MICHAEL SMITH World Entertainment Writer
01/20/2002

`Side Man' salutes the passions, tragedy of the unsung musician

That's because side men are so good that you don't notice them, if that makes any sense. They play so well, they don't stick out. They're just part of the sound. They could do a solo, but they're just as proficient at blending right in. That's the way they're trained, and it's the way they're judged by their peers.

This code of conduct was well established among the big band players of the '30s and '40s, and it's pretty much the only code that Gene, the jazz trumpeter at the center of the play "Side Man," knows to live by.

Unfortunately, while he honors these long traditions in his role as consummate musician, Gene also seems condemned to many of the common pitfalls of the trade: long hours away from the family, uncertain finances, bad relationships and more.

A memory play spanning three decades, the 1999 Tony Award-winner for best new play looks at life through the eyes of Clifford, only son of Gene and alcoholic mother Terry. Alternating between scenes in their New York apartment and the jazz club, playwright Warren Leight shows the slow disintegration of both a family and an era.

The play's subject matter and many of the scenes have brought back vivid memories for the play's director, Lisa Robertson Stefanic, a well-known local theatrical figure. She's dedicating her work on the project to her father, Larry Robertson, who until he eventually turned to sales and later real estate, was a big band drummer until she was about 6 years old.

"I grew up with some of these side men when I was a kid," she said. "I could see some of these characters, which is part of the reason why I took this project on. My dad was called a `drummer's drummer' in his day. Gene is kind of like that, you know, and he gets compared to other people. Like his wife says, `You know who you remind me of? Dizzy Gillespie.' And Gene says, `Don't ever say that in front of the guys.' He doesn't think he's worthy. He doesn't want the guys to think he's any better than the rest of them.

"They're such a breed unto themselves, and some people don't understand that kind of dedication to the music, like Gene devotes his whole life to the music. I understand now even more so why my dad quit playing. He had a family and you can't do both."

The flashback nature of "Side Man," along with Clifford's narration, moves the audience from 1953 to 1985, from the heyday of jazz after World War II to the rise of rock 'n' roll.

This period is also familiar to Robertson Stefanic, who remembers her father telling of playing at the University of Oklahoma with his group, "The Ramblers," in a four-state area for a couple of years before Pearl Harbor was bombed and he joined the Navy. When he returned from overseas, he attended the University of Tulsa on the G.I. Bill and he became the first student production manager for KWGS, the school's radio station.

There were also a few more years of playing gigs around town with his buddies, but then family and the potential of a different career took precedence, she said.

"Dad's now in St. Simeon's (Episcopal Home), and he has dementia, but he still plays his practice pad," Robertson Stefanic said. "We were over there a couple of weeks ago, and that man still has the touch. We were singing Christmas carols, and he started drumming to `Jingle Bells.' And his syncopation was right on the mark. God love him, he can't remember my name -- he knows I'm here -- but man, he can still play the drums. And they love him out there. On Sundays, they'll put on big band music, and they'll say, `Larry, get out your drumsticks.' The music is still in him.

"My dad always kind of understood my passion for theater, I think. That's what made me think of dedicating the play to him. He'll never know, but I'll know in my heart."

Heller Theater's production of "Side Man" stars Derek Adams, Mark Albert, Monica Barczak, David Gray, Kurt Harris, Annette Rosenheck and Kenneth Smith. Sue Sinor is the stage manager.

What: "Side Man," Heller Theater presents Warren Leight's 1999 Tony Award-winner for Best Drama
When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, also 8 p.m. Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Feb. 7-9, 2 p.m. Feb. 3
Where: Heller Theater, 5328 S. Wheeling Ave.
Tickets: $5-$7, may be reserved by calling 746-5065. NOTE: This production contains adult language and situations and is suggested for mature audiences