Pictured: David Lutken, left, and the cast of Woody "Sez". Courtesy of: McLaughlin Photography.

Asolo Repertory Theatre gears up for something a little different tonight. not quite a musical and much more than a concert, Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie opens with what Nick Corley, director of Woody Sez, calls a “theatrical concert event.” Featuring four performers, more than 20 instruments and loads of Guthrie hits, Corley and crew take the audience along for an exploration of the music, the man and the world he ultimately helped shape.

“I started learning Woody Guthrie songs when I was very young, growing up in Texas,” said chief deviser David Lutken, who also served as musical director and plays Woody in the show. First devised in 2007 (the creators eschew the word ‘writer’ in deference to Guthrie’s lyrical contributions and guidance), Woody Sez has since gone global, filling theaters from China to the United Kingdom to Germany. But it all began with Lutken’s friendship with Guthrie’s former manager, Harold Leventhal, who, seeing all the shows about Guthrie, wasn’t quite satisfied. The shows often focused on the social issues addressed more than the songwriter. “He wanted to show that it was really about Woody Guthrie, the man,” said Lutken, "and the songs that came out of it.”

“And his life spanned such interesting historical periods,” added Corley, referencing Guthrie’s prominence through the Great Depression and the turbulent days in the rise of labor unions. “His songs are often so joyous, yet it was through tragedy that so much came. It’s very American to deal with tragedy in a ‘pull yourself up by the bootstraps’ kind of way.”

Featuring four performers including Lutken, each will play multiple parts throughout the show, not impersonating but “embodying,” relying on mood and emotion to convey character and story in the absence of rotating sets and scene changes. Switching instruments even more often, all the great folk sounds are brought to bear, from the banjo to the mandolin and from the dulcimer to the dobro.  “They’re like characters to us,” said Lutken, who brings his 1860 Martin parlor guitar to the production in the safe and capable hands of co-star Helen Russell.

“What those four people do is incredible,” said Corley. “Their ability is a joy to watch—a gift.”

And if that wasn’t enough, every Sunday after the matinee performance, Lutken and the gang will convene in the theater lobby for a cast-led hootenanny, where all are invited, ticket or no, to share in an hour-long jam session with fellow musicians and enthusiasts. Revelers are encouraged to bring their own instruments and play along.

Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie opens tonight at 8pm in the Mertz Theatre and runs until June 21. 

Pictured: David Lutken, left, and the cast of Woody "Sez". Courtesy of: McLaughlin Photography.