Marie and Rosetta

On Sunday we had the pleasure of seeing Marie and Rosetta, the true story of Rose Etta Tharp meeting Marie Knight, and bringing forth the music that would eventually become rock 'n roll.   This play has wonderful music, but I wouldn't call it a musical.   It's more of history featuring music.    It shows the painful realities of what it was like to be a black person traveling back before the Civil Rights movement.   Even though Sister Rosetta was famous, she couldn't stay in proper hotels because of discrimination (relying on the Green Book for safer travels).   In fact, the whole show (90 minutes without intermission) takes place in a funeral parlor. 

Cleveland Playhouse is only the second theater to present this show.  I highly recommend it.

Love Never Dies

Yesterday, we saw the sequel to the Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies.  I didn't have high expectations for another Andrew Lloyd Weber musical, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

The show takes place 10 years after the events in the Paris Opera House.   The Phantom has fled to Coney Island and sponsors the side shows there.  Christine and Raoul have a strained marriage, raising her son in considerable debt.   They come to New York to have Christine perform and earn some money (setup by Oscar Hammerstein), but the Phantom outbids Hammerstein and becomes the sponsoring patron.   Love triangles and plot twists.  It's interesting.  I do like the musical revisiting of themes from the original show.

I also must caution my readers that this is another example of a poor relationship.   Stalking and threats are never acceptable in a healthy relationship.   

The hope is that this touring show will lead to a run on Broadway.  I liked it more than I thought I would.