Woody Guthrie's American Song
Conceived and adapted by Peter Glazer
November 20 - December 20, 2009
Well folks, Woody Guthrie is back in Sonora and Stage 3 Theatre Company has nabbed him again.
“Woody Guthrie’s American Song” which originally opened at Stage 3 Theatre Company on February 8, 2008 will rise again for a limited engagement on Friday, November 20 and run through December 20.
“The first run of ‘Woody’ was a magical gift both to our theater and our audiences.” ,says Don Bilotti, Stage 3’s Artistic Director. “We wanted to do something really special this holiday season and there just couldn’t be a better present Stage 3 could give our extended family. The moment the cast wailed into ‘Hard Travelin’ at rehearsal, I knew we had made the right choice.”
‘This Land is Your Land’, ‘Bound for Glory’, ‘Do Re Mi’, ‘So Long, It’s Been Good To Know You’, ‘Better World A’Comin’ are just a few of the more than 25 songs in the show.
The Union Democrat called the Stage 3 production “rollicking”, “entertaining and inspiring… uplifting and humorous.”
The Modesto Bee added “Some of the most engaging songs are the quieter pieces. The harmonies in the ballads like "Worried Man" and "Deportee" are gorgeous.”
The Calaveras Enterprise summed it up. “The houselights go dark and seven players amble onstage, a few grabbing guitars, or a banjo or mandolin, and they strum a couple of chords. The cast turns and acknowledges the crowd, and then begins a revival the likes of which I haven’t seen in quite some time… by the time I walked out of the theater, I had been saved. My mind
was freer and my soul was singing.”
Conceived and adapted by Peter Glazer, ‘American Song’ is the foot stompin’, roof raisin’, heart breakin’ soul soarin’ musical journey of Woody Guthrie down the highways, railroad lines, and back roads straight into the heart of America. It tells the life of the rambling folk singer through his own words and music. From the dust storms of Oklahoma to the promised land of California to the streets of New York City, Guthrie spins the tale of the land that was “made for you and me”.
The New York Times said it "manages to find both the high beauty and the earthly humor of Guthrie's love affair with America."
Bilotti continues, “The cast will knock your socks off. Unlike most musicals, the actors play their own instruments. Onstage you’ll see guitars, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, standup bass, harmonica and more. In the hands of some of the region’s best singers and players, this music can gently rock you like a lullaby or soar to epic proportions. We were lucky to get most of our cast back from the original run.”
The stellar cast is comprised of some of the regions most accomplished singers, musicians and recording artists. The returning cast includes Lillian McLeod ,currently lead vocalist for No Regret , Hoyt Cory who performs as solo artist, Jeff Cooper of The Lavacats and Richard Sholer of Coyote Hill . Joining the cast will be Amy Perkins, formerly of Oreo, an accomplished singer and actress with her musical roots in the right place. She is the real-life daughter of Lillian McLeod.
Adding to the musical magic are multi-instrumentalist Rick Barlow of Swing Gitane and bassist Ron Cotnam of No Regret, The Grass Menagerie and Passin’ Through .
Together, these seven form a mighty musical force.
Best known for his triumphant anthem ‘This Land is Your Land’, Guthrie is a man of the people and an American icon. Just a man with a guitar, yet he changed his world. He gave focus and hope to generations of Americans, celebrating their triumphs and empathizing with their hardships – but always bringing humor, courage, comfort and hope with him.
Dennis Brown will provide Vocal Direction. Set design will be by Ron Cotnam with Lights by Tommy Johnson.. Nathan J. Yeisley is Stage Manager.
And yes, Guthrie did visit Sonora in his travels. This is some what he had to say. “Sonora’s crooked, narrow streets bent and run about as wild as some of the prospectors and their burrows, and I thought as I pushed my way along the tight alleys called streets, that maybe the whole town had been laid out by just following the tracks of a runaway prospector….streets so steep I had to throw myself in low gear to pull them. Down again so steep, I figured that most of Sonora’s citizens came and went by way of parachutes.”
This production is made possible in part by Associate Producer Alan Peters, M.D.
“Woody Guthries American Song” will run at Stage 3, 208 S. Green St., downtown Sonora, from November 20 through December 20. The show will run Thursday through Sunday. Curtain times are 7 pm Thursday and Friday, 8 pm Saturday and 2 pm Sunday. Ticket prices are $18 Thursday, $20 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Senior Sundays are $18. Students always $12. Call 209 536 1778 or visit www.stage3.org for reservations and information.