Monday, February 02, 2009

Come Rain or Come Shine


Leslie Uggams stars as Lena Horne in the new biography musical "Stormy Weather" at the Pasadena Playhouse. I had a chance to go to the Sunday afternoon matinee.

I have to admit I didn't know much about Horne and her battle against discrimination in her career and life -- and really enjoyed this show.

Tracing her career from starting as a teenage performer at Harlem's famous Cotton Club to her days at MGM (where Max Factor created a make-up for Horne that would make her look darker; it was called "Light Egyptian") to her being blacklisted in the 40s all the way to her activist days in an interracial marriage, the show moves at a brisk pace.

And the songs! From "Stormy Weather" to "Honeysuckle Rose" the hits just keep rolling by.

I didn't know Leslie Uggams can sing -- but she sure can!
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