Not another Dessa Rose thread!!!

I posted a review an hour ago. LaChanze, one of my favorite performers, really dissapointed me. She sang very well, as usual, but her acting was wooden. Ms. York was incredible.

Forgive me, but who did Michael Hayden play? Adam, right?

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Yes, Hayden played Nehemia.

Saw Burroughs as well... really was not impressed either. His acting was fine, but voice lacked.

His part is equivelant to that of Cliff's in Cabaret. No matter who you get to play it, the performance will still come out bland. It's not a great part.

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Justice, I was at last night's performance.

I've heard that Hayden has missed quite a few shows during the run so far. Hope it's nothing serious. About him, I'll repeat what I wrote in my review: "He made the best of a nothing role."

It wasn't be yelling "brava"...read me review and that would be obvious.

I haven't seen this yet, but it's strange - the only good things I hear about this show are on this board. All my friends/teachers that went said it was dreadful. I'm still definitely going, I just thought it was funny.

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yes. Norm Lewis = !

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That's what I thought, Munk. Once in my life I agreed with the critics and not with the majority of this board.

QM

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I'm with you, Plum.

I have finally gathered my thoughts after seeing DESSA ROSE last night. I enjoyed the entire experience. Here are some stream of consciousness observations.

The book - unusual in construction, but not a trainwreck by any stretch of the imagination. Lynn Ahrens made a creditable attempt at adapting a very difficult novel to the stage. Her use of the old women as storytellers was a reasonable solution to the narrative, episodic, and flashback nature of the book (which I have read a couple of times). The criticisms lodged against her were unfair. The plotlines that reviewers didn't like were the original author's, not hers. And she changed the ending to give it more impact, which was very effective. The friend who went with me - who had never read the novel - had no problem following the story or being engaged by it.
And she's hard of hearing and missed half the dialog and lyrics!

The development of the women's stories in parallel prior to their meeting on the farm late in Act I - this is true to the novel and deliberate to show the very different worlds that enslaved girls and pampered society daughters experienced living just yards from each other on the same plantation. It sets the stage for their first confrontation in which they are wary, unsure, and even fearful, and it helps us understand why their growth as individuals and as friends is so tentative yet powerful in the end.

The old women - LOVED the way they seamlessly moved back and forth. I thought this convention added real depth to their relationship. It let us know right off the bat that what they went through changed them in profound ways and that, even in their old age, they still cherished having met one another. It was great the way their feisty young personalities shone through in their older selves. You could see the feelings they had toward each other, and about themselves. Whenever one was narrating the other's story at the same time it was being acted out, I felt that the two women were in the same scene actually interacting. It seemed very natural and smooth - and quite touching. Had lesser actresses done this poorly, it undoubtedly would not have had the same effect. But where's the reward without the risk? Because of the immense talents of LaChanze and Rachel York, and the superb direction by Graciela Danielle, the gamble paid off.

"The Scheme" of selling and reselling escaped slaves that all the critics said was implausible - ever heard of the willing suspension of disbelief? Enough said. (And oh, by the way, the scheme was in the novel, too - a novel written by an African American woman and historian whose parents were once sharecroppers. Any questions?)

Nathan and Ruth - how gorgeous is Norm Lewis???? Their scenes together were splendid - a tentative, multi-faceted friendship growing into a daring love. When Rachel York moaned as Nathan was kissing and fondling her, it was with such a heart-breaking end to loneliness that I almost cried for her. Their relationship evolved so beautifully. Norm Lewis has terrific warmth, gentleness, and sparkle in his eyes. How could any woman resist him? And Rachel York had so many layers to her attraction to him. You could see in her eyes the moment she gave into him, making a choice that would change her forever.

Nursing the babies - guys, forget it. You'll never understand that bond. Rachel York and LaChanze were so incredibly effective in making those dolls seem like real babies that you could feel the pinch followed by their giving over to the rhythm of the sucking. The degree to which these women were possessive of those babies was in direct proportion to the degree of trust or mistrust they had for each other at any given time. Wonderful, subtle, and so maternal. Just fantastic.

Dessa's growth as a person - LaChanze is so convincing as a 16-year-old whose life suddenly goes from one of love and hope to violence and fear. She gives us a girl terrified of hanging but determined to make her baby's life mean something. She covers her fears with a sass and impulsive survival instinct that show the strong inner core that will carry her through. In her scenes with Nehemiah, she and Michael Hayden show a slow progression in their relationship that enables her to gain enough confidence to shift the power to her side. With the other slaves, she is able to let down her defenses a bit and allow them to care for her. With Ruth, she is first protective of her child, then wary of the white woman's motives, then jealous of her relationship with Nathan, then confident enough to get testy with her, then comfortable enough to share humor, and finally trusting enough to be a friend.

Ruth's growth as a person - what can I say? Rachel York was perfection. In the musical number called "Ladies," she is a teenager full of spunk and awkwardness. The number has her mother and Mammy singing the same lyrics but with very different meanings. They sing, "Know who you are," her mother trying to tell her what her role as a "lady" needs to be, her Mammy telling her to follow her heart. In this one scene/number you could see that Ruth and Mammy had the stronger bond than Ruth and her mother. Then in "Bertie's Waltz," Rachel gives us a Ruth full of hope, only to have that dashed the minute her husband carries her over the threshold at The Glen. In an instant you can see Ruth’s disappointment followed by a silent determination to make the best of it. Her solo, "At the Glen," sung to her absent husband and herself, is full of sadness, anger, confusion, and despair - but also pluck. Just amazing. When she finally agrees to join the scheme and must become courageous and convincing, her true woman emerges, strong and in command. The petulant, pampered girl turns into a confident and protective leader and friend.

The chemistry of the actors - what an incredible ensemble! The director must have created a terrific atmosphere of openness and trust during rehearsals, because these actors are so natural and engaging that the relationships of their characters are totally alive and responsive. The glances; the gentle, subconscious touches; the affection; the tensions; the relaxing of defenses; the coded communications, both verbal and non-verbal; the camaraderie and its flip side, the bigotry - just perfection. Every performance was filled with subtle nuance. Every relationship was believable.

As I look back over what I have written, I think it's significant that I have been stressing the acting over the singing. That's because this show, to me, is a beautiful drama set to music. It is definitely not your typical Broadway book musical with a scene leading up to a socko musical number followed by wild applause and then another (usually lame) scene building up to the next socko musical number. This show doesn't hit you over the head or jump in your face with glitzy production numbers, self-conscious belting, or over-amped spectacle. Rather, its gentle power and moody rhythms seep into your pores. The images that stay with me even now are quiet ones, but they penetrate. The simple humming of a slave woman while she inspects Dessa Rose for whip marks is still in my ears. The piercing looks that Ruth and Dessa give each other with Nathan sitting in between them as they sing "Just Over the Line" are still in my mind's eye - and still make me laugh.

While the subject matter is, of course, serious, I didn't find DESSA ROSE to be "somber," "depressing," or "without humor or uplift." I found it to be intimate, tender, sometimes painful, sometimes amusing, always moving – and very inspirational. DESSA ROSE will be with me for a long time to come. The acting and singing are magnificent. For the stirring performances alone, I highly recommend it. LaChanze and Rachel York both deserve Drama Desk nominations for their work here. Don’t miss out if you can possibly get to Lincoln Center by May 29.

lc