Photo is by Rob Levine.
Pictured are Namir Smallwood, Matthew Rein, Jahi Kearse, Keith Hale and Traci Allen
Pictured are Namir Smallwood, Matthew Rein, Jahi Kearse, Keith Hale and Traci Allen
You won’t find grades – or stars, or digits in one position or another, or even an adorable little man – attached to any of my reviews. There are a couple of reasons for this. First off, I know from my own experience that grades lead to readers not actually reading what you wrote. “Hey, it’s a three-star review, sounds boring. Let’s go on to the next thing.” Or they become so watered down as to be meaningless (this could be called the Rolling Stone 3 ½ Star Syndrome).
The main reason, however, is that something as simple as a grade often isn’t adequate to describe the experience. This is especially true in theater, where so many elements are fused together for a whole. You can have great acting, but boring direction; the set may be exquisite, but the actors are off; the production is top notch, but the script doesn’t work. And even those examples aren’t nearly as nuanced as the entire experience.
Which brings me to “Five Fingers of Funk,” the latest original work presented by the Children’s Theatre Company. Created by award-winning artist Will Power (his “FLOW” was a big hit in recent years), “Five Fingers of Funk” is at times thrilling, engaging, staid, boring and cringe-inducing, sometimes all within the same scene. It’s a grab bag of influences, emotions and story lines that don’t mesh together at all. It’s a show I ultimately didn’t like, but one that I think would be a valuable show for people to see, especially those with an interest in musical theater or the soul/funk/early disco sounds of the early 1970s.
What’s good? The five members of the teenage band at the center of the story are fresh and engaging, with solid musical and acting chops. The music – crafted by Power and composer Justin Ellington – often find the groove. And the production does a fine job of evoking the era via some epic threats.
What’s not? Well, there is the plot, which sticks close to an after-school special path and never really digs into any of the characters’ hearts. The path of destruction for band leader Poppo is clearly telegraphed from the earliest scenes, and the other kids are often just representations of their various places in society (the angry militant; the token white guy) as fully fleshed character.
Those descriptions don’t even do this justice. Some of the songs are so on point lyrically as to strip them of their power, such as an otherwise lovely duet between lone-female Ruby and the mother of talented-but-shy Big Ced. While at times the characters and story come into focus, revealing a much deeper, if potentially darker, story underneath.
Ultimately, the reason I would recommend people see the show – despite all of my misgivings about the production – is the potential. There’s a great nucleus of material here – songs, the starts of characters, a storyline loaded with ideas if not focus – and plenty of food for thought. So I think it’s worth taking a chance on “Five Fingers of Funk,” just don’t ask me to give it a grade.
What: Five Fingers of Funk
Who: Children’s Theatre Company
Where: 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis
When: Through Nov. 16
Tickets: $14-$29
Phone: 612-874-0400
Online
The main reason, however, is that something as simple as a grade often isn’t adequate to describe the experience. This is especially true in theater, where so many elements are fused together for a whole. You can have great acting, but boring direction; the set may be exquisite, but the actors are off; the production is top notch, but the script doesn’t work. And even those examples aren’t nearly as nuanced as the entire experience.
Which brings me to “Five Fingers of Funk,” the latest original work presented by the Children’s Theatre Company. Created by award-winning artist Will Power (his “FLOW” was a big hit in recent years), “Five Fingers of Funk” is at times thrilling, engaging, staid, boring and cringe-inducing, sometimes all within the same scene. It’s a grab bag of influences, emotions and story lines that don’t mesh together at all. It’s a show I ultimately didn’t like, but one that I think would be a valuable show for people to see, especially those with an interest in musical theater or the soul/funk/early disco sounds of the early 1970s.
What’s good? The five members of the teenage band at the center of the story are fresh and engaging, with solid musical and acting chops. The music – crafted by Power and composer Justin Ellington – often find the groove. And the production does a fine job of evoking the era via some epic threats.
What’s not? Well, there is the plot, which sticks close to an after-school special path and never really digs into any of the characters’ hearts. The path of destruction for band leader Poppo is clearly telegraphed from the earliest scenes, and the other kids are often just representations of their various places in society (the angry militant; the token white guy) as fully fleshed character.
Those descriptions don’t even do this justice. Some of the songs are so on point lyrically as to strip them of their power, such as an otherwise lovely duet between lone-female Ruby and the mother of talented-but-shy Big Ced. While at times the characters and story come into focus, revealing a much deeper, if potentially darker, story underneath.
Ultimately, the reason I would recommend people see the show – despite all of my misgivings about the production – is the potential. There’s a great nucleus of material here – songs, the starts of characters, a storyline loaded with ideas if not focus – and plenty of food for thought. So I think it’s worth taking a chance on “Five Fingers of Funk,” just don’t ask me to give it a grade.
What: Five Fingers of Funk
Who: Children’s Theatre Company
Where: 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis
When: Through Nov. 16
Tickets: $14-$29
Phone: 612-874-0400
Online
