It's All About The Music For Robey's Birdland Blue

By Darlene Donloe

I walked into a jazz club and a play broke out.  That’s what happens once you enter Birdland Blue, a Robey Theatre Company production currently making its world premiere at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

In Birdland Blue, the audience literally walks into a jazz club setting complete with a smoky atmosphere, drinks, neon lights, a bandstand, tables and chairs, and jazz musicians playing on a bandstand.

(L to R) Eddie Goines, Damon Rutledge, Michael D. Ricks, Marcus Clark Oliver,
Rogelio Douglas III, Jermaine Alexander
Photo by Ian Foxx

Birdland Blue, clearly not a documentary, takes place one night – and what a night it is!

This is a fly-on-the-wall look at what happens behind the scenes at what was one of the hottest New York City jazz clubs in the summer of 1959. Anyone who was anyone or wanted to be someone would go there. Stars from television, film, and sports filled the 500-seater. Jazz legend Miles Davis and his equally legendary sextet have just released Kind of Blue, Davis’ signature piece. On stage with Davis are John Coltrane, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. It just didn’t get any better than this.

Davis was known for being moody, for improvising and for pushing his music toward the unknown. 

L to R: Darrell Phillip, Jermaine Alexander, Rogelio Douglas III, Tiffany Coty, Marion Newton, Michael D. Ricks, Randy Ross, Ricardo "Rick" Mowatt, Damon Rutledge,
Eddie Goines, Marcus Clark Oliver, Charles Isen
Photo by Ian Foxx

Davis was like a jazz god during that time. He was producing some of the industry's most enduring music. Known for being impatient, Davis, who died in 1991, knew his worth and wasn't about to let anyone take advantage of him or his band. He took care of his band because he also knew their worth. He worked hard to be authentic – not making it about the money. But at the same time, he wanted what he was due and would get in someone’s face if they didn’t come correct. He butted heads with the club manager (Charles Isen) over money. He also butted heads with his band members. He ironically wasn’t happy when Chambers (Rogelio Douglass III) appeared to be getting hooked on drugs. He was disappointed and mad when he heard Coltrane (Jermaine Alexander) and Cannonball (Damon Rutledge) were about to leave the band. He also butted heads with a particularly violent, twisted and racist cop (Darrell Philip) who looked to Davis for a shakedown. Davis wasn’t having it. All of this is going on while Davis himself is dealing with his own demons, including a cocaine habit.

Charles Isen
Photo by Ian Foxx

The actors playing parts of the sextet emote the feeling of a group of ‘cats’ who’ve been playing together for a while. The male banter that goes on before they take the stage is classic as they wax lyrical about everything from women to tall tales, to how some of them are taking longer solos than they should.

One particular night in August, an attractive female reporter (Tiffany Coty) from Upbeat magazine comes to the club to interview Davis. The encounter reveals his fabled lustful side.

Miles Davis

Marcus Clark-Oliver
Photo By Ian Foxx

While watching Marcus Clark-Oliver work the club as Davis, the audience has to suspend disbelief. Davis was a short, dark, skinny man with a raspy voice. Clark-Oliver is a tall, light-skinned, handsome man with a healthy voice.  He doesn’t really display the essence of a Davis – but rather gives the audience insight into this legendary performer. Clark-Oliver gives a stellar performance. The supporting cast all give enjoyable performances.  The actors who are pretending to play the various instruments are adept at feigning actually playing.

The actual actors playing throughout the show are Ricardo Mowatt, Marion Newton, and Randy Ross, who is also the playwright.

Ben Guillory

Ben Guillory, the artistic director and co-founder of The Robey Theatre Company has assembled an impressive cast.  He makes good use of the small space. Actors walk between the tables where the audience is seated just as they would in a club. It felt a bit like theater in the round.

Birdland Blue, written by Randy Ross, directed and produced by Ben Guillory, stars Marcus Clark Oliver, Jermaine Alexander, Damon Rutledge, Tiffany Coty, Michael D. Ricks, Rogelio Douglas III, Darrell Phillip, Eddie Goines, Jason Mimms, Charles Isen, and Shaw Jones. 

The remarkable musicians who perform Davis’ music live throughout the show include Marion Newton (bass), Ricardo Mowatt (percussionist0 and Randy Ross (saxophone). These musicians added to the ambiance needed to depict a true jazz club.

Birdland Blue is the first show in The Robey Theatre Company’s 25^th anniversary season. It was developed in The Robey Theatre Company’s Playwrights’ Lab.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Birdland Blue gets an O (oh, yeah).

Birdland Blue, Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, 8 p.m. Thur.-Sat., 3 p.m. Sun. through May 12; $35 (seniors, students, veterans, LAUSD teachers $22.50), groups of 10 or more, $20, 866 811 4111.