I have never forgiven my parents for not giving birth to me in Detroit in the early '60s so I could have seen the early Motown greats come into their own. While they could have had the foresight to birth me in time to see one of the most influential and revolutionary musical genres in America, I instead grew into maturity during the reign of such luminaries as Phil Collins and Paula Abdul. So, up until the Al Green show at the Fair this summer, I have to settle for the next best thing to real Motown, which in the Twin Cities is Lou Bellamy’s musical production of Get Ready at Penumbra Theater.
Get Ready is the story of the Doves, a fictional legendary doo-wop band in the '60s, who decide to reunite for one last tour during the late '80s. Getting back together for the first time in about 10 years, the band members come to realize that even over time their personalities have changed very little, and dormant rivalries are still alive and well. The show is punctuated by hot soul numbers and brilliant costume design by Mathew Lefebvre, which features wider lapels than St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill has seen in decades.
For those unfamiliar with the Doves’ musical genre, it is roughly between Sam Cooke’s gospel-influenced crooning and James Brown’s sexually deviant funk. Imagine, if you will, the music scene back in the early '50s. The world has just been shaken by Marty Mcfly’s appearance from the future with the Starlighters at Hill Valley High School, introducing Chuck Berry’s rock to a stagnant rhythm and blues scene. The result was a more rockin’ sound, which would eventually pave the way for both modern rock music, funk and hip hop. Real life bands the Temptations, the Drifters, and the Supremes are all good examples of this style.
The similarity between the Doves and the real life Temptations is palpable. Lead singer Roscoe’s (J.D. Steele) diva-esque abrasiveness parallels David Ruffin’s, and Jamecia Bennett’s Eva Dee is an obvious nod to Tammi Terrel. Even the name “Get Ready” is the title of a Tempations’ track. Like the Temptations, too, the Doves have five members whose singing is downright flawless. Most of the show’s songs are original and were written by Joe Plummer, and they are performed wonderfully by the soulful voices of Benny Cannon, J.D. Steele, T. Mychael Rambo, Shawn Hamilton, and Dennis Spears.
Penumbra is known for its very serious work in plays dealing with African American identity in America. While Get Ready contains a few nods toward addressing racism and class consciousness, the show is primarily propped up by witty comedy and beautiful soul music, rather than social commentary. When I wasn’t grooving along to the tunes, I was generally laughing hysterically. Dennis Spears was particularly hilarious as Frankie, the effeminate, one eyed, chip-on-his-shoulder backup singer. One of his best lines concerns the missing eye, now in the possession of his girlfriend: “Shit! Bitch got my eye!” Benny Cannon (Corbierre) had a few zingers as well, remarking once in his canyon of a voice “She’s madder than Aunt Jemima when we all out of pancakes!”
One of the most noticeable musical standouts, in addition to the Doves’ perfect harmonizing, was Jamecia Bennett’s fiery solo act. Playing the part of the mad-as-hell diva, Bennett sings with the authority and grace of the old time greats. No stranger to the music industry, she has sung backup for the likes of Janet Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. She is also the mother of one time American Idol finalist, Paris Bennett.
With so much great singing it was unfortunate that the sound in the tiny St. Paul theater couldn’t have been better. While this is no fault of the performers, at times they were nearly drowned out by the live band, headed by Sanford Moore. The drums were mostly to blame here, and could benefit from a little muffling. This did little to take away from the entire experience of the show, however, as there is enough a capella vocalizing to showcase the actors’ talents.
I should also mention that the set design by one of the Twin City’s own masters, Lance Brockman, is extremely well executed for such a small space. Utilizing a rotating set, Brockman manages to fit a studio, nightclub, and dressing room all onto a stage the size of my living room.
I would encourage anyone who has even a remote liking for Soul/R&B music to check out Get Ready for themselves. Though it is a theatrical production, the music is better than most of the concerts I have seen in recent weeks. Unless you have a Delorean to take back to the Motown era, this production is the closest you will be able to get to the real deal. That is, until the next Twin Cities Sharon Jones visit…
Get Ready will be running at the Penumbra Theater in St. Paul through July first. For tickets, call 651.224.3180.
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