Search - Ray Leslee, John Jiler :: Avenue X (1994 Original New York Cast)

Warning: if you don't care for a cappella singing, don't even get near Avenue X. Set in 1963, the show tells a story of black-Italian antagonism in a Brooklyn neighborhood without the help of any instruments other than the human voice. John Jiler's lyrics usually manage to avoid heavy-handed didacticism, but they often are undermined by the homogeneity of the music. Using doo-wop made sense, since the best vocal groups of the time came from the two communities featured in the show, but it can also be limiting: Ray Leslee's score often feels like a very long version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Still, some songs do have a touching pathos--"Woman of the World" particularly stands out, thanks to Colette Hawley's understated emotion. --Elisabeth Vincentelli