By Laura Fries
Alexandrianews.org

Debra Walton, James Alexander, Zurin Villanueva, James T. Lane, Aisha de Haas (Photo: C. Stanley Photography)

Alexandrians don’t have to travel far to see Broadway-level entertainment with productions like “Josephine Tonight” available at Old Town’s Metro Stage. A musical rags to riches tale that chronicles the early, tumultuous and sometimes scandalous career of the iconic Josephine Baker, the play is an entertaining, toe-tapping glimpse into a remarkable life.

Directed and choreographed by Broadway star Maurice Hines, “Tonight” touches upon crucial moments in Baker’s life and effectively conveys her indomitable spirit in the face of racism and personal turmoil.

While Baker’s life and relationships could span many years, characters and world events, Sherman Yellen’s story focuses on a few key people. Played by a small ensemble, these actors  transform seamlessly  into characters black and white, young and old.

Zurin Villanueva plays only Baker, but she encompasses the performer’s metamorphosis from the gawky young girl doing the chicken dance outside a St. Louis Piggly Wiggly into an international superstar. A slim reed of a woman, Villanueva, manages to encapsulate Baker’s bigger than life persona, be it in a banana skirt or full head dress.

Debra Walton and James Alexander are wonderful supporting players, adding a great deal of levity to the story, especially as the vaudeville couple Father and Mother Jones who gave Baker her start.

James T. Lane is both Eddie Baker, one of Josie’s three husbands, and her French lover Paul Colin. His French accent is quite good but his tap dancing is even better. His characters provide an insightful measuring stick of Baker before and after her fame.

Aisha de Haas simply shines as the maternal influences in Baker’s life as both Carrie MacDonald, Baker’s washer woman mother and vaudeville performer Big Bertha Smith. Her scenes are among the funniest, and most poignant of the production.

Associate Director Mel Johnson Jr. (Total Recall) has accomplished a real feat in portraying this bigger than life personality on such a tiny stage. To that end, Jessica Lee Winfield’s stage and lighting design of sheer black panels works wonders. By using lights and projected images, she effectively conveys time and place with very few props. David Alan Bunn’s musical direction of Wally Harper songs brings the jazz age to life, along with Hine’s choreography and Reggie Ray’s evocative costume design. "Josephine Tonight" runs through March 18.

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