Customer Reviews

Dessa Rose (2005 Off-Broadway Cast)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

DESSA ROSE is a wonderful 2-CD set that preserves the entire original Off-Broadway production of Ahrens and Flaherty's Drama Desk Award nominated folk opera about the relationship of two very different women in the Antebellum South. Dessa Rose, a pregnant runaway slave (played by the endearing La Chanze) is harbored by Ruth Sutton (played by the captivating Rachel York), a white woman whose slave owner husband has abandoned her and her daughter on their isolated farm. As Dessa gives birth and Ruth nurses both Dessa and her newborn child back to health, the wary and feisty women begin to learn what they have in common and finally develop a bond of friendship and trust.

The two heroines go back and forth from being elderly narrators of their own tale to acting out their adventures as young women. Ten other very talented cast members perform the supporting roles of fellow runaways, slave traders, plantation owners, lovers, parents, sherriffs, and a reporter obsessed with writing a book about the rebellious Dessa Rose.

Music underscores almost all of the narration and dialogue, creating an evocative mood throughout and making scene transitions smooth and clear. Traditional instruments add color and texture to the score that is packed with powerful choral pieces, lovely duets, humorous ensemble numbers and thrilling solos. The songs themselves range from gospel to folk to blues to spirituals. Standouts include La Chanze's "Twelve Children," a stirring anthem in which she recites an oral family history to her unnamed baby, and Rachel York's "At the Glen," a stunning ballad that pierces the heart with loneliness and despair.

Both La Chanze and Rachel York were nominated for Drama Desk Awards for their performances in DESSA ROSE. So were co-stars Norm Lewis as the charming and clever runaway Nathan and Kecia Lewis as Ruth's loving Mammy, Dorcas. On this CD you'll hear why. Each actor brilliantly expresses through voice alone all the subtle nuances that were visible on stage. You get a very real sense of what each character is thinking and feeling, and you'll laugh and cry at how their characters - and relationships - deepen and evolve.

The packaging for this terrific CD is every bit as professional as the sound mix and recording. The full libretto and all of the lyrics are presented in book form, complete with hard cover binding. A number of beautiful production photos are also included.

This magnificent two-CD recording is a true keepsake. Even if you weren't lucky enough to see the show live as I was, you will cherish it as a milestone in theater history.

There's so much to like about this recording of "Dessa Rose" that I almost hate to admit there are flaws. Musical dramas are really hard to do well, and I love that composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens have kept at it. Their masterpiece "Ragtime" set a standard for epic musical storytelling, and after the comparably slight "Seussical" and "A Man of No Importance," it's nice to see them deliver another ambitious musical drama. This is also easily their best score since "Ragtime."

Like that show, "Dessa Rose" is a period piece infused with a major dose of serious American history-- the story here concerns an escaped slave (the title character, played by LaChanze) whose path crosses with Ruth, a sympathetic young white woman (Rachel York). Abandoned by her husband, Ruth houses Dessa and other former slaves on her southern plantation and eventually engages in a scheme to help them flee to the West. The story is narrated by Dessa and Ruth as old women (also played by LaChanze and York), emphasizing the oral tradition of storytelling and the importance of learning from the past.

In telling this story, Flaherty and Ahrens have come up with a whole slew of solid musical numbers, from the soulful opener "We are Descended," through powerful solos "At the Glen" and "Twelve Children," exciting action passages "The Gold Band" and "Terrible," and the beautiful love song "In the Bend of my Arm." These are but a few of the numbers that make up what is musically one of the strongest scores of the decade.

This two-disc recording is also unique in that it addition to the music, it actually contains the entire show, dialogue and all. This makes for an admirably deluxe cast recording-- I wish more shows were so well preserved. The completeness does have a bit of a drawback, however: it reveals some problems with "Dessa Rose" as a musical.

The major flaw is that the "storytelling" structure is just too awkward. The writers used a narration device a lot more effectively in "Once on this Island." Here, the constant moving back and forth between the old and young Dessa and Ruth just seems to undermine the power inherent in the material. Not having seen the show, I can't imagine that this worked well on stage (it doesn't help that LaChanze and York are called upon to use corny "old lady" voices). Also, we get too much commentary from the old women, telling us exactly how to feel about what's going on and providing too much exposition. This creates a lack of subtlety that grows especially problematic when the women's relationship develops in Act II in ways that are not quite as nuanced as they could be.

Even with some flaws, though, "Dessa Rose" is an engaging story full of humanity and the cast on this recording is really strong across the board. If I do wish the show had some of the dramatic complexity of, say, the undervalued "Caroline, or Change," there is a lot to appreciate in this show-- and the music alone makes it worthy of a high recommendation.

I'm a huge fan of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, and have a deep abiding affection for nearly all of their shows. (Although I can't quite warm up to Lucky Stiff.) Dessa Rose is a powerful exploration of the relationship between two very strong women, played masterfully by LaChanze and Rachel York, one a runaway slave and the other the woman who almost accidentally becomes an abolitionist. In their score, Flaherty and Ahrens reflect their expertise at crafting sweeping opening numbers ("We Are Descended") as well as extended character explorations ("Twelve Children"). If you're not already familiar with this moving and heartfelt show, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of the Dessa Rose CD. You're in for a real treat.

I am a big fan of Arens and Flaherty, and have been since Once on this Island. When they are at their best, they are capable of writing GREAT Musicals, i.e. Ragtime. They are also capable of near misses such as Seusical with some great songs but the multiple story lines just didn't pull in the same direction. At their worst they are capable of drivel such as Lucky Stiff and A Man of No Importance. Dessa Rose falls in the middle of these extemes. The story is powerful and moveing and well musicalized. The music is in service to the story and the performers on this recording are all magnificent, doing some of the best work that they individually have ever done! But.............and unfortunately its a big but, there are only 2 or three major musical moments that heighten the drama the way a great song in a great musical should. Think Rain in Spain for example and I have goose bumps all over. This show needs two or three songs to lift the listener or viewer out of their seat, think Back to Before from Ragtime. Each of the two female leads has one major solo, but they need a duet. For me the best number in the show is the quintet near the begining of the second act for Dessa and her deceased boy friend and Ruth and Nathan and the villan of the piece. Now this is great musical theater. Three stars for a noble failure, one that has promise. Perhaps a revised version?