Theater Review: Revised 'Josephine' is stronger at Asolo Rep

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Audiences now attending the world premiere of “Josephine” are seeing a much stronger musical than the one that opened to much fanfare May 6 at Asolo Repertory Theatre, though it still lacks the kind of punch that makes you want to stand up and cheer.

Deborah Cox stars as Josephine Baker in the world premiere musical "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Paul Tate dePoo III photo/Asolo Rep

Deborah Cox stars as Josephine Baker in the world premiere musical "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. Paul Tate dePoo III photo/Asolo Rep

Less than a week after opening night, the creative team brought the cast back for rehearsals to insert changes meant to address concerns expressed by audiences and critics about how the show tells the story of entertainer Josephine Baker. There’s only so much they could do while the show is already in production, but they’re heading in the right direction toward making the musical more compelling.

On opening night, Baker came off as cold, demanding and basically unlikeable from the outset, which made it nearly impossible to really care about what happens to her or the often dramatic turns in her adventurous life. Baker grew up poor and facing racism in St. Louis, but escaped to Europe where she found fame and a lavish lifestyle as the star of the Folies Bergère in Paris in the 1930s and 1940s. The musical focuses on 1939 to 1945, when Nazis occupied Paris and closed the theater and Baker got involved in the French Resistance.

In the new version, Josephine still has some rough and demanding aspects, which is fine, but star Deborah Cox and the show now portray her as someone you can root for. There’s also a better sense of how the adult Josephine is trying to reconcile her past as portrayed by the vibrant Tori Bates as Young Josephine.

This is not the result of a major overhaul but rather subtle changes in the script by Ellen Weston and Mark Hampton and the staging by Joey McKneely that improve how the story is received by the audience. In some cases, the lines are the same, or similar, but they’re delivered with a different tone, like a scene when Josephine’s life is threatened by the Nazis. Now you can be worried for her safety.

At Wednesday’s matinee, some of the changes were obvious, but others were harder to detect. The opening musical sequence has been trimmed and revised and our first impression of Baker is far more positive.

The changes also reveal other areas that need focusing as the creators think about the show’s future.

Deborah Cox, center, is held aloft as Josephine Baker in the world premiere of "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre.  PAUL TATE DePOO III PHOTO/ASOLO REP

Deborah Cox, center, is held aloft as Josephine Baker in the world premiere of "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. PAUL TATE DePOO III PHOTO/ASOLO REP

Too much time is spent between Josephine and Prince Gustav IV of Sweden, with whom she had an affair. It’s the fulfillment of a young girl’s dreams of making it big and marrying a prince, but the relationship doesn’t go anywhere once the initial spark fizzles. But it does serve to make you feel more for her conductor, Jo Bouillon, who has loved her for years to no effect.

The production numbers, no matter how nicely they’re staged or exuberantly performed, don’t always build enough to make them truly exciting. I kept expecting just a little bit more. That’s especially true in the show’s emotional climax, a tap routine to “Steps” that begins between Cox and Bates and is meant to represent Josephine accepting her past. But once the ensemble joins in, the stars become window dressing and they need to be more central to the routine.

The show still looks great and it features some attractive if not game-changing songs.

Deborah Cox as Josephine Baker and Kevin Earley as her conductor, Jo Bouillon, in "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. GARY W. SWEETMAN PHOTO/ASOLO REP

Deborah Cox as Josephine Baker and Kevin Earley as her conductor, Jo Bouillon, in "Josephine" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. GARY W. SWEETMAN PHOTO/ASOLO REP

I suspect and hope there’s more that the creative team wants to do after the Sarasota run ends May 29. Producer Ken Waissman plans to take it to Broadway, and a number of potential investors have been invited to Sarasota to see what’s happening at Asolo Rep. They’re seeing a far better production now, but there’s still a lot of room for growth.

THEATER REVIEW
JOSEPHINE
Book by Ellen Weston and Mark Hampton, music by Stephen Dorff, lyrics by John Bettis. Directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely. Reviewed May 18, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Through May 29. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org

THEATER REVIEW
JOSEPHINE
Book by Ellen Weston and Mark Hampton, music by Stephen Dorff, lyrics by John Bettis. Directed and choreographed by Joey McKneely. Reviewed May 18, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Through May 29. 941-351-8000; asolorep.org
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Jay Handelman

Jay Handelman is the theater and television critic for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, where he has worked since 1984. He also is President of the Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association and a two-time past chairman of the association's executive committee. He can be reached by email or call (941) 361-4931. Follow him at @jayhandelman on Twitter. Make sure to "Like" Arts Sarasota on Facebook for news and reviews of the arts.
Last modified: June 1, 2016
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