[NEohioPAL] Johnny Cash - Fabulous Review of RING OF FIRE at Actors' Summit

[Neil Thackaberry]

*Y’all Come to “Ring of Fire” at Actors’ Summit
<http://www.knightarts.org/community/akron/yall-come-to-ring-of-fire-at-actors-summit>*

Published on May 7, 2014 by Roger
Durbin<http://www.knightarts.org/author/rdurbin>
 in Akron <http://www.knightarts.org/category/community/akron>,
Music<http://www.knightarts.org/category/music-2>
, Theater <http://www.knightarts.org/category/theater-2>

*0*<http://www.knightarts.org/community/akron/yall-come-to-ring-of-fire-at-actors-summit#comments>

“Ring of Fire” is a country and rockabilly treat when put into the
hands of Actors’
Summit <http://www.actorssummit.org/>, a Knight Arts
grantee<http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20113153/> and
its remarkable cast of singers and musicians.

The show takes a reflective biographical look at musical legend and star Johnny
Cash  <http://www.johnnycash.com/>through his music. If you know nothing
about Cash, you’ll learn a lot – his sharecropper, poverty-stricken
origins; the tragedies that shaped and haunted his life, like the death of
his brother; his brushes with the law; his ruined first marriage; and
perhaps most tellingly, his addictions.

The monkey on his back theme emerges right at the start when actor Dana
Hart sits on a stool and sings Cash’s cover for Trent Reznor’s version of
the Nine Inch Nails tune “Hurt,” a melody that soulfully carries the
musical burden of drug addiction, how it creates emotional fever in the
user, as well as havoc in his life and that of all around him. The audience
sees much more of that idea throughout this show.

If you do know many of the facts about Cash, the treat in this musical is
to see how the music of his life was sort of chosen to tell the truth on
stage. It probably also gave him a chance to purge some pretty powerful
emotions that had to have piled up on the singer.

This cast does an amazing job. Honestly, when we went to see an opening
weekend performance, we had some trepidations. The theatrical experience
could really head south if done wrong. Part of that worry was laid to rest
when director Neil Thackaberry (who is also co-artistic director of Actors’
Summit) told the audience beforehand that the singers (three men and a
woman) were not going to attempt to impersonate Johnny Cash.

Rather, the cast (Jennifer Browning, Scott Davis, Dana Hart and Brian
Mueller, backed up onstage by pianist J.T. Buck) focused on performing –
and acting out – his famous and not-so-famous songs. None seemed to do that
better Browning. She had the country singer image nailed down – an obvious
love of the stage and singing, a big, perky smile and toothy grin, the
intriguing twang, and an inescapable sense that these songs had the deepest
and most profound meaning. She belts out tunes the way you want to hear
them.

She also stepped into June Carter Cash’s shoes when singing the duets that
were very much a part of the revival of Cash’s career after he finally put
to rest his addictions.

Dana Hart has a wonderful voice in the same timbre as Johnny Cash – a trait
that made him perfect for the big tunes – “Hurt,” Kris Kristofferson’s
“Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and the big finish song “Boy Named Sue,”
along with the set-up verses for “Ring of Fire,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,”
and the like.

Banjoist Scott Davis seemed to carry the major role of narrating background
information about Cash, along with providing some wonderful banjo picking
and vocals – especially in the gospel numbers that were very much a part of
Cash’s upbringing in the Deep South.

Guitarist Brian Mueller added the vocal tenor line in a story about a deep
bass, gravel voiced singer. He, too, added into the remarkable harmonies of
the gospel and spiritual numbers, like “Old Rugged Cross,” “I’ll Fly Away,”
and “Sweet By and By.”

Watch pianist J.T. Buck. He rocks the keyboard and not just tickles the
ivories, but makes them charge the musical atmosphere.

Actors’ Summit may be putting on its best musical revue-style show so far.
Take it in; it is well worth it. You’ll probably be like we were – humming
and whistling Cash tunes on the way home and downloading certain songs on
YouTube.com. Cash was a captivating performer and personality, and director
Thackaberry makes that apparent with his cast and direction in this
production.

*“Ring of Fire” will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. on
Sunday through May 25 at Actors’ Summit, Graystone Hall, 103 S. High St.,
Akron; 330-374-7568; www.actorssummit.org <http://www.actorssummit.org/>.
Tickets are $33 ($28 for seniors, $10 for full-time students).*
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