Images: 
Total Rating: 
**3/4
Previews: 
April 28, 2016
Opened: 
May 6, 2016
Ended: 
May 29, 2016
Country: 
USA
State: 
Florida
City: 
Sarasota
Company/Producers: 
Asolo Repertory Company
Theater Type: 
Regional
Theater: 
Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts - Mertz Theater
Theater Address: 
5555 North Tamiami Trail
Phone: 
941-351-8000
Website: 
asolorep.org
Running Time: 
2 hrs, 15 min
Genre: 
Musical Revue
Author: 
Book: Ellen Weston & Mark Hampton, adapting book by Stephen Papich and story by Kenneth Waissman; Music: Stephen Dorff; Lyrics: John Bettis
Director: 
Joey McKneely
Choreographer: 
Joey McKneely
Review: 

The curtain of art nouveau, illustrating the kind of dance and music to which Paris was treated in the first third of the 20th Century, opens on a Folies Bergere progression of near-nude but jeweled-all-over gorgeous women down a glittery stairway. The orchestral accompaniment suits their parade and their meeting up with tuxedoed men in song and rhythmic movement. Then, banana-clad Deborah Cox as Josephine Baker shakes all as quasi-native dark dancers surround her doing the same. It’s the high point of a show that descends from there on.

Zeroing in on Josephine from 1939 to 45, her story takes in her poor St. Louis upbringing by a mother who discouraged and disparaged but stays with her in the form of her remembered childhood personified (by Tori Bates, appealing if unnecessary except to appeal to unsophisticated audiences who just love kids on stage). With this — and not her early showbiz struggles or two failed marriages — Josephine here goes right to Folies fame.

We note what little plot exists. She searches for a man who’ll love her, support her career, and give her a family. She has a disappointing affair with married Swedish Prince Gustav (a somewhat stiff but full-voiced Mark Campbell) before finding the true love who was with her all along (handsome, gentlemanly Kevin Earley, of appealing voice and manner as conductor Jo Bouillon).

Finally, by overcoming Nazi poisoning as a WWII spy, Josephine has a military decoration that makes herself (including her youthful alter ego) and her audiences like her as well off stage as on. Unfortunately, Deborah Cox has no way but the sorry script to try to make us sympathize with her until near the end. She’s usually self-absorbed and with little but borderline sexiness and mediocre songs to make us care about her haunted youth.

In between the snippets of plot, the show is basically a revue. Luckily, its “scenes” have some wonderful singing by Josephine’s nightclub-owner friend Bricktop (exciting Lynette DuPree). Her “Nobody’s Listenin’” brings down the house — twice!

The standard musical comedy’s supporting player schtick is by Gustav’s and Josephine’s aides (Matthew McGee and Michael Keyloun). They meet first “Between the Bells” ringing in the Swedish palace and finally acknowledge their love in Paris in the “Here and Now.”

As usual, Asolo displays technical perfection worthy of Broadway. But Josephine is in every other way (including direction and dance) off that mark for a show that aims to be there soon.

Parental: 
adult themes, nudity
Cast: 
Deborah Cox, Lynette duPree, Matthew McGee, Kevin Earley, Tori Bates, Mark Campbell, Michael Keyloun, Naomi C. Walley; Ensemble: Dillon Cassidy, Laura Keller, Zach Williams, Elyse Collier, Alison Mixon, Jelani Alladin, Julian Ramos, Asia Dekle, Jordan Sobel; Conductor: Sinai Tabak; Musicians: T. Ellison, J. Glover, J. Keeling, T. Mulligan, G. Nielsen, B. O”Hara, D. Parker, D. Pruyn, B. Swartzbaugh, K. Wu
Technical: 
Set: Paul Tate dePoo III; Costumes: Eduardo Sicangco; Lights: Brian Nason; Sound: Justin Stasiw; Projections: Alex Basco Koch; Hair & Make-Up: Michelle Hart; Production State Mgr.: Kelly A. Borgia
Critic: 
Marie J. Kilker
Date Reviewed: 
May 2016