Oscar E Moore

GREENWOOD, an original new musical by Tor Hyams and Adam LeBow (Book,Music & Lyrics) is pleasant enough with its happy tunes and its feel good message that it’s never to late to follow your dream.  It boasts a fine cast of singers but is burdened with a much too complicated plot where a lot of excellent ideas are struggling to emerge.

It takes place at a summer camp called “Greenwood” up in the Catskills circa 1986 where drama queens and kids looking to fit in somehow sing and dance to their hearts content.  Friendships are made and talents are discovered.  It is a place where most everyone had the time of their lives.  That’s just part of the story directed and choreographed by Paul Stancato.

Flash forward twenty five years and we discover the same group of kids now grown up and mostly unhappy especially Adult Sheila (Andrea McArdle the original Annie and still sounding great) living a safe life but regretting what could have been and remembering all the good times she had at Greenwood.  So she gets on Facebook, planning a reunion of all her fellow happy campers.

We then go back and forth following sub plots and sub sub plots and sub sub sub sub plots trying to figure out who this show is really about.  There are simply too many detours. 

The creators, trying to find a balance between the present and the past, are only partially successful.  Some hard rethinking and restructuring might help immensely and get them back on the right road, discovering the strongest through line and cutting the clutter.

It is Adult Sheila’s story?  If so, we do not get enough of Young Sheila (Jenavene Hester).  Or is it Alex and Zoe’s relationship that is most important?  It seems to be and all four actors are excellent (Young Alex /Andrew Redlawsk – Adult Alex/ Cary Shields Young Zoe/Alicia Morton – Adult Zoe – Mary Mossberg). 

And what about Young Daniel (a top notch Bryan Welnicki) who has a great song – “Wings of Fire” who then disappears for the reunion, replaced by Sam (Ben Nordstrom) only to show up later as a mysterious man/Adult Daniel (Daniel Blinkoff)? 

Or is the flamboyant dancer Jeff (Young- Jacob Liberman Adult – Patrick Boyd) the obviously gay guy longing for Alex too important?

As the best friend of Alex (Nick Dalton as Josh) comes on strong as he persuades him to go to the reunion as does Zakiya Young as Stacey who performs the same function for Zoe.

The heavy set son of the owner of Camp Greenwood steals the show.  Both as Young Ronald – Christopher Brent Davis and Adult Ronald – Jayden Lund.  They provide most of the comic relief.

Andy Gale as Gary the Camp Director does an excellent job in getting the heartfelt  messages of following your dreams and doing your best that Hyams and LeBow obviously feel very strongly about which is summed up in the very Kander and Ebb type number “Do A Musical”. 

Part Glee, part Follies GREENWOOD has to find its own identity.  It already has its soul.  The final image of the Adult /Young characters standing side by side is probably GREENWOOD’S best remembered moment.

www.nymf.org            www.greenwoodthemusical.com

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Two strangulations.  A suicide.  Incest.  Treachery. War.  After-life.  And lots and lots of drums being beat sums up Marcus Hummon’s TUT.

This is the third musical by Marcus Hummon (book, music, lyrics) that I have seen over the years at NYMF.  WARRIOR and THE PIPER were extremely impressive and so I was looking forward to seeing TUT at The Theatre at St. Clements.

TUT is a strange combination of theatrical parts.  A dance/performance piece – mostly sung through it sometimes sounds operatic; sometimes – Yanni meets Carmina Burana.

The choreography by Abdel R. Salaam (artistic director of Forces of Nature Dance Theatre) mirrors in stylized dance movements what the narrator of the piece – the British archaeologist Howard Carter (an incredibly strong Sean Maclaughlin) describes as he searches for the long lost tomb of King Tutankhamun while we see Tut’s tragic short life and after life unfold.

TUT is a bold and ambitious attempt.  Grammy Award-Winner Marcus. Hummon has gone way beyond his comfort zone here.  Which shows his desire to grow as an artist.  But this score or song cycle assaults the ears with a tsunami of sound.  It seems that the mantra of loud, louder, loudest has taken over the production.  I kept waiting for a quiet, beautifully melodic moment to emerge from the rhythmic beating of the drums and disappointed when none came.   Where is the mystery that is Egypt?

