by Michael Buzzelli
It’s December 1963, and “Queen of the Blues” Dinah Washington (Delana Flowers), affectionately nicknamed Miss D, is appearing at a club in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, in a time when the historic hill was populated by the hippest jazz clubs this side of Harlem. This particular club is run by Jimmy Hyde (James Howard). Jimmy and the club have seen better days. He’s in debt and called on his friend from the old days, Dinah Washington, to help him out of his financial difficulty.
Miss D plans on swooping into the ‘burgh and saving Hyde’s hide. She brings her closest confidant, LaRue (Krystal Waller), and her band (Dwayne Fulton, Tony Campbell, Dwayne Dolphin, and Jason Washington, Jr.) to the Steel City.
She calls a friend to help, Brook Benton (Les Howard), and hires two local backup singers, Rachel (Destiny Nwafor) and Lu (Marissa Lily), to assist.
But that’s not all! There are several other cast members. There’s even a videogram from Dick “Night Train” Lane (Sam Lothard). There were a few tech issues with his recorded message (his lips didn’t move with his mouth), but he was still engaging on the screen in his brief cameo.
In the story, we get flashes of Dinah Washington’s famous – or infamous – perfection. Luckily, we don’t get any signs of her addiction (a good thing to leave out of a Christmas show), even though the show is set days before her overdose (she died December 14, 1963).
There’s a plot, written by Ernest McCarty. It’s simple, but it doesn’t matter. The singing is the reason to see this show.
Flowers is captivating when she’s singing, whether it’s Washington’s standards or traditional Christmas songs; it’s glorious.
Nwafor and Lily get a brief time in the spotlight, and it’s joyful and triumphant!
Waller also gets to sing with Flowers, and it’s just as delightful.
Howard gives Brook Benton dashing swagger. His voice, on the December 11th show, sounded a little gravelly, raspier than usual.
Personal note: There were some Ricola lozenges on our table (courtesy of another local critic), and I wanted to lob them into Howard’s mouth.
Howard powered through with a beautiful duet of “White Christmas” with Flowers.
The band was sensational, with Tony Campbell’s shimmering saxophone. Campbell’s sax solo was worth the price of admission.
The band, under Fulton’s musical direction, does a version of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmastime is here,” made famous by “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and it’s spectacular. Visions of Peanuts will dance in your head.
Co-director Mark Clayton Southers even designed the set. It’s a hip joint, and the whole room gives off a swinging ’60s jazz club vibe.
There are a lot of entertainment choices this holiday season, but if you want to hear some good old-fashioned Christmas music, with a little bit of Jazz and the Blues wedged in, then the “Dinah Washington Christmas” is for you.
-MB
“Dinah Washington Christmas” runs until December 22 at the Madison Arts and Entertainment Center, 3401 Milwaukee Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. For tickets and additional information, click here.
