Crowns rich in song history
January 31st, 2008, 2:17 am Hobbies Ideas
CROWNS, Grand Theatre, through Feb. 9 (957-3322 or www.the-grand.org), running time: 1 hour (no intermission)
If you like gospel singing, you’ll like “Crowns.” If you like oral history, you’ll like “Crowns.” You don’t even have to be all that crazy about hats.
This is a story about hats. And going to church. And it’s the story of a young black woman from Brooklyn whose mother sends her south to live with her grandmother because she’s running with the wrong crowd.
The young woman is grieving for her brother, who was murdered. She’s angry at school, angry at church, but gives in eventually to the loving ministrations and fashion advice of her grandmother’s friends.
On opening night at the Grand Theatre, the acting was tentative at first. Then, too, the sound system kept cutting off on Michelle Love-Day, whose character, Yolanda, is central to the action. In short, there were some awkward moments.
But the audience was reeled in anyway. Before too long we were gathered up in the joy.
Dee-Dee Darby Duffin’s rendition of “Sparrow” makes your heart pound. Toni Byrd seemed relaxed from the first, swaying and stepping with grace.
Story continues below
Laura Eady-Popwell is Mother Shaw, the gospel preacher. Her most touching monologue is the one about being allowed, for the first time, to shop in a previously “whites-only” department store. Glory Johnson-Stanton’s voice is lovely, too, although its’s more understated. She’s recorded songs with Michael McClain.
Greg Lang played every male role, from preacher to exasperated husband of a hat maven. B. Beard White is Mabel, whose most amusing monologue was a warning about not touching her hat.
Kaye Richards choreographed; Amanda Profaizer did the costumes (and, oh, those hats). Deron Hutchinson is on keyboard and James Clark is on drums. Richard Scott directs.
Sensitivity rating: Unless you are offended by women in modest slips, singing while they put on their Sunday dresses, there’s nothing to offend in this production.
Tags: audience, awkward moments, lai, mom, s central, undayRelated posts
