"110 in the Shade"

In the last few days before returning home to Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to see 110 in the Shade, the last Roundabout show of the season, twice at Studio 54. I had very much been anticipating this production, mostly because I'd never before seen Audra McDonald live on stage. I had very little familiarity with the show, so I wasn't sure at all what to expect. I was able to extend my stay in New York by a few extra days with special permission from NYU Housing in order to finish up my term as business intern at Roundabout and to volunteer at the 110 in the Shade opening night, so 110 was very much a major part of my last week in New York.

As a show, 110 in the Shade doesn't have the makings of a "hit." It's a simple tale about a self-described "plain" girl, Lizzie Curry, who is caught between her allegiance to her father (played by Broadway legend John Cullum) and brothers and the hearts of two very different men - the sheriff, File (Christopher Innvar) and a wandering con man named Starbuck (Steve Kazee).

It's a simple story with simple songs, but there were several really key elements to the production that make it stand out as one of the highlights of the season to me. First and foremost was Audra McDonald, a beautiful woman who manages to pull off playing a plain country gal thanks in part to Santo Loquasto's humble Western-style costumes. Even more so, it's her wonderful acting skills that keep Lizzie an interesting multi-dimensional character despite the limits of an old-fashioned book. She sings beautifully and makes you believe she's right at home on a Western farm. As File, Innvar is appropriately buttoned-up, and Kazee plays Starbuck with just the right amount of whimsy to make you believe that Lizzie would fall under his spell.

John Cullum is also particularly effective. I'd seen him before in Urinetown, and he was appropriately devilish then. But here, in a much more restrained role, he's absolutely winning as H.C. Curry, Lizzie's father. He's able to give his character the appropriate amounts of shading for an audience to believe he's fooled himself and his daughter with fanciful talk all their lives and still believe that he's got the best of intentions all along.

The design elements of the show are also among the highlights of the production for me. The set, featuring a sparse wooden turntable and a giant moving elliptical sun, is simple but beautiful, able to morph appropriately throughout the production and accommodate the quick succession of scene changes, aided by the scorching warm tones used by lighting designer Christopher Akerlind.

Despite all of what I have to say about how slight the show is, however, the music is still beautiful and appropriately simple in concordance with the plot, featuring standouts like "Old Maid," "Raunchy," and "Wonderful Music" that highlight a cast of wonderful singers.

Overall, though the show is a bit out of date, it's still worth seeing. Its "old maid" themes may seem antiquated, but they still speak to the lonely hearts of today. First and foremost, it's Audra McDonald and the beautiful design of the production, though, that should draw audiences in.