Civil War Study Guide.

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MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL

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 CAMERON MACKINTOSH
presents

A Musical by CLARKE PETERS

Featuring LOUIS JORDAN's Greatest Hits

Originally Produced at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

Produced on the West End and on Broadway by

CAMERON MACKINTOSH

Study Guide Text © 1994 MTI Enterprises, Inc.

“Life Is So Peculiar” written by Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen;

by permission of Famous Music Corporation

“Five Guys Named Moe” written by Larry Wynn, Jerry Breslen;

by permission of MCA Music Publishing, a Division of MCA, Inc.
Table of Contents
About Five Guys Named Moe ............................................................3

The Characters in Five Guys Named Moe.........................................4

Synopsis ................................................................................................5

Musical Numbers .................................................................................6

Themes and Topics to Explore.............................................................8

(Questions and Assignments)
Louis Jordan, Humor and Pathos...............................................9
The Songs In Five Guys Named Moe ..........................................10
Louis Jordan’s Music and Storytelling ....................................13
The Five Guys Named Moe ......................................................14
The Music of Louis Jordan ........................................................14
Louis Jordan’s Musical Legacy .................................................16
Louis Jordan and the Instruments of Jazz ...............................17
The World in Which Louis Jordan Wrote His Music .............17
The Role of Music In Your Life .................................................18
The Roots of Rhythm and Blues ...............................................19
Plan Your Own Musical .............................................................20
Critical Analysis..........................................................................21

Appendix ............................................................................................22
About the Creator .......................................................................23
The Development of Five Guys Named Moe.............................23
About Louis Jordan ....................................................................24
The Musical/Historical Roots of Rhythm and Blues ............26

Resources..............................................................................................32
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 3

About Five Guys Named Moe

Five Guys Named Moe, an exuberant, creative tribute to the music of
rhythm and blues pioneer and alto saxophonist Louis Jordan, is a
show about the way popular music can reflect and shape our emo-
tions. Blues–jazz–boogie great Jordan was a lyricist, composer, sax
player, band leader and singer who is considered one of the forerun-
ners of rock.

The creator of Five Guys Named Moe, actor, dancer, singer and director
Clarke Peters, grew up in Harlem at the intersection of 155th Street
and Amsterdam Avenue. Remembering his love for the comical lyrics
and jazzy beat of Jordan’s music that emerged from his family radio
throughout his childhood, Peters created Five Guys Named Moe as an
homage to this musical giant.

Five Guys Named Moe is a joyful celebration that allows Jordan’s off-
beat, rhythmic music to speak for itself. Built around an irrepressibly
energetic quintet of zoot-suited singers named Moe who emerge from
a radio to offer advice to a young love-sick man named Nomax, the
show is a high-spirited journey through Jordan’s hits.

Filled with humor and pathos, the music of Louis Jordan is lovingly
presented in Five Guys Named Moe in the form of a “revusical” that
invites the audience to sing, dance, have a wonderful time and return
to the world smiling.
4 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

The Characters in Five Guys Named Moe

NOMAX – A young man avoiding commitment to his girlfriend

THE FIVE GUYS (who pop out of the radio):

BIG MOE
LITTLE MOE
NO MOE
EAT MOE
FOUR-EYED MOE
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 5

Synopsis
In Five Guys Named Moe, the brooding young hero, Nomax, is down
and out at 4:45 A.M., drinking, smoking and feeling sorry for himself
because his woman has left him and he is in financial distress. He is
sitting alone by his radio yearning for the girlfriend he has treated
badly. Suddenly the Five Guys Named Moe magically jump out of his
‘30s radio in a puff of smoke. They invade his apartment to give him
some rollicking, bluesy lessons about life, love and women through a
series of be-bop, swing and calypso songs either written or recorded
by Louis Jordan.

The five uninvited guys who are unleashed like genies from a bottle
make it their business to teach Nomax to be a man. Jiving and jumping
across the stage, they gleefully take him and the audience on a tour of
their fantasy world. They perform a continuing vaudeville based on
Jordan’s rousing, rhythmic, comedic songs as they sympathize, harmo-
nize and show Nomax the error of his ways.

In the course of the evening, the fast–talking Five Guys Named Moe take
on the job of improving Nomax’s attitude and image. They use
Jordan’s inimitable style to show him how to laugh at, learn about and
grow in his relationships with women. The show celebrates
male/female relationships through songs filled with romantic advice,
confession and accusation. The Five Guys get to the heart of the matter
when they ask the ultimate human question in the climactic number,
“Is You Is or Is You Ain’t Ma’ Baby?”

As the Five Guys transform Nomax, the show becomes a

party–on–stage, dancing–in–the–aisles, tap–your–feet, put–a–smile–
on–your–face kind of experience. In the course of the evening the
audience joins in, dancing with the cast in a conga line and singing
words printed on pieces of paper distributed by ushers.

