Dans Papers - June 1, 2007 - review: 110 in the shade

Audra McDonald absolutely sizzles in the Lonny Price revival of 110 in the Shade for the Roundabout Theatre Company. Her heartfelt radiant performance is at the center of the old fashioned tale that echoes a universal message about having the confidence to believe in yourself.

110 in the Shade is based on The Rainmaker, a play by N. Richard Nash that appeared on television before coming to Broadway in 1954 and was subsequently turned into a film by Paramount two years later starring Katharine Hepburn and Burt Lancaster, but the musical hasn't been seen along the rialto since premiering on Broadway 44 years ago. Now there is a terrific reason for the current reincarnation and the radiant Audra McDonald is that reason. Her magnificent voice is in supple shape and with her thrilling "star turn," she brings urgency and emotional depth to Lizzie that is a joy to witness.

The musical, set in a 1930 drought-stricken Texas town during the middle of a heat wave, always had a cult following and is essentially about relationships. Lizzie Curry (Audra McDonald), on the verge of becoming a lonely old maid, lives on a small ranch with her father (John Cullum); an older brother, Noah (Chris Butler) and a younger brother, Jimmy (Bobby Steggert). The men are attempting to get her hitched up with a repressed widower, the town sheriff, File (Christopher Innvar), when a charismatic drifter named Starbuck (Steve Kazee) floats into town selling dreams and promising to bring rain for $100. He enters their lives and ignites Lizzie's passion one evening under the moonlight.

Keeping the show small and intimate, stage director Lonny Price, who has worked with Ms. McDonald previously, has only made minor changes. In particular, he has played down the aspect of Lizzie being a homely woman, instead, focusing on her outspoken spirited nature as the reason she can't attract a man. The story is her emotional journey and Price has let her feelings triggered by her relationships guide the evening, but the musical numbers are the highlights - the real moments.

The romantic show is held together by beautifully crafted, charming songs that move the story along while giving it substance and nuance. The best of the evening belongs to Ms. McDonald and she makes the most of every one of them. She has the time of her life with "Raunchy," naughtily imagining herself as a vamp. She sings beautifully with her elegant soprano in "Simple Little Things" and flirts with the sheriff, File, in "A Man and a Woman." She explodes with raw fear at the end of Act I in an intensely dramatic "Old Maid," but in "Is It Really Me?" she shines with glowing bliss at discovering her own inner beauty.

Make no mistakes, this is Lizzie's journe, and the four-time Tony Award-winning actress shines in the role. The gifted actress/soprano never stops working and, at 36, is a legend in the making. Just last week she took home the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Leading Actress in a musical for her work in 110 in the Shade and she has also been nominated for yet another Tony Award.

110 In the Shade opened May 9 on Broadway at Studio 54, 254 West 54th Street. Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212) 719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or in person at the theater box office.

Barry Gordin and Patrick Christiano are theater critics. Barry Gordin is an internationally renowned photographer. They can be reached at bg6@verizon.net