Theatre Review: Dinah Was
Daily Variety
Douglas Sills and Blind Pig Prods. in association with Tina Treadwell Prods.
present a play in two acts by Oliver Goldstick. Director, Bob Devin Jones;
musical direction, Lanny Hartley; set, Edward E. Haynes Jr.; costumes,Debrae
Little; lighting, Liz Stillwell; sound, Russell Williams II; production stage
manager, Sarah G. Lipman. Opened, reviewed June 22, 1996; runs through July
28. Running time: 2 hours, 35 min.
Cast: Yvette Freeman (Dinah Washington), Melody Garrett (Maye), Ellia English
(Mama Jones, Violet), Bud Leslie (Rollie, Frick, Del), Peter Van Norden
(Spinelli, Doc, Sam), Victor Love (Boss, Junior, Chase, Faceless Man).
Band: Lanny Hartley, Louie Spears, Mel Lee.
Though "Dinah Was" tries to present more than amusical revue --
specifically a story about the struggles of a black entertainer in the 1950s
-- it's the mellifluous and boisterous song presentations that make this such
a winner. Yvette Freeman in the lead role and Ellia English, first as Dinah's
mother and later as Las Vegas kitchen help, are nonstop stalwarts; their
singing and acting resonate with truth and heartfelt sincerity.
Freeman supplies an enthusiastic punch to 13 songs, imbuing each with
emotion and intensity. Vocally, her modulation and technique are precise and
accurate as she covers raise-the-roof gospel, lowdown blues and even the
restrained pop of Washington's greatest hit, "What a Difference a Day Makes."
English's vocals are pure church-inspired, seemingly untarnished by any
secular concerns, even when she delivers the bawdy "A Rockin' Good Way."
Although this is in no way representative of Washington's impressive
catalog of songs, this show deserves a cast album.
Story is told in flashbacks from the parking lot of the Sahara in Vegas.
It's 1959 and Washington, riding high on "What a Difference,"her first
crossover hit, has arrived at the casino with her "executive assistant" Maye
(Melody Garrett). Expecting the red carpet treatment, Washington (known as
"Queen of the Blues" for her string of R&B chart-toppers in the 1950s) is put
off by the
hotel's manager (Bud Leslie), who explains that performers are required to
stay outside the hotel in trailers. (Her neighbor is a dog act.)
As Washington puts up a fight, Sahara bigwig Spinelli (Peter Van Norden)
tries to calm the situation with a $3,000 bonus that inspires reflectionon
Washington's part. The play then leap frogs into flashbacks: Dinah's mother
(English) scolding
her for wanting to skip church to meet Billie Holiday; dating a jazz musician
(Victor Love); a doctor's visit; the recording of "What a Difference" and her
desire to have her recordings marketed to a broader audience.
Eventually, Washington takes the Sahara stage and unleashes a stream of
invectives, choosing what she sees as moral high ground over passive obedience.
Flashbacks establish central facts: Washington joined thechoir at 7;
became a soloist at 13; sang in Lionel Hampton's band at 19; had seven
husbands; fought a prescription drug problem, etc.
Factual tidbits, though, rarely flow as natural conversation and often
distract from the play's purpose -- exploring the era's racism, the strength
of Washington's character and her reliance on men who often fail her. Never do
we learn about her music or how she came to be crowned "Queen of the Blues."
With a booming voice and devil-may-care physical expressiveness, Freeman
("ER's" nurse Haleh Adams) exposes Washington's forcefulness and anger as well
as her vulnerabilities and insecurity.
The emotional core of "Dinah Was" is offered early in a scene with English
as her mother -- it's the one scene that carries weight equal to the song
performances. Unfortunately, Oliver Goldstick's script barely fleshes out
the male characters, particularly those portrayed with little conviction by Victor
Love. The actor plays three essential characters -- two lovers and a stranger
-- and never gets very deep into any of them, depicting each with little drive
or direction. Leslie and Van Norden do well in several one-dimensional
supporting roles;
Garrett is appropriately distressed as the problem-solving Maye.
Technical aspects are crisp and simple, as is Bob Devin Jones' unobtrusive
direction. Edward E. Haynes Jr.'s sparse set effectively uses three lights --
"on air," "parking" and "Sahara"-- and scrims to differentiate settings.
Pianist Lanny Hartley leads the onstage trio with straight-ahead jazz
instincts and a full-bodied sound.
Song selection works in this context but includes only three of her pre-'59
R&B top 10 hits. Inclusion of "Wheel of Fortune," her 1952 hit that became a
Kay Starr hit, certainly might have illustrated white artists having greater
success with her material, and her R&B top 10-ers -- "I Don't Hurt Anymore,"
"Teach Me Tonight" and "That's All I Want From You"-- are as autobiographical
as anything in the show.
-Phil Gallo, Daily Variety
June 26, 1996
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