That question hung in the air for Eric Hanson, Dave Parrott, Kirk Greenley and Amelia Oliver following Webster City Community Theatre’s production of Little Shop of Horrors in the summer of 2025.

Oliver had taken the stage as Audrey, Hanson kept the rhythm alive as drummer in the live band, Greenley played bass and Parrott shaped the sound behind the scenes.

“We were having such a good time,” Oliver said. “And then there’s that morose wall after the show ends, like there always is. But then we thought… it doesn’t have to end.”

So, they didn’t let it.

The group gathered at Hanson’s house — part post-show therapy session, part creative spark.

“Quite honestly, we were sitting there at Eric’s, wiping tears from our eyes, wondering what we could do next,” Parrott said.

“What have we done, and what doesn’t exist?” Hanson added. “What do we need?”

The answer came in the form of something timeless: jazz.

“I said we should form a small jazz band,” Parrott said. He’d take trombone, Greenley on bass, Hanson on drums. Parrott’s wife, Tamiann, joined on keyboard. One piece was still missing.

“We needed a singer. And we realized ­– hey, we’ve got Audrey!” Parrott said.

“And I said, ‘why not?'” Oliver laughed.

Just like that, the Day Okay Jazz Project was born.

“It came from a very melancholy place. We didn’t want the music to end. Musicians need music,” Parrott said.

Their first rehearsal in October was tentative–testing the waters, searching for a sound. A few songs didn’t quite click. Then they started playing “Girl from Ipanema.”

Everything changed.

“That’s when it locked in,” Hanson said. “It lit a fire in everybody’s brain.”

From there, the group leaned into the Great American Songbook, curating a mix of jazz standards and reimagined favorites that highlight both their musicianship and their shared joy of performing.

Now, that energy is ready to take the stage.

The Day Okay Jazz Project will premiere in concert at 7 p.m. Friday at Webster City Community Theatre, 1001 Willson Ave. ­– bringing their journey full circle.

“Where else would we have the concert?” Hanson said. “This place is special. There’s some magic here.”

While the concert is free, donations will be accepted to support WCCT.

Audiences can expect a lively, genre-blending set featuring classics like “Night and Day,” “Cheek to Cheek,” and “Route 66,” along with a few creative twists.

“We veer a little toward rock with that one,” Oliver said, “and then lean into show tunes with ‘Stepping Out With My Baby.’ We’ve even taken a few modern hits and jazzed them up.”

And this is just the beginning.

The group is already in discussions with Lift WC, the City of Webster City, and Wildcat Distilling to bring live music to the Webster City Garden Party on the second and fourth Saturdays this summer, performing from 7 to 10 p.m. in the garden next to the Elks Building.

“We want people to see that you don’t have to go to Ames or Des Moines to hear great music and have a good time,” Parrott said. “Why can’t Webster City be a city of music, too?”

That vision is already gaining momentum. Hanson said other musicians and singers have expressed interest in joining the project.

“That will come,” he said. “We want to get one season under our belts first.”

Doors open Friday at 6:30 p.m., with general admission seating.ecause sometimes, when the curtain falls … it’s not the end of the story.

It’s just the start of a new set.