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From SeeingBlack.com Theater/Dance
The revival of the musical “Three Sistahs,” at MetroStage in Northern Virginia, initially comes across as a story that has become rather been-there, done-that. Yet the story by Janet Pryce, based on Anton Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” is given a vibrant and compelling new splash of paint by the sensational cast. Set in the late 1960s in Washington D.C., three sisters reunite to bury their brother Andre, who died in Vietnam. While at first they fondly reminisce about the fun they had growing up, they wind up arguing about their deceased parents and the sale of their house (a great set design by Jonathan Williamson). The sisters tell their stories in song. Marsha, the upwardly mobile middle sister (Crystal Fox, having way too much fun in her part) sings about wanting a life different from that of her mother and feeling dissatisfied with her marriage, since, as she puts it “marriage is compromise.” The rebellious anti-war activist Irene (Felicia Curry) is angry at the unjust nature of the war machine that took their brother’s life and challenges her older sisters every chance she gets. Particularly remarkable is Bernardine Mitchell as the somewhat overbearing oldest sister Olive. Her voice is rich and warm, and her presence is reassuring. You know that business will be taken care of as long as Olive is around. A college professor, Olive resents her younger sisters for moving away and leaving her to become their father’s caretaker. The frustration that came with “bathing him, feeding him, hearing him cry in he dark when he thought no one was listening,” Olive tells her sisters, is a feeling they will never understand. It is through the lives of the men in the family their father and brother, that the women are forced to explore the tie that binds them. Each actor sings her song with lots of expression and precision, yet the stage becomes a concert hall when the trio joins voices in lush, breathtakingly beautiful harmonies. William Hubbard’s music and the lyrics by playwright Thomas W. Jones II provide the graceful transitions for the story line. Mitchell, Fox and Curry take command of each tune and breathe distinctive life into their characters through their fierce interpretations. In a world where all is as it should be, sharing your deepest, darkest secrets with a person you grew up with must be the ultimate joy. And home—the place where they know everything about you and still love you—must be the place where you can do just that. “Three Sisthas” gives a glimpse into a family experience that is as real as returning to one’s native soil. “Three Sisters” runs through September 9th at MetroStage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. For tickets call 1-800-494-8497 or visit the Web site at www.metrostage.org. © Copyright by SeeingBlack.com |