The cast has some remarkable singers.  The already mentioned Mr. Maclaughlin who has the most difficult job of holding the production together while creating a fully realized character as he recounts his journey of discovery.  He is confident and has a tremendous voice and presence.

Curtis Wiley brings Tut to life with his soaring tenor.  As the evil uncle Ay, Jesse Means surprises every time he sings with his deep resonant basso.  And then there is the beautiful N’Kenge who portrays Ankhesenamun, Tut’s sister and wife, with sensitivity and a voice that whose range reaches stratospheric heights.

TUT is a most interesting undertaking that is not altogether successful as of yet.

www.nymf.org Photo:  Jeff Larkin

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Angela Bassett and Samuel L. Jackson give electrifying performances, igniting the dialogue and setting the stage of the Bernard Jacobs Theatre afire in the provocative, wildly imaginative, extremely funny and poignant new play THE MOUNTAINTOP by Katori Hall.

It is April 3, 1968 the day before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Samuel L. Jackson) meets his death.  He has just given a rousing speech in support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee and has come back to the Lorraine Hotel, Room 306 wet, tired and coughing where he attempts to come up with some inspiring words for tomorrow’s oration while removing his shoes, revealing a hole in his sock and stinky feet while waiting for a friend to bring him a pack of Pall Mall cigarettes.  Impatiently he calls room service for some coffee. 

Camae (Angela Bassett) is there in an instant.  At once impressed but unafraid of Mr. K.  She is sassy and brazen and extremely pretty as he repeatedly points out.  It’s her first day on the job and she is at odds on how she should act and unable to control what comes out of her mouth.

What does comes out are some sparkling, insightful and riotously funny comments supplied by Ms. Katori, the playwright who has written a fine new play dealing with the most sensitive of subjects, God and mortality included, in a fresh and delightful and most very serious way.

Mr. King is depicted as all man here and not a Saint.  And Mr. Jackson has refined his oratorical skills while exposing the inner turmoil and thoughts of a person who has received death threats before but is in no hurry to meet his maker as he still has lots to accomplish.  A few lies here and there notwithstanding.

When he asks Camae what she would say if she were in his shoes, there follows a show stopping sermon that is as wise as it is full of wise cracks and has the audience in a frenzy as if at a revival meeting.

It’s obvious why Mr. K is so attracted and intrigued by this maid who has the nerve to spar with him as an equal.  It is so unexpected and so funny that you will wonder how this will all play out.

Well, I am not at liberty to divulge that.  I will only say that there is an abrupt change in the tone of the play when Camae calls Mr. King by his original name – Michael.  This radically sets the play off into another direction entirely.  A change that might invigorate, enrage or be hard to accept.

THE MOUNTANTOP is skillfully directed by Kenny Leon who has supplied a spectacular and inspirational finish with scenic and projection design by David Gallo, lighting design (Brian MacDevitt) incidental music (Branford Marsalis)  and of course Ms. Katori and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was Mr. Leon who brought us the brilliant FENCES last season.  Lightening has certainly struck twice with this production.

www.themountaintopplay.com  Photo of Theater Marquee: SPATE  Photo:  Joan Marcus

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Fragmented.  Contrived.  A gay take on Our Town.  THE BUS by James Lantz has pulled up for a short run through Oct 30^th at 59E59 Theater C which might be mistaken for a prop closet and not a space to perform plays.  Especially one with six characters that are so close as to make you feel extremely uncomfortable.  Which might be the point.

Two gay teenage boys Jordan – who has only one thing on his hormonally charged mind (the adorable Bryan Fitzgerald who has great natural instincts as an actor) and the quirky Ian (Will Roland – reminiscent of a young John Ritter) sneak off nightly or whenever they can to kiss and have sleeping bag sex in an abandoned bus that has been on Ian’s dad’s property for 15 years.

His angry dad, Harry (Travis Mitchell) runs the local Texaco gas station along with Sloat (Robert Nuner) a drinker and a plot point.  Harry is divorced from his ultra religious wife Sarah (Kerry McGann) who is in ultra denial about her son Ian.  With parents like these it’s easy to see why Ian needs to escape.

It is only now that Harry wants the bus removed.  We find out the real reason, far into the 85 minute saga – which might have made for a more interesting play.  The Golden Rule Church – of which they have many – objects as it has served as its landmark all these years.  Lawyers are brought it, the gas station is boycotted and then matters get explosively out of hand.

