Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (55)
See it if you want to see an impressive performance. JBaker enraptured Parisian society...and you'll get a glimpse of why. Harris is terrific as JB.
Don't see it if you want lots of info about JB (just go to Wikip). Here, you'll get the essence. Fabulous, dance (fan) & songs (Times Changin, La Vie En Ro) Read more
See it if you want to be taken back in history with the life of an entertainer extraordinaire. Delightful messages with fantastic singing.
Don't see it if one person shows are not your thing or if you are in any way unable to bear rough language or nudity.
See it if A stunning one-woman show. Tymisha Harris soars as Josephine. Captivated throughout. Beautiful voice, deft performance.
Don't see it if You don’t like one-person shows. But this is definitely worth a try.
See it if Good solo performance of J. Baker life highlights. Dancing was excellent, singing and acting not quite as strong. Audience loved it.
Don't see it if Script was a bit boring, especially if you already know her story. Music consists of solo voice on top of prerecorded instrumental.
See it if you are curious about Josephine Baker, her life, her dancing, her singing. This is one of the best solo-bio shows I have seen.
Don't see it if nudity distresses you. Josephine Baker was famous for her minimal costumes some of which have been recreated for this production.
See it if Interacting with the audience telling her story. She sings, dances and it entertains you. The actress Tymisha Harris is excellent.
Don't see it if If you don't like the music from that time.
See it if Tymisha Harris nails Baker and shows her evolution from an awkward teenager to world-class performer, Some flashy costumes, too
Don't see it if Some educational patter and some iconic French and English songs. We also learn about her unusual personal life. She was happier in France
See it if Would enjoy a delicious performer who loves the material and the person she's portraying. Strong Fringe show - worthy of recognition.
Don't see it if You might be offended by the burlesque and bawdier aspects of Baker's life. (That said, you don't have to know about Baker to enjoy this.) Read more
Critic Reviews (17)
"Harris, a skillful performer, offers a pretty fair version of that banana dance and capably handles a song list...Still, Baker was a far more complicated woman than the show presents...'Josephine' has definite audience-pleasing aspects, including a couple of sequences in which she enlists audience members as lovers or fans, but its elaborate title seems to hint at broader, as-yet-unrealized, ambitions...Currently, 'Josephine' works best as a brief introduction to its subject."
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“Subtitled ‘a burlesque cabaret dream play,’ ‘Josephine’ is more. It is a full-fledged musical with grit, sex, color and ebullient dancing, all supplied by the remarkable Tymisha Harris who gushes with love and truth about her subject, the legendary Josephine Baker...The main event, however, is the performance of Harris who doesn't just imitate Baker but uses her own gifts to illuminate she returns the favor with her vivid singing, unabashed dancing and direct connection with the audience.”
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"A story made for show business...It is the show's eye-catching star, Harris, who evokes Josephine's look and provocative spirit...Harris puts all she has into rounding out the sketchy portrait of Josephine, intensely emotional and farcically comical. With a husky, expressive voice, blithe nudity and a captivating demeanor, she reaches into the audience, flirting with both men and women...Much more can and has been written about Josephine Baker than this 75-minute piece."
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"They mostly succeed in telling the thrilling details of her life story...The only thing missing to this presentation is a more refined production, which could turn this fun play into something far more powerful and electric...Harris as Josephine is delicious and layered...I only wish in her edgy and energetic performance that she would slow down a bit...The script is also in need of some tightening in order to bring the greater umbrella of meaning to a sharper focus."
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"Harris brings Baker to life with an exhilarating energy that flies off the stage and into the audience. Part of that continuance from stage to audience, has to do with the Marinaccio’s direction and book writer/musical director Kimbro. All three of these multi-talented artists created the show 'Josephine Baker'...Through Ms. Harris’s emotionally stirring performance, we see the woman who captured countless lovers, 5 husbands, and adopted a tribe of 12 rainbow children."
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"Harris is attractive and full of personality. She’s beautifully dressed, moves well, and sings with feeling...You won’t gain any insight into the artist and omissions run in Baker’s favor, but presented facts are, at least, facts...Intermittent, Fanny Brice-like mugging does neither Baker nor the show any favors...The play is not without entertainment value if you lower your standards and know little or nothing about Baker. Its parts simply don’t make a polished whole."
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"With self-effacing good humor, Harris recounts the story behind Baker's numerous husbands and lovers...Harris becomes serious when the story turns to Baker's activism in the Civil Rights Movement. Her interpretation of...'The Times They Are A Changin' is breathtaking...Harris's rich and powerful voice is far superior to Baker's...She's also sexy in a way that's most probably far more effective for modern audiences. One likes to think Baker would have respected...and appreciated the tribute."
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"Harris meticulously crafted a performance that makes her voice, body, and overall person scream, 'Josephine!', which in others words means, 'Star!'...Harris is literally gold on stage. She is incredibly charming and sweet...Harris makes you laugh, cry, get angry, and get protective over Baker. She uses music and dance only to further the spiritual highness of Josephine, as a human being whom uncannily brought joy from her desire to absorb it."
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