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Jesus Christ Superstar
Special to www.TheZebra.org
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
February 25, 2022
Jordan Wright
 Aaron LaVigne, Tommy Sherlock and the company of the North American Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. (Photo by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman) I was looking forward to this reimagining of Jesus Christ Superstar by two Brits, Director Timothy Shearer and Choreographer Drew McOnie, if only to see how they tailor their work to a British audience. Both gentlemen have earned Olivier Awards (Britain’s equivalent to a Tony Award) for their work – Sheader earning four for “Best Musical Revival” to include one for Jesus Christ Superstar and McOnie celebrating two nominations for “Best Theatre Choreography” and winning for In the Heights. Together they spell theater royalty.
So, I was more than surprised when I found some odd choices in the staging of this iconic musical. Don’t get me wrong, I can still be found humming and tapping my foot to the glorious Andrew Lloyd Webber score and running home afterwards to listen to the beautiful music days later. But as I watched this production unfold, I found myself too frequently scratching out “Why?” in my notes.
 Jenna Rubaii in the North American Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. (Photo by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman) Why did Jesus use a mic stand? Mary and Judas, too. Sometimes, not always. Why did some performers use a hand mic and others not? Utterly mystifying. Why did Jesus sport a hipster man bun throughout his performance, then switch over to a ponytail for the final scene? I wonder because his head shot in the program has him with long wavy blond locks. Wouldn’t it have been more apropos to let it hang in loose curls around his shoulders? And, if I may state the obvious, wouldn’t it have been the perfect opportunity to cast a person of color in the role of Jesus?
There are more mysteries to unpack here. Why did Jesus carry around an acoustic guitar? If the thought is to depict him as a rock star, wouldn’t he play a snazzy electric guitar? Why were the sound levels all over the place? Sometimes singers came across powerfully at other times they could hardly be heard no matter from which area of the stage they were singing. Why did the casting director choose a lead with the weakest voice in the entire cast? And, for Chrissake (pun intended), why did Aaron LaVigne give such a stilted, unemotional performance as Jesus? Poor Mary.
More questions vexed me. What was the point of tossing dozens of glitter bombs at Jesus to sub for the 40 lashes ordered by Pontius Pilate? And, in the strangest interpretation of all, why was Mary (Jenna RubaII) absent in so many scenes usually played by Jesus’s side? It was an especially bizarre directorial choice during her solos, especially for the lovely lullaby, “Everything’s Alright”, when she comforts Jesus urging him to, “Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax, think of nothing tonight,” which she sung in her unique, lilting and soulful vibrato. This has been one of the most poignant scenes in other productions as she caresses him to allay his fears.
As for the musical element, 11 onstage musicians in second tier cubicles are joined by members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra for a concert-like sound. Add Omar Lopez-Cepero as Judas (that falsetto!) and the experience is worth the price of admission. With his epic rocker voice, he brought the house down several times over. Wailing electric guitars and a hot licks sax solo that nearly shook the great Opera House chandelier ratchet up the temperature. As to the choreography, rest easy. McOnie chose ace dancers who sing their faces off.
With Alvin Crawford as Caiaphas; Tommy Sherlock as Pilate; Tyce Green as Annas and an ensemble of 18 singer/dancers.
Through March 13th at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org
Daphne’s Dive
Signature Theatre
February 15, 2022
Jordan Wright
Special to www.TheZebra.org
Pull up a Barstool and Enjoy “Daphne’s Dive” Now Playing at Signature Theatre
 Rayanne Gonzales, Jonathan Atkinson, Yesenia Iglesias, Jyline Carranza, Quynh-My Luu, (Photo by Christopher Mueller) Have you ever been to a dive bar? And I don’t mean Cheers. If not, you should enter the world of Daphne’s Dive. In this exciting work Playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes offers us a barstool at a Puerto Rican-centric dive bar on Philly’s seedier side and she has filled it with the most colorful characters this side of San Juan.