Jordan’s young sister – The Little Girl (an amazing Julia Lawler) acts as stage manager, I mean narrator in this Our Town like telling of the tale of the two teenage lovers where she sets up the situations and becomes the voice of many characters – all successfully.  She knows her brothers “secret” as Jordan has spilled the beans to her and he is not afraid.  Ian is.  Although no one bullies them ever, Ian is simply afraid of being found out.

There are too many spoilers here to go into.  And most don’t make much sense anyway.

Director John Simpkins does a fine job considering the script and the space. The simple set by Michael Schweikardt does its job well and the original music by Michael Shaieb is superb as are the atmospheric sound effects.

It is only in the last twenty minutes that the story starts to take hold and you begin to care about the two boys.  But it’s a little too late to make you want to jump on board The Bus and go along for the ride.

www.59e59.org.              www.thebustheplay.com

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Billy the Kid was just a scruffy juvenile delinquent trying to find his way through life.  To help him succeed his parents gave young Billy a Colt .45 for his birthday, instructing him to point and shoot and kill a rabbit.  Kill or be killed.  Rule number one for survival. 

Rule number two.  Steal to stay warm.  Billy (Corey Boardman) robs a coat landing him in jail where he meets Pat Garrett (an imposing David Murgittroyd) who comes up with a “plan” to escape.  They become buddies.  And meet up with Chavez (Justin Gregory Lopez) Charlie (Antonio Addeo) Tom (Travis McClung) and love interest Celsa (Isabel Santiago) forming a gang that is on the run.

The rest is fictionalized history with a pop/rock spin in the new musical “Outlaws:  The Ballad of Billy the Kid” now running at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre as part of NYMF written by Perry Liu, Alastair William King and Joe Calarco which literally starts off with a bang, the death of Billy at age 21 and the recurring song “That’s What They Said” which might be truth and might be legend.

They are rock stars of the sagebrush on the loose.  Stomping and wailing to a pretty good score with nice specific lyrics, fists in the air and venting all the pent up anger that is ready to explode they sing their way to California where they believe they will finally belong and be safe and where they can do whatever they want.  Just doesn’t work out that way after Billy points and shoots and kills someone. 

Jenn Rapp stages this rock show like a game of hide-and-go-seek spicing the action up with some sexy dance routines.  But the book often falters.  It’s too consolidated and doesn’t allow the characters to breathe enough between songs.  Having the actors double also causes some believability problems.

Corey Boardman is the perfect Billy.  Wired and angry and sexy and longing for a better life he is pulled in all directions becoming a “celebrity” in the process.  His duet with Celsa “A Place in the Sun” is a lovely respite from the otherwise heavy rock score.

Travis McClung does an excellent job mining the humor from his naïve, wanna-be-tough gang member.  His recollection of his first time with a prostitute is over much too quickly and he brings true feeling to his role.

“Outlaws” has some of the best gun shot sound effects and harmonica playing that adds great authenticity to the production that is told in flashback with heart pounding, frenzied songs that are sometimes beyond the range of those singing them in true rock idol fashion.

www.nymf.org                     www.outlawsrockmusical.com

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Another Follies inspired musical, this one not and a dud by first time writers Matthew Martin & Tim Realbuto (book, music and lyrics) based on Olive Thomas – a Ziegfeld Follies girl who had an affair with her boss, married Jack Pickford, became a Hollywood star and a heavy drinker, met her death in Paris at age 26 with some mistaken medication and is rumored to haunt the New Amsterdam Theatre as a giving and caring ghost.

Olive Thomas might as well be named Olive Drab in this dullest of shows that spans almost three hours in the saga of Ms. Thomas starring some important show business names playing some VIP show business luminaries.

To wit:  Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. (Michael Hayden – looking like what Bobby Morse used to look like and bustling about the stage like a chorus boy in heat and not the impresario that Ziegfeld was) Billie Burke aka Mrs. Ziegfeld (Rachael York looking stunning as usual but exhibiting none of the wit that supposedly kept their marriage together) and the fictional Molly Cook, Olive’s best friend (Daisy Eagan).  I have to say that Ms. Eagan is the only character I remotely cared about and she gives a fine if subdued performance in this musical that has one of the most somber scores on record.

