It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues

Director Alfred Preisser's production of the song-packed "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues" is exhilarating but sometimes unfocused. The entertaining mishmash of religious anthems, folk songs, pop numbers, and African spirituals takes the audience on a roller-coaster ride through black musical history, and while Preisser's often loose direction allows the material room to breathe, his casual helming also lets the songs take over the important though short book by Charles Bevel, Lita Gaithers, Randal Myler, Ron Taylor, and Dan Wheetman. The production is worth attending simply for the cast's impressive vocals and the show's historical relevance, but there are still a few kinks to work out.

In its first major New York production since a 1999 Broadway engagement that earned four Tony nominations, "Blues" is a classic musical revue boasting more than 30 diverse songs that highlight the African-American experience. As the second production of the New Haarlem Arts Theatre, this is a lofty undertaking, but the tight-knit cast of eight talented performers maintains its power throughout. Gerald Latham brings the house down with his rendition of "I'm Your Hootchie Cootchie Man," and Nathaly Lopez delightfully chooses an audience member as her partner for the romantically comic "Come On in My Kitchen." Marvel Allen carries many of the group numbers with her powerful voice, and her solo songs, particularly "I Put a Spell on You," elicited shrieks from the audience. Dameka Hayes showcases Tracy Jack's precise and simple choreography in many numbers, dancing as if she were possessed by the music and the movement. Tatiana Adams and Darilyn Castillo are equal parts demure and fiery, and Shawn Brown is the show's funnyman. His deadpan performance of "Candy Man" is a highlight.

Musical director Jeffrey Bolding keeps everyone on key while plucking away at the piano, and he also wows with impressive solo numbers like "The Thrill Is Gone." The group numbers are rabble-rousing and fun. While the rickety stadium-style audience bleachers were not built to accommodate gospel revival, the simulated earthquake numbers like "Catch on Fire" and "Good Times Roll" definitely keep everyone awake.

I wish the production showed a clearer path from African field to uptown Chicago blues club, but other than Mary Myers' contrasting Act 1 and Act 2 costumes—country garb to satin ball gowns—the songs traipse over the book's historical nuggets. At times it feels more like an open-mic night than a full-fledged production. My soul may have caught on fire, but sometimes I needed a little more guidance to fan the flame.
 
Presented by New Haarlem Arts Theatre at Aaron Davis Hall, 160 Convent Ave., NYC. July 30–Aug. 28. Thu.–Fri., 7 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m. (212) 868-4444 or www.smarttix.com.