Published in the Weekly Volcano, Dec. 29, 2016
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| Randy Noojin as Woody Guthrie, photo courtesy Randy Noojin |
Centerstage Theatre in Federal Way has reached
out to Seattle and even as far away as New York in order to start the new year
with great musical entertainment, starting with Hard Travelin’ with Woody, a glimpse into the life and music of
Woody Guthrie written and performed by New York actor Randy Noojin.
Iconic folk singer
Woody Guthrie was an anti-war, pro-labor activist who traveled the rails
singing his songs in hobo jungles and labor halls. Known for songs such as
“This Land is Your Land,” Guthrie inspired such contemporary singer/songwriters
as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, and he was the father of Arlo Guthrie of
“Alice’s Restaurant” and “City of New Orleans” fame.
Noojin wrote Hard Travelin’ with Woody in 2011, and first performed it at FringeNYC that year.
Noojin said: “The inspiration came when I saw a
video of Woody's daughter, Nora Guthrie, singing Woody's song (with music by
his son, Arlo Guthrie), "My Peace," at Banjo Jim's in NYC at a
tribute concert of Woody's music. I was mysteriously moved. … I had been
looking for a subject for a solo show to write for myself and Woody's views on
income inequality, brutal police, the mistreatment of migrant workers, unfair
wages and working conditions for laborers were so close to my own views, I
wouldn't have to act, but just express my own concerns using Woody's words and
songs. There is plenty of Woody-in-his-own-words available to choose from,
thanks to his autobiographical novel, Bound
for Glory, a collection of his articles for People's World magazine called
‘Woody sez,’ plus Library of Congress recordings of his interviews with Alan
Lomax, and other collections of his writing.”
In the play,
Noojin as Woody
plays for a union meeting of striking mineworkers who are on the verge of
yielding to vigilante violence.
“I chose what I thought were his indispensable
songs and found a trajectory among them,” Noonin said. “I added projections of
Woody's artworks in 2012 with the help of designer Caite Hevner, and now, after
four years of tinkering, adding and subtracting songs and passages of text, the
show is settling into a final draft.”
There are only eight performances of Hard Travelin’ With Woody. Advance
reservations are highly recommended.
Up next is Dishing
With The Divas, a high-energy “interactive musical” about the final live
studio broadcast of the hit talk show “Girl Talk” on WPMS radio. The two radio
hosts and their most popular regular guest, sex therapist Dr. Lauda, are going
out in style. The ladies love to dish about life, love, sex, marriage,
relationships, friendships, motherhood, careers, food, alcohol, and men.
The divas perform hit songs by artists such as
The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Underwood, Aretha Franklin, and more.
Dishing With the Divas is a co-production
with Entertainment Events Inc., who co-produced Cuff Me, Girls Night, HELP! and
the three Late Nite Catechism shows with Centerstage. It will be
directed by Entertainment Events director Sonya Carter and will feature three
young Seattle musical theatre artists: Jorie Jones, a graduate of Central
Washington University who appeared at Seattle Musical Theatre in She Loves
Me. Tiffany Chancey, who has appeared at StageRight and Burien Actors
Theatre, Cassandra Neumann, who has appeared in Legally Blonde and Ragtime
at Tacoma Musical Playhouse.
“One of the interesting things about these
co-productions is that the Seattle cast becomes the West Coast touring cast for
EE Inc. Past Centerstage casts have gone on to do shows as far afield as the
Tri-Cities, Portland, SanFrancisco and Los Angeles” said Centerstage managing
director Alan Bryce.
Hard Travlin’ with Woody, 8 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12-22; Dishing with the Divas, 8
p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9-26, Centerstage at Knutzen Family
Theatre, 3200 SW Dash Point Road, Federal Way, 253-565-6867, http://www.tmp.org
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