Tap numbers notwithstanding (choreography by Michael Kidney), the remainder of the score is strange.  At times I was reminded of “Falling in Love Again” and “Play a Simple Melody” a counter point song here called “Two of a Kind”.  The duet between Olive and Molly “Sometimes” and Jack’s “That’s How I’ll Remember You – sung beautifully by Matt Leisy” fare best.

The Ziegfeld production numbers “Everybody’s Sweetheart”  “New York is So Grand” and “Welcome to the Follies” give us some relief from the tedious and senseless story that goes into a bizarre second act where Olive meets up with everyone in her past (and they get to sing a number) after she has gotten her gig as the New Amsterdam Theatre ghost in residence.

Fanny Brice (Kimberly Faye Greenberg – rolling her eyes, mugging and not being very funny) doesn’t help lift the spirits.  And when Fanny Brice isn’t funny something is really amiss.

Rachael Fogle, as Olive, has some very large shoes to fill.  She looks beautiful and sings nicely but as written can this young girl have been so naïve or did she know exactly what she was doing to get to the top so quickly?

The word “mistake” keeps popping up only to remind us that the concept for Ghostlight is just that – a mistake.  Perhaps the writers should not have also directed the piece.  Perhaps they should have allowed someone else to do that all important job.  Someone with a timer and an eye and ear for what works and what doesn’t.

Everyone’s heart is in the right place but Ghostlight is unfortunately a mere ghost of a musical.

Playing at The Signature Theatre Company’s Peter Norton Space.

www.NYMF.org www.ghostlightthemusical.com

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Unexpected pleasures abound in this romantic, lyrical and just about perfect production of “Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice” which is now running at The Signature Theatre Company’s Peter Norton Space through Oct. 11^th as part of the New York Musical Festival.  Miss it and you will never forgive yourself.  It’s simply glorious.  Stylish in its simplicity, it’s one of the finest all around productions of NYMF I have ever seen.

Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs are responsible for the book, music and lyrics.  And they have come up with a brilliant concept.  Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” has just been published and she has been asked to submit another manuscript.  As Jane (a mesmerizing Donna Lynne Champlin) searches for inspiration among the papers strewn on the floor her sister Cassandra (Rebecca Pitcher) suggests she take another look at her novel “First Impressions” which ultimately becomes Pride and Prejudice.  And it is here that the brilliant concept shines through.

We see Jane’s characters come to life “en masse” as she revises her book.  Having to make “choices” – sometimes asking them what they are going to do next, sometimes substituting one word for another, sometimes letting them do the talking as she notates, and sometimes just enjoying being in their company.  Sublime theatrics at work here.  And so the saga of the Bennet family unfolds in all its romantic fiddle-faddle glory.

The direction by Igor Goldin is inspired and the production is breathtaking.  Scenes flow by on a basically empty stage with just four mobile lampposts and a few pieces of period furniture aided by the incredible lighting by Zach Blane and the beautiful costumes by Colleen Kesterson with some of the loveliest hats silhouetted.   Jeffry Denman’s choreography is especially noteworthy as the dances help propel the story line culminating in “The Netherfield Ball” which is a marvel of storytelling.

Not only is this production handsome to look at but it is majestically sung.  Elizabeth Bennet (Patricia Noonan – a Jane Austen heroine come to living and breathing life and looking lovely and singing with her heart on her sleeve as she ponders her attraction to the arrogant and smug Fitzwilliam Darcy (Doug Carpenter – giving a bravura and sensitive performance) will send romantic thrills through your body as they ultimately make the right choices that will bring them together in “The Portrait Song.”

The wealthy Charles Bingley (a handsome Darren Bluestone) who Mrs. Bennet (Marguerite Willbanks – doubling as the villainous Lady Catherine de Bourgh) has her eye set on as husband for her daughter Jane (a demure Margaret Loesser Robinson) does an excellent job.  As do Kaitlyn Davidson as Bingley’s snide sister Caroline, and Matthew Schneider as Mr. Collins who brings comic finesse to “I Aim to Please.”

The rebellious and happy-go-lucky Lydia Bennet (Jacque Carnahan) has a jolly time chasing after the soldiers in the red uniform finery and locking arms and legs around the gorgeous George Wickham (Gregory Maheu).

