Jerry ' s Girls honors Broadway legends
Photo courtesy Atlanta Lyric Theatre
Jerry ' s Girls, a musical tribute to composer Jerry Herman, features an all-star cast of Atlanta actress/singers and a 22-piece orchestra.
Jerry ' s Girls, which played at the Ferst Center from Feb. 11-13 is a celebration of the women in the musicals of Jerry Herman, one of the leading composers and lyricists in American musical theater.
It is a two-hour glamorous, lively, melodious celebration of the " larger-than-life " 40-plus women stars that have taken center stage in all of his shows over the years.
Jerry ' s Girls draws from all of Herman ' s marvelous musical compositions and strong characters to whip up a fun filled extravaganza delivered with aplomb by the members of the Atlanta Lyric Theatre.
Herman ' s wonderful creations include Dolly Gallagher Levi of Hello, Dolly!; Auntie Mame Dennis of Mame; Countess Aurelia of Dear World; Mabel Normand of Mack and Mabel and female impersonator ZaZa of La Cage Aux Folles, all of whom make an appearance in this production.
With seamless direction and choreography by Robert Ray, wonderful performances by the members of the cast, Courtney Collins, Marsha Dupree, Joni Illi, Mary Welch Rogers and Adelia Thompson, and a sharp musical score under the watchful eye of the Lyric ' s artistic director, Lynn Thompson, this production is bound to leave the audience uplifted.
The musical performance includes smash hits such asv I Am What I Am, Put on Your Sunday Clothes, Before the Parade Passes By and The Best of Times.
The Atlanta Lyric Theatre was founded in 1980 by Sally Knapp and Tedi Langdon, two performers from New York, to fill the void in Atlanta ' s light opera entertainment scene.
Enlisting J. Lynn Thompson as music director and conductor, the theatre first opened their doors with the production of Gilbert & amp; Sullivan ' s The Mikado.
The Atlanta Lyric Theatre celebrated their 25th anniversary this year with this lavish performance of Jerry ' s Girls.
This well-produced musical is worth catching if you are a fan of Herman ' s work or are at least familiar with his work.
So read up on his musicals and hit the show running because you should not miss these women with their powerful voices and even stronger personalities paying a tribute to his most colorful, amazing work.
You will be swept away by the best of Herman who is said to have invented the showtune and put broad back into Broadway.
