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Regional Reviews: Washington, D.C. Three Sistahs Also see Susan's reviews of Evita and Awake and Sing!
While the title and the character names nod to Anton Chekhov's play Three Sisters, the musical by Janet Pryce (story), Thomas W. Jones II (writer and director), and William Hubbard (music) follows its own path. Unlike Chekhov's Olga, Masha, and Irina, stuck in a provincial town and yearning to return to Moscow, here the sisters have gathered in their late father's house in Washington, DC, in 1969, following the funeral of their brother who was killed while serving in Vietnam. As in Chekhov, the Bradshaw sisters are the daughters of a career military man; in this case, the Army was where their father could get respect without facing prejudice or taking menial jobs. Olive (Mitchell), who cared for their father until his death, is a college professor looking for someone to love. Marsha (White) married for comfort rather than love and now has to live with her choice. Irene (Jenkins), with a resplendent Afro and hippie style (well costumed by Janine Sunday), is primarily interested in social protest and ending the Vietnam War that took her brother Andre's life. The women drink wine, reminisce, toss recriminations at each other, and try to bridge the gaps between them—but the show only really comes to life when the women sing. Whether in powerful or funny solos or joining in radiant three-part harmony, the music says so much more than words alone as it weaves in and out of the dialogue. It's diverse in tone, ranging from the gospel opener, "In My Father's House," to Mitchell's showstopper, "Barely Breathing," and the quietly moving "Summer of Smoke." Three hard-working musicians—pianist William Knowles, drummer Greg Holloway, and bassist Yusef Chisholm—provide necessary support throughout. MetroStage
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