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Review: Ethel Waters show at Loft
“Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow” is the story of a singer and actress who broke new ground for black performers in the 1920s, ’30s and beyond.
While accurate, that description doesn’t come close to summarizing the experience of seeing the one-woman show by Larry Parr at The Loft Theatre, where it’s being produced by The Human Race Theatre.
The real story there is Broadway veteran Danielle Lee Greaves, who plays Ethel through 14 songs and two acts of dialogue. She is fabulous. This may be Ethel’s story, but it’s Greaves’ show.
Director and Dayton native Schele Williams set the course for success the moment she cast her performer. The play with music is an interesting more than compelling condensation of Waters’ amazing life and career — from child bride to nightclub, stage and screen star and, ultimately, Billy Graham gospel crusade soloist.
The pressure is on the performer to fill in the considerable gaps in the story and Greaves was more than up to the challenge on Wednesday, June 17.
Under Williams’ flowing direction, she moved from scene to scene and milestone to milestone in Waters’ life, taking advantage of touchstone songs at every major crossroad.
Nobody should ever need an excuse to sing “Frankie and Johnny,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “This Joint Is Jumpin’,” “Am I Blue?,” “Stormy Weather” and others. But just in case, each one summarizes a moment in Waters’ humble beginnings, struggles, coming of age, blossoming career, brief romance, lost love, career doldrums and eventual acceptance of singing for God.
Greaves delivers many of them so well that the story becomes her while she is singing. One thing missing after the show is a soundtrack of her performance to pianist Scot Woolley’s accompaniment.
Waters’ faith is an undercurrent in the script, although not a heavy-handed one. Set designer Tamara L. Honesty evokes it in scenery and illuminated images that sometimes give the impression of stained glass.
“His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” named for a spiritual that provided recurring comfort for Waters, isn’t really a one-woman show. The Human Race production also required the efforts of Parr, numerous songwriters, director Williams, costume designer Lowell Mathwich, lighting designer John Rensel and others.
But it is Greaves’ show. She gives a great performance. That’s the main reason to see it.
“Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On the Sparrow” will continue through June 28 at 126 N. Main St. Tickets are $33 at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com.
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