Alliance Theatre Reviewers Blog

DUKE ELLINGTON'S SOPHISTICATED LADIES

DUKE ELLINGTON’S SOPHISTICATED LADIES

After two attempts to get to this show were cancelled because of

Atlanta

snow events, we were finally able to attend the Sunday matinee performance!  But things were far from cold inside the

Alliance

on that Sunday afternoon—no, they were hot, from the “hot notes” to the bodies of the performers themselves!  In the second “jukebox” show of the season, (highlighting one composer’s works,) an energetic and talented case of eight covered what usually has been done by many more, doubling and changing costumes faster than a Cotton Club dancer.   I confess to being a Terry Burrell fan after “The Women of Brewster Place,” and I was delighted to see she would be performing in this show, but she was the only singer who stood out from this cast as not being as comfortable with the many and varied styles of dance.  Tracee Beazer and Debra Walton were both cute as buttons, and as equally adept at facial expression and vocalizing as they were at complex tap and jazz dancing.  Laurie Williamson’s expressive face and soaring soprano voice delighted, especially in “Solitude.”  Dewitt Fleming, Jr., Tommar Wilson and Eric B. Anthony all charmed with their continuous 100-watt smiles, athletic prowess and complicated technical dancing skills.  Bryan Terrell Clark seemed to be the pivotal ringmaster, and his duets with Terry were especially outstanding, especially when they joined together to scat and imitate musical instruments with their voices. 

Bryan

’s “Something to Live For” stopped the show with his honesty and strong vocal range.  Act II’s opening of “Caravan” with all but Terry forming a tap dancing airplane (!) was a delightful surprise.  Austin K. Sanderson’s costumes were gorgeous and full of glitter and fur—especially striking was Debra’s white fur and beaded headress in “Sophisticated Lady,” but I think this role would have been better suited to the more statuesque Terry as cute as Debra is—the number begged for a sophisticated lady and not a precious one.  Otherwise, Kent Gash’s always amazing directorial skills were once again spot-on, and the musical direction by William Foster McDaniel, who also conducted a very talented orchestra, was perfect.  Since this was basically a re-creation of a night club show, settings were minimal but appropriate, and lighting was good except for the huge “Duke Ellington and his Orchestra” sign near the finale of Act II that blinded us temporarily.  Please dim this down to a less offensive wattage, since the only purpose we could find for this brightness was to compete with the dental work of the cast!  We left with amazement of the energy of the cast, and on the way home, I commented that I don’t know when I’ve seen such enthusiastic tap numbers.  Go—the cast promises a good time, and you’re guaranteed to be singing tunes of the Duke all the way home.

by Wendell Barnes

Review of Sophisticated Ladies – by Jada Genter

     Sophisticated Ladies is one of those rare productions where everything comes together in just the right way and the result is magic. Keeping in mind that I am not usually a fan or a follower of jazz, imagine my surprise at being swept into the sounds and sensations unique to this genre.

     The overture by the jazz orchestra created almost tangible waves of sound. This pleasurable escape continued throughout the evening, enhanced particularly by the dancing and choreography. It is not easy to match the movement of the human body to the complex rhythms and sounds of jazz music, but Kent Gash and Byron Easley are more than up to the task here. From the tribal beats of “Jungle Revue” to the visual magic of “Flight to Timbuktu”, each number is both individual and a part of the whole. Special notice must be given, of course, to DeWitt Fleming, Jr.’s tap solo in “Kinda Dukish”, which will go down in history as one of the best tap numbers ever to grace any Atlanta stage.

     I always appreciate productions which take an inherently theatrical approach to their staging and set design. The Alliance’s production of “The Women of Brewster Place” did so earlier this season, and “Sophisticated Ladies” follows suit. Any time the audience can realize the set is fabulous without such a realization interrupting the flow of the play, the director and set designer have done their work well.

     If I was disappointed in any way, it was with the unevenness of the women’s dancing abilities. Terry Burrell’s movements were not as large or as free as her castmates’, to the point that a few times I had to actively avoid looking at her so as not to be pulled out of the performance. Her acting and singing were lovely, but Ms. Burrell seemed to be holding back in her dancing. In a production where no one else did, it was disconcerting.

     Kent Gash should put this production on his resume with pride. Beyond having heard of Duke Ellington and the Cotton Club in their historical context, I am not very familiar with either, and this production has inspired me to search out more. I want to know more about the Cotton Club—its storied existence, the famous people who graced its stage, the flight of some of its performers to France, and the life of its most celebrated composer. The magical melding of the elements of the performance reminded me why I so adore live theatre, why I attend it and why I make it. Well done.

Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies- Shana Basnight

      The Alliance Theatre's production of Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies takes you back to a time of good jazz, bebop, and swing music. The musical revue opens up with an outstanding live jazz band that plays to the essence of Ellington's music. As you are enjoying the sounds from the orchestra pit, you are introduced to the talented cast who will serve as your entertainers for the evening. The dancing and singing is superb. The set design is elaborate and elegant. This is a great musical revue.

