Audio By Carbonatix
Dallas diva Liz Mikel gets a plum role as a 1930s ex-con who sings up a storm, all the way to New York high society. Based loosely on the story of Huddie “Leadbelly” Ledbetter, this two-character play-with-music begins in the East Texas prison where Pearl is doing time for removing a man’s privates with a knife. A Library of Congress musicologist (Diana Sheehan) visits the prison looking for black women who know folk songs “from before slave times.” Pearl knows a bunch and shares them with the white lady on one condition: If she sings for the recording machine, she wants help finding her lost adult daughter. The plot doesn’t thicken much in the second act, which finds Pearl the toast of New York, though some critics liken her earthy Gullah singing and borderline raunchy storytelling to a carnival sideshow act. The play’s not the thing here; it’s the a cappella singing of Ms. Mikel, whose voice seems to emanate from somewhere deep down in the earth itself. Through June 20 at WaterTower Theatre, 15650 Addison Rd., Addison. 972-450-6232. Reviewed May 28.
Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.; Sat., June 19, 2 p.m. Starts: May 27. Continues through June 20, 2010
Will you step up to support Dallas Observer this year?
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If the Dallas Observer matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
