On Sunday afternoon, March 24, four Matinee Friends attended “Storyville” at the Black Theatre Troupe in downtown Phoenix. We were transported to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz and its
legendary “Red Light” district–Storyville. The musical is set in the Bird Box Cabaret, where the city’s finest dancers and singers perform (and the lovely ladies seem to also engage in the world’s oldest profession). On this night, the king of jazz – “Hot Licks Sam,” and his band have one last party before the city government and the Navy shut them down. The story was fine, but was less satisfying than many other shows have been. We did feel the second act was more compelling. The dancers and singers were very talented, and the stunning 20’s costumes deserved the Best In Show award. We also thought the leading actress was too mature for her role, But in all we did enjoy the afternoon.
Four Matinee Friends attended the “Sondheim Tribute Revue” at Theater Works in Peoria on Sunday afternoon, April 7. The revue highlighted the great Stephen Sondheim, “who is widely acknowledged as the most important composer and lyricist in modern Broadway history.” The show was full of live music, singing, and some dancing, accompanied by an excellent string quartet and a grand piano. The cast of eleven were wonderful singers with beautiful harmonies and great stage presence. Our only disappointment was that we knew/ recognized so few of the songs.
