2nd Trip to DESSA ROSE- thoughts, understudy fun, & CD news

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 12:36am

Sunday evening 4/10 show. This was my 2nd time seeing DESSA ROSE, and I want to share some thoughts with y'all.

I've had weird "understudy mojo" with this show. My 1st visit was to the 4 or 5th preview, and Rachel York was out. RUTH was covered that night extremely well by Joan Hess. Still needing to see Rachel, I bought tix on TDF for last night's show and crossed my fingers. WELLLL...

GOOD NEWS: Rachel York was indeed performing at this show, and (thank god) so was Norm Lewis

NOT-GOOD NEWS: LaChanze was out!! The title role was played by Kenita R. Miller. Not to be excluded, Joan Hess got in on the action too, going on for Rachel Eichenberger as RUTH'S MOTHER

THS SHOW:

This ensemble cast once again impressed me like few others have. Great intensity and attention to character as individuals and in large groups.

I loved the score already, but after the preview I did have some things to say about the book, which I found clunky and misdirected at times. And I didn't love La Chanze's acting either.

I give the creative team a lot of credit for their willingness to make changes in order to have a better show. In the weeks since I 1st watched, the book has gone from barely forgivable to OK. And with such a fine score and lovely cast, an OK book is OK. I remember having a lot of questions after the 1st viewing, things that just didn't seem to make sense for a character to be doing or saying, or maybe just seemed to serve no purpose. I can't think of any specifics, but I remember finding the book cumbersome and distracting multiple times during the performance. Last night, I didn't run into this sentiment once. The dialogue/narrative element just flows better and has been trimmed to be about as concise as it should be in a through-sung musical.

There was some stuff in there previously that even the actor didn't appear to believe, let alone the audience. Every line spoken or sung last night pretty much hit the mark, and the handful of funny moments earned sincere laughter. No more of this sympathy laugh BS for DESSA!

And the performers?

Rachel York is simply wonderful, much moreso than I had expected her to be. Joan did such a good job with RUTH last time, I just figured Rachel wouldn't be able to give much more than that. But I think she gives the character amazing depth and makes you understand RUTH very effectively. Her voice was almost gone, either from exhaustion or sickness I imagine. But a performer like York can deliver a song with euch conviction, you almost don't notice if a few notes crack or come out wrong.

KENITA as DESSA:first of all, she is the spitting image of LaChanze. They are very close in height and so similar facially that I probably would've thought it was LaChanze until she started singing. She sang wonderfully, and her acting was even more impressive. She received a Standing O at the end, a legit one from a sophisticated audience, and she deserved it. Can she sing as well as LC? No, but no one's expecting her to. I'd love to know how many times she's gone on, because her performance was very well-refined and actually very powerful. She could likely be a great choice if they were ever to tour or extend.

Joan Hess: great characterization and singing in a relatively small role. the only real problem I could see was the fact that she doesn't look a day old than Rachel who was playing her daughter. I'm looking forward to finding out what character Joan will pop up as next time I see the show.

Seeing DESSA twice let me form a clearer opinion of its different areas and aspects. I realized that I love the score even more than I thought I did. I learned that I was too critical of some of the acting last time. I did factor in the show's being in previews. But this work changed so much during that time, a lot of it wasn't the fault of the actors.

This DESSA is a tighter, better-performed work that I can picture having a much longer run if given the chance. I'm glad to hear how well it's been doing each night. James Stovall was saying at stage door that the audiences have really been responding to the show, with people crying and giving standing ovations at every performance. He and Eric Jordan Young both mentioned the CD being in the works already. When I asked about possibilities of extension or transfer, they didn't count it out. So we can at least keep our fingers crossed for it.

A photo I took with James Stovall, in my fan pics section

Updated On: 4/12/05 at 12:36 AM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 12:38am

I saw Kenita Miller perform at Broadway Under the Stars this past Summer, I think. She sang a song from Smokey Joe's Cafe (Fools Fall in Love?) and then Wheels of a Dream from Ragtime with Stokes. She was actually filling in for somebody else, if I remember correctly, but I thought she was great.

Thanks for the review. I'm really glad they're recording this show.

[Plum]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 12:54am

I saw Kenita Miller at Dessa Rose as well, and was highly impressed. I did want to see LaChanze, but her understudy was hardly a disappointment.

[Broadway Matt]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 12:59am

I suspect there may be a cold going around the cast, as the 2 ladies were out and no one was really in great voice last night. Except maybe the robust-as-ever Eric Jordan Young, who apparently is a machine.

[midtowngym]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 8:56am

La Chanze does an amazing 80 yr old woman.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 9:21am

I hope Rachel, Norm, and La Chanze are all in when I go!

[hannahshule]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 10:25am

So glad you at least saw Rachel, she's the main reason I went and she was phenomenal! It seems she's been sick a lot this year:
Sinus infection and food poisoning during previews and there must be something going aroung the Newhouse Theater, because it seems that everyone has a cold.

[leomaxfrank]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 12:20pm

Has anyone heard Ms. York's new solo CD yet? I saw it at B&N yesterday, but didn't buy it yet.

[BrightLights]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 1:21pm

I only saw Dessa Rose once and I was lucky enough to see the whole cast intact. I came away with a new respect for Rachel York.

[jmnpublications]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 1:53pm

leomaxfrank,

You MUST get Rachel York's solo CD. It is terrific! She makes those old standards sound new again. And the arrangements and orchestrations really swing, too. Her voice is like warm butterscotch. Amazing.

lc

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 3:25pm

Rachel's solo CD is wonderful. You should definitely pick it up.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 4/12/05 at 5:37pm

Ooh, I'm listening to it right now. She's incredible! SO many different emotions. I've walked into Barnes and Noble twice while they ewre playing it over the speaker system-thing. (Of course being broadway obsessed, I'm probably one of the only people who knew who it was.)