Time traveling with ‘Encores,’ ‘Lady Be Good’ and ‘Texas in Paris’

While the weather forecast continues to remain ‘frightful’ the best way to combat wind-chill is to wend your way to temperature-raising theater heating up the Big Apple!
It’s a joy to share that the past weekend’s City Center’s “Encores” production of George and Ira Gershwin’s 1929 “Lady Be Good” was nostalgic nirvana start to rousing finale. With Tommy Tune proving a sold out draw from the start, this first collaboration of the iconic Gershwin brothers featured a song so catchy the name of the show was changed to it’s rousing melody! And “Encores” version of “Lady Be Good” treated us to this dazzling troupe doing what the series does best: A sunny show with goofy humor, nostalgic music (including the then “new” jazz craze) and a heap of happy endings; and part of the thrill of the production was enjoying the dazzling cast enjoying themselves!
With the original choreography unavailable, Randy Skinner created his own in the style of the era for such as a raucous “Wonderful Party,” “I’d Rather Charleston” and Tommy Tune's two numbers woven into the show: a standing ovation for “Fascinating Rhythm” (done with the Ensemble but every eye on Tune from the start) and the showman’s grip-your heart’ solo turn “Little Jazz Bird” before the finale. These proved perfect book-ends for the production — and both definitively proved tall, handsome, polished, sexy and suave Tune still had dance moves that belied his 76 years young … and beyond memorable: His grace, vitality and dance moves were actually mesmerizing — and “Encores” “Lady Be Good” a lasting memory to take out into the frigid streets; As was Music Director Rob Fisher conducting a huge double orchestra: “Lady Be Good” and perfection belong in the same sentence!
Future productions of “Encores” include “Paint Your Wagon” (March 18-22) and “Zorba” (May 6-10) And the best way to secure tickets to the above now is a membership to the “Encores” series (NYCityCenter.org or 212-763-1206 for particulars that include early scheduled best seats, dress rehearsals and seminars.)
Soul food: ‘Texas in Paris’

Joy comes in all sizes — but it’s currently in abundance at the Theater at Saint Peters,” where the duo of magnificent Lillias White and her equally talented “co-opposite.” Scott Wakefield have turned a memorable haunting musical journey into a spiritual epiphany, exquisitely sung and acted. The 90-minute journey takes two strangers from the “heartland”— the spirited plain-speaking black domestic Osceola Mays (White) and the reticent but equally talented white “cowboy” John Burros (Wakefield also plays a mean guitar) on an unexpected journey from Texas to Paris.
Their extraordinary venture is based on Alan Govenar’s recordings of the original Mays and Burros—two singers with no formal training—that the former made on his first meeting with the duo. Those became the basis for the original hit show in Paris in 1989. The current recordings, photographs and writing has come to fruition with the invaluable aid of longtime collaborator Akim Babatunde, who directs the production. And with Amy Jones, brought on board to “Bring the show musically to life — without losing the joy and vibrancy” of the original recordings.”
The result of this communal effort , at a time when race has again unfortunately become headline news is an incredibly rich sharing of the spiritual and folk music that defined the lives of simple heartland folk. While the black woman and white man don’t become “forever friends” they do reach a memorable understanding of each other’s lives and feelings, while performing some three dozen songs that embrace the homeland worlds of the touring couple.
Set in 1979, with cowboy songs, country hymns and spirituals bringing us to know the hearts and spirit and disparate paths of Osceola and John from the latter’s opening “Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie” with his traveling companion chiming in with “Miss Mary Mack” — from her own upbringing — we thrill — and are increasingly gripped, moved and challenged by the duos passion for the stories they tell. From Osceola’s: All God’s Children Got Shoes” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See” capturing her hard-scrabble life, to John’s faith and contentment in “When the Works All Done This Fall” we’re transported to a two-lane past that culminates in White’s soaring “When the Saints Come Marchin’ In” and “Will the Circle be Unbroken” about their 1979 meeting. Met with one standing ovation after another as White and Wakefield attain a spiritual journey that’s a memory to cherish ,please note the performance is scheduled to close on March 1. For your soul’s sake—get there! (Lexington Avenue and 54th St. 212-935-5820)
Next week: Joel Drake Johnson’s “Rasheeda Speaking,” presented by The New Group is a clever, funny but also dagger poised drams set in a doctor’s office where the latter’s longtime, calm, newly promoted to office manager-secretary clashes wits with a young, inept dynamo of a fledgling secretary who quickly learns the ropes to success — at any cost. Worth seeing twice for its insights into the latest refinement in office back-stabbing. Kudos to standout turns by Diane Wiest and Tonya Pinkins More next week! (Signature Theater, 212-279-4200 or thenewgroup.org.)