Stacey Walker
In-Motion Staff Writer
“A Night at the Tony’s: The Best of Broadway” wowed the capacity crowd, which was clapping and cheering throughout the show during its run at the Gilepsy Theatre in the News-Journal Center,.
Presented by Daytona State College’s Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment, & Art, the production was directed by theater arts professor Samantha Stern, with vocal accompaniment provided by the school’s new choral director Jean Hickman and Stern’s student “life support,” Kayla Mangold???
Bathed in purples and reds, the stage also lit up with 90 minutes of upbeat music from Broadway classics “Chicago,” “Dream Girls,” “Pippin” and “Les Miserables.” Hosts Gamaliel Arroyo and Moesha Searight introduced each musical number while charming the crowd with jokes and random selections of the audience to answer surprise questions. All the activity kept the audience on its toes.
From “Chicago,” the packed theater enjoyed show tunes such as the emotionally tense “All that Jazz.” The provocatively-dressed dancers were dynamically in sync as they presented the song simultaneously with confidence and erotica. Later, the Chicago dancers returned to entertain the crowd with “Cell Block Tango,” strutting dance moves that held the audience captive.
During the “Pippin” segment singers/dancers dressed up as if they were a part of a magic show, with the lead wearing a shiny red bow-tie and vest during a performance of “Magic to Do.” During the portion where Pippin’s grandmother tries to give him advice, the audience was encouraged join in and sing “No Time at All.”
“Les Miserables,” chockfull of expressive performers and emotional drama, is set in the slums of Paris and included a lot of representative drinking and hanky-panky. Songs such as “Master of The House” and “One Day More” riveted the audience, while “I Dreamed a Dream,” sung by Imani Severin, offered a moment of heartbreak and grief that stirred up unbridled emotions.
Up next, was “Dreamgirls,” which opened with theatrical spotlights and klieg lights throughout the theater that were a reminder of the disco era. Three “Dreamgirls,” dressed to the “T” in glittery, tight, red gowns, were greeted with shouts and sing-alongs from the crowd. Part of the segment was an awesome male soloist serenading his girl with “When I First Saw You,” that ended with a cuddly hug.
When Shrek and the Donkey walked out on stage, the crowd roared with laughter, offering the theater a counterpoint to the earlier themes of heartbreak and sadness. Shrek, however, sang a melancholy song too, “That’s Not who I’d Be.” But his Donkey friend came to his rescue with “Donkey Dance!” and also sang the “Donkey Song.” With that, the audience burst into hysterical laughter, especially when the Donkey jumped on Shrek’s back for a ride.
For the finale “Freak Flag” entertained with different Halloween characters singing and dancing like, well, “Freaks.” An unhappy Pinocchio in the end burst out smiling and led the dancers enthusiastically in embracing their “freakiness.”
In addition to its talented cast and director, costumes were stunning as each musical took the audience back in time.