It’s called “Sistas and Storytellers.” But opening night was more like “Sistas and Storytellers … and Sound Problems.”
The concept is can’t-miss. Start with six astounding, adorable, bring-you-to-your-knees blues singers including the legendary Hazel Miller. Have them sing bouncy pop ditties like “Love Will Keep Us Together,” smoky classics like “At Last” and spiritual ringers like “Grandma’s Hands.” Hey, I wasn’t just coming to Jesus – I was standing right next to him by the time the last song was sung. I was there.
But here’s a concept that can’t “not” miss: Take these black bombshells, six women whose angelic voices could fill a Colorado Springs megachurch – and have them sing into cheap body-mics … in an intimate studio theater.
These six are reuniting after 25 years, having spent 11 childhood summers touring churches as a group that was called The Heavenly Voices – for a reason. If ever there were six voices that don’t need amplification, it’s these. Just turn down the (great) three-piece combo, and maybe hang a few mics. But those lousy body mics are taking their lovely, dulcet tones and crumpling them.
“Sistas” is a workshop musical that will be performed on Thursdays only through August at the New Denver Civic. Last week’s opening performance was one of those utterly joyful parties with an A-List crowd including Grammy winner Dianne Reeves.
It’s been fast-tracked by Sheryl Renee and CoCo Brown, who have written and staged “Sistas” in just two months. The rush shows. The score consists of 15 songs unnecessarily grouped by subjects such as friendship, love, family, and of course, God. Most musicals of this genre offer many more titles – and the vocalists sing less of each. In a theater context, as opposed to a concert setting, complete songs bring the overall tempo down. How about a medley?
The script is in need of much further development. Each woman is more type than flesh. There’s the single one, the Bible-thumper, the businesswoman, the happy homemaker, the unhappy ex-homemaker, the touring concert star (Miller, of course). But we don’t even meet them all by name in the first act.
We eventually get to know each a bit, but not very organically or completely. The dialogue never feels like the natural chatter of girlfriends. They talk in structured turns, too often spouting random, platitudinous truisms – “tomorrow is not a promise to any of us” – and they never talk over one another. There is truth in what they say, but not enough naturalness in how they say it.
That is in part because other than the award-winning Renee, these are singers, not actors. Then there’s Miller, a favorite on the Colorado jazz and blues circuit for three decades. Miller has such a natural, commanding stage presence, playing a role in a musical almost seems too easy for her. She brings down the house on “At Last” and Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” – but it’s a mistake to end the first act with that last bit of sadness. (Fair warning: Miller appears in only eight of the remaining 12 performances).
“Sistas” has a wonderful, if dangerously enlarged, heart. Each scene change comes with poetry snippets by Rena Camille, emphasizing how family supersedes DNA. But finishing off with a trio of spirituals after one of the gals simply confesses that her man has left her feels like manipulation. Not that I wanted her to reveal, say, a life-threatening disease, but one good-riddance louse is hardly worthy of three tearful “faith in Jesus” finale songs.
I’m a sucker for glorified spiritual revues like these, whether they come with a story or not. The Denver Center’s “Crowns” and Shadow’s “God’s Trombone” are recent examples. We’re here for the music. But if you are going to really push an accompanying story line, as “Sistas” does, this one needs a lot better one before it can be considered a legit theatrical musical.
The music is in many ways the easy part. Now the real work must begin. In the meantime, ditch those mics and sing, sisters, sing.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
“Sistas and Storytellers”
MUSICAL
New Denver Civic’s Black Box Theatre, 721 Santa Fe Drive | Written by Sheryl Renee and CoCo Brown
Directed by Khadija Haynes
Rotating ensemble includes Renee, Brown, Hazel Miller, Shelly Lindsey, Linda Theus-Lee and Yvonne Brown
THROUGH AUG. 30
8 p.m. Thursdays only
2 hours
$25
303-309-3773 or ticketswest.com
