Respect is wonderfully directed by Rick Criswell and Karla Hartley, who seem to have aimed at, and reached theatrical perfection; and the three-man combo of Michael Sebastian, keyboards, Joe Grady, bass, and Burt Rushing, drums, couldn’t be better.
Respect is an upbeat frolic through musical history.
Fun costumes by Ivy Thaide, snazzy choreography by Lee Martino, and solid direction by Peter Loewy, along with spot-on music direction by Jim Vukovich, round out this upbeat, entertaining show.
Researched and written by Vanderbilt Professor and noted popular music authority, Dorothy Marcic, with relatable humor and a lot of spunk, we had a good ole’ time!
Just as women’s roles have evolved over the past century, so have the songs which they have sung changed with the times, a fact made melodically clear in Respect: The Girl Em-Powered Musical, a pizzazzy docu-musical just opened at the El Portal Forum Theatre.
Staged and choreographed with sassiness by Tamara Kangas and backed by a nimble trio led by pianist Tom Mustachio, “Respect” uses top-40 songs from the 20th century to limn the expansion (and contraction) of women’s roles inside the home and out.
“Respect” is unadulterated, affirmative fun. Director Hinton Battle keeps the pace lively, the dazzle at a pleasing level and lets each singer have her moments.
RESPECT: A Musical Journey of Women uses Top 40 songs from the past century to document women’s social evolution, vibrantly personalizing what might otherwise be to some an unappealing history lesson.
Instead of operating like a blistering social critique, Respect comes off as a warmhearted, generous and life-affirming piece of entertainment pie.
