NYC Theater Trip 2022: "Paradise Square" at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Show*: 2

Title: Paradise Square

Location: Ethel Barrymore Theatre

Written By: Christina Anderson, Craig Lucas, and Larry Kirwan (book), Jason Howland (music), Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare (lyrics)

Summary: A new original musical (with ten Tony nominations) about Irish immigrants and free Black people living together in the Five Points neighborhood of NYC, until various factors including the draft riots of 1863 brought it to an end.

Highlights: This show reminded me a lot of Theater Latte Da's original musical Five Points, with similar themes, characters, setting, and dance styles. But while Latte Da's story centered around two historical dancers, Paradise Square is a fictional story about two Irish siblings married to free Black people and working together to run a pub called Paradise Square. Sister Annie (Chilina Kennedy) is married to Reverend Sam (Nathaniel Stampley), who works with the Underground Railroad to ferry escaped slaves to Canada, and brother Willie O'Brien (Matt Bogart) is married to Nelly (Tony nominated Joaquina Kalukango), who inherited the pub from her father. Things get even more complicated when Willie goes off to fight in the Civil War (easy to guess how that goes); the O'Briens' nephew Owen (Tony nominated A.J. Shively) arrives from Ireland needing work and a place to stay; the family takes in an escaped slave who takes the name Washington (Alan Wiggins beautifully filling in for the third Tony nominated actor in the cast, Sidney DuPont); politicians try to force Nellie out of her bar; and a draft is announced, causing unrest among the poor population who can't afford to pay the $300 fee to get out of it. The drama centers around a dance competition at the pub that will hopefully earn enough money to save it, with Owen and Washington competing to win the money and secure their freedom. There's a lot going on, perhaps too much, but this look into an early American multi-cultural society is interesting and inspiring, and the manipulation of the populace by businessmen and politicians once again reminds us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Six people collaborated to write the music, book, and lyrics, pulling in many different voices to tell this story. Both the score and the choreography (by Bill T. Jones) combine the influence of Irish, African, and Black American traditions, and the dancing is truly phenomenal and thrilling, impeccably performed by the large and talented cast. How often do you see Irish step-dancing in a show that isn't Riverdance?! Lastly, the impressive set (designed by Allen Moyer) features a rotating two-story piece that represents the pub, inside and out, plus three narrow three-story pieces representing the tenement buildings. This epic and truly American story has a depressing ending, but "the door is always open to Paradise Square" provides a moment of hope.

*Once again, I'm using an abbreviated Fringe-style summary for my NYC 2022 trip, since I am in the greatest city in the world with much more exciting things to do than write! Click here to see all of my Broadway-related blog posts.

"The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" at the Ordway

I loves you, Porgy
Don't let him take me
Don't let him handle me
And drive me mad
If you can keep me
I wanna stay here
With you forever
I've got my man!

This is Bess' song to Porgy, only one of the many beautiful moments in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, currently on tour and stopping in St. Paul this week. This classic American opera, first performed in 1935 and breaking ground and barriers with its all-black cast, has been re-imagined as a "Broadway Musical" (whatever that means), winning the 2012 Tony for Best Revival. The line between opera and musical is pretty blurry, so I'm not sure how this would be classified. There is some spoken dialogue, but the music (written by George Gershwin) dominates, and in the hands of this fantastic cast and twenty-piece (mostly local) orchestra, it's exquisite. This a beautiful and emotional story of relationships and community, but the reason to see Porgy and Bess is first and foremost the music.

Porgy and Bess is based on a novel about life in an African-American community on the coast in South Carolina in the 1920s. Bess and her man Crown are in the bad crowd of Catfish Row - involved in drugs, violence, and gambling. When Crown kills a man, he skips town, and agrees that Bess should find a "temporary" man to live with (I guess a woman living alone is out of the question). Porgy is available and willing, so he takes her in. He's beloved by the community, but they think he can never "keep" a woman because he's a "cripple." For some reason Porgy loves Bess completely and unconditionally, and is the only person who can see the good in her. It's a confidence and stability she's never known, and it teaches her to begin to believe in herself. Until her past comes back to haunt her, and she falls back into old ways. The town turns on her, but Porgy refuses to give up on his Bess. The ending is ambiguous, but I have to believe that these two damaged people find each other again.


the cast of Porgy and Bess

The score is absolutely divine and includes several songs familiar to anyone who's grown up in Western culture - in addition to "Summertime," there's "I Got Plenty of Nothin," and "It Ain't Necessarily So." As much as I enjoy seeing a modern band on stage, I geek out over a full and luscious pit orchestra, as this is. They sound beautiful along with the huge cast of strong voices onstage. Nathaniel Stampley is so believable as the pure-hearted Porgy, with a gorgeous voice and a very physical performance - his foot is turned completely in at a 90 degree angle and his whole body leans. He is equally matched by Alicia Hall Moran as Bess, and their duets are a highlight. Alvin Crawford is appropriately menacing as Crown, Kingsley Leggs provides a bit of comedy with his portrayal of Sporting Life, and David Hughey has some standout vocal moments as Jake.

In addition to the music, the production is all-around stunning. The simple set consists of a raised wooden platform with a working water pump (much of the action takes place around the community watering hole). The choreography is wonderful, so evocative of the time and place, not too smooth and polished but organic to the people and the situation, from the carefree picnic scene to the tense fight scenes. The costumes are simple but also help to explain who these people are, with Bess changing from a form fitting red dress to a soft floral dress as she becomes an accepted part of the community.

If you're a music-theater lover, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess is one that you don't want to miss. It's historic, epic, moving, and engrossing, and features exquisite music performed by dozens of talented musicians. The tour moves on after this weekend, so get there while you can!