At the end of the show, Nomax has learned his lesson about life and
love and the Five Guys depart, happy with a job well done.
6 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

Musical Numbers
ACT ONE
EARLY IN THE MORNING (Louis Jordan/ Leo Hickman/ Dallas
Bartley)
FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE (Larry Wynn/ Jerry Bresler)
BEWARE, BROTHER, BEWARE (Morry Lasco/ Dick Adams/ Fleecie
Moore)
I LIKE ‘EM FAT LIKE THAT (Claude Demetriou/ Louis Jordan)
MESSY BESSY (Jon Hendricks)
PETTIN’ AND POKIN’ (Lora Lee)
LIFE IS SO PECULIAR (Johnny Burke/ Jimmy Van Heusen)
I KNOW WHAT I’VE GOT (Sid Robin/ Louis Jordan)
AZURE TE (Bill Davis/ Don Wolf)
KNOCK ME A KISS (Mike Jackson/ Andy Razaf)
SAFE, SANE AND SINGLE (Louis Jordan/ Johnny Lange/ Hy Heath)
PUSH KA PI SHI PIE (Joe Willoughby/ Louis Jordan/ Dr. Walt
Merrick)

(Intermission)

ACT TWO
PUSH KA PI SHI PIE (Instrumental reprise)
SATURDAY NIGHT FISH FRY (Ellis Walsh/ Louis Jordan)
WHAT’S THE USE OF GETTING SOBER (Busby Meyers)
IF I HAD ANY SENSE (R. McCoy/ C. Singleton)
DAD GUM YA HIDE BOY (Guy Browley, Jr.)
THE CABARET:
FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL (Fleecie Moore/ Sam Theard)
REET, PETITE AND GONE (Spencer Lee/ Louis Jordan)
CALDONIA (Fleecie Moore)
AIN’T NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS (Joan Whitney/ Alex
Kramer)
DON’T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING (Jo Greene)
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 7

CHOO, CHOO, CH’BOOGIE (Vaughn Horton/ Denver Darling/

Milton Gabler)
LOOK OUT, SISTER (Sid Robin/ Louis Jordan)
MEDLEY:
HURRY HOME (Joseph Meyer/ Buddy Bernier/ Robert Emmerich)
IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN’T MA’ BABY? (S. Austin/ Louis Jordan)
DON’T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING (Reprise)
FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE
8 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

Themes and Topics to Explore

Questions and Assignments
Our study guide focuses on a wide–ranging list of themes and topics
that are suggested by Five Guys Named Moe. Avenues for exploring
each theme and topic are suggested in the form of:

Questions:
Designed to prompt in–class discussions before and after viewing or
reading the show.

Assignments:
Designed to be researched and written out of class.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 9

Themes and Topics to Explore

Louis Jordan, Humor and Pathos
Questions/Discussion Prompts
• Louis Jordan once said, “The blues, that’s me. Not the crying blues
but the blues with a joke in it. Something funny to make you laugh
and smile.” How does the music in Five Guys Named Moe match
Jordan’s description of his work?

• Describe the elements of humor in one of the songs in Five Guys

Named Moe.

• Many of the songs contain concise portrayals of human behavior

that seem to be humorous, but actually describe human frailties or
weaknesses. Describe the deeper meaning behind the surface hilari-
ty of one of the songs in Five Guys Named Moe.

• Many of the stories include an element of pathos. What is pathos?

Which songs do you think include a sense of pathos?

• Many of Louis Jordan’s songs are serious and funny at the same
time. What is the basic connection between laughter and grief?

• Which songs in Five Guys Named Moe contain both serious and
comic strains? Describe both elements in the song and explain how
they work together. Can you think of a song by a contemporary pop
artist that operates on both of these levels?

• One reviewer called Jordan’s style an example of the “yin–yang” of

black America. What is the meaning of “yin–yang?” What do you
think the reviewer meant when he described Jordan’s music in that
way?

• Which songs in Five Guys Named Moe illustrate the idea that you can
have a good time even though life is tough?
10 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• What does Jordan mean when he says “blues with a joke in it?”
Investigate the historical link between the blues and humor.

• Write a story about a funny event in your life. Turn it into a song.
Tell the story in a song form.

• Write a story that includes an element of pathos. Turn the story into
a song.

• Write about a time in your life when you laughed in spite of being
grief–stricken. If you have not had an experience of this kind, imag-
ine one and write about it.

The Songs in Five Guys Named Moe

Questions/Discussion Prompts
• Which of the songs are about broken hearts and breaking hearts?

• In what ways is “Let The Good Times Roll” a perfect example of a

“jumping” rock song?

• Listen to the song “Life Is So Peculiar.” Explain what you think this
lyric from the song means.

You know
Life is so peculiar
You get so wet in the rain
You get so warm in the sunshine
It doesn’t pay to complain.

How is the message of this song consistent with Jordan’s overall

philosophy?

• What are the some of the reasons to stay single listed in “Safe, Sane
and Single?”
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 11

• Describe what happened at the fish fry in “Saturday Night Fish

Fry.” Why does the person telling the tale never want to hear a fish
fry mentioned again?

• Describe the impact of alcohol abuse on the life of the individual

telling the story of “What’s the Use of Getting Sober”.

• Who do you think was in the hen house in the song “Ain’t Nobody
Here But Us Chickens?”

• “Beware, Brother, Beware” has been described as a precursor of rap

music. Identify the pre–rap elements in the song. During the song,
the Moes point out that men and women listen differently. What are
the differences they describe? Have you ever known a woman who
was a poor listener? A man who was a good listener?

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• Compare “Beware, Brother, Beware,” a how–to guide for men that is
a sassy, somewhat chauvinistic guide to feminine wiles and “Look
Out, Sister,” which as its female counterpart dispenses an equal por-
tion of skepticism for women. Make a list of points a man must
beware of according to “Beware, Brother, Beware.” Make a similar list
of points a woman should beware of according to “Look Out, Sister.”

• The lyric of the song “I Know What I’ve Got” suggests that it is
sometimes safer to hold on to the present than to take a chance on
an unknown. Write about a situation where you held on to some-
thing because “you knew what you had” instead of taking a chance.
What were the results? What were the positive aspects and negative
aspects of this course of action?