There’s Daphne (Rayanne Gonzales), the full-throated, take-no-prisoners owner with a heart of gold and years of hard luck; Jenn (Quynh-My Luu), the political activist who openly admits to a messiah complex though nicely tempered by her adorableness; Rey (Jefferson A. Russell), the leather-clad biker looking for love; Inez (Yesenia Iglesias), married to dapper businessman slash politician, Acosta (Dylan Arredondo), and finding her independence; Pablo (Jonathan Atkinson), the dumpster-diving artist; and Ruby (Jyline Carranza), Daphne’s stepdaughter, who is growing up surrounded by a quirky family of barflies.
 Quynh-My Luu and Jyline Carranza (Photo by Christopher Mueller) Their story begins in the 1990’s and goes through the 2000’s – so a lot of major life changes for all the characters. What keeps it barreling along is how they navigate these curve balls with the help of their tight-knit bar familia. Watching them evolve and interact, alternately challenging and supporting each other through the worst of times and the worst of disagreements, is both heartwarming and fraught. It’s a bird’s eye view into a unique cultural dynamic – one that Hudes invites us to appreciate and understand. As for Hudes’s street cred, she wrote the book for In the Heights so she knows barrio life and is a two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee.
 James Whalen, Yesenia Iglesias, and Jefferson A Russell (Photo by Christopher Mueller) Director Paige Hernandez’s friendship with Hudes began at the Kennedy Center with Hudes’s production of Barrio Grrrl! and continued as Hernandez searched for some of Hudes’s lesser-known plays to bring to the attention of Signature audiences. This is exactly the sort of uplifting yet serious diversity that audiences are searching for. Set in the intimate ARK theater, it’s an up-close-and-personal experience putting the audience mere feet from the stage.
 Rayanne Gonzales and Jonathan Atkinson (Photo by Christopher Mueller) The excitement is further enhanced by Scenic Designer Meghan Raham and Lighting Designer John D. Alexander who together create a credibly dingy bar decorated with neon bar signs, funky period beer ads, shelves of cheap booze and what appear to be actual working beer taps. Pacifico anyone?
You’ll seat-dance to the hot rhythms of their Latino music, laugh at their drinking games, and marvel at their personal transformations inspired by Jenn’s motto of “Peace, Liberty, Ecology and Democracy”.
This cast is phenomenal! See it!!!
P.S. Sig’s lobby bar has reopened. Plan ahead!
With Costume Design by Moyenda Kulemeka and Sound Design by Kenny Neal.
Through March 20th at Signature Theater, 4200 Campbell Avenue (in the Village at Shirlington), Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information visit www.SigTheatre.org or call the box office at 703 820-9771.
Change Agent
Arena Stage
Jordan Wright
February 6, 2022
 Andrea Abello and Luis Vega in Change Agent at Arena Stage running January 21 – March 6, 2022. Photo by Margot Schulman. Playwright Craig Lucas’s Change Agent follows John F. Kennedy’s meteoric rise to the presidency from his political evolution and inner circle coterie to his battles with CIA Director Allan Dulles. Along the way we learn of the backstabbing tactics of Washington Post journalist Joseph Alsop and his legendary salons where he peddled his influence amid the powerbrokers. Much of this was well-documented, but the darkest revelations didn’t surface until after Kennedy’s assassination in 1969. Change Agent pulls us back into that turbulent period, touching on the McCarthy HUAC hearings, Allen Dulles’s control of the CIA and J. Edgar Hoover’s influence on policy as a backdrop to Kennedy’s (Luis Vega) rise to power, and it hints broadly of their conspiracy to murder JFK for not adhering to their clandestine operations.
 Luis Vega and Andrea Abello in Change Agent at Arena Stage running January 21 – March 6, 2022. Photo by Margot Schulman. Framed by Kennedy’s strained relationship with Jackie and his rumored affair with socialite and artist Mary Pinchot Meyer (Andrea Abello), the drama captures the diabolical war-mongerers who undermined Kennedy’s desire to lead the country towards a more progressive, anti-racist climate. If you’re familiar with some of these full-blown theories, you know they can lead down a rabbit hole you may not want to travel.
