“Side Man,” at 1st Stage, is a well-written play about the world of New York’s jazz musicians in the 1950s through the 1980s. More specifically, it’s about trumpet players and the world that collapsed around them as Elvis and a new kind of music moved in.
The play is written by Warren Leight, whose father was jazz trumpeter Donald Leight, who played with Frank Sinatra and Lena Horne and performed in swish nightclubs including the Copacabana. The play is part Warren’s tribute to his father and part documentary of an era that saw tremendous changes in American musical taste.
The main character of “Side Man” is Clifford Glimmer (Patrick Bussink), the narrator and son of jazz trumpeter Gene Glimmer (Chris Mancusi). Gene is a sideman, a freelancer who can play solo, backup or whatever is called for in any gig. The two-pronged plot tells of the career of Gene and his friends, where his long nights out in clubs absorbed most of his attention, and his home life, where he lived in an uneasy marriage with his wife, Terry (Lee Mikeska Gardner), and barely knew his son.
| Onstage |
| ‘Side Man’ |
| Where: 1524 Spring Hill Rd., McLean |
| When: Through April 22 |
| Info: $15 to $25; 703-854-1856; 1stStageTysons |
Growing up, the closest Clifford and Gene get is a ships-passing-in-the-night relationship, in which Gene repeatedly thanks Clifford for “cleaning up.” In fact, Clifford does much more than clean up the apartment. At 10, he saves his alcoholic mother from suicide. He continually holds the family together while his father dons his tuxedo and goes out to entertain the public.
The play takes place in several locations, including the Glimmers’ Upper West Side apartment, as well as Charlie’s Melody Lounge, the 92nd St. Unemployment Office and the basement of the Hotel Nevada. Much of the play seems to be devoted to creating and describing moods at those places, rather than events, as Leight creates a hazy sense of period and place, rather than a straightforward plot.
Bussink is solid as the unflappable Clifford, willing to rehash the unpretty facts of his childhood in order to reveal the truth about a little-known world. Mancusi’s portrayal of Gene as a man who lives only for his art is strong and credible. Gardner is spot-on in her piercing interpretation of the boozy Terry. Gene’s buddies are portrayed with nice variations by Sun King Davis, Kevin Hasser and Maboud Ebrahimzadeh. Jjana Valentiner is excellent as the breezy waitress Patsy.
Director Michael Dove handles the play sensitively, making the fluid concept of time understandable and allowing Leight’s writing to breathe honestly, being serious without becoming melodramatic.
