Goddess @ the Public Theater

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The Play: Goddess; an overly complicated but still very enjoyable musical fable about an African deity who rejects the destiny set by her demanding mother and instead comes to earth where she finds refuge in an exuberant Afro-Jazz nightclub in Mombasa and falls for a mortal who is also uneasy with the path his parents have groomed him to follow 

Music and Lyrics by: Michael Thurber       Book by: Saheem Ai; with additional book material by James Ijames             Directed by: Saheem Ali

One good thing: Everyone in this show's high-spirited cast is terrific but the real standout is Amber Iman who finally gets the star-making role she deserves, allowing her to showcase her truly divine voice and commanding stage presence

One not-so-great thing: The book is a crazy quilt patched together with bits from disparate shows, ranging from Hadestown to The Little Mermaid and stuffed with far too many characters 


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