Theater Review: Baby It's You



The Shirelles. Photo Credit: Ari Mintz

The Story of the Shirelles at Warp Speed (with Countless Costume Changes)
By Lauren Yarger
How many costume changes does it take to tell the story of the pop singing group The Shirelles? Too many to count, but the wardrobe crew at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre, where Baby It’s You is running, deserves combat pay.

The hundreds of attractive 1950s and ‘60s outfits designed by Lizz Wolf are a show by themselves, and are enhanced by great vocals on some favorite tunes, but all of this combined isn’t enough to overcome a very weak book (Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott) that tries to cram every thought, event and lyric any and all of the people connected with the Shirelles might have experienced from 1958 to 1965 in a two-and-a-half hour show.

Without pausing for a breath, bored Passaic, NJ housewife Florence Greenberg (Beth Leavel) tells husband Bernie (Barry Pearl) that she wants to find a job, decides she wants to manage a music group, checks out a group her daughter, Mary Jane (Kelli Barrett) has discovered, signs them, has them record a song written by her blind son, Stanley (Brandon Uranowitz), sells their contract, buys it back again, then hires a new producer, Luther Dixon (Allan Louis) with whom she has a fling despite opposition to a mixed-race relationship.

All that takes about 10 minutes, complete with about 200 costume changes. Suddenly we’re in the middle of a scene where, after being told that Stan is blind for about the fifth time (editing… editing…), we discover that Florence has really hurt him in some way. Exactly what she did got lost in the whiplash of the last costume change, however. Directors Mutrux and Sheldon Epps keep the action at the top of the chart with choreography by Brigitte Mutrux.

In all, there are more than 35 musical numbers including favorites like “I Met Him on Sunday,” “Dedicated to the One I Love” and “Tonight’s the Night.”

When we get to hear a full song (often we hear only a few lines before the group switches costumes and sings a few bars of another….) the story frenzy is almost worth sitting through, because there are some talented singers up there. Leavel is a pleasure to listen to and does a good job infusing Florence with some personality. Barrett also has a great voice, especially in a turn as Lesley Gore (everyone who ever appeared with the Shirelles is given a costume and a moment on stage too keeping several of the actors busy with multiple roles). Geno Henderson plays four, most notably a nice turn as Chuck Jackson.

Christina Sajous (Shirley), Erica Ash (Micki), Crystal Starr (Doris) and Kyra daCosta (Beverly) as the Shirelles each get a chance to showcase their considerable vocal talents as well.

Scenic designer Anna Louizos houses Music Director Shelton Becton’s band on the second level of the stage framing the numerous other snippet scenes that take place, enhanced by projections designed by Jason H. Thompson.

If you like the Shirelles, go join the other audience members who had no problem singing along while texting during the performance. For those of you looking for a little more substance, the juke box that appears on a scrim at the top of the show is a clue that Baby It’s You is just the latest jukebox musical to hit Broadway.

Baby it’s You runs at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th St., NYC. Discounted tickets are available at http://www.givenik.com/show_info.php/Masterworks/310/individual.

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