Well I saw this last night. And to my surprise I was totally enchanted. Sure.. Wayne Brady is miscast and all my fears about him in this role came into fruition. But he is nice to look at and doesn't embarrass himself. The big delights here are all the women. Merle Dandridge is a wonderful Lilli/Kate. Jenelle Randall is a sensational Hattie. And Joanna Jones is probably the best Lois/Bianca I have ever seen.
The production itself is very straightforward and by the numbers.. Nothing really re-invisioned here except everyone is black with the exception of the thugs and the general.
Also.. I would avoid the Pasadena Playhouse during heatwave days. Sure it is air-conditioned. But it is a old theater with a old cooling system. It was HOT in there. TOO DARN HOT!
I saw Joanna Jones last year in "For The Record: Baz Luhrmann" back when it was at Rockwell in Los Feliz. Her "Over The Love" was one of the best vocal performances I've seen in a while!
"I saw Pavarotti play Rodolfo on stage and with his girth I thought he was about to eat the whole table at the Cafe Momus." - Dollypop