[NEohioPAL]The Review you didn't see in the PD - Nat King Cole at Actors' Summit

Mon Jul 24 13:28:13 PDT 2006

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=20
THEATER  =20
'Nat King Cole' is  engaging bio-revue mix=20
Check it out: "Nat King Cole" When: 8  p.m. Thursday through  Saturday and 2=
=20
p.m. Sunday until Aug. 13 Where: Actors' Summit, 86 Owen  Brown St., Hudson.=
=20
Tickets: $22 and $25, 330-342-0800,  www.actorssummit.org  =20
Monday, July 24,  2006  =20
Zachary  Lewis=20
Special to The Plain Dealer =20
The last few days of summer  can=E2=80=99t have been too idle for Kent LeMar=
 and A.=20
Neil Thackaberry. Hazy and crazy,  perhaps. But lazy? Probably not. =20
That=E2=80=99s because their new Nat  =E2=80=9CKing=E2=80=9D Cole revue, the=
ir first such effort in=20
a creative, musical vein and a  project a year in the making, is having its=20
world premiere at Actors=E2=80=99 Summit in  Hudson. =20
Thackaberry did the bulk of the  research and wrote most of the script, but=20
LeMar has the tougher end of the  deal. Taking on the show=E2=80=99s title r=
ole, he=E2=80=99s=20
in the spotlight at nearly every  moment, channeling the famous crooner=20
through song and spoken word. He even sits  down at the piano for a few numb=
ers,=20
including =E2=80=9CNature Boy,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CRoute 66,=E2=80=9D and =20=
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s Only a Paper Moon.=E2=80=9D =20
Yet LeMar is remarkably  well-suited for the demanding part, with a gently=20
quavering voice that=E2=80=99s light  and smoky, if not always precisely on=20=
pitch, and a=20
demeanor that=E2=80=99s appropriately  polite and polished. Altogether, his=20
resemblance to Cole is strong, almost  uncanny. =20
On those occasions when LeMar  isn=E2=80=99t front and center, sitting on a=20=
stool on=20
a bare stage, the singer is  deferring to pianist David Williams, who proves=
=20
to be not only a sensitive  accompanist but also a consistently impressive=20
fount of peppy solos and jazzy  improvisations. =20
The show should hold out appeal  for fans and novices alike. Enduring=20
favorites like =E2=80=9CStraighten Up and Fly  Right=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CI=
 Love You For Sentimental Reasons
=E2=80=9D are present alongside a handful  of lesser-known songs, including=20=
a cute=20
advertising jingle for =E2=80=9CWild Root Cream  Oil.=E2=80=9D =20
The jingle, incidentally, is a  relic from Cole=E2=80=99s former radio show,=
 the=20
first network radio program to feature  an African-American. Cole broke simi=
larly=20
historic ground on television. Of  course, he encountered opposition, too,=20
most violently in the form of a  racially-motivated physical assault during=20=
a=20
concert in Birmingham, Alabama.  =20
Thackaberry=E2=80=99s script deftly  weaves together these and many other=20
well-researched biographical stories into a  coherent, engaging narrative. U=
nlike some=20
works in this genre, transitions  between song and speech are generally smoo=
th. =20
The show=E2=80=99s only significant  flaw is the lack of a satisfying conclu=
sion.=20
Instead of winding down toward some  profound, timeless observation, the sho=
w=20
stops abruptly in mid-thought, as if on  a timer. =20
But even this bump is easy to  overlook as LeMar sends off his audience in a=
=20
wistful mood with Cole=E2=80=99s greatest  hit, =E2=80=9CUnforgettable.=E2=
=80=9D=20

