Blue Heaven is not a show you go to for the plot or the monologues, which are jammed into the middle section of this 90-minute show to provide some background on the lives of the depicted artists – Howlin’ Wolf, Big Mama Thornton, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King – before it heads into full concert mode.

You do go for the music, and it’s a treat. The only things missing from my days of going to blues clubs were a layer of cigarette smoke and a bottle of beer in hand.

And, if you closed your eyes, the talented cast, aided by a terrific backup band, might make you think you were listening to the original performers. My favorite was probably Cynthia Carter, as Thornton, who brought a delicious feistiness to her part.

The only one of the featured five I ever saw in person was King, as the opening act for the Rolling Stones in 1969. Unforgettable.

I was familiar with about 40% of the songs in Blue Heaven, but, if you’ve listened to enough blues, you think you know the songs even if you’ve never heard them before.