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Prince dazzles at UNLV
By BARBARA HALL
SPECIAL TO THE REVIEW JOURNAL
October 13, 2003
Royalty descended on Las Vegas on Friday.
Faith Prince's fans came in the hope of seeing magic by a queen of musical theater, and Prince, the Tony-award winner, delivered. Her show at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas embodied the energy and sophisticated humor of New York City. It was an evening of homage to the music of Jules Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim and other beloved favorites.
Opening with "Broadway Baby" and "Adelaide's Lament," the comedic redhead told the story of her journey from Lynchburg, Va., to Broadway stardom. Her background, she claims, "a combination of the South and New York City," made her "gracious with an edge."
Hits and struggles were weaved throughout the show. Alex Rybeck, a veteran of the Broadway stage, aptly wore hats as both arranger and pianist. Stuart Ross, who wrote and directed "Forever Plaid," ensured that her patter was breezy and fast.
From the quirky song "Is It a Crime?" to the rueful "The Party's Over," Prince was able to demonstrate her multidimensional range. She amused the audience with tales of her early years and "Mr. Right who was oh-so-wrong." In the first act, her closing number was "If I Were a Bell." She cleverly interspersed the song with cell phone conversations to her young son bidding him good night and advising him repeatedly "that 'The West Wing' was not on this evening."
She noted proudly that her Broadway debut was in a Jerome Robbins play in 1989. This was quickly followed by "Guys and Dolls" and a Tony award. She performed in both "The King and I" and the Broadway revival of "Little Me."
When Prince sang, she was always in command of the audience and material. Unfortunately, she was not always able to overcome the size of the theater. Her performance would have been more effective in a smaller setting. It was the numbers that included her husband Larry Lunetta on trumpet that worked best in the large venue.
Her encore was the high point of the show. She described her audition for the role if Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls." She was forbidden the use of any material from the musical. So with tongue in cheek, Prince sang Richard Roger's "Something Wonderful," weaving in and out of the lyrical ballad to the nasal whine of the famous Adelaide character. Even members of the audience who had never been to Broadway could sit back and be entertained by something wonderful.
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