First performance of Show/Boat: A River!

Last night I saw the first performance of the new revival of Show Boat. The essentials--the cast, the way they told the story in their acting and their delivery of the songs--were extraordinary. It had a big impact, on me at least--but the rest of the audience seemed appreciative as well. One highlight was Julie's rendition of "Bill" at an audition, which was as painful as it was beautiful--you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium as she screamed in the penultimate line. Every reprise of "Old Man River" made a greater impression than the one before.

What's puzzling and perhaps even disappointing is that this production was announced to be a re-imagining and/or re-envisioning of the show, "exploring America’s transformation from 1880s Jim Crow to the challenges of today." The actual title--"Show/Boat: A River"--promises some kind of significant departure. But there was little to nothing of this. In the first act the very minimal scenery included a backdrop with one doorway labeled black and another labeled white through which the actors sometimes entered. The almost as minimal costuming included sashes (in the first act) and ribbons (in the second act) labeled "White" or "W," which actors donned or took off according to the characters they were playing. And the casting was color-blind, with actors switching races (and genders) while playing multiple roles. (And switching number as well--for some reason Parthy was played simultaneously by two actors, except for when one of the two was busy with another role.) Don't worry though--the role of Joe was still played by a very impressive Black baritone.

In a certain way this worked as a way of dealing with the questionable racial aspects of the show. Having Black actors play the roles of loud-mouthed ex-Confederates or sheriffs enforcing Jim Crow laws and having whites in the chorus sing about toting bales of cotton defused the squickiness of some parts, while the sashes/ribbons kept us aware of the racial divisions that shaped the characters' environment. But it didn't lead us to anything new--I would not call this a re-imagining. Was the minimalism of scenery and costuming supposed to make the story more universal? But updating rather than universality is what was promised in the description provided in advance and in the program.

In spite of those questions I hope that this production succeeds because it absolutely does justice to the songs and story of one of the most important musicals of all time. I strongly recommend seeing it. (And this was just a preview performance--the official opening is January 15.)