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| Israel Jimenez, Avery Jones, Frenki Hykollari, Alek Rahman and cast Photo by Justin McBride |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through June 2nd.
"...the story it tells of this vibrant community and the dreams they have, the pressures they face, and how they come together to support each other beautifully depicts the true meaning of "home." Mesa Encore Theatre's production has a talented cast and clear direction that exhibit the life, love and heart of this joyful musical....director Marcos D. Voss has assembled a group of actors who are very capable of presenting fleshed out portrayals of these realistic individuals. Israel Jimenez is quite good as Usnavi..As Abuela Claudia, Greta Skelly is a complete knock-out...Alek Rahman is a very talented singer and dancer and makes for a gutsy and vibrant Vanessa, Usnavi's love interest. As Nina, Frenki Hykollari's voice soars and she has a refined stage presence that pulls us in and immediately lets us see how her character feels uncertain, having recently lost her way. ...Voss' direction brings an abundance of energy to the entire production and he stages the action well on Lorelee Golden's gorgeous, large, and multi-tiered set... Unfortunately, the only creative aspect that isn't on the same level as the rest is the sound design. At the performance I attended there were many times when the sound mix was off and the lead singers' voices could barely be heard over the ensemble or the band...Hopefully, with just some slight tweaking the levels can be adjusted to correct this unfortunate oversight....a musical with a universal appeal that will most likely resonate with everyone... " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
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