."