In the early 1990’s when male stars like MC Hammer (Christopher Henry Young) ruled the airwaves, an unlikely trio blazing with talent, attitude and sisterhood launched their girl group into the stratosphere. Eponymously named after their 1994 record-breaking album, CrazySexyCool – The TLC Musical is an emotionally lit bio musical about the lives and times of TLC, three young women whom fate brought together, lights up the stage in this world premiere musical.
Led by their manager, Christina (Felicia Curry), the East Atlanta trio continued to set the nascent hip-hop world on fire with their “Hat 2 da Back”, baggy boyish streetwear, pure harmonies and cheeky attitudes. Grammys and a host of top music awards followed their platinum-selling singles and albums as their styles and music choices continued to evolve into ever steamier, ever raunchier lyrics. Promoting girl power and safe sex in the days of HIV, these super music influencers and pop pioneers hit the airwaves like a typhoon.
CrazySexyCool showcases the complicated personal lives and pioneering style successes of Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins (Holli’ Gabrielle Conway), Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes (Jade Milan) and Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas (Stoney B. Woods) in this blockbuster musical hoping for a Broadway debut. Promoted by MC Hammer after they crash his recording studio staging a rap battle, they begin their rocket ride to stardom. Left-Eye’s crusty attitude towards Blake Thomas (Josh A. Dawson), a major Atlanta pop music broadcaster, nearly derails their meteoric rise with trumped up slander against the girls. Happily, their avid fan base supersedes Blake’s vindictive tactics, and they get their career back on track. Through cheating boyfriends, personal struggles, drama and pathos, the intensity of touring, thieving agents and the death of Lisa Lopes while on a soul-searching mission in Guyana, the women prove that sisterhood and music can overcome all of life’s obstacles.
Twenty-six numbers include many of their biggest hits like “Creep”, “Perfect Girls”, “Waterfalls” and “Unpretty” and the powerhouse “Dance Again”, a moving spiritual sung by Chilli and the Ensemble.
Speaking of the ensemble, the singers and dancers are absolutely, freakin’, jaw-dropping phenomenal!!! Tearing up the stage with eye-popping talent, hard bodies and heart-stopping endurance, the dancers and Chloe O. Davis’s choreography will take your breath away. Huge, huge, huge props to writer and director Kwame Kwei-Armah for shepherding this massive musical to the stage as well as the dozens of creatives involved in seeing it to fruition.
This show is lit! Highly recommended!!!
With Felicia Curry in dual roles as Christina and Dr. Nzinga; Ciara Alyse Harris as Rikara/Ensemble; Trenton McKenzie Beavers as Tommy/Ensemble; Darius Jordan Lee as Michael/Ensemble; Malik Shabazz Kitchen as Kavonne/Ensemble; Aaron Bliden as Danny/Ensemble; Deon’te Goodman as Rain/Ensemble; Nichole Forde, Ensemble; Bethany Hemmans, Ensemble; Kennedy Holmes, Ensemble; Lindsey Jolyn Jackson, Ensemble and Dance Captain; Madison McBride, Ensemble.
Huge props to Dramaturg Hana S. Sharif, Hair and Wig Designer, Nikiya Mathis, Costume Designer Dede Ayite, Lighting Designer Japhy Weideman and Set Designer David Zinn with a blazing orchestra led by Jaret Landon.
Through August 9th at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street, NW, Washington DC 20024. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.488.3300 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
