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| Jeannette Bayardelle as SHIDA |
SHIDA!
SHIDA!
SHIDA!
WOW!
WOW!
WOW!
JEANNETTE BAYARDELLE!
JEANNETTE BAYARDELLE!
JEANNETTE BAYARDELLE!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
If you are a regular reader of The White Rhino Report, you will notice that this is not the normal
way that I begin a review of a play, a book or a concert. Let me explain my reaction to the Preview
performance of “SHIDA” that I attended on
Friday evening at Ars Nova on West
54th Street in Hell’s
Kitchen.
I attended this performance along with my good
friend, Professor Kate McKeown. We were walking to the subway from the theater,
after having spent considerable time after the show with the Director, Andy Sandberg and the
one-woman dynamo that is Jeannette
Bayardelle. Prof. Kate said, “Please forgive me if I am not my usual
loquacious self right now. I just need some
time and space to process what I experienced just now.”
“SHIDA”
is the kind of show that demands reflection.
I spent one of the most impactful evenings of theater I have ever experienced
as I watched Ms. Bayardelle transform herself in milliseconds into a half dozen
characters all of whom orbit around the eponymous Shida. Drawing from the deep well of her experience
of growing up in the Bronx, Jeanette has written the book, music and lyrics to
a show that follows the life arc of Shida,
a young woman who dreams of growing up to become a writer. Along the way, that dream is deferred and
hijacked by sexual abuse, drugs, abortion, dubious girlfriends and boyfriends and
an all-consuming sense of hopelessness.
Anchored by the triple rescue rope of her faithful school teacher, her
indomitable friend, Jackie and her memories of her nurturing mother, Shida is
pulled from the vortex of the downward spiral into which she had fallen. A new life of faith and hope – and writing –
begins to sprout as the story ends.
The songs that Ms. Bayardelle has composed run the gamut
from jaunty R&B, Blues, ballad, Hip Hop, jazz, rock and Gospel. Her musical and vocal flexibility matches her
dramatic range, and the result is an emotional roller coaster ride that leaves
the audience simultaneously breathless and exhilarated. Tears, chills, screams of delight, groans of
empathy with the pain being portrayed on stage all flowed from the audience to
the performer and back again in a loop of electric energy that made it an unforgettable
visceral experience for all in attendance.
I have seen reviews of Ms. Bayardelle’s earlier work
that describe her as a tour de
force. I cannot improve on that
choice of descriptive phrase. She was
transcendent as Miss Celie in Broadway’s “The
Color Purple,” and also starred in the Tony Award winning revival of “Hair.”
She is simply phenomenal in “SHIDA”
in terms of the depth of the emotion that she conveys in her writing and in her
performing. She can transform from one
character to another with the flick of a lock of hair, a wave of the hand, a
shift in posture, the addition of a shawl or a of pair of glasses. She can move seamlessly from a look of ecstasy
to a mask of despair. As the evening
progressed, I had a hard time deciding whether to dwell on admiring her technical
brilliance, or to let the tidal wave of emotion from the telling of the story
simply wash over me and carry me away wherever it may lead. I ended up washing up on the twin shores of
reflection and empathy.
Using simple but stunning lighting effects (Grant Yeager), the stage is transformed from a Bronx stoop, to a classroom, to a playground where Shida jump ropes Double-Dutch with Jackie, to a rehab facility. The intimate setting of the Ars Nova performance space allowed each audience member to feel as if we were invited to come along on Shida’s very personal and gut-wrenching journey. This is a story that must be told and must be shared.
Director, Andy Sandberg, is amassing quite a reputation in the theater world. I first became aware of his excellent work when I reviewed his production of "Operation Epsilon" earlier this year at Central Square Theater. In addition to his directing work, he has produced a number of award winning shows, including the above-mentioned Broadway revival of "Hair."
The play formally opens on July 31, and will run
through August 28 at Ars Nova, 511 West 54th St., NY, NY. There are super discounted tickets available for $29.50 through
August 3. To access the special
discount, go to www.ShidaTheMusical.com and use code: SHIDAGEN.
If you would like a preview of some of the songs
that you will hear in the show, go to the link below.
This show needs to have a life beyond this Off-Broadway iteration. Its future lies partly in our hands. Audience response will help potential
investors and producers decide where and when it should appear a few blocks
East on the Great White Way. Do yourself a favor, and make the journey
just beyond 10th Avenue to see “SHIDA”
in its current form. I will quote from
my friend, Professor McKeown one more time.
After a few moments of reflection, she mused, “You know, years from now,
we will be telling people how we were among the lucky few to be there to see
the great Jeannette Bayardelle early in her career as SHIDA!"
You, too, have a chance to be one of the lucky
few. Get on the phone or click on the
link below. A journey to Hell’s Kitchen
will be worth taking to join Shida on her journey from the Bronx to the
realization of a dream.
Enjoy!
Al
Written and Performed by
JEANNETTE BAYARDELLE
Directed by
ANDY SANDBERG
2 comments:
I have a visceral response to good writing. What a thoughtful, beautifully written review. Thank you for posting.
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