B+

An important show that drives home themes of teamwork, being part of something larger than yourself, living in the moment, life vs. death, talent vs. commitment, and mentor/mentee relationships (seen 7/13/2016)

 

Hoo-rah!

  • A story worth telling. I was rooting for them the whole way!
  • Some amazing choreography and lighting (Jules Fisher– the train sequence!)
  • I saw the show after the closing had already been announced, and that added a heartbreaking but powerful meta-commentary; the original Shuffle Along was such an underdog and ran for years. This was an amazing show that was only just getting its feet.
  • Love me some Brian Stokes Mitchell (who also happened to be on that night’s episode of Mr. Robot)

Blech…

  • The pace of the storytelling felt a little… haphazard. Probably due to cuts to make the show shorter, but it was difficult to follow where we were in time.
  • Despite the incredible voices of the two female leads, both were missing a certain… star power I guess? I had trouble believing either of them would become famous. Audra McDonald was absent this day and maybe that’s something she brought more of.