Review: HALLELUJAH, BABY! at Haddonfield Plays & Players Will Have You Yelling “Hallelujah!”

Hallelujah, Baby! is a musical following Georgina, a talented, beautiful, and ambitious African American woman, determined to have a career. Overcoming many obstacles, she rises to stardom. She makes her way through the Great Depression, World War II, and the beginning of the civil rights movement. Her mother advises her to "keep her place" as a maid on a South Carolina estate, but Georgina negotiates the blocks to stardom from her negative and opportunistic mother. She encounters the racism that pervades society and show business.

Hallelujah, Baby! is a musical with music by Jule Styne (Gypsy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Funny Girl), lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden (Billion Dollar Baby, Bells Are Ringing, and Singin' in the Rain), and a book by Arthur Laurents (West Side Story, Gypsy, and Anyone Can Whistle). The show is "a chronicle of the African American struggle for equality during the (first half of the) 20th century." This Tony award winning musical originally starred the incredible Leslie Uggams in the role of Georgina, which she also won a Tony for.

Haddonfield Plays & Players' production of Hallelujah, Baby! has a clear aesthetic from the onset. The stage is covered in vibrant colors and emanates a strong essence of the groovy 1960s. Projections on small screens above the stage help transform the set to different locales, and narratively take the audience through the different decades of the show. Overall, between the set design and the script itself, the play has an almost cinematic and performative feeling that emits mid-century modernism.

At the top of the play, Georgina tells the audience that she will not change age though the play will move through six decades. She will be 25 forever (which becomes a running joke in the show). Production costumer Ryan PJ Mulholland smartly uses the fashion from the different decades to move the narrative along and keep the audience immersed in the different periods.

Cara "CiCi" Clase makes her HP&P debut as Georgina, the leading lady who wants to move beyond her station as a maid to make a career, a name and a home all for herself. Clase executes this difficult role with grace, and she is the powerhouse that drives this production forward.

Clase is complemented by an amazing ensemble of actors including April Johnson portraying the hilarious Momma, Aimee Ferenz' comedic rendition of the striving actress and Georgina's friend Mary, and Alfred Lance and Michael Arigot playing Georgina's love interests Clem and Harvey respectably.

Hallelujah, Baby! has a beautiful, classic musical theatre libretto with traditional and inspirational ballads like "My Own Morning" that highlight the actors' voices. Clase's rendition of Georgina's ballads prove that being good just isn't good enough for this South Jersey actress. Her performance of the Tony-award winning role of Georgina not only carry the show, but her rendition of "Being Good" is enough to give the audience goosebumps. Also her performance of the titular song "Hallelujah, Baby!" is the pinnacle joyous musical theatre song.

The show also has a vaudeville and minstrel show feeling that comfortably and confidently breaks the fourth wall in an almost Brechtian way. Songs like "The Slice" and "Smile, Smile" tell somber truths about the "black experience" of the time through catchy and silly performative routines, counteracting the serious nature of the narrative with fun and uplifting entertainment. The show is full of these sorts of dichotomies between serious subject matter and light-hearted portrayal, even using happier music to discuss the tragedies of war and lack of the time's social justice.

Production director Darryl S Thompson Jr. writes in his director's note "I fell in love with this show for many reasons. I love its spirit, its incredible music, and messages of hope and equality." But he also acknowledges the play is less than perfect. "First, let's state the obvious- Hallelujah Baby is a problematic musical." Thompson does not shy away from acknowledging the musical's issues and his bluntness is refreshing. He is transparent about the show's weaknesses and details them in his note to the audience in the playbill. But, through his clear direction of the piece, Thompson still stays true to the intended message of the show.

It is commendable that Miller and Thompson bring this piece to light in the local theatre community amidst the current cultural climate, and in lieu of any possible obstacles it may face. This Tony-award winning show deserves to be seen and is a pleasant mix of activism, education, and entertainment.

Hallelujah, Baby! is a feel-good musical that touches on heavy subject matter. It is an important piece to see in the local theatre community and HP&P's production is well-done, acknowledging the show's inherent flaws but capitalizing on a balanced mix of the show's message and entertainment value.

Hallelujah, Baby! proves that Haddonfield Plays & Players' is dedicated to producing important works that both affect and reflect the community. Between the direction and choice itself of the production, this play is next-level community theatre. It is admirable that this cast and crew do not shy away from uncomfortable topics, and it is refreshing to see something underproduced on a community theatre stage.

Haddonfield Plays & Players' is South Jersey's only BYOB theatre. So, grab your favorite beverage and head over to HP&P's Hallelujah, Baby! playing now through June 4th in Haddonfield, NJ. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets, please visit www.haddonfieldplayers.com

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