For its premiere production in its brand new space, Metro Stage has chosen a rousing musical revue entitled "Starting Here, Starting Now." The theatre company was homeless for 5 years, and has carved out a charming and versatile venue in a converted lumber warehouse. To create an intimate cabaret atmosphere for this production, seven café tables have been arranged in front of the first row of seats, complete with table cloths and flickering votive candles.
Its first show in the new location is an upbeat evening headlined by three talented and engaging performers: Cindy Hutchins, Perry Payne and Michael Sharp. Simple choreography and a few choice props, including a feather boa, umbrellas, and a top hat, make for a crisp show.
Sharp dons a fedora for one number, and his dance steps are reminiscent of Bob Fosse, complete with Fosse's signature shoulder shrugs. Hutchins shines in a solo number entitled "Song of Me." Payne is a gifted comedienne and singer, and she is a commanding stage presence whenever she is on stage, especially in "Crossword Puzzle" and the dramatic number, "What About Today." Payne delivers one of the funniest lines during the evening when she wisecracks as she enters from the back of the house: "What do you call an actor without a girlfriend? Homeless!" The trio also performs well together, especially during the clever number, "I Don't Believe It," satirizing the trite conversations one has to endure at cocktail parties.