Lucas also acts in the role of Director and some of his decisions make for a slog as the characters’ love lives, affairs and party-going seem less than necessary. As for this as a period piece, others of Arena’s Power Play series have been more focused, more dramatically staged and more indelibly acted as they should be given the weighty political subject matter. If you’ve followed the farrago of conspiracies surrounding the assassination of JFK, this lays it all out with a smidgen of this and a dab of that without once mentioning Jack Ruby or Lee Harvey Oswald.
 Andrea Abello and Kathryn Tkel in Change Agent at Arena Stage running January 21 – March 6, 2022. Photo by Margot Schulman. The story takes us from 1936 to 1965, America – from JFK’s boarding school days meeting the spitfire and liberal activist Mary Meyer (a curious mention is Mary’s studies under famed American artist Kenneth Nolan) to the Kennedy family tragedies, and through WWII into the tony watering holes of Provincetown and Georgetown leading up to Kennedy’s time in the White House. Tension hangs over Mary and Jack’s affair along with her marital difficulties with Cord (Jeffrey Omura) her McCarthy-loving, CIA husband. Mary calls it, “living with what we cannot bear.” In this telling, Jackie appears to condone their affair and she and Mary are the best of pals. Here everyone is deeply flawed, and everyone has a secret agenda. Welcome to Washington!
With Kathryn Tkel as Jackie and Regan Linton as Cicely.
Set Design by Wilson Chin; Costume Design by Alejo Vietti; Lighting Design by Cha See; Original Music and Sound Design by Broken Chord; Projection Design by Caite Hevner.
Through March 6th at Arena Stage in the Kogod Cradle – 1101 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information visit www.ArenaStage.org
The Simon & Garfunkel Story
Broadway at The National Theatre
By: Jordan Wright
January 30, 2022
It wasn’t until the 60’s when Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel abandoned their early rock and roll efforts and tapped into the zeitgeist of that era to create their unique folk rock sound. As schoolmates they had spent time together in Queens, New York listening to the Everly Brothers and seeking their own groove. When they found it, they became one of the biggest-selling groups in the history of popular music. With a story-telling style, unusual harmonies, perfect pitch and angelic voices they came to be known for their deeply emotional, soul-baring lyrics.
Framed by full-stage images and videos from the most generation-defining moments in American history, we glean a deeper understanding of their musical journey and the lyrics that moved millions of listeners. Unfortunately, there is no program offered for this national tour, so no way to hail the individual performers who portray Art and Paul, though they were spot on in cloning both the depth and signature harmonies of the duo’s original voices. Praise too for the 4-piece (plus Paul on electrified acoustic guitar) backup band who nailed all the hot licks.
As their individual personalities emerged and grew, from time to time they parted ways. Art to London, Paul remaining stateside. But when “The Sounds of Silence” climbed the top of the charts and stayed there, they reunited and became fixtures on the music scene with huge hits like “Scarborough Fair”, “Homeward Bound”, “Mrs. Robinson”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Feelin’ Groovy” against the background of the Vietnam War protests, the space race and the civil rights movement. Years later they separated again becoming successful solo acts.
Unlike other bio-musicals with a made-up plot and large casts, The Simon & Garfunkel Story plays out like a concert by one of the country’s most enduring groups who over the course of their lengthy careers went on to earn them music and humanitarian awards. Unlike most of today’s massive concert venues, experiencing it at The National, a stunning historic yet intimate-feeling theater, the audience can plug in to the emotionality and sheer beauty of their music. I counted 27 numbers, but there may have been more. Again, no program and only a two-night run. For fans of this iconic American duo with the purest harmonies this side of heaven, this is the epicenter.
