Paul's Playhouse
Our final week exploring the dancehalls of Cajun Country with filmmaker and folklorist John Sharp  takes us to a fifty year celebration of Paul's Playhouse and birthday party for owner Almo "Chickeen" Miller.
 

Fifty years as an established business is quite a feat. It is even more impressive when the business is a bar and dancehall that is relatively unknown in the surrounding areas. The Playhouse in Sunset is one such spot.

 

Paul's Playhouse
 

Owner Almo "Chickeen" Miller sat quietly behind the person taking the entrance fee, getting up every few minutes to shake hands and greet attendants. It happened that this night, in addition to being the fiftieth anniversary of the club, was the seventy-fourth birthday of the owner. He wore a suit coat studded with gifts of pinned on cash-anything from fives, tens, and twenties, on up to a single hundred dollar bill.

 

Paul's Playhouse
 

One of the clubs that brought in touring bands off the "chitlin' circuit," the Playhouse helped inform the distinctly Louisiana music genre of Swamp Pop. The contents of the CD jukebox trace the history of the club itself, with albums by blues icon Bobby Blue Bland, mid- 60s funk soul by Joe Tex, the latest offerings from nouveau zydeco artist Chris Ardoin, "Zydeco Boss"-Keith Frank, as well as no less than six albums by the evening's entertainment, "Mr. Excitement"-Patrick Henry.

 

Paul's Playhouse
 

The sound of a high-energy hyped-up introduction filled the room while the very tight band pumped up the entrance of "Mr. Excitement." As Patrick Henry made his way through the crowd, he picked up speed, almost bursting onto the stage when he arrived. His appearance sent a wave of energy careening through as the entire room rose to their feet. The Liberation Band went into a James Brown song and the dance floor filled followed by a string of Henry's own songs that kept the crowd at full attention and dancing. Folks were still arriving at midnight.

 

Paul's Playhouse
 

In a moment of sheer delight at the entire scene, I was overwhelmed by the belief that The Playhouse might be here for another fifty years, and that I hoped it didn't need to change one single bit to make it work.


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