[NEohioPAL] Berko review: BROOKLYN, the musical (PHS CENTER & BW)

[Roy Berko]

Audience pleasing BROOKLYN, THE MUSICAL 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

--coolcleveland.com--

Combine a wonderful score, a terrific cast, creative
staging, on-target musical direction and the result is
the audience pleasing ‘BROOKLYN, THE MUSICAL,’ a
production of the Playhouse Square in collaboration
with the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music.

‘BROOKLYN, THE MUSCIAL,’ with its infectious pop and
soul music, has the feel of a combination of ‘RENT,’
‘HAIR,’ and ‘GODSPELL.’  

The less than plausible story concerns a band of five
ragtag soulful street-corner singers and storytellers,
known as the City Weeds, who relate a sidewalk
fairytale about a girl searching for the father she
never knew. The quest goes on in spite of her having
just one clue.  She knows he lives in the city that
bears her name, Brooklyn. 

The play within the play, is about a Parisian singer
who was orphaned when her depressed mother hangs
herself over the despair of being abandoned by the man
she loved.   The girl is sent to a convent where she
discovers her vocal talents, becomes a star, performs
at Carnegie Hall, sets out in search of her father
(who she discovers is a drug-addicted Vietnam War
vet), and engages in a competition with a diva at
Madison Square Garden.  (I told you the story was
improbable, but it’s a fairy tale, so we have to give
it some latitude.)

With a book, lyrics, and music by Mark Schoenfeld and
Barri McPherson, the show opened in October, 2004 in
New York, where it ran for 284 performances.   A 2006
national tour starred American Idol finalist Diana
DeGarmo and Melba Moore.

In a coup for Victoria Bussert, the nationally
acclaimed leader of BW’s musical theatre program, the
college was granted the rights to put on the show’s
first regional production.

The local staging has an advantage over both the New
York and touring shows.  Playhouse Square’s 14th
Street Theatre is an intimate venue.  The closeness of
the audience to performers allows for an electric
current to leap from the stage to the viewers and
ignite strong emotional responses.

The PHS/BW production is excellent.   This is a
perfect script for Bussert, who is a master at staging
the quirky, small cast, emotional laden production. 
Think of her mountings of ‘BAT BOY,’ ‘SONGS FOR A NEW
WORLD’ and ‘NINE’ at Cain Park.    This is also an
excellent script choice for students, especially the
quality of students that are in BW’s musical theatre
program.  The show is populated by characters of the
right demographics
.young, dynamic and searching. 

There were numerous vocal show stoppers.  Especially
strong were “Once Upon a Time,” “Superlover,” “Raven,”
and Love Me Where I Live.”

Since the show is double cast, I can only comment on
the student performers I saw.  That cast was generally
on target.   

Stephen DiBlasi who plays the narrator (StreetSinger),
captured the stage each time he sang.  He also
displayed an excellent sense of comic timing.  Malika
Petty, was perfectly cast as the sassy, up-from-the
ghetto, on to stardom, Paradice.  This young lady can
wail and “cop-attitude” with the best of them.

Though her characterization wavered at times, Cassie
Okenka, sang the role of Brooklyn well.  Mike Russo,
who has a nice singing voice, was quite acceptable as
Taylor, the father Brooklyn never knew.  Beautiful
Cathy Prince displayed a nice singing range and gave
fidelity to the role of Faith, Brooklyn’s mother.  The
pit singers, Jillian Bumpas, Paige Shlosky and Kyle
Szen added a special dimension to the show with both
their singing and active physical involvement, even
when not vocalizing.

Nancy Maier and her band were excellent, from the
pre-show jam session to generally underscoring rather
than drowning out the singers.  This is a difficult
task when playing rock songs in such a small space. 

Janiece Kelley-Kiteley’s choreography, Jeff Herrmann’s
set design which found the entire theatre being
painted serving as a palate for graffiti and Charlotte
Yetman’s thrift story costumes all enhanced the
performance.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   It’s too bad that there are only
eight performances of ‘BROOKLYN, THE MUSICAL.’  It is
the kind of script and production, that could be
successful in an open-ended run at the 14th Street
Theatre.  It’s the stuff from which cult followings
are made.

Congratulations to Gina Vernaci and Victoria Bussert
for building a new collaboration between Playhouse
Square and Baldwin-Wallace College.  This production
bodes well for what we should come to expect from the
cooperation.



Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2008, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info
      
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to subscibe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)


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