Theater preview: "I Just Stopped by to See the Man"

Set in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, "I Just Stopped by to See the Man" is a passionate ode to the power and truth of the blues.

Stephen Jeffreys' play, which debuts Wednesday at the Milwaukee Rep's Stiemke Theater, mixes elements of "Crossroads" and "Eddie and the Cruisers."

It tells the story of Jesse Davidson, "The Man," the greatest living bluesman. Or at least he was. Long believed dead after a car accident, Davidson lives a simple life with his activist daughter, Della, in a Mississippi Delta shack.

The legends of Jesse's life, like the story about him selling his soul to the devil so he could play guitar, continues to intrigue musicians after his "death."

When Karl, a famous English rock star who has been making a fortune off Jesse's tunes, stumbles into Jesse and his daughter's solitude and probes for the truth, he offers Jesse a chance to make a comeback that will upend his life and put Della in danger.

The story, loosely based on the real-life story of blues icon Robert Johnson, will captivate blues fans.

The play runs through May 3.