Photo by Michael Brosilow
Three Grecian sirens shrouded in golden cloaks are frozen on stage, hand-held gold masks hiding their faces. The music begins and the powerhouse voices of Bertilla Baker, Amelia Cormack and Maiesha McQueen fill the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret. Thunder crashes and suddenly the trio is snug in timeless pink, blue and gold evening gowns. Via wormhole, they have landed in the display window of a closed department store—one that boasts multi-era sepia photos of influential women such as Amelia Earhart and Michelle Obama, artifacts like Dorothy-esque slippers and phrases on the wall like “Women of the world unite.” The sirens realize they’ve been transformed into human women and from here, the audience journeys through a roughly chronological history of women told with spoken word, song and sound bites.
Sirens of Song co-writers Pearl and Kevin Ramsey have created a piece for vocal divas that makes you want to get up and dance, tugs on the heart strings, has you hooting with laughter and leaves you in awe. Topics include women’s suffrage, race, war, expectations placed on women, self-image, the dynamic between genders throughout the years and much more. Nearly 40 songs are featured—an incredible testament to the impressive stamina and conviction of Baker, Cormack and McQueen. Rounding out the show is impeccable light and sound design by Nick Belley and Megan B. Henninger respectively, as well as the glamorous second-half opera coats and gowns by costume designer Scott A. Rött.
A few of the many standout numbers include Baker’s “Life Begins at Forty,” a sassy, sultry piece about how love life only gets better with age, and her potent rendition of “Respect”; Cormack’s fresh take on “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” with a climatic build that likely moved everyone in the audience, and her commanding vocals in “You’ll Never Walk Alone”; and McQueen’s tender version of “At Last” and her mighty “I’m Every Woman.” The master singers close with the vociferous show-stopping number, “Phenomenal Woman.” From their sexy harmonies and dynamic dance pieces to their salacious expression and energizing interactions with the audience, this power trio is a force to be reckoned with.
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Through May 29 at The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
