There’s music, there’s pop music and then there’s a new, astonishing, ravishing, fascinating musicale called “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” written by Lamb’s Players’ enormously talented ladies Kerry Meads and Vanya Eggington.
The original “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” is all about Aretha Franklin, who made the song famous. But Meads and Eggington wanted to broaden the show to highlight many more ladies of pop music. They decided to concentrate on the ’60s.
I counted some 25 singers and groups; they whirl by in a never-ending stream, sometimes highlighted by backgrounds created by Lacio Pontes’ projections, or singing to pianist Ben Read or another of the fine band (Steve Gouveia on guitar, percussionist Dave Rumley and Oliver Shirley on bass).
There’s even a Leonard Bernstein tape about “Society’s Child,” a Janis Ian song allegedly inspired by the sight of an interracial couple holding hands on a New York City bus.
They’ve found six phenomenal singers who can really belt it out. Most have appeared on the Lamb’s stage before, and all come through with wondrous fine interpretations of Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Tina Turner, Cass Elliot, even Nina Simone and many others.
The ladies are Caitie Grady (Joni Mitchell and others), Joy Yandell (Janis Joplin and others), Angela Chatelain Avila (Grace Slick and others), Rebecca Jade, Janaya Mahealani Jones (Tina Turner and others) and Sydney Joyner.
Meads directs the show with a sure hand, and keeps it moving. Mike Buckley’s set design is simple and workable, and Nathan Peirson’s lighting is excellent.
Kudos to Patrick Duffy for a sound design that does what it need to without overdoing anything.
Congratulations also to choreographer Christine Wisner Hall, whose steps look just right for the decade, and to Jemima Duty for those ‘60s costumes.
Ah, the Sixties. What a time. Thanks to Lamb’s for letting us all relive it in such great style.
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