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News & Reviews

Saturday, April 28, 2007

BY PETER FILICHIA/Star-Ledger Staff

NEW JERSEY STAGE

Heinz may well be famous for its 57 varieties, but Maurice Hines doesn't have too many fewer in his variety show at Crossroads Theatre Company.

Let us count the ways. He can sing, scat, dance, croon, bellow, joke, interact with audience members -- and that's just the start of what this star does on the stage of the New Brunswick playhouse.

Only twice does he exit to let his band take over -- and that's to change into a different outfit or pair of shoes. In a riveting 95-minute show, Hines belies his 63 years.

Revealing his age is not telling tales out of school. He proudly states it, as if to seduce the audience into thinking, "Oh, no, considering what he's doing, he just can't be that old."

"I'm going to sing songs I really love to sing," he tells the crowd. Few will doubt his ardor, given all the passion with which he imbues each note and lyric. At times he purposely sharpens or flattens a note, and the result is tasty.

Some songs come from such Broadway shows as "Guys and Dolls" and "My Fair Lady." Others are covers of tunes made popular by entertainers as disparate as Billie Holiday, Joe Williams, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Hines' pleasant baritone does justice to all, though he seems to put a bit extra into no fewer than five songs made famous by his idol, Nat "King" Cole. It's worth navigating Route 18 to hear his "Route 66."

In the first act, Hines offers little patter between numbers. The feeling is that he just can't wait to start singing again -- snapping his fingers and slapping his thighs in accompaniment. His knees buckle and unbuckle rhythmically underneath his sleek white pants. Then comes the softest of soft-shoe dance. Considering that his feet were around during the Roosevelt Administration, they're amazing in what they can still accomplish.

The second act is a bit more relaxed. Hines offers a slide show from his youth, with many pictures featuring his late brother and dance partner, Gregory, during

their childhood and teen years. They're fun to see, but even more so when Hines embellishes them with a story here and there.

Hines is backed by Sherrie Maricle and Members of the Diva Jazz Orchestra, a superb nine-piece band. It's almost aptly named, for two men are on piano and bass. The brass section consists of six women, all wonderful, and musical director Maricle.

Hell hath no fury like Maricle on drums. She may remind old-time baseball fans of Cool Papa Bell, who was said to be so fast that he could turn off the light and be in bed before the room got dark. Similarly, Maricle hits a drum and, seemingly before the sound is emitted, her stick is already ahead, hitting another drum one or two feet away.

At Thursday's opening, there was a more poignant reason why Hines proved a class-A showman. The house was about a third full, but Hines gave his all to the people there, with the intensity and importance of a performer facing a packed house at Continental Airlines Arena. The expression that an entertainer "gives 110 percent" is overworked and hyperbolic, yet in Hines' case, the figure seems a little low.

Peter Filichia may be reached at pfilichia@starledger.com or (973) 392-5995.

Entertainment

THEATER REVIEW

"One Mo' Time" much more than a musical

Home News Tribune 11/7/06

By BILL ZAPCIC
STAFF WRITER

The only way to sit still during "One Mo' Time!" is to nail your feet to the floor and strap your hands to the armrests.

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Crossroads Theatre Company's New Orleans musical is a first-class lesson in Roaring '20s jazz singing and dancing. But there's more, far more, to this show.

With only the sparest of dialogue stitching together 18 stellar musical numbers, "One Mo' Time!" nonetheless delivers a slice of reality from the days of two Americas.

Billed as "An Evening at the Lyric Theatre, New Orleans, 1926," the show starts out simply enough with rich vocals and dazzling footwork. But the between-scenes slip in an African-American "Noises Off," with the interplay among characters laying out a variety of relationships and snippets of the socioeconomic circumstances of the day.

It's subtle. These realizations materialize after time the way black-and-white images appear on photographic paper dunked in chemicals:

· The white theater owner (Philip Galbraith), talking down to the paying customers and trying to avoid paying the troupe.

· The company manager/high-stepping singer-dancer Papa Du (Jerome Harmann), sweet-talking the ladies while looking for an angle.

· The workhorse mainstay of the company Ma Reed (Natalie Carter), showing true team spirit and enjoying the life of the theater.

· The ambitious spitfire ingenue Thelma (Gabrielle Lee), using her youth and beauty to get down to center stage.

· The star Big Bertha (Sandra Reaves-Phillips), coasting on her fame and her long-ago-paid-up dues yet reaching to the depths of her soul to deliver the goods.

Taken at face value, this show can be seen as a happy feet mix of classic jazz tunes and choreography. Or it can be seen as a witty comedy with great music.

But look at the things the troupe's members are willing to do to stay afloat: an out-of-character comedy routine, an unexpected exotic dance. This is ingenuity and determination.