Visit www.TheSimonandGarfunkelStory.com for upcoming performances on their US/Canada national tour.
The National Theatre is located at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20004. To visit the theater, you must be masked and vaxxed. Strict COVID protocols are in place. For information on upcoming shows go to www.BroadwayAtTheNational.com
The Prom
Where Love Conquers All
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
January 8, 2022
By: Jordan Wright
 Courtney Balan, Patrick Wetzel, Bud Weber and Emily Borromeo in The National Tour of THE PROM. Photo by Deen van Meer.  The Prom, Music by Matthew Sklar, Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
cast: Kaden Kearney (Emma), Kalyn West (Alyssa Greene), Courtney Balan (Dee Dee Allen), Patrick Wetzel (Barry Glickman), Emily Borromeo (Angie Dickinson), Bud Weber (Trent Oliver),
Sinclair Mitchell (Mr. Hawkins), Ashanti J’Aria (Mrs. Greene) and Shavey Brown (Sheldon Saperstein). Photo by Deen Van Meer.  The Prom, Music by Matthew Sklar, Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin, Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
cast: Kaden Kearney (Emma), Kalyn West (Alyssa Greene), Courtney Balan (Dee Dee Allen), Patrick Wetzel (Barry Glickman), Emily Borromeo (Angie Dickinson), Bud Weber (Trent Oliver),
Sinclair Mitchell (Mr. Hawkins), Ashanti J’Aria (Mrs. Greene) and Shavey Brown (Sheldon Saperstein) Straight off, I want to say that although The Prom tackles serious subject matter and it handles it with the flat out fun of a confetti bomb. This story of two teenage lesbians forbidden to attend their school’s senior prom is no joke. It is set in Indiana, that bastion of Conservatism where alternative lifestyles are unacceptable and school regulations are governed by the PTA.
In New York the glamorous Broadway musical star Dee Dee Allen and her co-star Barry Glickman, a prancy-and-proud-of-it queen, are having a bad day. While at Sardi’s, reading the next day’s reviews of their latest show, they learn The New York Times has murderously panned it and tagged them as “aging narcissists”. Hoping to change that perception (in Dee Dee’s case it’s true), they agree to find a social issue to publicly support. Checking what’s trending online – climate change, poverty, etc. – they seize on the viral Twitter issue of the prom. With that as their cause celebre, they head to Indiana with their publicist Sheldon, waiter/actor and Julliard grad Trent, and chorus girl Angie to drum up support for the teens and garner favorable publicity for themselves. Did you know thespian rhymes with lesbian?
Alyssa is still in the closet to her mother who heads up the PTA and is dead set against gay couples at the prom. Yes! We’ve got trouble. Right here in River City! Her girlfriend, Emma, is out and supported by Principal Hawkins who vows to fight the PTA mothers calling it a civil rights issue. How they resolve it, becoming activists in the process, is the hopeful message of this endearing musical.
The young company is absolutely adorable. You just want to hug every last massively talented one of them. And their dancing, thanks to fabulous choreography by Director/Choreographer Casey Nicholaw, is exceptional. Kaden Kearney gracefully embodies the zeitgeist of Emma and is well-bracketed by Patrick Wetzel as the hilarious, gay role model Barry; Courtney Balan as the marvelously ballsy diva Dee Dee; and eye candy handsome Bud Weber as waiter/actor Trent Oliver who squelches the haters with buckets of charm and bible excerpts.
With Emily Borromeo as Angie; Ashanti J’Aria as Mrs. Greene; Sinclair Mitchell as Mr. Hawkins; Olivia Cece as Kaylee; James Caleb Grice as Nick; Jordan Alexander as Kevin; Sheldon Saperstein as Shavey Brown; Ashley Bruce as Olivia Keating; Brittany Nicole Williams as Shelby; and Kalyn West as Alyssa.
Book by Bob Martin & Chad Begulin; Music by Matthew Sklar; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin; Scenic Design by Scott Pask; Costume Design by Ann Roth and Matthew Pachtman; Sound Design by Brian Ronan and The Kennedy Center Orchestra.
