"2/5 stars...Simone, an activist who bravely used her compelling protest songs and soulful voice to lead a worldwide revolution during the civil rights era, becomes withered down to a disheveled, angry Black woman trope the musician so often tried to run away from...What 'Little Girl Blue,' named after Simone’s debut album, fails to do is celebrate a complex personality, a nuanced human being, and a proud Black woman who could not — and never wanted to — be put in a box...What this show does get right is Michelle’s undeniable powerhouse voice."
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"Impressive if overambitious jukebox musical...Though 'Little Girl Blue' feels crammed with more biography than it can comfortably contain, Michelle's performance holds us. Her singing voice is brassier than Simone's sultry contralto, and her re-creation of Simone's onstage presence has an exaggerated awkwardness, but we always feel the spirit of the legendary performer emanating from the music."
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Using the format seen in pieces like Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill and Master Class, in which a star, making a public appearance, publicly unravels, the musical goes for the dramatic jugular early and often. It is rather like Simone herself -- fierce, larger-than-life, sometimes off-putting, and, ultimately, commanding.
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Nina Simone’s vocal talents, physical presence and spirit are all dazzlingly channeled by Laiona Michelle in her engaging self-written biographical concert-style musical, Little Girl Blue. Ms. Michelle employs just enough of Simone’s cadences, facial expressions and physical gestures to create an authentic characterization while supremely singing over a dozen songs associated with the charismatic vocalist. The show’s well-researched spoken word portions deliver historical facts, biographical details and cultural commentary in the manner of Simone.
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"Michelle largely captures the essence of an exceedingly complex woman, avoiding outright copy-catting in this dazzling stage performance. For those unaware of Simone or her times, 'Little Girl Blue' gives an excellent grounding and full enough picture of the person and the pre-internet world of yore—and that’s a success...While a coup de maître of a performance, Michelle stops short of tour de force by that percentage of her portrayal that doesn’t go deep enough. Some comic relief throughout would have also elevated the presentation."
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