“Me and Caesar Lee” at the Midtown International Theatre Festival at TBG Theatre (Closes Friday August 8, 2014)
“Me and Caesar Lee” at the Midtown International Theatre Festival at TBG Theatre (Closes Friday August 8, 2014) Music, Lyrics, and Book by Pat Holley Directed by Jonathan Warman Reviewed by Joseph Verlezza Theatre Reviews Limited
There is an interesting new work being presented at TBG Theatre as part of MITF entitled “Me and Caesar Lee” that has the potential to develop into a successful little musical. Tackling the conflict between old and new music genres that were erupting in the eighties and discovering self worth and aspiration seem to be the focus of the story. The music, lyrics and book by Pat Holley conjure up some memorable moments but sometimes struggle with distraction leading the musical astray down paths of subplot dead ends. Eliminating some musical numbers that do not move the plot forward, shorter versions of the longer songs and changing tempos might afford the effort to create better flow and structure. The book is informative but needs improvement in areas of character support and scene development. The music is solid and varied with Broadway pop, sultry jazz and soft rap (rhythm talk) which employs a slower tempo and perfect diction adding an interesting storytelling element. “Could It Be Love” should become a standard on the jazz circuit and “I Know the Passion” an R&B classic. Lyrics need to be more economical and less repetitive. This comes as constructive criticism along with strong evidence of a sturdy core that conveys truth, passion and musicality.
The cast is uneven but capable and admirably works in earnest to deliver the material. Robyn Payne is superb as Camille, teasing every emotional turn of a complicated character and captivating the audience with her sultry vocals. Ernestine Jackson delights as Lorraine and adds the perfect amount of comic relief. Her rendition of “Could It Be Love” is remarkable. Amanda Holley is a powerhouse belting “Rough Ride to Heaven” and also captures the savage narcissism of Nakima D. with controllable confidence. Hopefully with this first fully realized production the flaws and fumbles become clear and a collaboration can begin to bring this project to the next level. It deserves that attention in order to continue the journey, and realize the dream, sort of paralleling the message of the show.
ME AND CAESAR LEE
“Me and Caesar Lee” is presented by The Midtown International Theatre Festival and G. Gebony Productions. Director: Jonathan Warman. The creative team includes: Akil Noel (stage manager) and Napoleon Gladney (choreographer).
The cast includes Amanda Holley, Ernestine Jackson, Nick Mara, Robyn Payne, Raun Ruffin, Joshua Scarlett, and Sadat Waddy.
The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF)'s fifeenth season will include a slate of full-length plays and musicals, as well as Cabaret MITF. The Festival will run from July 14th to August 10th 2014, at the June Havoc Theatre and the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre (1st floor), the Jewel Box Theater (4th floor), and the TBG Theatre (Main Stage) all located at 312 West 36th Street, NYC. Tickets are $18.00 to $20.00 and are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at (866) 811-4111.
“Me and Caesar Lee” continues its run at TBG Theatre (see above) on Saturday July 26th at 8:00 p.m.; Thursday July 31st at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday August 6th at 3:00 p.m.; and Friday August 8th at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $18.00 (see above). The running time is 2 hours with no intermission.
Permalink | Posted by David Roberts on Friday, July 25, 2014
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