Through January 16th. For tickets and information call 202 467-4600 or visit www.kennedy-center.org.
Ain’t Too Proud
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
By: Jordan Wright
January 1, 2022
 National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud – © 2021 Emilio Madrid  (left to right) – Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Marcus Paul James, Jalen Harris, Harrell Holmes Jr., James T. Lane from the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud © 2021 Emilio Madrid A Soul-filled Journey Packed with Hits
Jam-packed with hits from America’s number one R&B/Soul/Funk/Pop group of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, this bio-musical from the Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a blast-from-the-past, an oldies-but-goodies bonanza. Told through the eyes of Otis Williams (Marcus Paul James), the group’s founding member, the story takes us on a top-of-the-pops journey from the original foursome’s Detroit roots on Euclid Avenue through its heyday under producer Berry Gordy with songs written by Smokey Robinson (Lawrence Dandridge). Through the years the group gained and lost members like David Ruffin (played by the spectacular Elijah Ahmad Lewis), Eddie Kendricks (a riveting Jalen Harris), Melvin Franklin (the silken bass of Harrell Holmes, Jr.) and Paul Williams (James T. Lane).
Though the story guides us through their triumphs and tragedies, and the multiple group member replacements, over the years, the show hangs on their hits – hits that a generation of us danced to, made out to and even got married to back when we grooved to the lyrics of their love songs. They fought through racist attacks in the Deep South hoping to become crossover artists. “You never know who is hating you and singing along to your records,” Otis decries.
Don’t think for a minute that the audience was a bunch of aging baby boomers clinging to memories of their teenage years. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. I checked out the audience – who were tapping their toes, mouthing the lyrics (Yes, under our masks!) and bobbing their heads – and they were all ages, every race. You just can’t sit still to this concert-style bio-musical. Certainly not while watching those slickly-choreographed and tightly-synchronized dance movements.
Amassing an astonishing 31 platinum hits in their decades-long journey, the group created the sound that backgrounded family BBQs, birthdays, dance parties and early discos – songs listened to in cars and parks and on street corners where quartets sprung up like weeds. There is so much joyfulness in the early music – “My Girl”, “I Can’t Get Next to You”, “If You Don’t Know Me by Now”, “Cloud Nine” and so many more. When the scene changed with the death of Martin, John and Bobby, the group’s music reflected that fraught time with “War”, “I Wish It Would Rain” and “Ball of Confusion”.
The musical is backdropped with period-centric projections by Peter Nigrini of Sponge Bob Square Pants and Amélie fame and choreographed to a gold standard by Sergio Trujillo known for his work on Jersey Boys and On Your Feet. Familiar with Dancing with the Stars? Orchestrations are by the TV show’s 17-year veteran musical director, Harold Wheeler with music directed by the legendary Kenny Seymour. Multiple Tony Award-winning Director Des McAnuff puts it all together and it’s as tight as the group’s pegged trousers and slim fitting sharkskin jackets and the sequin-gowns worn by Diana Ross and The Supremes who make an appearance along with Tammi Terrell, all of whom are costumed by Paul Tazewell veteran designer of Hamilton and a ton of other blockbuster Broadway hits.
I’d copy the playbill for you word for word if I could, because the cast includes some of the most successful and talented Black performers whose voices, bios and acting chops, are well known in musical theater, film and TV. These are multi-talented actors from the Broadway productions of Motown: The Musical; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Memphis; Sister Act; The Scottsboro Boys and The Lion King with voices and moves to die for.
Book by Dominique Morisseau. Based on the book “The Temptations” by Otis Williams with Patricia Romanowski. Music and lyrics from The Legendary Motown Catalog featuring the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra led by Jay Crowder.
Highly recommended!!!
Through January 16th at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St., NW, Washington, DC. For tickets and information for future shows call 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
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