WOODY SED by John Murphy (Two Dollar Shoes). At St. Vladimir Theatre. July 7 at 8:30 pm, July 9 at 8:45 pm, July 10 at 2:45 pm, July 12 at 5:15 pm, July 13 at 3:30 pm, July 15 at 1:45 pm. See listing. Rating: NN
Woody Guthrie is one of the most influential figures in the history of American music, which gives Thomas Jones plenty to work with in this solo show based on his life and songs. But instead of picking and choosing the most interesting or dramatic parts of his hobo-to-folk-hero history, Woody Sed tries to cram it all in.
You have to admire Joness energy as he switches between Guthrie and his wives, his daughter and other legendary figures like ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax and Guthrie acolyte Bob Dylan. He also manages to sing 19 Guthrie folk songs, including all-time classics like This Land Is Your Land, though nowhere near as charmingly as the man himself.
But watching him jump back and forth between characters to fill both sides of a conversation, or sometimes even both sides of a duet, is distracting. The songs are political, funny and full of unembellished dust-bowl wisdom. A more streamlined approach would serve them better.