• What does the phrase “Azure Te” mean? What is the singer longing
for in his life? In writing, describe a time when the presence of
someone in a physical space made that place seem full and the lack
of someone’s presence made a place seem empty. Describe an expe-
rience when you entered a space expecting it be “full” of someone
and you discovered it empty.
12 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

• Who is the character that is heading for the station with a pack on his
back in “Choo, Choo, Ch’Boogie?” What is his situation? Investigate
the subculture of people who used to live and travel illegally on
America’s railroads. Are there still people who do this? Why?

• Jordan used calypso as one of his modes of musical expression in

songs like “Push Ka Pi Shi Pie.” Where does calypso music come
from? Research the calypso music fad in this country in the ‘50s.
Who were the main performers of calypso music? What were some
of the calypso hits? What is “the limbo”?

• “If I Had Any Sense” is about a character who has too much pride
to return home and admit his mistakes. Write about a situation
when pride stood in your way.

• What is happening between the two characters in “Dad Gum Ya

Hide Boy?” Write a story about deception between two friends.

• Write a scenario for the song “Don’t Let The Sun Catch You
Crying.” Invent the characters and describe the series of events you
think the song describes. What is the meaning of the phrase “Don’t
Let the Sun Catch You Crying?” Does it have a deeper meaning in
the context of Louis Jordan’s philosophy of the blues?

• In the song “Early In The Morning,” Jordan writes about losing

someone and trying to reclaim them by physically returning to
places where good times were shared. Describe a time when you’ve
experienced a sense of loss like this. What did you do to try to
recapture a sense of the person you lost?

• Louis Jordan was a lyricist who rarely wrote in cliches when he cre-
ated the words for his songs. What are cliches? How do they weak-
en a song? Find examples of sharp, funny images in Jordan’s
songs—phrases that grab the listener and vividly describe a charac-
ter, situation, or state of mind.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 13

Louis Jordan’s Music and Storytelling

Questions/Discussion Prompts
• Clarke Peters says that the line “We came out of nowhere but that
don’t mean a thing” from the song Five Guys Named Moe sparked
the idea of having the five Moes emerge from the radio. Can you
find another idea in one of the lyrics in the show that could have
triggered a very different way of presenting Jordan’s music on
stage? Identify the lyric and describe the show that might have
resulted from using it as a springboard.

• Louis Jordan had a lasting influence on pop music because while

the be–bop combos of his day took jazz further towards featuring
instrumentalists, he used instrumentation as a setting for a vocalist
telling a story. Jordan’s songs tell complete stories in themselves in
the form of a musical cartoon. Many are quick comedy dramas
drawn from daily life and sketched in colorful language in a very
compact way. Retell one of the stories told by a song in Five Guys
Named Moe.

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• Characters are at the heart of many of the songs in Five Guys Named
Moe. Write a full description of a character you’ve met. What is a
key characteristic of the individual? Describe that characteristic in
two lines that rhyme with each other. Write a song about the charac-
ter. Use your two–line rhyme as the repeated refrain of the song.

• Write a character sketch about an individual who is awake (as

Nomax is) before anyone else early in the morning and is lost in
thought. Take us inside these thoughts and describe the events and
world he/she is envisioning.

• Since many of the songs in Five Guys Named Moe are thumbnail
plays, try writing a short play with dialogue based on one of the
scenarios in the songs. Act it out.
14 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

• Where in the songs do you find storytelling references to the black

experience in America?

• Is there any kind of human experience you couldn’t write a song

about? Think of contemporary songs that you like that are examples
of different kinds of human experiences.

The Five Guys Named Moe

Questions/Discussion Prompts
• What are characteristics of each of the guys named Moe? (Big Moe,
Four–Eyed Moe, No Moe and Little Moe.)

• What happens to the Five Guys at the end of Five Guys Named Moe?
How does Nomax use the advice that the Moes have given him?

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• Write a story about someone who appears out of your TV or other
appliance to comment on some aspect of your life and possibly
complicate it. What makes the character disappear?

• Look for works of literature where fantastic creatures appear to

interfere with a character’s life. How do the fantastic creatures in
the story change the life of the main character?

The Music of Louis Jordan

Questions/Discussion Prompts
• Jordan believed that the jazz–men of the late ‘30s were too involved
with “playing for themselves alone” and failed to involve their
audiences sufficiently in their music. How did Jordan involve the
audience in his music? How does he manipulate their emotions?

• It has been said that Louis Jordan’s music and lyrics transcended
the politics of his day. What do you think this statement means?
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 15

What do you think the connection between popular entertainers

and political concerns should be?

• Listen to other songs written and/or performed by Louis Jordan

such as “Boogie Woogie Blue Plate,” “But I’ll Be Back,” “Doug the
Jitterbug,” “Fore Day Blues,” “Honey in the Bee Ball,” “I Know
What You’re Puttin’ Down,” “Ice Man,” “Look Out,” “Ration
Blues,” “Run Joe,” “You Ain’t Nowhere,” “You Will Always Have a
Friend.” Describe the scenario of the songs you find. What kinds of
moods do they convey? How do these songs differ from those in
Five Guys Named Moe? Why do you think they weren’t included in
Five Guys Named Moe ?

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• The Tympany Five, the band Jordan put together in the early ‘40s,
began when the big–band swing sound was king. Research the era
of the big bands. What were some of the major swing bands?
Describe their music.

