Hardships and Joys of the "Jazz Existence" the Focus of Original Play by Joseph Reed Hayes



The 13in13 Project, a year filled with 13 artistic events – theater, jazz, literary readings, workshops and movie screenings – culminates Dec. 6-9 as playwright and music producer Joseph Reed Hayes presents his jazz play, "Solos", in the Goldman Theater at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. 

The play, about love, deception and the hardships and joys of the jazz existence, is directed by theater veteran Paul Castaneda and stars Michael Sapp and Desiree Perez It features the music of Brian Groder, and the final evening will feature a live performance by the dynamic jazz ensemble La Lucha.

Sapp, called "a force of nature" by the Orlando Sentinel, plays trumpeter Ben "Blue" Miller through several decades of American jazz. Perez, a charismatic musical theater performer, plays Eleanor Grace, a composer whose work propels her partner to fame. Groder, named "Best of the Year" by Downbeat Magazine, has written music specifically for this production. The show on Dec. 9 features La Lucha, named "Best of the Bay" Jazz Ensemble by Creative Loafing Tampa. The story behind the play's story can be found at "The Beginners Guide to Solos." Tickets will be on sale at the door or in advance online at Red Chair Project.

Going in to 2014, The Awesome Foundation Orlando ("a micro-genius grant for flashes of micro-brilliance"; ) has funded Hayes' "Jazz On Edge Unplugged" project. Eight live acoustic performances in unorthodox spaces will spotlight the amazing talent of local musicians, and the sights and sounds of Orlando—a bass player under an overpass, a drummer overlooking Lake Ivanhoe, a sax trio to welcome commuters at the SunRail station—recorded and presented online and at upcoming Jazz On Edge events. At least two original plays, and the much anticipated Jazz On Edge "Battle of the Bands" show, will also be produced in 2014.

Hayes' successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign in January launched the 13in13 Project ("my year of living creatively"), allowing him to produce a year of events in varied and often non-traditional spaces, work with (and pay) 35 actors, musicians and other artists, and entertain more than 700 in-house audience members and nearly 1,000 online viewers.

SOLOS – jazz theater by Joseph Reed Hayes
December 6&7, 7:30pm $15
December 8, 2pm $12
December 9, "Solos Live" 7:30pm $18
The Goldman Theater, Lowndes Shakespeare Center
812 E Rollins St., Orlando
www.redchairproject.com/RedChair/event.aspx?id=9402