Word: serenas
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...song’s best for winter,” R&B queen Serena tells her young son in the American Repertory Theater’s “Best of Both Worlds,” the new gospel adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” playing at the Loeb Drama Center through Jan. 3. Unfortunately, such sad songs are just about the only agreeable aspect of the show; to deem anything the “best” in this disappointingly mediocre production would be to issue a gross...
...world in which Shakespeare’s rival monarchs are now kings of soul, or “chocolate royalty,” and music has the power to heal. One of the kings, Ezekiel (Gregg Baker), devastates his empire when he accuses wife Serena (Jeanette Bayardelle) of having an affair with his former best friend Maurice (Darius de Haas). Despair at Serena’s banishment eventually leads to redemption in the restorative second...
...purely technical level, the design elements are fantastic, and all of the performances are outstanding. In particular, Jeannette Bayardelle’s Serena is strong, regal, and utterly unforgettable, especially during her show-stopping solo “The Way I Love You.” Diedre Murray’s music is lovely, even if it gets lost in the excess of sung exposition. Regrettably, compelling performances and extraordinary singing cannot carry a show this poorly written...
...most magical and dramatic moment of the musical—Serena’s statue coming to life—the blocking distracts from the beauty of the restoration. The actors peer towards the audience at the “statue,” only to have Serena actually enter from behind the set’s giant garage door in a burst of fog, light, and gospel song. As the resurrection is the emotional climax of the show, this execution is both disappointing and baffling. The fourth wall is indeed broken, but perhaps not as Paulus intended; instead...
...ministries (there are now 42) and divided them equally between the two warring parties. Since then, the public has seethed at the excess and lack of judgment shown by their leaders. Just last week, government ministers and their assistants took off for a three-day coastal retreat at the Serena Beach Hotel and Spa, where most of the rooms go for more than $200 a night. The big achievement of the weekend? According to the presidential press service, officials agreed to "abide by the oath of secrecy" and refrain "from making adverse public utterances against fellow Cabinet ministers and assistant...