• Louis Jordan is credited with having invented the “jump style”

which paved the way to rock and roll. The Tympany Five was a
jump band rather than a swing band. Investigate the terms “jump
band,” “jump blues” and “shuffle boogie.” What kind music did a
jump band play? How did the rhythm sections of a jump band dif-
fer from a swing band?

• The Tympany Five featured a lead singer (Louis Jordan) rather than
instrumental solos as many swing bands did. Find an example of a
swing band recording that features an instrumental soloist.
Compare this to a recording of The Tympany Five.

• While swing bands played standard love songs, the Tympany Five
performed novelty tunes instead. Find some recordings of novelty
songs from the early ‘40s as recorded by Jordan’s band and other
groups. What were some of the characteristics of the novelty song?

• Clarke Peters says that listening to Louis Jordan’s songs on the

radio when he was growing up used to make him feel better. He
16 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

thought that the music could have that effect on other people. Do
you think Five Guys Named Moe has that effect on its audiences?

Louis Jordan’s Musical Legacy

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts
• Louis Jordan’s influence on modern music ranged much farther and
wider than his own fame; he has been called the unsung hero
of rock and roll. His influence was seminal to the rhythm and blues
musical explosion that followed Bill Haley. What is rhythm and
blues? Trace its history.

• Jordan influenced the music of the following musicians: Chuck

Berry, Little Joe Blue, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Dusty Brown,
Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Floyd Dixon, Fats Domino, Wynonie
Harris, Jay Hawkins, Freddy King, Little Milton, James Brown,
Junior Walker and Elvis Presley. Listen to the work of one or more
of these artists. Discuss the elements of their music that you believe
Jordan might have influenced.

• To better understand how Jordan influenced the music of others, lis-

ten to some of the songs written by the team of Jerry Lieber and
Mike Stoller for The Coasters and compare them to songs written by
Louis Jordan (i.e. “Messie Bessie” and “I Like ‘Em Fat Like That”).

• Clarke Peters, the creator of Five Guys Named Moe, has said “cats
like Louis Jordan were already coming to the end of their careers by
the early ‘50s. Even though they were the main influence for a lot of
what came after them, they were being pushed to the back of the
shelf by the rock and pop people.” Explore the fact that individuals
who create popular music trends often have short–lived careers.
What are some of the reasons for this phenomenon?

• Name some artists whose careers have endured for many decades.
Why do you think they managed to hold the spotlight for so long?
Write an essay about the fact that we consider our artists “disposable”
in contemporary America. What does this say about our society?
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 17

Louis Jordan and the Instruments of Jazz

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts
• Louis Jordan was a saxophone player. Research some of the other
great jazz saxophone players (such as Sidney Bechet, Johnny
Hodges, Don Redman, Charlie Barnet, John Coltrane, Charlie
Parker, Ornette Coleman, Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins and
David Sanborn). Find recordings of their work.

• Trace the history of the saxophone. When did it become important

in jazz?

• Describe the different types of saxophones (alto, tenor, soprano and

baritone).

• What are the other instruments that Louis Jordan used in presenting
his music? Trace the evolution of the instruments used in jazz. What
instruments are commonly used by contemporary jazz combos?

The World in Which Louis Jordan Wrote His Music

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts
• Louis Jordan was a very successful artist in the ‘40s and 50’s; he
attributed his success to the fact that he did everything — meaning
he created all kinds of music from blues to pop. He said “I played
just as many white places as colored places.” Investigate segrega-
tion in the music industry during the ‘40s and ‘50s.

• During the height of his recording success, Jordan would do 40 or 50

one–nighters in a row in the South. Investigate what touring was
like for a group like Louis Jordan’s during that time period. How did
the band travel? What were some of the problems of the touring life?

• Who listened to Louis Jordan’s music?

• What other kinds of music were Americans listening to during the

years Louis Jordan’s music was popular?
18 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

• What was happening in other art forms—theatre, dance, visual arts,

film and broadcasting?

• Make a chronology of events that happened during the peak years

of Jordan’s career. Does the nature of these events help to explain
the popularity of his music?

The Role of Music in Your Life

Questions/Discussion Prompts
1. When he is feeling blue, Nomax, the leading character in Five Guys
Named Moe, chooses to spend his evening at home alone listening to
the radio. Have you ever used the radio in this fashion? Why? What
impact did listening to the radio have on your feelings?

• How else do you use radio in your life? What do you listen to
besides music?

• Can you think of reasons why radio can be more powerful than
television?

• How do you choose the music you listen to on the radio? Do you
vary what you listen to on the radio? How often? Why?

• Why does some music mean one thing to you at certain times and
then mean other things at other times? Describe a situation when a
recent event in your life influenced the way you heard a piece of
music.

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts

• Write about the meaning of music in your life.

• Some of the songs sung by the Five Guys Named Moe echo Nomax’s
emotions. Write about the ways that popular pieces of music have
echoed your emotions at various times in your life.

• Write about the ways in which music has had a role in shaping your
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 19

emotions and/or changed the way you feel about something in

your own life.

• Write about the way that music has helped to shape your dreams
for the future. How has it influenced your feelings about love? Your
feelings about social issues?

• Talk to your parents and/or grandparents about their radio listen-

ing habits when they were your age. Did they listen to music? What
kind of music did they enjoy listening to on the radio? How else did
they listen to music?

The Roots of Rhythm and Blues

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts
• Find blues songs during any period between Reconstruction and
the present day that speak of aspects of the human experience such
as birth and death, love and hate, hope and despair, or laughter and
suffering.

