THEATRE
Toni Stone Is a Solid HIT!
By Linda Armstrong
F rom the 1920’s to 1950’s the role of the black female was to be in the home, as a wife, mother, cook and cleaner. Young women were raised to like wearing pretty dresses, acting in a feminine manner and were on a mission to attract the opposite sex. Boys were a preoccupation.
Now, imagine you have a daughter who doesn’t care about any of those things. In fact, she is not interested or comfortable talking to boys, unless it’s about baseball. Imagine being a mother of a young woman who tells you her heart is set on playing baseball for a living.
She knows all the players stats and then lets you know she’s trying out for the Negro Leagues. Well, this really happened in the family of Toni Stone, the first black female professional player in the Negro American Leagues in that time period.
Stone’s life is being shared through a very engaging, funny, and astonishing play by black female playwright, Lydia R. Diamond in her play “Toni Stone,” presented by the Roundabout Theatre Company and playing at the Laura Pels Theatre Arnold And Miriam Steinberg Center on West 46th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.
Stone ends up landing a position with the Indianapolis Clowns, a team that did what their name implied on the ball field but could also play some amazing baseball. You can’t imagine the stumbling blocks that Stone came up against, not just from playing in Jim Crow states and dealing with the racism that all the team members faced, she also had the added fact that she was a woman, playing a man’s sport, and it didn’t help that she outplayed some of her teammates.
Diamond has Stone tell her story, giving life to the men, whom no one talks about and most likely doesn’t know. I always appreciate plays like this because they share black history that many people do not know.
I wasn’t familiar with Toni Stone or any of her teammates. Of course, in sharing Stone’s experience Diamond clearly lays out the prejudiced, unjust world that all black professional ballplayers faced, especially as they travelled in the deep South and couldn’t get hotel accommodations nor eat in restaurants.
There’s something so invigorating and uplifting when you hear stories of how during our rough times as a people, our own people looked out for us. Players would stay at people’s home and the people would feed them. In some cases, players would stay in whore houses; this was a situation in which Stone found herself. But, for her being there was a matter of pride in the black women who were the working girls, especially Millie, the woman who ran the place. Stone was on that ballfield representing all black women and what they could be.
Though she was awkward, Stone does find love in Alberga but even that relationship becomes a challenge due to the game. Watching this play will really make one appreciate how far women have come in society.
The cast is exceptional; it includes April Matthis brilliantly and vibrantly portraying Toni Stone. Non-traditional casting is used in an unusual way with this production as Matthis is on the stage with eight black men, who play the players and the women characters. Kenn E. Head is fabulous as Millie. The remaining cast members are Harvey Blanks as Alberga, Eric Berryman as Stretch, Phillip James Brannon as King Tut, Daniel J. Bryant as Spec, Jonathan Burke as Elzie, Toney Goins as Jimmy, and Ezra Knight as Woody. This play has fantastic choreography by Camille A. Brown. The production has the stirring direction of Pam MacKinnon.
For ticket information go to roundabouttheatre.org.
Linda Armstrong is the Neworld Review theater critic.
“Rock Of Ages” Is A Freakin’ Blast!
By Linda Armstrong
D o you like Rock? I think there’s a little rocker in all of us. I know my 25 year old daughter and I almost lost our voices singing and shouting when we experienced “Rock Of Ages” at New World Stages at 340 W 50th Street. The Rock musical is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and had been on Broadway for 6 years, previously winning 5 Tony Awards.
It features some great music from bands like Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe. It is marvelous classic rock songs from the 1980s and the cast definitely represents!
If you have a rock musical and your cast can’t bring it, you may as well pack it up, but this cast is amazing and they bring 200% to this show. Mitchell Jarvis is Lonny, the hilarious, wild narrator and he is also a fantastic singer. He starts the audience on this musical journey and weaves the story, which entails love, betrayal, and dreams of acting, dreams of being a successful rock music singer, the LA Strip, corruption, drugs and politics. I think that sound like enough to keep one interested.
CJ Eldred is intoxicating as Drew, the young man who works at the Rock Club, the Bourbon Room, but has dreams of being on the stage rocking out. Eldred not only has the awesome look of a rocker, but his voice is in the stratosphere! Rock on DUDE! Kirsten Scott is perfectly cast as Sherrie, the small town girl who comes to LA with a dream of being an actress, but after being misused by a Rock Star finds herself surviving in a way she would have never thought could be her destiny. Meanwhile, she is also in love with Drew. Her voice is dynamite! Matt Ban is club owner Dennis and he gives a fun, memorable performance and also has just the right vocal sound. PJ Griffith is famous rocker Stacee Jaxx and his voice will blow you away. Mekhai Lee is absolutely wonderful as he plays both the comic role as the corrupt Mayor and Ja’Keith Gill, a manager for Drew. His voice is fabulous!
Tiffany Engen is Regina, the Mayor’s assistant, who wants to save the businesses on the strip, she is amusing, strong, determined and her voice is exciting to listen to. Jeannette Bayardelle plays duel roles of Sherrie’s mother and Justice, a madam who runs a strip club. Let me just say this is one Sista who can SANG! Her voice is forceful, rich and powerful. She can break into rock or soul and not break a sweat. Go on my Sista!
Dane Biren is incredibly entertaining and funny as Franz, the son of a German developer who wants to destroy all the clubs on the strip and clean the city up. His voice is delightful to listen to. Tom Galantich is great at Hertz, the cruel developer, his voice is engaging. The rest of the ensemble just brings the music to glorious life, everyone on stage is on-point and true rockers. These people not only rock vocally, but the scantily clad outfits and the sizzling, sexy dance moves are something that will definitely get your juices going.
Between the jokes, the phenomenal rock voices and the off-the-wall happenings, this musical is something that you will enjoy, be surprised by and just want to share with friends. It is something for teens and up.
When you are sitting in the theatre the audience is encouraged to enjoy themselves, sing if you want, relax, and have a good time and believe me you will. Just know you are enjoying the fun story written by Chris D’Arienzo, the seductive choreography of Kelly Devine, the eye-popping costumes of Gregory Gale, the music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations of Ethan Popp and the tremendous direction of Kristin Hanggi. There is also a live band on stage the entire time and they literally ROCK THE HOUSE! You have to make plans to see “Rock of Ages”! You only have until September 29! For ticket go to https://rockofagesmusical.com/tickets.
Linda Armstrong is the Theatre Reviewer for the Neworld Review
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