      Although the band and cast are extremely talented, the costumes could use a little work. The men looked great in their tuxedos but the ladies' outfits were poorly designed. At times their attire was a bit risque, while for other scenes their dresses were not very flattering. As much as I did not enjoy the costumes choices, I did appreciate the sheer creativity in the way that the taxi was created in the Drop Me Off in Harlem scene. The actors, dressed in yellow and black, had on matching sneakers with roller skates attached. It was a clever and original idea for a taxi ride that was fun for the audience to watch.

      Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies is directed by Kent Gash. He is a visionary that knows how to bring together a wonderful team of set designers, actors, and musicians to produce a memorable piece that will have you singing Ellington's songs as you exit the theater. Don't just take my word for it. Take the A Train, or MARTA, and grab some friends and head to the Alliance. You will be singing "I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good/Mood Indigo" if you miss this wonderful performance.

Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies - Amy Lighthill

    Perchance to dream

    Once in a while, a dream comes to you like a neon billboard blinking in your head, announcing…well, usually you don’t know what on earth it heralds, though you have a strong feeling you should. Years ago, I dreamed I starred in a Busby Berkeley production number called “Something Yellow”. I even remember the tune, which was not worthy to hold a spit rag to any of Duke Ellington’s. Still, the memory of how campily exhilarated I felt, pirouetting in the center of a group of spinning girls dressed like droopy daffodils, came creeping back to me as I sat, half-asleep, watching the period piece “Sophisticated Ladies”.

    I can’t completely blame the Duke for my fatigue. After a long day of “teaching” my middle schoolers, followed by a boot-camp grant-writing session, I was as drained as Lake Lanier. Maybe that’s why the three tap numbers really stood out—they staccatoed my brainpan.  “Kinda Dukish”, a mirrored solo dance by the meticulously accurate tapper DeWitt Fleming Jr., jolted me upright, and the fabulously foil costumes of a tapping chorus line of “airplane wings” in “Caravan” Busby’d things up the Cotton Club wazoo.

    “Mooche /Dancers in Love” left me more queasy than sleepy, though. Was I really watching a lithe man in a sherbet-colored bikini, seemingly made of cotton balls, dance in “jungle style” with a woman sporting a tiny skirt made of stuffed bananas, while women dressed as tropical birds swung from the rafters? Was this an ironic deconstruction of stereotypical images from the dark past, or a slightly daffy dream of “daze gone by”? Similarly, Greta Garbo-style vamping in a white Art Deco coat and skullcap seemed more silly than sultry on “Sophisticated Lady.”

    Notwithstanding my fatigue, the show’s overall tone seemed lethargic in spite of high-voltage dancing. Some of the singing had a shrillness the smooth Duke wouldn’t have intended, and the energy felt forced. However, a few numbers in the confusing “suites” stood out:  “Bli-Blip”, in particular, with Eric Anthony and Tracee Beaser, woke things up out of their slumber. Some sexy staging— lush Terry Burrell lounging on a purple platter-added some oomph, too. But on the whole, the show felt flat. So drink some espresso before you go, and don’t let the song go out of your heart. The Duke might decide to shove it back in if you doze, and that would make for a dream you won’t want to remember.

Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies - Maria Surprise

It’s cold outside, Atlanta, so get on over to the Alliance Theater for the smoking hot sounds of Duke Ellington. The Alliance main stage has been temporarily transformed into The Cotton Club in Harlem, complete with a ten-piece jazz band that rises from the pit during the opening, entr’acte, and final numbers.  Never mind that it takes almost the entire first act for the actors and musicians to gel – like many live jazz performances, it can take some time, improvisation, and a few miscues before the ensemble really swings.  And swing they do, especially in the second act.  The last half of Sophisticated Ladies is where it’s at, and you’ll be heated through to your toes, bopping along with the syncopated rhythms of Duke Ellington’s most memorable songs.  I was mesmerized by the flurry of Dewitt Fleming, Jr.’s tapping feet in Kinda Durkish, and soothed by the sexy warmth of Terry Burrell’s singular voice crooning In a Sentimental Mood.

           There’s something for everyone in this song and dance extravaganza, which veers from jazz to blues to boogie and back again.  Emily Beck’s spare set design showcases the talented cast and lets Byron Easley’s choreography shine.  Tributes to great performers of the past – Josephine Baker, Ethel Waters, Gregory Hines to name just a few – are sprinkled throughout the show, and while the transitions can be jarring, it is obvious Sophisticated Ladies is a labor of love for director Kent Gash.

Alliance Stage -- A sizzling music and dance spectacular...

Our five Alliance Theatre Reviewers will see Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies on Wednesday, January 16, 2008.  Come back to see what they had to say about this Broadway hit musical.