• Find examples of early work–and–holler songs and spirituals.

Listen for roots of rhythm and blues in these songs.

• Listen to West African music and observe how it related to

American rhythm and blues music.

• What does it mean to say that folk music and life are integrated in
the West African culture from which the slaves came? Are music
and life integrated in American culture? Why? Why not?

• What were some of the circumstances and conditions that freed

slaves faced during Reconstruction that gave rise to the blues?

• Imagine you are a freed slave who has been dreaming of freedom
and a new life for years. You are free but your life is still impossibly
restricted, with barriers everywhere. Write an essay on your feel-
ings. Turn the feelings in your essay into a poem or song lyric.
20 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

• What do contemporary forms of music like rap and hip–hop have

in common with the blues?

• Listen to Billie Holliday’s song “Strange Fruit.” She is singing about

the lynching of a southern black man but is really outraged by the
fact that a white hospital let her father die by rejecting him. This
song is an excellent example of a blues tradition of hiding protests
about unjust situations behind a metaphor. Write a poem or song
lyric that appears to be about one thing but is really about some-
thing else. How can you make what you are really referring to obvi-
ous to the reader or listener?

• Research and write about some of the major figures in blues history
such as W.C. Handy, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.

Plan Your Own Musical

Assignments/Research and Writing Prompts
• By shaping the songs of Louis Jordan into a theatre format, creator
Clarke Peters rescued a neglected musical pioneer from relative
obscurity. Explore the music of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s and look for
another figure who deserves to be re–examined and newly appreci-
ated in this way. Defend your choice. Make a list of the songs you
would include in your musical tribute to this musical figure. Create
an idea for a show like Five Guys Named Moe which is built around
these songs. You can use any concept you choose and any type and
size of cast. Explain your choices. Your goal should be to make this
music live as the creators of Five Guys Named Moe made Jordan’s
music live decades after it was first heard.

• Now pick a contemporary artist whose music you like. Make a list
of their songs. Create an idea for a show like Five Guys Named Moe
which is built around these songs. You can use any concept you
choose and any type and size of cast. Explain your choices.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 21

Critical Analysis
Assignment/Writing Prompt
Write a review of a performance of Five Guys Named Moe. You may
wish to include any combination of the following elements in your
review:

• Did Five Guys Named Moe hold your interest? Why?

• Describe the manner in which the story was presented to the audi-
ence.

• What was the structure of the show? Was there a single story or
multiple stories? How did the multiple stories connect? Was any-
thing about the story unexpected? How?

• Describe the way the music and lyrics worked in the show.

• Describe the sets, costumes, lighting and musical accompaniment.

How did these elements add to the meaning of the show?

• Discuss the effectiveness of the performers.

• Explain why your reader should make an effort to see the show.
22 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

Appendix
The following background material on the creators of Five Guys Named
Moe, Louis Jordan, the history of the blues and resource lists are
designed to enrich your exploration of the Themes and Topics.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 23

The Creators of Five Guys Named Moe

CLARKE PETERS – (Author) Clark Peters began his career in England in
1976 in I Gotta Shoe, a short musical by Ned Sherrin of the television
series “That Was The Week That Was.” He played the role of Jim in the
British cast of Bubbling Brown Sugar and Sky Masterson in the Royal
National Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls. He has also appeared in
British productions of One Mo’ Time, Carmen Jones, Amen Corner, Ma
Rainey’s Black Bottom and Driving Miss Daisy. He played Four–Eyed Moe
in the original production of Five Guys Named Moe, for which he received
the Olivier Award. He directed the West End production of King, the
opera based on the life of Martin Luther King, Blues for Mr. Charlie and
the original Five Guys Named Moe for the Royal National Theatre.

CAMERON MACKINTOSH – (Producer) has presented over 300 pro-

ductions around the world including Les Misérables, Cats, The Phantom
of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Five Guys Named Moe and Carousel. He has
recently presented Julie Andrews in the American premiere of Stephen
Sondheim’s Putting It Together in New York. Other shows in prepara-
tion in London include a major revival of Oliver! starring Jonathan
Pryce opening at The London Palladium in November and a summer
revival of Arnold Bennett’s The Card to be presented in Regent’s Park.
In 1995 he plans to bring the smash hit musical staging of the Who’s
Tommy to London and he will produce the next Boubil and Schönberg
musical Martin Guerre. He is currently working on an animated film
musical version of Kipling’s Just So Stories with Steven Speilberg.

The Development of Five Guys Named Moe

The idea for Five Guys Named Moe grew out of a cabaret number that
was first performed at Sheffield’s Crucible five years before the show
opened in London. The enthusiastic response given the material
encouraged the show’s creator, Clarke Peters, to begin researching
Louis Jordan’s music and life.

As he reviewed Jordan’s catalogue of hits, he realized that the songs

were inherently theatrical because they often told complete stories in
themselves. Peters decided to focus on creating a theatre piece that
combined Jordan’s music, audience participation, actor’s improvisa-
tion and pure entertainment.
24 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

He first presented a prototype of his concept on the set of Ma Rainey’s

Black Bottom, in which he was appearing at the National Theatre. The
first full production was mounted at The Theatre Royal Stratford East
in London, where it was warmly received by the audience and discov-
ered by producer Cameron Mackintosh.

Mr. Mackintosh moved it to the West End in December 1990. It opened

on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre in April 1992.

