On opening night of Six Guitars, Chase Padgett and the six guitar-playing characters he’s created found a mostly adoring cabaret audience at Florida Studio Theater. Some, though, left at intermission, and I confess I wish I could have too. Why? I’d have preferred Chase Padgett just exhibiting his considerable talent for illustrating different styles of music and playing it on his guitar. Instead he acts six characters who do so.
Padgett’s Tyrone, like B. B. King, sings and plays the blues. Six times married and soulful, he wants to “teach” the audience the hard rock ‘n roll that matches his life’s hard times. He looked drugged to me.
Rupert is 27 and Southern. His country music exists to tell stories. He leads a group, unseen here, he says started out as irreverent gospel singers. One of the ones he compares himself to is Johnny Cash. I’d say “yes” to his music but not his chatter.
Wesley thinks he knows all about jazz after 25 years playing it. He believes it’s just too great for ordinary people to understand. I thought his playing much better than his dialogue. The audience ate it up though, as they did jokes about bodily fluids.
Emmanuel Ortego, 30 and Mexican, lacks command of English, which he speaks too fast. He’s the classical musician who thinks “all music is a snake.” I found him a somewhat offensive stereotype.
Michael, a 20-year-old rocker who’s into heavy metal, paradoxically begins sounding like a young woman. I’m not a fan of metal, but Michael’s second-act story of how he got hooked on it was for me one of the best sequences in Padgett’s show.
Peter, an ingratiating ‘50s hippie, loves folk music because it brings people together. He was in college before he learned what “Puff the Magic Dragon,” a childhood favorite, “was about.” He tells of a deceased friend, Jerry, who helped him understand folk. Padgett emulates Peter playing on Jerry’s guitar at his funeral. “You Are My Sunshine” is joined in by all.
Padgett morphs from one character to another cleverly throughout and often uses aspects of audience reaction improvisationally. At one point, he learns the background of an audience member or two and uses this to create a rock piece on the spot. A few times he inspires his listeners to sing along. To me, the show is notable for explaining six different kinds of music, all of which can be nicely performed on guitar.
It helps that the sound system works well. A simple draped background changes colors and intensities of light nicely to go with the mood of each routine.
