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| Saudia Yasmein in Sin: A Pop Opera |
In Scott
Claus’ pop opera Sin, Satan is up to the old tricks, manipulating
down-on-their-luck shmoes into giving up their soul - which they come to
quickly regret. The specific shmoe in this case is Devlin (Christopher
Robert Smith) who can only get his soul back if he can convince good, sweet
Faith (Sarah Kennedy) to give hers up.
This becomes increasingly harder when he starts to fall in love with
Faith. It’s a standard tale, albeit with
one unique twist: Satan is a woman named Santana (played solidly by Saudia
Yasmein).
Unfortunately, the show does not take full advantage of this fresh twist, instead relegating Santana to second fiddle as Devlin and Faith’s story takes center stage. Devlin struggles to feel worthy of redemption, and is torn between his relationship with Santana and Faith. One has his soul, the other has his heart. It’s a largely uninspired take on a familiar tale. The audience isn’t given much to root for in Devlin, nor in the relationship between him and Faith. Devlin is broken and looking for someone to make him feel worthy, but it’s unclear what Faith gets out of the relationship. Though the performances are adequate, Smith and Kennedy don’t have the chemistry to elevate the material, and the show drags for most of the middle hour.
Unfortunately, the show does not take full advantage of this fresh twist, instead relegating Santana to second fiddle as Devlin and Faith’s story takes center stage. Devlin struggles to feel worthy of redemption, and is torn between his relationship with Santana and Faith. One has his soul, the other has his heart. It’s a largely uninspired take on a familiar tale. The audience isn’t given much to root for in Devlin, nor in the relationship between him and Faith. Devlin is broken and looking for someone to make him feel worthy, but it’s unclear what Faith gets out of the relationship. Though the performances are adequate, Smith and Kennedy don’t have the chemistry to elevate the material, and the show drags for most of the middle hour.
The show really
shines in the all-too-few interactions between Satan and God (Rich Brunner). Recasting the relationship as one of a woman
scorned by an arrogant and inattentive Creator of All is both fresh and funny
and the show would do well to make this the central relationship of the show. In one of the strongest numbers, Santana
sings/sneers at God, “I’d rather be in hell a woman, than in heaven with the
wrong man.” Even so, we get hints that
Santana longs for reconciliation with God – if only she could change him, if
only he wouldn’t be so damned omniscient and good!
The music is fine– while there is no particular standout, the songs are distinct from each other, and a few have stayed with me even a week after seeing the show. However, the show suffers from being an entirely sung-through musical – fewer songs and some dialogue might have gone a long way in fleshing out the story.
The music is fine– while there is no particular standout, the songs are distinct from each other, and a few have stayed with me even a week after seeing the show. However, the show suffers from being an entirely sung-through musical – fewer songs and some dialogue might have gone a long way in fleshing out the story.
The ladies
steal the show with some lovely vocals; the men are simply out of their depth. Kirby Harrell and Natalie Williams
deserve special recognition for their energy and commitment as the dancers/silent
extras throughout the play.
You can catch Sin: A Pop Opera at Three Clubs on June 23rd (7:00 PM), 26th (8:00 PM), and 28th
(9:00 PM). Find tickets here.
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