Baby It's You

[edjames]

Let me be the first to say I was disappointed in this latest jukebox musical to arrive on Bway. Let's start by saying this is not the story of the girl group, The Shirelles, it's the story of their record producer, Florence Greenberg, the NJ housewife who founded Scepter records in the early 60's. Florence's daughter discovers the group singing in her high school and Mom takes over their career and helps catapult them to pop girl group fame. Along the way, Florence becomes involved in a racially mixed love affair with song writer/prodcuer Luther Dixon. In between, we are treated to only snippets of pop tunes from the Scepter catalogue with singers representing Chuck Jackson, Lesley Gore, Ron Isley, Dionne Warwick and others. Florence's marriage and business all go down the drain along the way and she quietly retires back to NJ, a place she did not want to go back to. Alas, it wasn't the show I had hoped for and one of the Shirelles biggest hits "Will You Still love Me Tomorrow", written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, is missing in action, probably a victim of Carole and Gerry not giving the show the licensing rights. Beth Level does a good job portraying Florence, and holds her own singing against the fine singers in the cast.

It wasn't a full house and the audience seemed to like it but I wouldn't call it an overwhelming enthusiastic response. It'll be hard to put this up against the powerhouse musicals "Book of Mormon" and "Catch Me If You Can."

 

ED

[skynyc]

Just back from this tonight, and I must agree with Ed. Even with all the great music and about 200 costumes...(on a cast of 12)...the show was kind of lackluster. I feel like the problem is the book...of which there isn't one. You don't grow to care for ANY of the characters because no time is spent developing any of them. We don't even learn the last names of the four girls playing the Shirelles.

 

The lack of book means there's no conflict, and in a story rife with conflict...a white woman touring with the black girl group that she manages and her black lover...and the only line that discusses it is..."they were eating in a restaurant and they were asked to leave."

 

I know that they wanted this to be a great feel-good show...but I was tapping my watch halfway through Act II thinking it had stopped. Beth Leavel is the reason I went to see it, and she doesn't disappoint...none of the cast do. But both my friend and I found ourselves bored.

 

House was packed, but there were a number of empty seats after intermission...and tons of folks bolted as the curtain came down missing the last two encores. I have a hard time recommending this to anyone...spend the money to download some of the music from iTunes.