Harmann's dancing is catlike; his energy and spirit are radiant.

Carter makes you want to thank her every time she's on stage.

Lee defines "alive and kicking" with everything she does.

Reaves-Phillips, underused in the early scenes, brings a strength that could move mountains as the show climaxes. She channels all the strong black women of the day, and perhaps since.

The Blue Serenaders jazz band, led by musical director Frank Owens, is a star in itself.

The show's only flaws are muddy diction in the vocals (contrasted with the clear dialogue), a tendency for the sound system to distort, a song list with the numbers confusingly out of sequence and a stagehand who keeps yanking on the curtain upstage center.

Director Ricardo Khan, give yourself and your company a standing ovation.

Bill Zapcic:

(732) 565-7345;

bzapcic@thnt.com

Night of the Hunter

A loving tribute to the jazz singer who re-invented herself

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

BY PETER FILICHIA

Star-Ledger Staff

NEW JERSEY STAGE

Audiences at Crossroads Theatre Company in New Brunswick are getting two Alberta Hunters for the price of one. "Cookin' at the Cookery" offers not only Gretha Boston, but also Janice Lorraine, to play the African-American jazz singer (1895-1984). Lorraine plays her during the early years, when little Alberta believed her voice would free her from poverty. "I'm going to sing for kings and queens, and the president, too," says the pigtailed young miss in the $2 dress.

She did, too. Boston then takes over, to show Hunter in the 1920s, working on Broadway and in radio, nightclubs and recording studios. That lasted until the '60s, when rock music permanently took hold. Hunter decided to become a nurse, but, to get better job opportunities, lied about her age.

For 20 years, she didn't miss a day of work and was never late. "That," says Hunter, "was a record with no hole in it." Still, when she turned 70, Hunter was forced into mandatory retirement. She had a nice moment of revenge, though, when she told her boss that she was actually 82.

How Hunter spent the last seven years of her life is the warmly inspiring story that Marion J. Caffey, writer and director of "Cookin' at the Cookery," tells in spare but effective fashion. He's borrowed some sparkling tunes, from the joy of "Sweet Georgia Brown" to the insouciance of "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More," and a lot of blues to boot.

Boston won a Tony Award for her performance in "Show Boat" in 1995; Lorraine shows the potential to win plenty of them.

Boston, an ample-bodied woman, has a glorious contralto voice that serves her well when she sings the blues. At the end of a song, just as an audience assumes she won't be able to hold a note another second, she continues for seven or eight more. Boston also possesses a strong, no-nonsense dialogue delivery when she deals with matters of prejudice -- racial or ageist.

Lorraine gets our sympathy as the naive Alberta, who, when told by promoters she's not light enough, offers to lose weight. She comes of age when she becomes a parent to her mother, who becomes emotionally wrought when recalling a rape.

Caffey's script demands that these two actresses enact other characters, so Boston plays Hunter's mother, too. Lorraine gets the lion's share of the responsibilities, and is amusing as Hunter's elderly and cantankerous booking agent. Her greatest moment comes, though, when she and Boston duet in "When the Saints Go Marchin' In." While Boston plays Hunter, Lorraine must portray -- yes -- Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong.

Those who remember Armstrong, the perspiring jazz trumpeter who was a fixture during the early days of television, will be astonished by Lorraine's dead-on impersonation. That the actress has the Cinemascope-wide grin that forced Armstrong's eyes to narrow to slits is one thing. That she is able to perfectly mimic his gravel-heavy voice is her real achievement. (She finesses the trumpet playing.) Though the number is a duet -- and Boston does nicely by it -- there's little question that the torrential applause belongs mostly to Lorraine.

Yet Boston has her best moment only seconds later, when she takes the spotlight alone to do "Downhearted Blues." The actress inherently knows the show business adage that once a stage has been made hot by another performer, an audience is primed to embrace what happens afterward. At Crossroads, it does.

Home News Tribune Online 02/5/06

By LAURIE GRANIERI
STAFF WRITER
granieri@thnt.com

"Yo Soy Latina!" is Linda Nieves-Powell's declaration of independence.

The play, the culmination of interviews with a variety of Latinas, delves into the complexity of being Latina in the United States. It examines racism, sexism and other prejudices within the Latino community as well as outside of it by honing in on a cathartic conversation between six Latinas.

"Yo Soy Latina!" empowered its author in such a way that, nearly five years after its New York City debut, the play continues to resonate with her.