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<DIV>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">THEATER=20
<o:p></o:p>
<H1 style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #d20000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'Nat King Cole=
' is=20
engaging bio-revue mix <o:p></o:p></H1>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Check it out: "Nat King Cole" When:=20
<st1:time Minute=3D"0" Hour=3D"20">8=20
p.m.</st1:time> Thursday th=
rough=20
Saturday and <st1:time Minute=3D"0" Hour=3D"14"><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">2 p.m.</st1:time><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Sunday until Aug. 13 Where: Actors' Summit, 86=
 Owen=20
Brown St., Hudson. Tickets: $22 and $25, 330-342-0800,=20
www.actorssummit.org=20
<o:p></o:p>
<st1:date=20
Year=3D"2006" Day=3D"24" Month=3D"7">Mond=
ay, July 24,=20
2006</st1:date>=20
<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Zachary=20
Lewis<o:p></o:p>
<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Special to The Plain Dealer<SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> <o:p></o:p>
The last few days of su=
mmer=20
can=E2=80=99t have been too idle for Kent LeMar and A. Neil Thackaberry. Haz=
y and crazy,=20
perhaps. But lazy? Probably not. <o:p></o:p>
That=E2=80=99s because=20=
their new Nat=20
=E2=80=9CKing=E2=80=9D Cole revue, their first such effort in a creative, mu=
sical vein and a=20
project a year in the making, is having its world premiere at Actors=E2=80=
=99 Summit in=20
Hudson. <o:p></o:p>
Thackaberry did the bul=
k of the=20
research and wrote most of the script, but LeMar has the tougher end of the=20
deal. Taking on the show=E2=80=99s title role, he=E2=80=99s in the spotlight=
 at nearly every=20
moment, channeling the famous crooner through song and spoken word. He even=20=
sits=20
down at the piano for a few numbers, including =E2=80=9CNature Boy,=E2=80=
=9D =E2=80=9CRoute 66,=E2=80=9D and=20
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s Only a Paper Moon.=E2=80=9D <o:p></o:p><=
/P>
Yet LeMar is remarkably=
=20
well-suited for the demanding part, with a gently quavering voice that=E2=
=80=99s light=20
and smoky, if not always precisely on pitch, and a demeanor that=E2=80=99s a=
ppropriately=20
polite and polished. Altogether, his resemblance to Cole is strong, almost=20
uncanny. <o:p></o:p>
On those occasions when=
 LeMar=20
isn=E2=80=99t front and center, sitting on a stool on a bare stage, the sing=
er is=20
deferring to pianist David Williams, who proves to be not only a sensitive=20
accompanist but also a consistently impressive fount of peppy solos and jazz=
y=20
improvisations. <o:p></o:p>
The show should hold ou=
t appeal=20
for fans and novices alike. Enduring favorites like =E2=80=9CStraighten Up a=
nd Fly=20
Right=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9CI Love You For Sentimental Reasons=E2=80=9D are=20=
present alongside a handful=20
of lesser-known songs, including a cute advertising jingle for =E2=80=9CWild=
 Root Cream=20
Oil.=E2=80=9D <o:p></o:p>
The jingle, incidentall=
y, is a=20
relic from Cole=E2=80=99s former radio show, the first network radio program=
 to feature=20
an African-American. Cole broke similarly historic ground on television. Of=20
course, he encountered opposition, too, most violently in the form of a=20
racially-motivated physical assault during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama.=
=20
<o:p></o:p>
Thackaberry=E2=80=99s s=
cript deftly=20
weaves together these and many other well-researched biographical stories in=
to a=20
coherent, engaging narrative. Unlike some works in this genre, transitions=20
between song and speech are generally smooth. <o:p></o:p>
The show=E2=80=99s only=
 significant=20
flaw is the lack of a satisfying conclusion. Instead of winding down toward=20=
some=20
profound, timeless observation, the show stops abruptly in mid-thought, as i=
f on=20
a timer. <o:p></o:p>
But even this bump is e=
asy to=20
overlook as LeMar sends off his audience in a wistful mood with Cole=E2=80=
=99s greatest=20
hit, =E2=80=9CUnforgettable.=E2=80=9D <o:p></o:p></DIV></F=
ONT></BODY></HTML>

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