[NEohioPAL]Berko review: COOKIN' AT THE COOKERY (CPH)

[Roy Berko]

COOKIN’ AT THE COOKERY PLEASANT EVENING AT CPH

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Janis
Joplin, Lena Horne, Alberta Hunter.   You probably
have heard of the first five, but who was Alberta
Hunter?  Interestingly, before any of the other divas
on the list, there was Alberta Hunter.

Hunter was a super star!  So, why haven’t you heard of
her?   Once a star of Broadway, the Casino de Paris,
and the London Palladium, Hunter gave it all up at the
age of 60 to become a nurse.  She surprised everyone
when, at the age of 82, she made a comeback in 1977 at
Greenwich Village's THE COOKERY.  Thus, the title of
the show.

Now, more than a decade after her death, Hunter has
made yet another comeback, this time as the subject of
an award-winning Broadway play ‘COOKIN' AT THE
COOKERY.’   The musical is told "in the key of the
blues" by two actresses and four musicians performing
soul-shaking renditions of Hunters' classic blues and
jazz tunes including "Rough and Ready Man," "I'm
Having a Good Time," "Down Hearted Blues" and "The
Love I Have for You."	

The show is a demanding vehicle for the two actors in
the show.  The duo playsnumerous characters from the
singer, to her mother, to Hunter as a young girl, to
Barney Josephson (the owner of the Cookery), and the
legendary Louie Armstrong.   

Gail Nelson, who sings and acts the lead role, and
Carla Woods who plays the majority of the character
roles, both have good voices and develop believable
characterizations.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘COOKIN’ AT THE COOKERY’ is a
pleasant evening of theatre.    There is not enough
drama to make this a great play, not enough challenge
to make it outstanding theatre, but the singing is
nice and the story is pleasant enough.

For tickets to the show, which runs through May 30,
call 216-795-7000.


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Roy Berko's web page can be found at royberko.info


	
		
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