About Louis Jordan

Originally limited to rhythm and blues circles, Louis Jordan
(1908–1975) broke into the front lines of show business through a
unique combination of visual showmanship, good musicianship, a
strong accent on humor and an original rhythmic vocal style. He is
best remembered as the clean–cut, swinging leader of an R&B–based
jazz combo which achieved considerable popularity throughout most
of the ‘40s playing before large audiences and selling impressive quan-
tities of records.

Jordan was a major force in revolutionizing post–war jump and boogie

music to mid–‘50s rhythm and blues. No black singer–instrumentalist
was more successful in bringing the tough excitement of R&B into the
public consciousness. He transformed music by showing how a big
band could be pared down to a small–combo blues sound without los-
ing power, established his style as a cornerstone of rhythm and blues
and set the scene for rock and roll. Although his personal style was
strongly rooted in blues and jazz, it also included elements of boo-
gie–woogie, jump, calypso, rumbas and ballads.

He played swinging alto–sax and sang in a blues–influenced style. His

playing and singing, as well as the music produced by his combo,
reflected his appealing sense of humor and immense vitality.

Jordan was born in Brinkley, Arkansas, on July 8, 1908. After studying

music with his father from the age of 7, he attended Arkansas Baptist
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 25

College in Little Rock and worked as a ball player. He began his career
as a performer during school vacations touring with the Rabbit Foot
Minstrels as a band member and dancer. In the late 20’s, he toured with
the Ma Rainey Show working the TOBA circuit through Mississippi.
He began his professional career in 1929 with Jimmy Pryor’s Imperial
Serenaders and worked with various bands between 1930 and 1936,
when he joined Chick Webb’s orchestra in New York City.

He first became prominent when working with Webb as an alto sax

player and vocalist between 1936 and 1938. In 1938, he began his solo
career. He formed his own group, The Tympany Five and started to
carve out his image as a showman, comic, entertainer and leader. After
playing at the Elks Rendezvous at 134th Street and Lenox Avenue in
Harlem for two years, the Tympany Five began recording for Decca in
1939. The group’s repertoire included mostly blues, R&B, jazz, novelty
items from polkas to rumbas and pop music of the day. For millions of
fans, the Jordan sound proved hard to resist.

During his time with Decca, Jordan produced over two hundred sides,
many of which made the charts. The combo played tight arrangements
in shuffle boogie rhythm. During this period, Jordon featured himself
more and more in vocal blues and novelties. He could croon and scat
and specialized in satirical lyrics that addressed the problems of being
black. He was known for the brilliance of his vocal performances and
his comic asides.

Between 1943 and 1951, Jordan had 55 singles on the top 10 on the
rhythm and blues chart.

Jordan’s major hits were “Knock Me A Kiss,” “Gonna Move to the

Outskirts of Town,” both recorded in 1941; “Five Guys Named Moe,”
in 1942; and “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” which sold a million records, in
1946. As a composer, he reached his apex with the immortal “Is You Is
or Is You Ain’t Ma’ Baby?” Other important recordings included
“Caldonia “ and “My Baby Said Yes” (with Bing Crosby) in 1945, “G.I.
Jive” in 1946, “Open the Door Richard” in 1947 and “Baby It’s Cold
Outside” (with Ella Fitzgerald) and “Saturday Night Fish Fry” in 1949.
He also recorded with Louis Armstrong in 1950.
26 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

Jordan’s band appeared in the films Follow The Boys and Meet Miss
Bobby Socks (1944) and Swing Parade (1946). They starred in 1946 in the
all–black movie musical Beware. Jordan was also featured in the 1949
film Shout, Sister, Shout.

He left Decca with the rise of Bill Haley when “Rock Around the
Clock” heralded the pop beginnings of rock and roll.

Jordan organized a big band for a tour in the fall of 1951, but usually
played with a small group. In the early ‘50s, he was intermittently
inactive due to illness and confined himself to his Arizona home.
However, he made a comeback in the mid–’50s. He signed with Eddie
Messner’s Aladdin label for two years before joining Mercury in 1956.
In 1961 he signed with Marty Craft’s Warwick Records after which he
moved on to Ray Charles’ Tangerine label in the mid–’60s. In 1968
Jordan formed his own label, the Los Angeles–based Pzazz company.
He performed as a single in the early 60’s before reorganizing his
combo and touring Europe and Asia in the ‘60s.

In 1974, he recorded “Great Rhythm And Blues Oldies, Volume 1”, a

testimony to how appealing and vital Louis Jordan and his music
remained until the end of his successful and flamboyant career. He
died in Los Angeles of a heart attack in February, 1975. He is buried in
Mt. Olive Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ironically, Jordan’s work was made passé by the rock and roll revolu-
tion he made possible; with the creation of Five Guys Named Moe his
work is again receiving the recognition it deserves.

The Musical/Historical Roots of Rhythm and Blues

The Blues Tradition
The words, rhythms and emotional power of the blues tradition has
deeply influenced much of American popular music, including the
music of Louis Jordan.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 27

From Reconstruction until the ‘50s, writing, singing and playing the
blues were among the few ways in which black Americans could
express their true feelings. The blues were combined with spirituals to
form gospel music, which in turn influenced rhythm and blues and
soul. Blues and jazz are the basis of the pounding up–tempo sounds
with strong lyrics that are the basis for rhythm and blues. When joined
with country music, rhythm and blues evolved into rock and roll, funk
and disco.

The term “the blues” is derived from the word “blue” which had been
used to describe misery and dejection for many centuries. It was first
used to describe black folk music at the end of the 19th century. “The
blues,” which grew out of black poverty and degradation, often
express the longing for both freedom and satisfying personal relation-
ships. For example, the conflicts between the sexes in many of Louis
Jordan’s songs are often also symbols of the frustration caused by lim-
its placed by whites on blacks.

