Broadway Show Review: Baby It's You

Broadway Show Review: Baby It’s You!

Written by Carol Cain on 28 April 2011

When I first walked out of the Broadhurst Theater after watching a performance of “Baby It’s You“, the Broadway musical featuring what is said to be the first American girl group, The Shirelles, I felt happy and energized by so many great oldies this show covers. Just minutes before, the theater was standing in ovation of the the actors, lead by the talented Beth Leavel, who plays the independant, ambitious New Jersey housewife-turned independent record mogul Florence Greenberg, as well as the four talented actresses who play the Shirelles (Erica Ash, Christina Sajous, Crystal Starr and Kyra Da Costa). “You Make Me Wanna Shout” had been playing loudly towards the end, and really, how can that song that make you wanna dance?

But it took me hours after I got home to research who Florence Greenberg really was, not to mention the story of The Shirelles, because their story was not one I got much of in a show that seemed to happen around them.

One character that left me completely baffled was Florence’s blind son, who isn’t meant to be a lead, but yet got my attention because he was mentioned as being the writer of the song “Dedicated To The One I Love”, which according to the show, flopped at first intro to the market. I guess I wasn’t really suppose to care about this character, except that I cared about the song. It was one even I had heard a version before The Mamas and The Papas covered it later on, and though it seemed Florence’s son had much to do in inspiration for her career choices and the songs for the group, I was left knowing absolutely nothing about him.

I won’t go so far as to say the show was bad, because I honestly didn’t think it was, but it did seem to be a little scattered. I walked away having really enjoyed the medley of tunes, both by the Shirelles and other musicians around their time, either in Florence’s record label or not, but I wasn’t really sure who those artists might have been, and even though there is no doubt that Florence was a remarkeable woman for having accomplished much and achieved such success in a time when it was unheard of for women to do so, the vast strength and accomplishment of this woman is largerly left untouched.

Instead the story starts with her in the kitchen arguing with her archaic and insanely infuriating husband, lingers in the period when she takes on an African-American lover, who was also a producer in her company (and I found out in my research, many years younger than her), and towards the end when she has to make a choice on the Shirelles.

The costumes for the show, the various outfit changes, and the way each shimmered and glittered on the stage made my girly heart flutter; it was all so beautifully done. The musical performances were incredible, the voices on all of these actors are captivating to say the least, making audience participation in sing alongs an easy incorporation in the show. However, for as much as I liked Florence and the Shirelles, there was so much I just didn’t understand or know about them.

Maybe I expected too much. Maybe to say that I couldn’t wait to get home and read up on all these people was a sign that the show was good enough to affect me in this way. For these reasons I can see how so many would enjoy it.

My overall conclusion: There is a lot of talent showcased here. The singers have powerful voices, the acting will not disappoint. Beth Leavel is worth every shining light surrounded her name and the actresses in the roles of the Shirelles are endearing. This show might not leave you with a full understanding of the characters mostly featured, but at least on a superficial level the story is entertaining, and the music, where ever it initially came from, whom ever the artist was, is also fun to listen to, and when given the opportunity, and you will be, it is equally fun to sing to as well.

For more information, tickets, and performance dates, please visit the official Baby It’s You! website.

Disclosure: Tickets to Baby It’s You were complimentary for the purpose of this review. The views and opinions shared are entirely my own.