Down at the End of Lonely Street: A Doo-Wop Musical Revue

This original musical comedy revue features Mansfield's own a cappella quartet, The Moonlighters, and includes the songs Stand By Me, Sh-Boom, I'm into Something Good, This Magic Moment, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Are you Lonesome Tonight and What'll I Do.

The Moonlighters: Michael Miller, Rusty Cates, Dalton Derr and Dirk Eachus.

The first event of the Jay Industries Off-Broadway Series, Down at the End of Lonely Street:  A Doo Wop Musical Revue, that features the very best of Mansfield's own, The Moonlighters.  Down at the End of Lonely Street is presented in the Renaissance's intimate Stage on Stage seating. 

 With a cast that includes J. Dalton Derr, Rusty Cates, Michael Miller and Dirk Eachus, it tells the fictional story of four singers who form an a capella quartet - only to discover that the road to fame and fortune is sometimes a bit bumpy.  The musical score is made up of some of the most requested popular hits of all time - including Sh Boom, Stand By Me, Up on the Roof and Heartbreak Hotel.   

A cappella singing has become popular again thanks in part to the success of the television program, The Sing Off, which is now in its third season on NBC.  For "Lonely Street", the four actors perform all of their musical numbers completely unaccompanied by musical instruments other than the human voice.

"We started singing together three years ago," says Michael Miller, the groups' resident baritone.  "We had all come from different backgrounds and prefer different styles of music, but we found that when we sing together, our voices seem to mesh."

Though the story of their singing partnership is completely fictionalized for the musical revue, they did draw on their own personal experiences when creating the show.  Miller, who plays the role of Duff, was born and raised in Lexington, was an accomplished performer at the age of 12, traveling the world performing with orchestras and theatrical tours, including the national tour of Oliver! featuring, among others, The Monkees' Davy Jones.  In the early 1970s, a promoter, inspired by the success of such teen heartthrobs as Donny Osmond and Bobby Sherman, teamed Miller with three other teens to form one of the very first "boy bands", Hobbeldehoy.  Releasing a string of recordings and featured in Tiger Beat Magazine, the group fell apart when their manager ran off to Europe with all the profits.  Miller drew on these experiences when crafting the script for "Lonely Street." 

The same is true for Derr, who, early in his career, performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.  Though the role he plays in "Lonely Street" is far from his real life adventures in the Big Apple, he was able to draw on those experiences when creating the character of Carlyle.   One of the highlights of the show is Derr's performance of the classic, "The Impossible Dream".

Dirk Eachus plays the role of the jingle-writing Lanny.  Whether extolling the virtues of pork or warning consumers to purchase Chilean coal mine disaster insurance, the Mansfield Senior High choral director brings a plethora of musical and acting experience to the stage, having appeared in the Renaissance Theatre's productions of Into the Woods and Ragtime.

Local radio personality Rusty Cates rounds out the cast as the country-western tunesmith Skeeter.  No stranger to a cappella singing, Cates continues to perform locally with the Fun Center Chordsmen.  As the character Skeeter, he discovers that the sadder his songs become, the more popular they are with audiences.

Though the evening will offer up plenty of comedy, the real focus of the show will be the musical numbers.   "Each of us brings something different to the table," says Miller.  "Down at the End of Lonely Street" offers so many different genres of music - from country to Doo Wop, swing to Caribbean, oldies to classical.  There's something for everyone." 

Songs include such favorites as Moon River, Good Lovin', Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Fly Me to the Moon, Bound for Jubilee, Shout and the Turtles hit Happy Together.  In all, there are over 25 songs.

Menu for Pre-Show Dinner

Roast Beef Po'boy Sandwiches
Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo
White Rice
French Bread
Mini Cupcakes

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