Arts and Entertainment Asolo Rep's Woody Sez Celebrates Legend of American Roots Music

SARASOTA — American roots music starts with folk songs. Long before rock and roll, even before jazz and blues, there were the early songs of Americana, and perhaps no one is more responsible than the legendary Woody Guthrie for not only keeping the genre alive as the others came into favor, but stamping its influence on all that would follow.

Darcie Deaville, Helen Jean Russell, David Finch and David M. Lutken Photo by Gary W. Sweetman

Guthrie's depression-era music was often a call to arms for the working class and dealt with themes like fair wages, farmers and unscrupulous banking practices. His most famous song, This Land is Your Land, is one the most played and recorded songs in American music history. Other popular favorites include This Train and Do Re Mi.

He and his friend and contemporary Pete Seeger are regularly cited as deep influences by some of music's biggest stars, including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Jackson Browne.

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie is a musical history of Guthrie's life featuring four top-notch musicians playing 15 instruments from an autoharp to the mouth harp to the good old acoustic guitar. The title refers to a column Guthrie authored in People's World, titled 'Woody Sez,' which appeared a total of 174 times from May 1939 to January 1940.

Creator David Lutken transforms himself into Woody, bringing the wiry spitfire's energy to life in convincing fashion. The Broadway vet displays considerable musical talent in a performance that is much more than tribute.

Helen Jean Russell photo by Gary W. Sweetman

David Finch gives a terrific performance in ensemble parts that include Pete Seeger and stands out on both the violin and harmonica, while Darcy Deaville proves she can expertly play just about anything with strings.

The angelic voice of Helen Jean Russell serves as the heart of the quintet, adding a layer of warmth that perfectly compliments the origins of Guthrie's catalog.

After every Sunday performance, the cast puts on an open hootenanny in the theater's mezzanine, where guests get the unique opportunity to play their own instruments at hour-long jam sessions. The hootenannies are free and open to those who do and do not have tickets to that day's performance.

Woody Sez is a chance to step back in time and connect with the roots of Americana during two hours of stunningly authentic retrospective. Performances run through June 21 in the Mertz Theatre, located at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Visit www.asolorep.org for schedule and ticket information.

David Finch, David M. Lutken, Helen Jean Russell and Darcie Deaville Photo by Gary W. Sweetman

David Finch Photo by Gary W. Sweetman