Much of the music in this show is difficult fast paced jazz. The
"Angel City 4" featuring the singing of Diane L. Amende, Jenna Levitt, Carlos Silva and Jim Metzler proved to be more than up to the challenge.
Each song was a show stopper. All of the individuals in
this group are profoundly talented singers; combined they
deliver high energy vocals with clear, clean tones . If singing
can be called precision - this is it. The complex harmonies were
delivered flawlessly, timing was precise and crisp. Donna
Schaffer's 15 piece orchestra performed magnificently. I've
never seen Ms. Schaffer deliver anything short of perfection,
and she surpassed even herself here. Following the shows; the
large tight orchestra broke blast into some of the finest jazz
I've ever heard. They are a wonder to hear.
Performances
were all on the mark. John Michael Whitney, as Stone - the flat
foot noir detective - held his part convincingly. John is a
prolific performer who manages to become whatever role he
plays. Seeing him in this role, one can't imagine that he is anything but a troubled,
hard living detective. Mr. Whitney's intensity in this role is
superb as he becomes detective Stone - hard on a dangerous trail.
He presents his character sympathetically; presenting a character
alive with personal introspection, dry humor, as
well as some surprises. John Nunes as Stine the writer of detective
mysteries, is one of the most
talented people I've seen. He has a likeable stage presence and
is perfectly natural in his role. Mr. Nunes compliments his
counterpart "Stone" with depth and intense character
development. Both performers are also
accomplished singers and their duets are some of the best to be
heard. Throughout this show - singing, and sound are well delivered. Rocky Hill has assembled a cast of singers better than
some I've seen in equity houses.
The City of Angels women are stunning, talented and also have great voices.
Holly Jacobs plays the dual roles of Gabbi / Bobbi. Holly has a
wonderfully expressive stage appearance. She emotes feeling very
convincingly. She also sings very well. Having seen her, I don't
think there is any role that she could not perform well. She
clearly has the soul of a great actress and I very much hope she
is on stage as often as possible. I look forward
to seeing her perform again, hopefully in an emotion-charged role.
She's an actress who's wonderful when portraying a women in desperate
circumstances.
Allison Grass plays Donna / Oolie. Allison has a great stage
persona, sort of a blend of Bernadette Peters combined with
Angie Dickinson. Ms. Grass is a stage personality who adds much
of her own feel to her role, and does it well.
Christine Gill is vicious as Carla / Alaura. Ms. Gill is
perfectly cast and adds a great deal of energy to her characters. She
seems to enjoy this role very much and her character showed her
enthusiasm.
Kathleen O'Neil plays Avril / Mallory another fem fatale.
Kathleen is mesmerizing in her variety of spellbinding outfits
or even more spellbinding near lack thereof. In this role, she
is the stuff of which men's dreams are made.
All in all, the many elements of this show came together
to create a rare quality spectacle on Connecticut's stages. The
combination of great music, orchestra, elaborate costuming,
and sets; all delivered with near perfection; made this a clear
choice for the very best of Connecticut's Musicals.
Bravo - Kudos' - Keep UP the Great work
Rocky Hill Town Theatre - and Liz Daigle - continue with the
vision.
