“Respect: A
Musical Celebration of Women”: The Lyceum’s Lyrical, Lady Loving Gem
Words by
Kristen Fogle
“Respect: A
Musical Celebration of Women” is a nonstop sing-song, featuring four dynamic
ladies who lend their voices to over 60 Top 40 hits spanning most of the 20th
century. Paying homage to ladies everywhere through song, dance, comedy, and
dialogue, the energy never stops as Nancy Snow Carr, Leigh Scarritt, Lisa H.
Payton, and Kelsey Venter take over the Lyceum stage.
Dorothy
Marcic is the mastermind behind “Respect.” Nine years in the making, the
musical revue originated when Marcic, a professor at Vanderbilt and Columbia
Universities, was asked to present at a Bahai Social and Economic Development Conference. Adding songs
to the presentation on equality was a way to make it interesting, but Marcic
soon realized that she was on to something bigger: the music women have sung
throughout the decades truly encapsulates who they were, or were viewed as, at
every time period. She wrote a book “Respect: Women and Popular Music,” which
became the basis for a one woman show, and now, for the four woman show seen most recently here in San Diego.
And they
picked some stellar women. Leigh Scarritt is no newbie to the San Diego stage
and takes quite a turn from her last role in “Next to Normal”: from dark, emotionally
scarred Diane Goodman to the upbeat narrator of this piece. Though we don’t get
to hear as much singing wise from her as the other gals, we eventually get an
earful with Scarritt’s powerful voice. I’ve decided she’s got the chutzpah and
some of the scream in her that Joplin does, but with a belt and vibrato
like…who knows… You know Scarritt is truly memorable because she defies many
comparisons. Her rendition of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” is epic, and
there was not a dry eye in the house when she crooned “In My Daughter’s Eyes”
near the end of the performance. My favorite performer, however, is Kelsey
Venter; she has perhaps the best musical theater voice I have heard in years.
Fresh off Lamb’s Players “Guys and Dolls,” she kills all her songs and shows us a spot on Betty Boop impression during
“I Wanna Be Loved By You.” The talented Lisa H. Payton is perhaps not as bubbly
as the rest, but then again, she is enlisted with portraying some remarkable
women (like Rosa Parks) and contributes soulful renditions of “God Bless the
Child,” “My Man,” and “I Will Survive,” among others. Nancy Snow Carr has
perhaps the least demanding part vocally, but she performs excellent renditions
of some of my favorites such as “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” “Whatever
Lola Wants,” and “Bewitched.”
The women
were directed by Sarah Shahinian—Shahinian has been involved in “Respect” since
2009—who with choreographer Carmela Guiteras Mayo seamlessly transition the
women about the stage from song to song. Huge accolades to Cris O’Bryon; not
only have I just seen him in lead roles at the Avo and Scripps Ranch, but he is
the Musical Director and Keyboardist for “Respect.” Talk about having a new
found one for him.
Showing
women in all their roles, “Respect” paints the picture of many kinds of women:
victims of abuse, mother, suffragette, dutiful housewife, empowered diva, childlike
sex kitten. The good and bad throughout the decades are represented in Marcic’s
work, making it not only an entertaining look at how far females have come, but
an educational one. Plus, “Respect” really is a tour de force, in that it’s not
merely a show. A visit to www.respectamusicaljourney.com will not only give you photos from
all the productions past and present (Respect has been successful everywhere
from Detroit to Australia—not an easy feat), but there are study guides
available for use in classes and pre-performance discussions. One can also buy
all sorts of “Respect” related paraphernalia, with proceeds going toward Respect
Project, Inc., which in turn donates to several organizations that help women
such as Tahirih Justice Center,
Act Like a Grrrl Project, Attachment
Parenting International, The
Mary Parrish Center for Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence, Children's Theatre Company, and the Women's Social Policy and Research Center. How
commendable that “Respect” not only provides a good message but does real work
to support the messages “Respect” delivers.
Whether it’s to celebrate all the philanthropic work “Respect” does or
just to dance along in your seat to old favorites, I would make it a point to
see this one—and these women—in action.
“Respect: A
Musical Celebration of Women”
Lyceum
Theatre
4/18-6/24
79
Horton Plaza
San
Diego, 92101
619-544-1000
www.lyceumevents.org
For the entire article, please go to: http://www.sdtheatrereviews.com/arts.php?newsId=255
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