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A CurtainUp Review
Tearing Down the Walls
| I may be a prostitute, a doctor, a lawyer, a friend. I am there. Always there.— Angel UnawareÎ
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Jevon McFerrin and Umi Shakti in Tearing Down The Walls
(Photo: Richard Conde) |
Tearing Down the Walls has a great score filled with gospel, rap, soul and old- fashioned ballads. It is replete with humor and warmth. There are some fine singers here too, especially Adrienne C. Moore and Dietrice A. Bolden. But when it comes to the plot, lyrics and acting, the musical is a cross between a Jerry Springer show and a high school production.
The plot focues on hree friends: Renee (Umi Shakti), Jessica (Kelechi Ezie) and Rhonda (Bolden). Jessica is a slut, Renee is a 25-year-old virgin and Rhonda is a kick-ass woman with a heart of gold. Renee works for Dennis (Jevon McFerrin), a hard-working mortgage broker who is trying to get loans for black residents of Harlem who are losing their homes to wealthy whites. Renee fails to see how much he cares for her and loses her virginity to Tyson (Rumando Kelley), a "playa" she meets on a subway platform. She ends up pregnant and HIV positive.
What will Renee's loyal friends do? How will Dennis react? Well, let's just say her friends and Dennis come through.
Angel Unaware (Moore) glides in and out of the show, dressed in white and singing wise songs such as "Little Girl, Don't You Know" and "Grace."
The show is filled with uplifting and necessary messages: the power of love and community, the need for self-respect, the importance of compassion and forgiveness. The message is made pleasant through entertaining, wise-ass characters. The problem is not one of these characters rises above the stereotypes we see every day on television and the movies.
The two-dimensional quality of the characters might have been enhanced by some terrific acting. But it's apparent fairly early in the show that these performers are, for the most part, still in the fairly early stages of learning their art. Does this mean Tearing Down the Walls is not worth seeing? Not at all. It does mean that this musical is more important for its message than the great artistry with which it is delivered. And if you don't try to be too much of a critic (yes, I mean it), this show is also a lot of fun.
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Tearing Down the Walls Daniel Beaty: Book, lyrics, and composing team Composers: Jamal Joseph and Charles Mack Musical Direction: Charles Mack Cast: Adrienne Moore (Angel Unaware), Umi Shakti (Renee), Kelechi Ezie (Jessica), Jevon McFerrin (Dennis), Dietrice A. Bolden (Rhonda), Rumando Kelley (Tyson) Choreographer: Dell Howlett Sound Designer: Justin Stasiw Costume Designer: Catherine Fisher Light Designer: Ryan Metzler & Andrew Merkel Projections: Bryan Collier Fight Choreographer: Michael Moreno Stage Manager/Assistant Director: John Eric Scutchins Running Time: 2 hours, one intermission The Riverside Theatre, 91 Claremont Avenue, (212) 870-6784, theriversidetheatre.org From 5/6/11; open run Thursday, Friday and Saturday at at 8pm, 3pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays Tickets by Phone: 212-870-6784 http://www.theriversidetheatre.org Reviewed by Paulanne Simmons May 12, 2011 Musical Number Act 1 Tearing Down the Walls Embrace Your Girls Miracles I'll Show You Harlem, Will You Let Me Stay? We're Late Little Girl, Don't You Know Talk to Me I'll Show You Why Folks Hatin' on the Playa Spare Change Act II Harlem, Will YOu Let Me Stay Reprise Take Mt to a Place Tearing Down the Walls Reprise Be Love I Kick Ass Grace Miracles Reprise |
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Slings & Arrows-the complete set
You don't have to be a Shakespeare aficionado to love all 21 episodes of this hilarious and moving Canadian TV series about a fictional Shakespeare Company
