FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE (2006) South Florida Tribune Review

Gary Waldman & Jamison Troutman, theater producers, presented the Five Guys Named Moe at Carmen's Supper Club, Boca Raton, FL (2006) … the following is a review published in The South Florida Tribune.

“Five Guys Named Moe” to delight with humor

By Al Price

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

There’s a new dinner theater in town – at the “Bridge Hotel” rooftop restaurant overlooking the Intracoastal. What a great atmosphere to see an enjoyable musical and eat sumptuous food by an award-winning chef.

Five Guys Named Moe was one of the most popular shows in cabaret history. Its off-Broadway show totaled 445 performances. It takes you back a bit, especially if you remember the big band sound. Six dynamic guys take off on Louis Jordan’s music from the ‘40s with high-powered song and dance. His musical style was called “The Big Bounce.” It took the swing-era jazz style, mixed it with rhythm and blues, and pushed it toward rock ‘n’ roll.

The five guys are Eat Moe, No Moe, Little Moe, Four-Eyed Moe and Big Moe, who sing and dance around the stage in an exuberance rarely seen on any stage in this area. It opens with a lovelorn Nomax (Gary Waldman), whose lady love is moving out of his life. The Moes suddenly appear to help Nomax out of his depression.

Carl Barber-Steele (“The Life”), Lorenzo Gutierrez, David Hughes, Christopher George Patterson and Dante Sterling dance and sing up a storm, performing some 24 of Jordan’s work’s including favorites like “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby” and “Caledonia.”

They are an extraordinary group of performers, and as the show moves forward, each one is in perpetual motion, and each has the opportunity to sing a song and show his stuff. There is a distinct personality to each Moe as he sings and dances, which gets the audience toe-tapping – it’s infectious!

Choreographer Christopher George Patterson ahs his cast not only energetically dancing but has turned the show into an interactive event with audience members who participate with the performers in humor, dance and sing-alongs.

The Moes are costumed in classical striped Zoot suits that add to the hilarity of the evening; and the cast also seems to enjoy every moment on stage. Phil Hinton, who is the musical director, is a former Carbonnel and Curtain Up nominee for last season’s “The Life.”

Each one of the Moes has his own Louis Jordan specialty number with the others dancing around him. At one time Sterling leads the group with “I Like Them Fat Like That.” In “Safe, Sane and Single” each takes his turn in stanzas directed at the audience. And when Carl Barber-Steele has the audience prompt him in “Caledonia, Caledonia, What Makes Your Big Head So Hard,” the audience is suddenly part of the show.

Other fun songs are “Ain’t nobody Here But Us Chickens,” and “Choo Choo CH’Boogie.”

“Five Guys Named Moe,” directed by Gary Waldman, is a great way to spend an evening and enjoy a good dinner as well.

“Five Guys Named Moe” is playing at Carmen’s Rooftop Restaurant at the Bridge Hotel, 999 E. Camino Real in Boca Raton. Open ended. For tickets, call 561-392-2744.