Love And Baggage . . .

Grove Street Wannabees - "Circle of Love"

by Brian Saxe & Martin St. Lawrence

Spotlight On 2002 Festival

by Louis Lopardi . . March 9th, 2002

This latest installment of the Grove Street Wannabees is a worthy successor to previous shows, if somewhat more uneven than we have come to expect from this tireless creative team. The writer/director Brian Saxe has abandoned the old formula and come up with another interesting vision: Circle Of Love - in which we trace the fortunes of a variety of couples through the dating and mating games, weddings, and divorces. Once again Wannabees assembled a bewildering display of talent - powerful, sometimes with rough edges, but always entertaining. And even in the "supporting cast" there were surprises: Patricia Overly - a performer in more of an emcee role than a vocalist - had a magnetic personality that kept one wanting to see more of her.

There were standouts. Danielle Gerardo, a true singing actress, gave sweetly comic renditions of LOTS OF LOVELY LOVE and others, and a serious BLUES IN THE NIGHT. Valerie Gilbert, another singing actress, gave a lusty MAKIN WHOOPEE. David Josefssohn displayed a powerful voice and great acting skill, but was at his memorable best in the awestruck opening of HE TOUCHED ME. One wishes he would explore more that expressive and tender side of his voice; sota voce can be used effectively even in big moments. Perhaps the most consistent performer was Roger Hanson, displaying a fine and fully supported voice that he used intelligently all evening.

Lighting (by a triple team of J. Martinez, J. Octaviano, and J. Stewart) ranged from the sublime: a delicate pre-show and richly drawn tavern scenes, - to the ridiculous: an untempered garish spot for a heartbreakingly tender rendition of STRANGER IN PARADISE by Joseffsohn. Choreography (Amy Milano assisted by Nicole Moeller) was used wisely throughout the evening, but tended to repetition on the longer numbers. Granted, a large cast of relative strangers on a small stage is difficult, but not everyone has to be moving all the time. A choreography of simple moves for Nicole Moeller's solid WHATEVER LOLA WANTS was just right, and perhaps the most successful ensemble number was set to LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND. As is often the case with cabaret reviews, one felt the lack of a firm, overall, artistic control. Director Saxe is at his best in drawing inventive concepts and in planning the overall flow of an evening. One wonders what he could accomplish with a tough guy at his elbow, or a producer with clout.

Musically there seemed to be far too many numbers, or perhaps it is just that there were too many "samplers" - a phrase or one verse or chorus and then on to the next one. These are wearing on an audience. Complete songs were more successful. In the dual role of Music Director and Accompanist, Martin St. Lawrence played with a creative flair not often seen in this kind of venue. He cajoled, teased, and otherwise coaxed minor miracles out of both his ensemble and his instrument.

Writing
Directing  *
Acting  *
Music  *  *
Costume design  *
Set design  *
Lighting design  *
Sound design

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