"It freed me. It made me see how wonderful I am," says Nieves-Powell, 42, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico and raised their three daughters in Manhattan. "I accepted my greatness after everyone told me, "You're too Latin looking.' I said, "Screw everybody. This is who I am.' "

"Yo Soy Latina!" debuted at Manhattan Theatre Source in 2001, traveled to several universities, including Rutgers, played off-Broadway in 2004 and was workshopped last year in New Brunswick at Crossroads Theatre Company's Genesis Festival of New Voices. It returns to Crossroads this week with an entirely new cast for a fully staged production directed by Crossroads co-founder and artistic director, Ricardo Khan.

The issue of self-image and the media — something many women seem to grapple with — is central to the struggles the women explore in the play.

There is Migdalia (Ivette Sosa), a Nuyorican who experiences prejudice within her own family; Jennifer (Gina Rodriguez), a young Mexican-American who taps into her Chicana side; Alicia (Jezebel Montero), a Colombian actress who struggles with what prevents her from getting Latina roles; Maria Elena (Fidias Rae), a Panamanian who encounters prejudice among other Latinas; Soledad (Elise Santora), a Dominican mother who musters the strength to leave her overbearing husband, and Louisa (Julie Alexandria), a Cuban-Irish woman who defends her right to be Latina.

"I want people to be aware of how things work in the media and stop falling for who you should be," Nieves-Powell says. "Are you going to sit back and let ads on TV dictate who you are? I'm so angered by that."

Bishop George Ahr High School alum Ivette Sosa, who plays Migdalia, remembers yearning for blond hair and blue eyes.

"I thought it was better," says Sosa, 29, a Latina of Puerto Rican descent who grew up in Edison. "I thought it was easier."

But at some point, Sosa says, "You say, "I feel OK being the way I am.' "

Union City's Elise Santora, of Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry, plays Soledad Tejeda, a Dominicana with three kids.

"We never get to discuss these things," the Bronx native says. Santora says "Yo Soy Latina!" is refreshing because "this conversation was actually being engaged. You're peering in on a conversation that never happens. We don't have that conversation (about stereotyping) with outsiders because it looks like whining. It doesn't look good. We are brought up to get over it, work hard and move on. (If we discuss the stereotypes), then that's all we become to people. I'm also a woman, a mother, an actor."

But the issue of feeling like an outsider is a layered one. Santora lived in The Bronx until she was 11, spent four years in Puerto Rico, where she has family, then lived in California during high school.

"My experience was I didn't belong anywhere in particular," Santora remembers. "I had all this history, but I didn't have a niche." In Puerto Rico, Santora says, she was the American; in California, everyone figured she was Mexican.

"I spent a lot of time yearning for belonging and felt no one was going to give me a break," she says. In rehearsals for "Yo Soy Latina!" Santora says: "We've had to revisit huge, gaping wounds which come down to the general principle of not belonging."

You want to talk about not belonging? Then let's talk about hair. In the play, the characters discuss what's considered "good" hair versus "bad" hair among Latinas. And anyone of a certain age who didn't meet the tousled-yet-silky aesthetic of the "Charlie's Angels" babes seems to have an inferiority complex.

"It will bring up that ugly wound of how much in our own countries they're looking for that lighter look," Santora says. "It's so present. It (the show) forces you into this place of confronting your own misconceptions about other people."

And Santora hopes "Yo Soy Latina!" prompts more questions among audience members, as well.

"If it can engage the conversation, . . . it might shade . . . their interaction with another person," Santora says.

And in Nieves-Powell's opinion, Crossroads is just the place to strike up that conversation about gender, race and ethnicity and how they are played out in daily life.

"I'm down-to-earth," Nieves-Powell says. "I absolutely love Crossroads because it's so me. I said, "Rick (Khan), this feels like the first time I met my husband.' "

Though Nieves-Powell says she has a symbiotic relationship with the Tony Award-winning theater company, she also admits it is difficult to let go of the show and move on to other projects.

"I have this struggle going on inside me," the gregarious Nieves-Powell says. "I love this play. It helped me become better. For a long time, I was its only advocate. People rejected me like crazy . . . It's like when my son turns 18 and goes to college. I have to let him go."

Laurie Granieri:

(732) 565-7333;

granieri@thnt.com

E-mail article

Crossroads: Brushing off and back on its feet

Sunday, October 02, 2005

BY PEGGY McGLONE

Star-Ledger Staff

Tap dancer Savion Glover last performed at Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick in 1997 -- two years before the esteemed African-American troupe won the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater.

And three years before a financial crisis closed its doors.

Crossroads is a different institution now. It's leaner for having spent five years digging out of a fiscal hole, and though its leaders believe they have weathered the worst of the crisis, they admit there's much still to do. They are grateful that Newark native Glover agreed to lend his name and talent to launch the upcoming season, which will include three productions and a new play festival.

"Savion has been a friend of the theater for years," said artistic director Ricardo Khan, adding that he and the dancer are already exploring their next project together. "Crossroads has always relied on relationships, and this (show) is about saying, 'Yeah, to be part of launching Crossroads next season is important.'"

