3 Mo’ Divas

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

Musical Director/Conductor/Pianist Annastasia Victory steals the show for Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas currently playing at the Denver Center Theatre Company’s Stage Theatre. Thrilling to watch, she plays the piano as though her fingers are electronically attached to the ivories. Under her direction the orchestra featuring Sipho Kunene, Drums; Adolph Mares and Robin Ruscio, Bass; Chuck Pierce, Guitar; Dan Leavitt, Trumpet; Mitch Samu, Keyboard; John Armstrong, Keyboard; Lance Acker, Woodwinds; and Gerald Endsley, Musicians Conductor all deserve top billing. The orchestra sings with mind, heart and spirit working its way through Opera, Jazz, Broadway, Blues, and R & B. It is one of the most thrilling orchestra’s to rock the Stage’s rafters in quite some time, making it very difficult to keep the feet still.

Nova Y. Payton in the Denver Center Theatre Company production of Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas. This new concert smashing musical barriers performs in The Stage Theatre through June 29. Photo by Terry Shapiro

Lighting designed by Richard Winkler with its sharp reds, blues, greens, and violets dances cheek to cheek with the striking set design of black stripes on a white stage by Dale E. Jordan.

Everything is perfect for this production that stirs a good deal of excitement from the audience, except for one small element.

The Divas: Laurice Lanier, Nova J. Payton, and Jamet Pittman.

Their voices are rich, creamy and obviously speak toward their classical training, but most of the time I had the strong feeling they were far more interested in selling and flaunting their voices than they were the songs. Consequently, where the pieces hungered for heart and soul, the result was a starvation diet of words and notes while the orchestra kept up the spirit.

One of three companies touring the United States, these three divas looked uncomfortable the entire time they were on stage. Their actions tenuous and hesitant toward the audience and toward each other. All too often their arms were glued to their sides. If they move will the arms break? Classical trained singers often fall into this trap of stiff and stiffer to concentrate on voice quality. Broadway, Blues, Jazz, and R & B demand physical rhythm, graceful moves, and sultry stances, whatever the lyrics suggest.

The two act program begins with alternating one of four arias from the Operas, Puccini’s la Boheme, Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur, Von Gluck’s Peride ed Elena, and Samson et Dalila.

The three attempting to play with each other became more pathetic than anything else. Their tenuous hesitancy as to whether they should be playing at such a crucial time might as well as have a neon light flashing over their heads asking if this will work.

Billed as “A New Concert Smashing Musical Barriers” left one wondering what the musical barriers were to be smashed. Is it the fact that the entire show features Opera, Blues, Jazz, Broadway, and R & B? Granted, this is the first time such a production has been put together, but to insinuate there aren’t many classical singers who can musically handle these five mediums is an understatement. Yes, it is a strenuous show musically, but over the years I have heard several classically trained singers jump from one to another with awesome triumph.

The costumes designed by Toni-Leslie Jones made the three look like they were all playing Grandmother dress up to see who could look the most matronly, resulting in all of them looking twice as old as they are. Even though the black dresses sparkled in the first act, the sparkling didn’t help. There was a nano moment in the second act when Payton appeared in a red dress for My Funny Valentine, but nano moments don’t last, and the haunting of wanting to be Grandmother quickly returned.

What’s missing in this production is charisma and a gangbusters stage presence featuring such magnificent pieces as Let the Good Times Roll, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, My Funny Valentine, My Boyfriend’s Back, Proud Mary, God Bless The Child, and Summertime.

Lanier and Pittman’s Strange Fruit came close to taking the breath away, but their tenuous stiffness made one want to stop the show and start again with “once more with feeling”. Lullaby of Broadway came close to hitting the mark, but Little Shop of Horrors is definitely not their song. (Audrey II would undoubtedly invite them to dinner).

Some of the audience went wild with applause; not everyone. Applause makes so much more noise than silence. I honestly suspect, for some, at least, the rousing response came in response to the orchestra rather than the singers. One woman snapped at the woman sitting next to her during the performance. At the end she apologized saying she was so disappointed in the show it was easier to take her frustration out on someone sitting next to her rather than letting it seethe.

If you go, you won’t be disappointed if you know what to expect. Victory on the piano and the orchestra will knock you out, and the lighting will dance into your heart. Maybe the Divas will loosen up allowing the spectacular music to speak so they can swing, rock, jump, and jive for whatever the piece calls for. Aha. They’re not in the music. They are standing outside singing the notes. What is being cried for is for them to climb inside each piece and let it rip, and to enjoy sharing the stage with each other.