Meadows talked about his own newborn being wide awake and contented between 3:00 and 5:00 am., giving rise eventually to Meadows’ laid-back, soothing, and mellow version of Wonder’s Uptight. One father in the audience shouted out in encouragement, “It gets better.” The more reticent Seppa was persuaded to sing a phrase of the song to the approval and support of the audience. Papa Pope passionately led the vocals on this piece from behind his drum kit. On the more personal side of things, the universally recognized and embraced Isn’t She Lovely was performed in recognition of the presence of three new/newish fathers in the group (the sleepless daddies club included Drummer Dante’ Pope, Bassist Eliot Seppa, and Meadows himself). Meadows in ‘Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder’ at Signature Theatre. But you are sure to find something here that marked a certain point in your life, both personal and political. (Paul Simon jokingly noted his gratitude to Wonder for not putting out an album one year, thus allowing Simon to acquire an Album of the Year Grammy that year.) There are songs in this show that you will recognize and there will be some that you won’t recognize. He brought to our attention the fact that Stevie Wonder’s music has underscored the lives of at least three generations of human beings on the planet. Meadows, who is the director of Signature Cabarets, conceived this show. Individually and collectively they continually surprise with their inventiveness. As the person I was sharing a table with said, “It became a contest of who could be louder: and we lost the music.”Īll of the personnel are disciplined and creative performers with extensive résumés. But when the instruments and the vocalists (Solomon Parker III is the Baritenor in the show) were performing simultaneously, the voices were swallowed by the instruments. I sat right near the stage, and when the voices were a capella or accompanied by only one instrument, I could hear the voices and the lyrics very well. Unfortunately, at least at the performance I attended, the sound was unbalanced. This show is filled with many potentially wonderful moments like this. As Rice said several times throughout the evening, checking in with the audience: “Amen?” When she voiced the words “Far more frequently you’re wearing perfume with, you say, no special place to go,” the audience began talking back to her, affirming their shared experience, the accuracy of her delivery/testimony of it, and their willingness to ride the waves of this song to see what the end would be. Stevie Wonder’s song Lately gives voice to the approaching terror and anticipatory grief of someone who is beginning to notice and piece together evidence that a relationship they thought would last may not last after all. She trusts the material and she trusts the audience to go with her on the journey the material offers. The thing that Rice does when she sings anything is - she trusts. Rochelle Rice in ‘Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder’ at Signature Theatre. Meadows & The Movement featuring Rochelle Rice and Solomon Parker, which is now performing Hotter Than July: Stevie Wonder as part of the Signature Theatre cabaret series. Rochelle Rice is the stellar female vocalist in the group Mark G.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |