Review: THE RANDY ANDYS Present More Than Great Music At Don't Tell Mama

On YouTube, one can find video footage of Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera performing numbers from the original production of Chicago. Watching these films is a fascinating study in style because the women can be seen performing the exact same choreography in perfect unison, yet the identity of each woman shines through - Chita's movements are more fluid, while Gwen's lean into precision. It's beautiful and exciting to see the individuality within the unity.

That is what happened last night at Don't Tell Mama when The Randy Andys performed.

Three women with distinct styles came together to form one old-school girl group with harmonies that were as tight as their choreography, and even though acting as one perfect entertainment organism, the originality of each lady was never diminished - each woman was allowed, no, encouraged to shine brightly during her time on stage. This is a pure sisterhood of actresses, raising one another into the spotlight and offering full support at every turn, all the while providing a nearly-sold-out crowd with first-rate entertainment.

The Randy Andys is a modern-day Andrews Sisters singing group, paying homage to the sound and the moves of the most famous Forties girl group of all time... but they aren't singing the music of LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty, they are singing the songs of artists who walk the halls of the music industry today - and that is one of the biggest components to enjoying a Randy Andys Show. Listening to Louella, Bev, and Jojo sweetly perform compositions originally made famous by Lizzo, Madonna, Beyonce, and Selena Gomez in the three-part harmony stylings of a bygone era is a breathtaking melding of two worlds, musically stunning and comedically brilliant. Because you see, The Randy Andys don't just stand at their perfectly aligned microphones and harmonize in ways so theatrical as to evoke an instrumental movie score - this is a show. No mere doo-wop session, this skit has a throughline, a conceit, and a surprise plot device, and it works, all of it, from start to finish. That cannot be said of every cabaret show that involves a fanciful notion, but it is absolutely true with The Randy Andys because each actress on the stage is fully committed to what she is doing. At no time last night did the actresses playing Louella, Bev, and Jojo become self-conscious about the potential silliness of what the group was doing; at no time did any of the ladies laugh at their own joke. In comedy, it is essential to stay as sincere as possible, to play it straight, and let the audience do the laughing for you. You are the butt of the joke, and you have to accept it if you're going to keep the laughs coming, and the ladies know it - they stuck to their guns last night, from their first step onto the stage to the final moment when they were out of the room, serving the play, the audience, and their good selves.

It turns out The Randy Andys are more than the three actresses presenting the music of Dolly Parton and Marilyn Monroe last night. The Randy Andys are a company of twelve singing actresses who have cracked the code of how to earn money with their art, rather than fall in line with the stereotype of actors waiting tables while auditioning. While three of the Andys might be performing in a club, three could be found at your private party providing fun, sophisticated (and sometimes naughty) entertainment for your own guests. Last night at Don't Tell Mama the Andys were Sarah Pothier in the Louella track, Catie Pires-Fernandes playing Bev, and Monica Blume in the role of Jojo, but at one point they invited one of the other Randy Andys, Jocelyn Lonquist to make a guest appearance and sat, lovingly, in the shadow as their sister shone as brightly in her solo as each of them did in their own, their individual gifts as singers, actors and women on full display with the full support of their sisters. Although the stories are vastly different, the sight of these women working for one another was reminiscent of the female characters in the recent television series Mrs.America - just one more example of the ineffable power of women acting alone or in a group. And the Randy Andys are an impressive group - one this writer respects enough to abstain from naming any of the songs they perform, in order to preserve the element of surprise for future audiences. It cannot be denied that, whether singing authentic period compositions or songs written last year, The Randy Andys will provide musical and comedic entertainment par excellence, with a solid dose of woman power, which is just as it should be.

The Randys Andys were magnificently musical directed and accompanied on piano by James Rushin.

The Randy Andys have a monthly residency at Pangea and can be seen there on August 12th and September 9th. Their next appearance at Don't Tell Mama will be on September 18th. They will be appearing in Massachusettes on July 24th at the Cotuit Center for the Arts, and December 4th at the New Bedford Festival Theatre.

Visit the Randy Andys website HERE, their YouTube Channel HERE and follow their Instagram @TheRandyAndys

Find more great shows to see at the Don't Tell Mama website HERE and the Pangea website HERE.

The Randy Andys ladies from last night's performance have websites too:

Sarah Pothier WEBSITE
Catie Pires-Fernandes on Instagram: @CatiePF
Monica Blume WEBSITE
Jocelyn Lonquist WEBSITE

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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