"Sophie Tucker" is a Summer Treat

By Jana Pollack, New Rep Reviewer

"Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas" is a warm, lovely evening of theater. It's a night spent with just Ms. Tucker and her pianist, and that's more than enough. From the moment she enters, Mary Callanan embodies Ms. Tucker wholeheartedly, and provides song after song in a strong, commanding voice. Quietly, from the piano, Todd Gordon provides excellent accompaniment as well as the occasional well-placed one-liner.

The show functions as a musical revue, but is peppered with bits and pieces of stories from Ms. Tucker's life. In the first act, this remains almost entirely comedic, and the jokes don't stray far from Ms. Tucker's love life, with a running gag about her boyfriend "Ernie" (we learn that she nicknames all of her boyfriends Ernie, so as not to accidentally call out the wrong name at an inopportune moment). In the second act, the mood shifts, and Ms. Tucker shares stories of her family and upbringing, singing the beautifully poignant "Follow Your Star Medley." During this number, the stage is nearly entirely dark, and Ms. Callanan's voice, enchantingly, shines alone.

As the show began, it wasn't immediately clear that Ms. Callanan was going to hold the stage with enough force, and I found myself slightly uneasy at the prospect of spending the evening alone with her. I was proven wrong, though, as soon as she left the stage and joined the audience, making jokes with various patrons. Immediately, it became clear that Ms. Callanan has great talent both as a singer and as a comic. This was further tested (and proven) in the second act, when she called upon two men from the audience to join her onstage. She handled the volunteer selection with ease and hilarity, and the resulting number was great fun to watch.

The show runs 90 minutes (with one intermission) and is very well-timed; any longer and it might start to drag, but as it's done, it feels like just the right amount of time spent with Ms. Tucker. The simple set appropriately allows Ms. Callanan to make use of the full stage, singing most numbers at center, but moving upstage for the quieter, more somber songs. The costumes, too, are appropriate: in the first act, Ms. Callanan is bright and booming in a red dress, and in the second, she emerges in a black gown, fitting with the theme of the act.

Simple yet powerful, and jam-packed with great songs, "Sophie Tucker: The Last of the Red Hot Mamas" is just the kind of entertainment one might seek on a summer night - funny and light, but backed by substantial talent and emotional depth. With this show, New Rep sails lightly out of its 2009-2010 season, sending us home humming.