Simply the Best

A Taste of Soul

This Autumn, Black Ensemble Theater is serving up a sumptuous Spread of Soul for the discerning audience’s musical dining pleasure. The production, written and directed by talented Daryl D. Brooks, cleverly presents a banquet of bang-on hit songs as an African-African themed cooking show. It copies the format of every much-loved how-to-do-it program on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. It’s definitely a recipe for success.

Quiana and Ricky are the two Head Chefs who serve as hosts and chief cooks for this mock television program. The theatergoers become the “live studio audience” and their appreciative applause, cheering and singing-along helps motivate the large eleven-member cast. The two affable and energetic emcees who keep the show moving are portrayed by Qiana McNary (able understudy Marquetta Jackson took her place at the performance I attended) and Thee Ricky Harris. Ricky is especially wonderful and his effervescent enthusiasm and hilarity is contagious.

In addition to an array of  mouthwatering recipes presented (which I wish had been included in the program or on their website), this fabulous faux cooking show features a melodic menu of hit Soul sensations from the past. Among the more than 30 crowd pleasers given the superb BET treatment are “Ball of Confusion,” “My First, My Last, My Everything,” “”Shake Your Groove Thing” and “Love Train,” and that’s just in Act I. The second act features such songs as “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay,” “Lady Marmalade,” “That Lady” and “Fight the Power.” The show ends with a medley that includes “Got to Be Real,” “Give Me the Night,” “You’ll Never Find,” “Sarah Smile,” “Tell Me Something Good,” and a fitting finale of Kool and the Gang’s buoyant and bouncy “Celebration.” Most of the numbers are so infectious that the audience not only claps and joins in but often dances along.

Besides Ricky and Qiana, the accomplished, multitalented ensemble cast includes Vincent Jordan, Trequon Tate, Spencer Davis Milford, Caitlin Dobbins, Britt Edwards, Makenzy Jenkins, Percy Nesbary III, LaRon Jones and Brandon Lewis. They portray such luminaries from the good old days as Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Barry White, Peaches & Herb, the O’Jays, Otis Redding, Ashford & Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Friends of Distinction, the Delfonics, the Isley Brothers, George Benson, Lou Rawls, Hall & Oates, Chaka Khan and others. 

Some of the standout moments come when sensational Britt Edwards transforms into a gyrating Tina Turner, belting out “River Deep” and “Simply the Best.” The program also listed “Proud Mary,” but, disappointingly, the song must’ve been dropped from the show. The handsome and incredibly gifted song-and-dance man, Spencer Davis Milford, astounds as Simply Red singing a soulful “Holding Back the Years” and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” A truly multitalented performer, Makenzy Jenkins, is an audience favorite, as is the suave and velvet-voiced Vincent Jordan. And although the entire cast are wonderful singer/dancers, both Brandon Lewis and Spencer Davis Milford are clearly the standout audience favorites.

Written and directed by the multitalented Producing Managing Director,  Daryl D. Brooks, the production is musically directed by always fantastic Robert Reddrick. The show features an outstanding, onstage eight-member rock band and exquisite choreography by Reneisha Jenkins. Denise Karczewski’s lighting, set design and co-projection design with Dj Douglass supports the talented cast, clad in Marquecia Jordan and Keith Ryan’s spectacular period costumes and wigs.

This spectacular, smooth and sweet-sounding satire of every TV cooking show simply sizzles. It continues Black Ensemble Theater’s Season of Excellent: Rejuvenation. Divinely danceable, this is a superlative singalong for theatergoers, with toe-tapping and hand-clapping strongly encouraged. All in all, the show is a recipe for success and quite “Simply the Best.”   

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented August 25-October 15 by Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark Street, Chicago.

Tickets are available at the box office, by calling 773-769-4451 or by going to www.blackensemble.org.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.