Glover's star-power may translate into revenue -- a fact not lost on the still-recovering company. Performances on Friday night and Sunday afternoon in the 300-seat Crossroads Theater are almost sold out, so Crossroads officials approached their neighbor, the State Theatre two doors away on Livingston Avenue, for the Saturday evening show. A good crowd in the 1,800-seat State will do much to boost the theater's bottom line.

"A large part about star-power is it will get so many people's attention, and what we want to say when we get their attention is there's some really significant artistry going on at Crossroads," said Khan.

Richard Nurse, the retired Rutgers University vice president who now serves as the theater's executive director, believes the first show of the season is a milestone in the theater's recovery.

"Our vision has been to restore the respect Crossroads had earned over the previous two decades from the theatrical world, the public and the media," Nurse said. "I think we're 80 percent there. I think we've made a convincing argument that we are back, and we're going to be stable and we're going to operate in a good way, in a way that will keep us in business from now on."

Several recent developments suggest Crossroads is back on track. Agreements with two of its biggest creditors, upgraded status with the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and the promise of a small state grant are fueling the high hopes of Nurse, Khan and board president Franklin Moore.

"We are still dealing with the finances that we had before, but in the meanwhile we are able to run our seasons without (incurring)any further debt," said Nurse, who estimated the once $2 million debt has been reduced to $800,000.

A pro bono attorney negotiated a deal with the theater's largest creditor, New Millennium Bank, to allow Crossroads to provide marketing services over a six-year period in lieu of paying off the loan. "It's not really in stone yet, but we came to an agreement," said Nurse. "It relieves us of the actual debt, of paying back the money. We're working it off."

The theater also reached an settlement with the state, and has begun paying monthly installments on its $250,000 loan. Those two settlements should pave the way for a grant to be made from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts' Critical Finances program, another milestone that could lead to the resumption of regular state support.

Founded in 1978 by Rutgers acting graduates Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson, Crossroads quickly rose to national prominence for its development of African-American plays and artists. In its heyday it produced four shows and a play-reading festival each season, attracting the likes of August Wilson, Avery Brooks, Ntozake Shange and Rita Dove.

But six months after receiving the 1999 Tony Award, the theater's long-term financial troubles exploded. Theater officials tried to restructure the debt as they sought emergency government aid. Meanwhile, founding artistic director Khan began a year-long sabbatical that led to his complete departure. The company limped through the rest of the season before abruptly shutting down at the start of the 2000-2001 schedule. More than $2 million in debt and without its charismatic artistic director, the board decided it was irresponsible to continue to produce theater.

The board didn't call it quits, though. While the stage was dark, a handful of volunteers and a skeleton board worked on the financial issues -- negotiating with vendors, restructuring loans, and, most importantly, asking the Internal Revenue Service for help in addressing years of unpaid payroll taxes. They also repaired its relationship with the New Brunswick Cultural Center, the nonprofit entity that owns the Crossroads theater and took control of its schedule. The NBCC rents the space to Crossroads, as it does to any dance, film or music promoter that wants to use it.

No longer saddled with worrying about a building, Khan said he has been free to focus more on the artistic side of the company. Having Nurse at the helm of the finances has been critical, too.

"There's a whole different attitude. I really do think they are on the right track," said John McEwen, executive director of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, the service organization dedicated to promoting professional theater in the state. "They are doing decently at the box office, getting decent reviews. I think that sends an enormous message."

Another change is the theater's willingness to seek the expertise of others. Nurse and Moore have sought the expertise of nonprofit managers, too. The New Jersey chapter of Partners in Philanthropy provided a consultant to create fundraising plans. The Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts assigned the theater a tax attorney to help with another pressing issue, its unresolved tax liability.

But both Moore and Nurse point to Khan as the key to the comeback. His vision, his artistic know-how, have made the recovery possible.

"I was one of Rick's biggest critics, but I was also ... the most outspoken about his return," said Moore. "He knows theater. It is a gift to have him come back to face his critics and put excellence on the stage."

Khan in turn passes the accolades on to artists like Glover and singer Freda Payne, who performed last season, who continue to help the theater rebuild.

"I would love to see (Glover's performance) as a turning point, but to me it's just another important step in a steady climb back to where we want to be," Khan said. "Every step we take I want our artistry to get better, and that relies on our relationships with world-class artists."

Savion Glover and Tap Legends Jimmy Slyde and Dianne Walker

Where: Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick

When: 8 p.m. Oct. 7th; 3 p.m. Oct. 9th

Tickets: $45. Call (800) 766-6048 or visit www.tickets.com

Where: State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick

When: 8 p.m., Oct. 8th

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