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12/16/2015Theater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-Woman Show | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=579ca385-7f0d-4fdd-8cd7-e5c687463b2a&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&1/2Theater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-WomanShowTheater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-Woman ShowJOSEPHINE AND I *** out of **** JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLICEntertainer Josephine Baker is such a rich and fascinating character, it's no wonder she's been the focus ofaward-winning TV movies, novels, biographies, documentaries and even a full-blown musical starring DeborahCox that launches in Florida this spring. After all, Baker was a gawky kid abandoned by her father, kicked out byher mother and with little to recommend but a desire to be in the spotlight. Yet unlike countless others who feltthey deserved attention, Baker earned it with clowning around, frenetic dancing, sexiness and that indefinablemagnetism of a true star.She escaped from small town nowhere, got in a chorus line and then clawed and fought and shimmied her wayup to a show on Broadway... and then topped that by heading to Paris and becoming a legend. She caused ascandal with her topless "exoticism," played a significant role in the French Resistance during WWII, worked herway through feckless lovers both male and female, fought hard for civil rights in America, made and spent loadsof money and generally seemed to have a ball. You can't dramatize her life: she already beat you to it!That hasn't stopped actress Cush Jumbo, who was so good in that all-female production of Julius Caesar at St.Ann's Warehouse and has been a rising star in the UK for a few years now. Jumbo wrote and stars in JosephineAnd I, a one-woman show about the inspiration she drew from this glamorous creature who Jumbo exclaimedlooks just like her! (Not exactly. Baker is the classic ugly duckling who draws you in with sheer willpower; Jumbois just downright lovely.)One-person shows about an historical figure often become a parade of incident as the performer offers upparents, partners, competitors and of course the star attraction herself. Jumbo neatly breaks this up by regularlyinterjecting her own story, quietly but convincingly showing how the details may be different but the struggles forequality for women and people of color and artists who must strive to balance career and family? Well, those goon.Here's the smart and engaging Jumbo, dressing down as only the most attractive people can, discussing whatJosephine Baker means to her.The piece is ably directed by Phyllida Lloyd (who also did that brilliant Julius Caesar), with tech elements thatare supportive without ever being intrusive. I especially loved the way they evoked one of her famous dances:Jumbo just poses in front of a screen with still images of another dancer appearing behind her, each imageoffering a different pose in contrast to Jumbo's and increasing in frequency. Quite beautifully, they make you feelthe excitement of the dance even though Jumbo barely moves a muscle. Clever!Jumbo herself stretches every muscle, playing old men, a hateful mother, friends and companions and Bakerherself from a little girl to a wizened warrior. Oh, and she sings!So the structure of the play is at first effective; dialogue lifted from Baker's life goes cheek by jowl with Jumbo'sown story. It keeps Josephine And I fresher than your usual one-person show. However, the drama of Jumbo's
12/16/2015Theater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-Woman Show | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=579ca385-7f0d-4fdd-8cd7-e5c687463b2a&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&2/2life becomes increasingly intrusive as the play goes on, interrupting the flow with of-the-moment crises that areunconvincing and frankly less interesting than the crises in Baker's life, no matter how well Jumbo acts them out.I wish the play had been slightly more conventional and just kept Jumbo's bursts of personal commentary casualand informed rather than turning them into a story of its own. (My guest of impeccable taste, by the way, didn'tmind in the least and found the entire show the best he'd seen in ages.)Nonetheless, it did everything one could ask of any young playwright and performer. Josephine and I makes youmore interested in Josephine Baker than you were before and determined to see Cush Jumbo in anything youcan.Here's video of Baker in her triumphant performance in London in 1974.And here's Baker in an NSFW video, dancing the Charleston Baby. Shocking!THEATER OF 2015Honeymoon In Vegas ** The Woodsman *** Constellations ** 1/2 Taylor Mac's A 24 Decade History Of Popular Music 1930s-1950s ** 1/2 Let The Right One In ** Da no rating A Month In The Country ** 1/2 Parade in Concert at Lincoln Center ** 1/2 Hamilton at the Public *** The World Of Extreme Happiness ** 1/2 Broadway By The Year 1915-1940 ** Verite * 1/2 Fabulous! * The Mystery Of Love & Sex ** An Octoroon at Polonsky Shakespeare Center *** 1/2 Fish In The Dark * The Audience *** Josephine And I ***_____________Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the founder and CEO of the forthcoming website BookFilter, a book lover'sbest friend. It's a website that lets you browse for books online the way you do in a physical bookstore, providescomprehensive info on new releases every week in every category and offers passionate personalrecommendations every step of the way. It's like a fall book preview or holiday gift guide -- but every week inevery category. He's also the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals theindustry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests. It'savailable for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast ofcelebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.Note: Michael Giltz is provided with free tickets to shows with the understanding that he will be writing a review.All productions are in New York City unless otherwise indicated.
