Review: Tell Me on a Sunday at ArtWest Playhouse.
ArtsWest presents Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tell Me on a Sunday, which opened on April 28 and runs through May 23. This seldom produced musical is a “one-woman musical tour-de-force,” with lyrics by Academy Award winner Don Black and Tony winner Richard Maltby, Jr.
The musical compiles the songs of Lloyd Webber in a musical story about a young woman (Emma) portrayal by Danielle Barnum newly arrived to New York City. Emma has followed her boyfriend to America from England. She soon finds out that she’s just one of his many “friends”. Nothing special. The story of a native young woman who seeks love, a green card and a career is not new or unusual. Emma’s story is told through songs and with imaginary conversations, interactions with with her friend Viv, other lovers, including Sheldon Bloom who Emma follows to LA. Through some misadventures, Emma arrives full circle back in New York with an acquired green card and a budding hat designing business.
Danielle Barnum has a lovely voice, with a full and hearty pitch. She’s a great singer with talent. However, with the opening number, “Take That Look off Your Face” the band seemed 
to drown her out at first but she had no problem from that point on. Barnum is a beautiful young woman and it was nice to watch and listen to her. She was by far the highlight of the entire production.
A bit of let down for me was that the material was just not that good. The acting and drama was a stretch based upon the material. The music for the most part is not what Webber is famously identified with.
The set was interesting in that they made the most use of a series of blocks to convey Emma’s apartment and a large projection screen, that at different times showed pictures that moved the storyline along from New York City to Los Angles, California. One of the highlights of this was showing Emma in LA, during her Sheldon phase, at an award show. Cleverly done.
I have seen many other Andrew Lloyd Webber productions including Evita and The Phantom of the Opera. Granted those are considered blockbuster productions but I just expected more from the material by such a theater legend.
Tell Me on a Sunday runs through May 23, 2010 at ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery in West Seattle. $10 tickets available for ages 25 and under. For more info and tickets visit www.artswest.org.
– Ethel W.
