Putting the "subtitle" in lower case seems
terribly appropriate for a follow-up to FST's
Brassy Broads hit of a few years past. Though three gals
accentuate the daring in the songs of divas like Sophie Tucker, Bette Midler,
and Mae West, they lack the impact Kathy Hallenda had encompassing by herself
the songs and styles of a range of classic "broads." The revue aims
to pay tribute to those 20th century stars while bringing
Richard Hopkins' mix-in of
"today's influence."
This appears to mean quickly turning from "gutsy" sexually
related material
to pure (in both
senses of the word) emotional reactions.
The main way this sequel distinguishes among the divas is
to have them represented, usually in turn, by the three different singers:
small but spicy Sadrina Renee,
sophisticatedly sassy Natalie Renee,
and broadly built, dramatic
Carly
Sakolove.
That the first two are
African-American
brings not only a
modern touch to their performances but also shows how cross-cultural are the
experiences
they sing of.
In purple flowing short gowns,
smathered in rhinestones, they all sing and move well.
Carly Sakolove's highlights are two
narratives. Jim Prosser at the piano boosts the gals' efforts and figures as a
personnage in some of their numbers as well.
A revue that begins and ends with "Stuff Like That
There" can't be all that brassy. None of the spoken comments make it so
either.
Brassy Broads: the next generation is simply 95 minutes (with a 15
minute intermission) of an anthology of entertainment by women.
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