The cast of twenty is accompanied by only a four piece orchestra that sometimes was a bit loud but settled down for the almost three hour production.  But do not let the length put you off.  If one or two numbers seem like they could be cut you will find at their conclusion that they need to remain.  The score is fantastic and I can only imagine what it must sound like with a full orchestra.  I hope to hear it that way one day soon.

Patricia Noonan & Doug Carpenter

“Bravo!” to everyone involved.   

www.Pride-Prejudice-Musical.com

www.nymf.org   Photo:  Peter James Zielinski

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Oliver! meets Annie meets Charles Busch meets Disney meets The Sound of Music meets the Pope in this absurd Catholic romp of a delightful, irreverent, charming and truly original new musical “THE KID WHO WOULD BE POPE” which is part of NYMF spreading the word over at The Theatre at St. Clement’s through Oct.7^th.

Book, Music and Lyrics are by the Megan brothers, Tom and Jack.  And they must have been something growing up, attending parochial school and remembering every action from the nuns and priests that they would one day skewer to hysterical effect (i.e. The Confessional Scene) with their bizarre yet highly accessible sense of ridiculous humor aimed at both kids and adults striking a balance between outrageousness and Holiness.  With many a happy, cheerful tune to boot, directed by Gabriel Barre.

Eleven year old Billy (Kyle Brenn looking very much like Justin Bieber) who has a keen imagination has been transplanted from Florida and it’s his first day at Our Lady of Perpetual Motion where he meets strict Sister Rudy (Eric Anderson) toting a yard stick and ruling with an iron rosary bead and his fifth grade classmates that include smart Ali McNally (the gifted Rachel Resheff) Kenny McBride (scene stealer Matthew Gumley) The McJohnson Twins (Ben & Noah Radcliffe) Poet Mary-Louise McPaulson (Leah Greenhaus) and Mary McDoyle (Sarah Safer) and Elizabeth McPetty (Alison Jaye Horowitz).   All A-plus performers.

Problem is, Billy falls in love with Sister Katherine (a radiant Jillian Louis) a nun who does cart wheels and is the drama teacher presently mounting a production of Fiddler on the Roof.  Sister Katherine is a cross between Pollyanna and Snow White as she bonds with the animals and is accompanied by two pink Angels (James Judy & Eric Anderson) that only Billy can see.

It is then that he decides to become Pope so that he can change the laws that will enable him to marry Sister Katherine.  A decision that brings him to Rome where he meets with the Pontiff himself (a fun James Judy) and Cardinal Louis (a magnificent Tina Stafford)

Along the convoluted way (and it is here that the show could use some re-focusing and cutting) he is assisted by his friend Ali who has a library book on “How To Become a Pope” and has her heart set on him so she helps Billy achieve his dream.  But he must first perform three miracles and we must meet his parents and he must have a nightmare and save a gerbil and have silent Sister Delmonico (Tina Stafford) regain her voice and a fantasy wedding and you can see where some pruning might help.   And poor Sister Katherine somehow fades away and we love her as much as Billy does and want her to have at least another song.

Blessed be the creators that can cause such merriment.

www.thekidwhowouldbepope.com                          www.nymf.org  Photo:  Peter James Zielinski

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With a sixteen piece orchestra and a cast of twenty one very talented students from The Program in Vocal Performance  (Music and Performing Arts Professions) – NYU Steinhardt under the caring direction of John Simpkins is presenting a full scale production of the imperfect but enjoyable SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS – Music (Marvin Hamlisch) Lyrics (Craig Carnelia) and Book by John Guare – September 29 through October 3^rd at the Frederick Loewe Theatre 35 West 4^th Street.

There are many reasons why this 2002 musical based on the 1957 satirical film noir failed on Broadway even though John Lithgow received the Tony Award as JJ Hunsecker (based on the powerful and most feared anti-commie 1950’s newspaper columnist Walter Winchell) and Brian D’Arcy James as Sidney Falcone, Press Agent and Kelli O’Hara, as JJ’s sister Susan co-starred.

Blame it on the lame book (little satire and less noir) and its haphazard, disjointed structure.   The omnipresent Greek Chorus aspect and the lackluster lyrics. 

