BWW Reviews: THREE SISTAHS Returns Triumphantly to Metro Stage

If you're thinking of an evening in Old Town Alexandria, be sure to plan ahead a show on North Royal Street, at the northern tip of the city. Treat yourself to one of the most fabulous, intimate musicals you have ever seen: Metro Stage's revival of Janet Pryce and Thomas W. Jones II's Three Sistahs. With a brilliant, gospel-inspired musical score by local composer William Hubbard and one of the strongest casts I've ever seen, the evening offers you an unforgettable family portrait.

If the title sounds familiar, yes-the musical is in some sense a homage to Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, whose Three Sisters remains a monument to early 20th century theatre. But Pryce and Jones have avoided the typical nudge-nudge, wink-wink references to the old play; ditching the irony so common in New York adaptations (Durang, anyone?), they have pared down the show to the three sisters alone, extracted each one's psychological essence, and placed them--now African-Americans--in a contemporary setting. Instead of fusty 19th century Russian dames we see flesh-and-blood Americans, instantly recognizable and (to my mind at least) far more emotionally compelling.

The action takes place in Washington, D.C. in the autumn of 1969-one year after riots had torn the city apart and left huge swaths of the city in ashes. Three sisters - Olive, Marsha and Irene-reunite in the old family home one last time, after attending the funeral of their late brother who died in Vietnam. Together again for one last evening they reminisce, bicker, argue, grieve, and sing-gloriously-as they try to reconcile themselves with being the sole survivors of their once-tight family. Olive, the oldest, has made the fateful decision to sell the family's home-not all the sisters agree with this move-and as they pack up what's left of the family memorabilia the three are haunted by memories of their late father, and his confrontations with the son who has just lost his life.

At this point, I'm supposed to come up with superlatives in praise of the cast; words fail me, however. To give you one example: if I could get away with it, I would simply say "Bernadine Mitchell" and rest my case. Her return to the role of Olive, the elder sister, is chock-full of star turns, with show-stopping numbers like "Barely Breathing" (about her first love) and "Leak in This Old Building" (an unforgettable meditation on life and loss). The way she shapes each note, each intonation, is pure artistry and a lesson in how it's done. Roz White gives us a full-blooded performance as Marsha, the middle sister whose marriage appears to have lost its way. And as the kid sister Irene, Ashley Ware Jenkins gives us all the passion and fury of the 1960's. We know she means business from the moment Jenkins first comes into the light, her fist raised in the Black Power salute (a homage to the African-American athletes who used this salute as a silent protest on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics). Confused and angry, there is clearly a lot in life she has yet to learn; she feels the struggles of those days more keenly than her sisters, and understands the rage in the streets.

This being the third incarnation of Three Sistahs the dialogue between songs has apparently seen some trimming, with the result that the show moves at a smooth, brisk pace. William Knowles has ensured that the artists blend their voices intricately, and Greg Holloway and Yusef Chisholm keep things moving with their solid accompaniment on drums and bass. Together they drive the beat and leave everyone in the house with no choice but to clap, tap their feet, and share in the joy of the moment. Carl Gudenius has given us a toney, upscale home (more Cosby Show than Fences), and Janine Sunday's costumes move from somber to flashy in the blink of an eye-Jenkins' entrance in Act 2, with classic micro-miniskirt and kinky boots, is a show it itself.

Finding Metro Stage can be tricky - if you're coming down the Parkway from National Airport you have to wait until Madison Street to turn left, then another left onto North Royal-the theatre is at the end of Royal St. behind the Bastille restaurant.

Running Time: 2 hours, with one intermission.

Production Photo, from left to right: Bernardine Mitchell, Ashley Ware Jenkins, and Roz White. Photo by Chris Banks.

Performances are at Metro Stage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria Virginia on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 3 and 8 PM; and Sundays at 3 and 7 PM, from September 17 through November 2, 2014.

Tickets can be ordered by calling the Box Office at 1-800-494-8497 or online at: https://www.boxofficetickets.com/

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