[Fringe Review] Woody Sez
* * * * *
Just over an hour of the life and music of Woody Guthrie does not begin to cover how important Guthrie was to the common American, but it is a testament to the skill of the cast and crew of Woody Sez that this small selection of music, deftly weaved through the high and low points of his life, is so entertaining, powerful, and heart breaking.
The band deftly switches instruments with ease between songs, while these beats are used to gently place the music in context . This bookending of each piece, alongside the excellent vocal and musical talents of David Lutken in the lead role (ably joined by Darcie Deaville, Andy Teirstein and Helen Russell) lifts this piece of theatre above the multitudes of biography jukebox shows to something with a genuine emotional core.
From the first beat to the final coda, the relevance then, and now, of Guthrie’s works drives the quartet to one of the stand out musical performances of the year. Recommended without hesitation.
Edfringe.com Link: Woody Sez.
