Article: Keegan's 'Side Man' Plays the Blue Notes

A simple song request quickly establishes the tone of Warren Leight's semi-autobiographical drama "Side Man." Clifford, the son of a jazz trumpeter, is on his way to one of his father's shows, the first time he'll have seen his dad in a few years. But Clifford first checks in on his mom, who in one breath curses her estranged husband and in the next urges Clifford to make sure his dad is eating, because in a recent dream of hers, "he looked dead."

And Clifford should also be sure to have his father to play her favorite song: "Why Was I Born?" "I'll ask," Clifford deadpans.

The semi-amused sourness behind this nihilistic question is a recurring theme in "Side Man," a Tony Award-winner ...

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