However, Marvin Hamlisch comes out smelling like roses with his James Bond/Mike Hammer theme sounding score that features one of the most beautiful tunes – “I Cannot Hear the City” sung by Dallas (Tim Russell) the love interest of Susan that JJ quite literally kills off.  No wonder it is reprised twice.  It is sung beautifully, tenderly and majestically by Tim Russell who just about steals the show from its two leading men.

Rebecca Kostell & Tim Russell

Brett Rigby as JJ Hunsecker and Tim Shea as Sidney Falcone who wants to achieve the great success that JJ has and is willing to do just about anything to get it.  It’s a shark eat shark world created here but the bite is missing.  Despite this, both Rigby and Shea show great promise, commanding the stage, singing with power and giving outstanding performances.

Another great find is Rebecca Kostell as Susan who has a lovely vocal quality, vulnerability and strength as she tries to stay with the man she loves despite her brother’s manipulation and double dealing, double crossing antics to separate them.  She and Dallas sing another winning number “Don’t Know Where You Leave Off” beautifully.

John Simpkins, a director of note, has does his best to make lemonade out of the lemons left behind by Guare and Carnelia.  It’s amazing that the show works as well as it does.  It’s an excellent production showcasing the immense talent at NYU and featuring some nice choreography that keeps the pace from lagging by MK Lawson.

NYU must be commended for doing a show that might not otherwise be produced and allowing so many talents performers to be exposed – in a good way.

www.steinhardt.nyu.edu/music    Photo:  Chianan Yen

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Sometimes rewrites are not such a good idea.  In “This One Girl’s Story” a new musical which is part of NYMF’s eighth season the creators – Dionne McClain-Freeney -(music and lyrics) and Bil Wright (book and additional lyrics) have reworked, rearranged and re thought their original work which was part of GAYFEST NYC 2010.

A production that I thought had great potential and that hit home the rampant bigotry that the gay community often is a target of.  In this case four lesbians who travel from Newark to New York’s Greenwich Village to celebrate their imagined freedom but run into hatred and murder (Mick – Antonio Edwards Suarez) when they return home in the wee hours of the morning.

It’s hard not to compare the two versions of the show but I feel that I have to review what I saw yesterday at The McGinn/Cazale Theatre (Broadway & 76 St. – 4^th floor) where the show is now playing and the elevator was not working. 

New director, new cast (with one exception) new choreographer and design team.   The results are mixed.  The cast is exceptional.

Patrice (Zonya Love Johnson) has been suspended from school for defending herself against being bullied by a couple of guys that call her “Mr. Freak”.  Her mother has also thrown her out calling her “an embarrassment”. 

Off she goes to cousin Cee-Cee (Angela Grovey- Oprah with vocal prowess) to crash.  Cee-Cee takes her in but is having her own “love-life” problems with her ex girl friend Dessa (Danielle K. Thomas).  The first three numbers of the show are powerful show stoppers – “Liberation Party”, “Into the World” and “Anything”. 

But then the story detours and becomes a story about Cee-Cee and Dessa – Patrice’s troubles taking a more than momentary back seat (whose story is it anyway?) as Lourdes (Desiree Rodriguez the sole survivor from GAYFEST) invites Dessa to reconcile with Cee-Cee before they all trek off to  Greenwich Village where Patrice meets up with a cougar named Promise (Jade Hicks) who tries to seduce the underage, naïve but boastful Patrice in “Closer” – a song that I loved first time around but instinctively feel that it’s been changed somehow.

There are new characters but less people playing them.  The musical styles vary from rap to hip hop to Latino to show-stopping.  But what was once a tragic story told within the context of a trail of the man accused of killing Cee-Cee seen through the eyes of Patrice has been watered down to make more of the relationship between the two women – with a beautiful duet “Imperfect Me” still extremely moving in its simplicity.

Direction by Jeremy Dobrish doesn’t help clarify some of the flaws that still exist in the book that has lost its original emotional wallop and trajectory. 

But oh those wonderful women!  Better singers you will not find.  They bring soul power, and heart, and fantastic vocal power to their characters.    www.nymf.org

Link to original review:  http://talkentertainment.com/TalkBack.aspx?art=19216

CORRECTION:  Zonya Love Johnson who is Patrice, played Dessa in the GAYFEST production.

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