The roots of the blues go back through the American slave experience
to African musical traditions. When the slaves were exposed to
European music, the two traditions became intertwined, with the
African characteristics dominating. West African music, which is
extremely complex and sophisticated, was the source of the work
songs and hollers used by American slaves; it was also the primary
influence on the form which we call “the blues.”

The blues drew heavily on spirituals, many of which can be traced

back to the spirituals and songs of Ghana, Dahomey and Nigeria. The
joining of everyday life and music in Africa was so complete that
music served as an essential means of expressing feelings and con-
cerns. Music was a basic part of individual and community life, not
something added to it. Messages were sent by music both to distant
tribes and for day–to–day communication. The words themselves
were a form of music and could not be separated from the sound.

When the slaves were brought to America, they continued to accom-

28 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

pany their daily activities with music and to use music to reveal their
feelings and concerns.

The blues evolved in different regions of the South during the years that
followed the end of the Civil War as white Southerners replaced slavery
with new forms of deprivation for the freed slaves. While slavery had
produced a group culture that encouraged communal singing, the share-
cropping system placed the freed slaves in relative isolation and a more
solitary form of music—expressing the need for relief from personal
pain—resulted. Early blues singers accompanied themselves on a variety
of instruments from violins to banjos to a type of kazoo. In the 1880’s, the
guitar was adopted as the primary accompaniment of the blues.

Blues can be hollered, shouted, cried, or crooned. True blues singers

sing in their full natural voices to get the blues out of their system and
off their minds. The blues were sung to ease burdens by pouring out
some of the misery, finding the humor in it and transforming it into
something moving and positive. The blues pushed people into defying
despair, into hoping and seeking for better things.

The blues are a migratory form of music and were carried by men
roaming from town to town and from job to job. W.C. Handy was a
blues writer who popularized the country blues that he heard Southern
black men singing on the cotton, sugar and rice plantations. The blues
continued to be spread by singers like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith in
the medicine shows, theatres and entertainment halls of the South. Ma
Rainey served as a link between the male country blues singers of the
South and the classic female blues singers. She sang of loneliness, vio-
lence and trouble, and loved using field hollers and spirituals.

“Crazy Blues,” sung by Mamie Smith and released in 1920, was the
first vocal blues record and sold over 100,000 copies in a month. This
proof of the existence of a blues market was a crucial development in
the influence of the blues. Records and radio stations made the blues
available to millions who had no idea that this form of black expres-
sion existed. The real birth of recorded blues music came with Bessie
Smith’s recording of “Downhearted Blues” in 1923.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 29

The “urban blues” movement, of which Louis Jordan was a part,

developed in the ‘20s outside the mainstream traditions created by
classic blues singers. Like the original country blues, urban blues were
performed in mundane surroundings by black migrants to Northern
cities and were part of their everyday lives. The difficult realities of
urban life produced a blues that was harder and even more hopeless
than earlier forms. Styles varied greatly from town to town, but all
urban blues were rooted in the rawness and poverty of big city life.

The piano became an increasingly important element in the blues dur-

ing the 20’s and 30’s. Boogie–woogie piano blues became the rage in
Chicago and rapidly spread to the Southwest. Boogie or rolling piano
blues originated in western Louisiana and the logging camps of Texas
at the end of the 19th century. At the same time, stride piano was the
rage in Harlem.

Between the ‘20s and the ‘30s, the blues became an important aspect of
the music produced by touring “territory bands.” Some of the most
important developments in the blues, jazz and American music as a
whole took place in the wide open spaces of Texas and the territories.
The originators of modern or urban blues and its commercial
off–shoots (rhythm and blues, and rock and roll) were all territory
men. By the ‘30, Count Basie had his own band, a Kansas–based tour-
ing ensemble with incredible musical power and a strong blues line.
While the jazz that developed in New York and the Northeast was
more heavily influenced by ragtime, jazz in Harlem in the ‘30’s and
‘40’s was continually exposed to the blues.

During the ‘20s, blues–based ballads were heard on radios and phono-
graphs and blues–based dances like the foxtrot increased their popu-
larity with the mass audience. Irving Berlin was the first composer of
popular tunes to seize on the potential of jazz and blues. During World
War I, he was writing various blues–based pop songs. As other song-
writers such as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Sigmund Romberg and
George Gershwin followed his lead, softened versions of the blues
became a national craze.
30 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

The blues changed as America entered the Depression and became

more bitter and despairing than ever before. In the late ‘30s, screaming
blues singers in Kansas, like Joe Turner, inspired rhythm and blues
(R&B) in its earliest form as they sang in front of huge rhythm units.
The outstanding blues singers of this period developed a “shouting”
style and began using jazz phrasing, placing their lyrics behind the
beat or in front of it instead of right next to it.

After World War II, the jumping, small group music of the urban blues
groups and driving, swinging jazz of the big combinations were joined
in the further development of rhythm and blues. In the R&B bands,
the guitars, basses and even the harmonicas were electrified or ampli-
fied. Forceful music with a positive sensibility served as a background
for strong–voiced blues shouters.

During this period, a form of the blues called “bar blues” appeared,
which characteristically had a heavy, irregular rhythm and a boastful
style. These bar blues were combined with the raw power of the delta
blues to give R&B music its energy and strength.