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=579ca385-7f0d-4fdd-8cd7-e5c687463b2a&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&1/2Theater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-WomanShowTheater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-Woman ShowJOSEPHINE AND I *** out of **** JOE'S PUB AT THE PUBLICEntertainer Josephine Baker is such a rich and fascinating character, it's no wonder she's been the focus ofaward-winning TV movies, novels, biographies, documentaries and even a full-blown musical starring DeborahCox that launches in Florida this spring. After all, Baker was a gawky kid abandoned by her father, kicked out byher mother and with little to recommend but a desire to be in the spotlight. Yet unlike countless others who feltthey deserved attention, Baker earned it with clowning around, frenetic dancing, sexiness and that indefinablemagnetism of a true star.She escaped from small town nowhere, got in a chorus line and then clawed and fought and shimmied her wayup to a show on Broadway... and then topped that by heading to Paris and becoming a legend. She caused ascandal with her topless "exoticism," played a significant role in the French Resistance during WWII, worked herway through feckless lovers both male and female, fought hard for civil rights in America, made and spent loadsof money and generally seemed to have a ball. You can't dramatize her life: she already beat you to it!That hasn't stopped actress Cush Jumbo, who was so good in that all-female production of Julius Caesar at St.Ann's Warehouse and has been a rising star in the UK for a few years now. Jumbo wrote and stars in JosephineAnd I, a one-woman show about the inspiration she drew from this glamorous creature who Jumbo exclaimedlooks just like her! (Not exactly. Baker is the classic ugly duckling who draws you in with sheer willpower; Jumbois just downright lovely.)One-person shows about an historical figure often become a parade of incident as the performer offers upparents, partners, competitors and of course the star attraction herself. Jumbo neatly breaks this up by regularlyinterjecting her own story, quietly but convincingly showing how the details may be different but the struggles forequality for women and people of color and artists who must strive to balance career and family? Well, those goon.Here's the smart and engaging Jumbo, dressing down as only the most attractive people can, discussing whatJosephine Baker means to her.The piece is ably directed by Phyllida Lloyd (who also did that brilliant Julius Caesar), with tech elements thatare supportive without ever being intrusive. I especially loved the way they evoked one of her famous dances:Jumbo just poses in front of a screen with still images of another dancer appearing behind her, each imageoffering a different pose in contrast to Jumbo's and increasing in frequency. Quite beautifully, they make you feelthe excitement of the dance even though Jumbo barely moves a muscle. Clever!Jumbo herself stretches every muscle, playing old men, a hateful mother, friends and companions and Bakerherself from a little girl to a wizened warrior. Oh, and she sings!So the structure of the play is at first effective; dialogue lifted from Baker's life goes cheek by jowl with Jumbo'sown story. It keeps Josephine And I fresher than your usual one-person show. However, the drama of Jumbo's
12/16/2015Theater: Cush Jumbo Delights In One-Woman Show | Evernote Web
https://www.evernote.com/Home.action#n=579ca385-7f0d-4fdd-8cd7-e5c687463b2a&ses=4&sh=2&sds=5&2/2life becomes increasingly intrusive as the play goes on, interrupting the flow with of-the-moment crises that areunconvincing and frankly less interesting than the crises in Baker's life, no matter how well Jumbo acts them out.I wish the play had been slightly more conventional and just kept Jumbo's bursts of personal commentary casualand informed rather than turning them into a story of its own. (My guest of impeccable taste, by the way, didn'tmind in the least and found the entire show the best he'd seen in ages.)Nonetheless, it did everything one could ask of any young playwright and performer. Josephine and I makes youmore interested in Josephine Baker than you were before and determined to see Cush Jumbo in anything youcan.Here's video of Baker in her triumphant performance in London in 1974.And here's Baker in an NSFW video, dancing the Charleston Baby. Shocking!THEATER OF 2015Honeymoon In Vegas ** The Woodsman *** Constellations ** 1/2 Taylor Mac's A 24 Decade History Of Popular Music 1930s-1950s ** 1/2 Let The Right One In ** Da no rating A Month In The Country ** 1/2 Parade in Concert at Lincoln Center ** 1/2 Hamilton at the Public *** The World Of Extreme Happiness ** 1/2 Broadway By The Year 1915-1940 ** Verite * 1/2 Fabulous! * The Mystery Of Love & Sex ** An Octoroon at Polonsky Shakespeare Center *** 1/2 Fish In The Dark * The Audience *** Josephine And I ***_____________Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the founder and CEO of the forthcoming website BookFilter, a book lover'sbest friend. It's a website that lets you browse for books online the way you do in a physical bookstore, providescomprehensive info on new releases every week in every category and offers passionate personalrecommendations every step of the way. It's like a fall book preview or holiday gift guide -- but every week inevery category. He's also the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals theindustry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests. It'savailable for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog. Download his podcast ofcelebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.Note: Michael Giltz is provided with free tickets to shows with the understanding that he will be writing a review.All productions are in New York City unless otherwise indicated.