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There Aint No More: Death of a Folksinger
Willi Carlisle Productions
Show Information:
“There Ain’t No More!” is an award-winning tour-de-folk operetta based on legends of American folk music.
During his last performance, a dying folksinger faces the life he has led, the legacy he will leave behind, and death itself with five instruments, square-dance calls, and enough dirty jokes to make a beaver blush. The medication-addled musician relives lost love, his experience of the Vietnam War, years of political activism, and adventures into the American wilderness in this haunting, heartfelt hootenanny. The Orlando weekly describes it as “A poetic celebration of America’s original art form that is simultaneously ancient and avant-garde.”
There Ain’t No More! addresses the faded and sometimes troubling legacy of American folk culture. Developed in a collaboration with “Ozark renaissance folklorist” Willi Carlisle and director Joseph Fletcher, the play is the product of five years of research, down-home poetry, field recordings, music-mentorship, and folklore amidst the misty mountains of the Arkansas Ozarks. Winner 2017 Orlando Fringe “Best Show of the Fringe” and “Patrons Pick”.
Venue
Phosphor Studio
1730 Broadway
Kansas City, MO 64108
Show Times
July 21 – Friday – 10:30pm
July 22 – Saturday – 7:30pm
July 23 – Sunday – 3:00pm
July 25 – Tuesday – 7:30pm
July 27 – Thursday – 9:00pm
July 29- Saturday – 6:00pm
Category
Theatre
Runtime
60 Minutes
Rating
Parental Guidance
Warning
Adult Language
Comments
9 responses to “There Aint No More: Death of a Folksinger”
That’s a subtle way of thkining about it.
In many years of attending dozens of Fringe shows each season this is the most impressive I have seen. In his 60-minute one-man show Willi Carlisle plays five musical instruments with dazzling virtuosity. He does things with a banjo your eyes and ears won’t believe. He layers in singing, clog dancing and sock puppets from within a death’s head mask while zipping nimbly from an Arkansas barn raising to Vietnam era USO shows while exploring minutia such as why so many female sweethearts die in folk songs. I will say no more because Willi says it all better and I don’t want to spoil it for you. The Phosphor Studio is not a large venue so please get your tickets early for this show. You don’t want to miss it.
Amazing show ! Saw the opening and it is packed with humor and meaning. Seriously laughing and crying over this one.
Great show. Had a lot of fun. Reminders of the strengths and sadness of old folk music and the people behind it. Willie cycles through harmonica, guitar, banjo, and fiddle (yes he can play without sticking his tongue out) along with dance and voice. I almost did feel the presence of the barn raising square dance around me.
Terrific show! Musical talent with both instruments and voice, and well acted. Well worth seeing!
Excellent show!!!!
Willi Carlisle is amazingly gifted. He is a master of several instruments, a great singer and a captivating actor whose one-man show is like a surreal carnival of Americana music over the years. The tone hits every imaginable emotion, shifting deftly back in forth from over-the-top zaniness to dirty jokes to the horrors of war as Carlisle plays a folksinger who rails against inevitable death as he relays all of the wonders of his life (including the inane and terrible). At times, the material is hard to digest as the main character seems to be an amalgam of all things folk (so it can feel disparate as a narrative). Thus, there is a feeling that you are traveling at very high speeds with no seat belt or air bags while watching the journey. Still, the sights and sounds are a spectacle to behold. Even when the show confused and challenged me, I could hardly deny the incredible skills and talents being displayed on stage.
Willi is amazing. This is a banjoriffic tour-de-force. I’m glad that–when the audience was invited to sing along to his finely-crafted choruses–I wasn’t the only one belting out the melodies. If you want to catch energetic storytelling blended with masterful musicianship, look no further than this superb foot-stomper of a show. If you have a few bills on you, you can even snag some of his merch and music after the final bow.
One man musical show chronicling the life (and value) of a dying folksinger. The energy and life the actor embodies at different stages of the character’s life is phenomenal. Not only is he a talented musician, his ability to show emotion and depth is incredible. He knows when to make you laugh and when to make you cry. At times you KNOW you’re listening to an old man talk to you and not just seeing a show. Everything about this performance was spectacular. I will be shocked if this does not end up being my favorite show this year.