During World War II, the expectations of black Americans had been
raised during a conflict ostensibly concerned with fighting racism and
protecting democratic principles. Inevitable frustration resulted from
their realization that nothing was going to change for them in the
United States after the war. The shouting blues style clearly stated that
continued oppression was not going to be accepted.

Among the most successful of the rhythm and blues singers who per-
formed against raunchy, riveting big band sounds in the late 40’s and
early 50’s were Wyonie Harris, Joe Turner, Percy Mayfield, Roy Brown,
T–Bone Walker and Louis Jordan. Many of these performers had
records that sold more than a million copies almost entirely to black
listeners — a market that came to be known as rhythm and blues.

The bands that these men traveled with were usually dominated by
tenor saxophone, electric guitar, string bass, piano, drums and occa-
sionally a trumpet or trombone. The use of a tenor sax or electric gui-
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 31

tar served as a responding “voice.” The continued use of a string bass

and the absence of trumpets and brass defined the music of these
bands and set the stage for Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Bill Haley, Bo
Diddley, Chuck Berry and other rock–and–rollers of the ‘50s.

Louis Jordan was one of the most influential of the blues–men of his
era. He helped shape contemporary urban blues styles in a number of
ways. While many of his peers—who also began as jazz musicians—
went on to reshape jazz during the bebop revolution, Jordan elected to
remain an entertainer. He chose to continue “playing his blues and
swinging," satisfying his audience, rather than playing to please him-
self. His “jump” band, the Tympany Five, backed up his skillfully
paced mix of humorous patter, powerful saxophone solos and sly, witty
blues lyrics. Among his major accomplishments were expanding his
audience to include a substantial number of white fans, establishing the
saxophone as an essential part of the blues ensemble, pioneering the
use of the electric organ and setting high professional standards.
32 The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe

RESOURCES
Bibliography
Berendt, Joachim. The Jazz Book, From New Orleans to Rock and Free Jazz.
New York, 1975.
Brask, Ole and Lorgenstern, Dan. Jazz People. New York, 1976.
Chase, Gilbert. America’s Music. New York, 1966.
Chilton, John. Who’s Who of Jazz: Storyville to Swing. London, 1972.
Collier, James L. Inside Jazz. New York, 1973.
Condon, Eddie. We Called It Music: A Generation of Jazz. New York,
1947.
Denisoff, R. Serfe. Solid Gold: The Popular Record Industry.
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1975.
Dexter, Dave.The Jazz Story, From the ‘90’s to the ‘60’s. New York, 1964.
Esquire’s World of Jazz. New York, 1975.
Gillet, Charlie. The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. New
York, 1970.
Gitler, Ira. Jazz Masters of the Forties. New York, 1966.
Gold, Robert. Jazz Talk. Indianapolis, 1975.
Goldberg, Joe. Jazz Masters of the 50’s. New York, 1965.
Harris, Sheldon. Blues Who’s Who. New York, 1979.
Hentoff, Nat. The Jazz Life. New York, 1961.
Hentoff, Nat. Jazz Makers. New York, 1957.
Hodeir, Andre. Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence. New York, 1956.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York, 1977.
Jones, LeRoi. Blues People. New York, 1963.
Keil, Charles. Urban Blues. Chicago, 1966.
Mezzrow, Milton. Really the Blues. New York. 1946.
Nanry, Charles. American Music—From Storyville to Woodstock. New
Brunswick, New Jersey, 1972.
Oliver, Paul. The Meaning of the Blues. New York, 1963.
The MTI Study Guide for Five Guys Named Moe 33

Simon, George T. The Big Bands. New York, 1974

Slonimsky, Nicolas. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. New
York, 1984.
Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans. New York, 1971.
Stearns, Marshall W. The Story of Jazz. New York, 1956.
Tiro, Frank. Jazz: A History. New York, 1977.
Townley, Eric. Tell Your Story. Essex, England, 1976.
Whitcomb, Ian. After The Ball: Pop Music from Rag to Rock. New York,
1973.
Wilson, John S. Jazz: The Transition Years: 1940–1960. New York, 1966.

DISCOGRAPHY
Chick Webb, King of the Savoy. (1937–39) Decca/MCA
Chick Webb, Strictly Jive. (1936–1938) Decca/MCA
Louis Jordan, Let the Good Times Roll. (Decca)
Louis Jordan, The Best of …. (MCA)
Louis Jordan, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie. (Phillips International)
Silver Star Series Presents Louis Jordan and His Orchestra.
(MCA/Coral)
Louis Jordan/Chris Barber, Louis Jordan Swings. (Black Lion)
SARAH SCHLESINGER, author of the Music Theatre International
Study Guides, is Associate Department Chair and the Faculty Lyricist-
Librettist for the Musical Theatre Program at New York University’s
Tisch School of the Arts. Before joining the NYU faculty, she taught at
Pace University and Towson State University as a specialist in mass com-
munications and group discussion processes.

She has a string of musical lyricist-librettist credits: On the Swing Shift

(Manhattan Theatre Club), Heidi (Theatreworks USA) and Follow the
Sun (Hudson Guild), among others. She just completed work on Love
Comics, a musical interpretation of the romance comics of the 1950s and
60s, with David Evans. Ms. Schlesinger is also working on O’Henry’s New
York, as well as writing lyrics for a new musical based on Frank Baum’s
Queen Zixi of Ix.

She is also the author of recent non-fiction works published by Random

House/Villard, William Morrow, Avon Books and the Princeton Book
Company.

The Music Theatre International Study Guides are edited by

Helen Sneed. Jason Cochran is assistant editor.