Musical revue at Playhouse revels in blues

By Milan Paurich

Dr. John Cox is not only a highly respected area pediatrician with a thriving practice, he’s also one of the most sought-after talents on the community theater scene. Cox, whose acting r sum is studded with a plethora of memorable turns (“A Streetcar Named Desire,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” et al), made his directorial debut earlier this month with the Youngstown Playhouse’s “Barefoot in the Park.”

Now Cox is directing his first musical, also at the Playhouse: Sheldon Epps’ jazzy musical revue “Blues in the Night.”

In a recent interview, Cox discussed the challenges he’s faced this summer mounting two shows in such rapid succession, and how he manages to balance his professional and personal lives with his (theatrical) avocation.

Q. “Blues in the Night” is considerably less well known than similar musicals like “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” or “Ain’t Misbehavin.” Could you give us a little background on the show?

A. “Blues in the Night” was a Tony nominee for Best Musical in 1982. It uses the great blues and jazz songs of the ’20s and ’30s to explore the lives of three women and a male saloon singer during the course of one long, memory-filled evening. I loved the idea of a blues play, because blues is the type of music that you really feel. It’s the root of most contemporary American music: rock 'n' roll, country, etc. The songs are specifically chosen to accent each character. Through them, you get to know the characters and to share a part of their lives.

Q. Is there any narrative skeleton to connect the songs, or is it mostly a series of performance/production numbers?

A. “Blues” is set in the late 1930s at a Chicago hotel. The three female roles are “The Lady from the Road” (Amariah McIntosh), a warm and colorful older woman, ageless in her eyes. She not only sings the blues, she is the blues. The beautiful and stylish “Woman of the World” (Carla Gipson) who once knew a richer, more lavish lifestyle, but is now aging and learning to deal with being alone. “The Girl with a Date” (Nikita Jones) is full of energy and enthusiasm, and ready to take on life in the big city. And there’s also “The Man In the Saloon” (Martin Charles Moore). He was charming and dangerous at one point in his life, but now he’s just stuck in this cheap hotel thinking he deserves something better, yet not really certain how to move on.

In songs like Benny Goodman’s “Stompin at the Savoy,” The Woman reminisces about better times, and she charts her downward spiral through the rest of the show. The Girl sings “I’ve Got a Date With a Dream,” and when her date doesn’t show, she tears into “Willow Weep For Me.” Only The Man and The Lady speak during the show. They set up the characters and their dynamics. But there’s very little dialogue overall. I decided to make The Woman from the ’50s, and The Girl from the ’70s. Although they’re from different generations, the blues is still the blues. Relationships and broken hearts are always the same.

Q. What was it like to segue directly from “Barefoot in the Park” to “Blues in the Night,” and still find time for your medical practice? That sort of intensive multitasking would drive just about anyone bonkers. How have you managed to cope this summer?

A. Switching from “Barefoot” to “Blues” wasn’t really that tough. I knew months in advance which shows we were doing, so I planned things out in advance. That’s where my medical background came in handy because I love working under pressure. I was in a professional Improv group called Lighten Up during the two-and-a-half years I spent in Kansas City for medical school. Trust me, it was a lot more fun hanging out with silly people than my wigged-out fellow med students. It was a great balance, as well as a fantastic stress-reliever. I could study and do my homework, then laugh and play with Lighten Up on the weekends. Working with great actors like the “Barefoot” and “Blues” casts has been an amazing experience. As director, I get to see shows come to life from the audition phase to rehearsals to opening night. It’s been a blast.

Q. What are you working on next? Will you be acting in, or directing, any upcoming shows around town?

A. I’m co-directing (with Chris Fidram) and possibly acting in “The Elephant Man” at the Victorian Players this fall. Then I’ll be revisiting Jack Ballantyne’s Holocaust epic “Block 5” in January, and directing “Wit” at the Oakland next spring. That way, I get to be a theater geek at night and still keep my day job. Much to my parents’ eternal relief, I might add (laughs).

Q. The excellent turnout for “Barefoot in the Park” must have been enormously gratifying. Is there anything you’d like to say to longtime Playhouse audiences to bring them back into the fold for the upcoming season?

A. I hope that patrons old and new will see that our theater community still has plenty of vitality and life. Not to mention endless reserves of talent and quality shows from top to bottom. “Barefoot” was just the beginning for the “new” Youngstown Playhouse.

if you go

What: “Blues in the Night”

Where: The Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane (off Glenwood Avenue)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Aug. 7-8; and 3 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 9

Tickets: Call (330) 788-8739.