This was the first time that I experienced this show and I was very impressed especially with the costumes. I lost count but there are at least 8 costume changes. The set and choreography was great but the real reason to go is to hear Trejah Bostic as Effie and Mykal Kilgore as Jimmy Early. They were both jaw-droppingly good. It runs until 12/30 and then starts up at the McCarter 3/6.
Maybe I saw it too early, but I thought it was middling, very regional, and Trejah was subdued until "I Am Changing."
Updated On: 12/20/23 at 06:26 PM
I just saw it last Thursday and it was a matinee with school kids in the balcony who were very psyched to be there. You could tell that the performers were getting a lot out of that young crowd's energy. I was in row A and had such a lovely conversation with music director Christie Chiles Twillie. She was just so nice. "I Am Changing" was definitely a highlight.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/30/05
I caught this early in the run and was extremely disappointed. The sound mixing was awful, and the performances were all over the place. And to boot, the whole thing looked “cheap,” like they blew a minimal scenic budget on streamers from Party City. My companion (who loves the show and was excited to go) wanted to leave at intermission.
McCarter? Geez, when's the last time that name was uttered here? I grew up in Jersey, so McCarter was a big part of my indoctrination to theater passion. My parents got me a subscription once when I was in high school (oh, look! TWO WORDS) which also began my comfort level attending theater on my own.
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