Goddess
Tickets from $113 Buy Tickets
Cititour.com Review
It seems only fitting that if you’re creating a musical called “Goddess,” you would cast Amber Iman in the title role. So it’s no surprise that the regal-looking, statuesque actress with a mesmerizingly smoky voice -- equally comfortable with jazz and musical theatre songs – proves to be a natural fit for this enchanting show, co-written and directed by Saheem Ali (currently of “Buena Vista Social Club” fame).
I can’t be sure what happened over the past two years, but in its current incarnation, “Goddess,” which has arrived at the Newman Theatre at the Public Theatre after its debut at Berkeley Rep, is a certified crowd-pleaser. The two-act show is filled with consistently superlative performances, exciting choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, and a varied and pleasing score by Michael Thurber, who proves equally adept at heartbreaking ballads and torch songs (gorgeously suited to Iman’s singular voice) as well as livelier numbers.
Above all, Ali and Pulitzer Prize-winning co-writer James Ijames have crafted a captivating central love story between Iman’s mysterious Nadira (who is actually the human form of the Kenyan goddess of music, Marimba) and Omari (an outstanding Austin Scott), the son of Mombassa’s governor, who has been summoned home from his studies in New York to take the place of his ailing, more conservative father (J. Paul Nicholas).
The father-son’s biggest bone of contention isn’t Omari’s willingness to govern, but Omari’s dedication to music – he secretly plays the saxophone – and his fervent desire to keep open his favorite night club, Moto Moto, where Nadira not only performs but has resided for centuries as a hiding place from her vengeful mother, Watamaraka, the goddess of war (cleverly represented by Julian Crouch’s puppets.)
Eventually, there are serious choices to be made not just by Omari, including breaking up with longtime fiancee Cheche (an excellent Destinee Rea, making the most of a mostly unnecessary role) after falling for Nadira, but also by Omari’s mother Siri, (the sublime Ayana George Jackson, killing the haunting tune, “Baobab Roots”), who is torn between love for her husband, love for her son, and familial duty. Naturally, the biggest choice of all must be made by Nadira, who is warned by local shaman Balozi (a fabulous Reggie D. White) that pursuing earthly love will likely result in Omari’s death.
All this said, if this production is meant to be a pre-Broadway try-out (as I suspect), a few more tweaks are in order, requiring all the show’s creators to “kill their darlings” or, at least, rethink some elements. For example, unveiling all the back story of this present-day tale through a trio of griots (beautifully embodied by Mellissee Clark, Teshomech Olenja, and Awa Sal Secka) honors the Kenyan tradition, but sometimes the exposition gets a tad clunky.
The plot’s trajectory is somewhat fueled by the actions of headstrong, smarmy club owner Madongo (a very fine Jason Bowen), who pursues Nadira against her wishes, but the character feels as if he does not have enough prominence before he eventually disappears. And while I could not love the equally delightful Nick Rashad Burroughs and Arica Jackson more as comic love interests, club emcee Ahmed and bartender Rashida, their joyous second act duet, “It’s a Date,” interrupts the drama of the story at precisely the wrong moment. (Perhaps, it belongs in the first act!)
A move to Broadway, should it happen, might also allow a slightly different set design from the talented Arnulfo Maldonado, allowing for more defined playing spaces and eliminating the need for Omari’s family home to be physically moved onto the stage every time it’s used.
Conversely, Dede Ayite’s colorful, often skin-baring costumes are sheer perfection (especially on the bodies of the ultra-fit dancing ensemble, who must spend most of their free time at the gym) as is Bradley King’s stunning lighting design.
But the most important element of this or any future production of “Goddess” is Amber Iman, who deserves to be worshipped and has finally found a role worthy of her greatness. Praise be!
By Brian Scott Lipton
Visit the Site
https://publictheater.org
Open/Close Dates
Opening 5/20/2025
Closing 6/15/2025
Theatre Info
Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
Map
Sign up for our newsletter !