Home > Blogs > Arts and Entertainment > Archives > 2009 > December > 09 > Entry
Victoria opener boasts songs, voices
Good songs. Good singers.
It’s not true that the twain never meets.
It rarely comes together in a musical theater revue nearly as well as it does in the simply titled, but exceedingly pleasing “Broadway Holiday,” which opened Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Victoria Theatre in the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series.
The five main cast members aren’t household names — at least, not in most households — although Marc Kudisch, most recently of the musical “9 to 5,” comes close.
They are gifted, versatile, committed singers who can easily hold the stage on their own. They’re the real deal when it comes to delivering a showstopper with individual flair and thoughtful interpretation.
Many of the 29 numbers in the two-act presentation belong in that category. It’s a pleasure to see and hear them delivered with such presence and firepower.
Holiday songs are woven into the mix, but most of the 29 numbers in the two-act presentation are stage standards. Solo highlights include:
Norm Lewis singing “This Is the Moment” from “Jekyll and Hyde,” Danny Zolli in a truly amazing “Gethsemane” from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Kudisch on “Some Enchanted Evening” from “South Pacific” and “I Was Here” from “The Glorious Ones,” Rita Harvey on “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady,” and Carter Calvert singing “Fever” and “Memory.”
There are duets with a give and take between the performers and a quartet with a twist — Kudisch and Zolli joining Calvert and Harvey for “The Cell Block Tango” from “Chicago” (“He had it coming,” etc.).
Heather Liston, a sheriff’s deputy from Cedarville who won a talent search to be in the show, along with University of Dayton student Jackie Schneider, excelled in her solo from “Rent.”
“Broadway Holiday” also boasts four solid onstage musicians, including musical director Neil Berg as emcee at the piano, and some well chosen projections to accompany each song.
Performances will continue through Dec. 20 at the Victoria, First and Main streets. Tickets are $46-$83 for adults at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Review, Theater
Tweet
Comments