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| Satchmo Returns June 20th "The Satchmo' Suite", Eastern Front Theatre's jazz musical returns to the stage with its remounting at Neptune Studio Theatre June 20th - July 1st, 2006. Returning by popular demand, the production broke box office records and enjoyed sell out audiences at EFT. While not biographical, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong shapes the productionwhich made audiences laugh, cry and cheer. Co-written with original music by Eastern Front Theatre's artistic director Hans Boggild and musician/actor Doug Innis, it received three Merritt Award Nominations in 2006. The play stars Jeremiah Sparks as Satchmo' "...who demonstrates again whyhe is one of Canada's finest actors..." (Stephen Pedersen, Halifax Chronicle Herald), and actor/playwright Andrew Moodie portraying cellist Hubert Clements "...(he deals with the role) in exemplary fashion (and) makes a meal of the part...) (Ibid), while music is performed by jazz pianist Paul Simons, classical cellist Colin Matthews, and jazz phenomenon, Rick Waychesko who plays trumpet. The play is about a modern day classical cellist and the "Father of Jazz", Louis Armstrong. On tour with the symphony, the cellist conjures up the spirit of Armstrong for assistance with a difficult musical passage. Satchmo appears in his hotel room. This highly entertaining and powerful play explores the polarities of head and heart, the intellect and intuition, and is replete with both jazz and classical music. An edited version will be recorded by CBC radio for a 2007 broadcast. Following the Neptune engagement, "The Satchmo' Suite" moves to St. John's where it will be featured in the prestigious Magnetic North Theatre Festival, July 05-08. In November it will be part of Montreal's Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts 06/07 season. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |