Amanda Andrews
Brilliant, But Off…
The Duplex, NYC, May 15, 2018
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg for Cabaret Scenes
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Amanda Andrews is a very talented performer. Unfortunately, in her show at The Duplex, she attempted to show off all of her talents at once, and things got a bit muddled. Singer, actress, comedian, rocker girl, balladeer—one longed for her to take a momentary pause and just relax.
And, when she did that toward the end of the show, the power was there.
Attempting to create a one-act, seemingly autobiographical story about a desperate actress and unlucky-in-love woman in contemporary New York, Andrews introduces several framing devices—therapists, drinking buddies, cousin, therapist—and jumps back and forth among them without ever really establishing a time frame for the audience. Different parts of the stage represented different locales in her life; it was a smart decision, but the awkward sightlines of the packed room were not always taken into consideration.
The music chosen to illuminate her story was mostly pop/rock with the singer belting out every song. With only an electric guitar as accompaniment (Matt Langner showing off fierce energy), a sameness to the sound of the show settled in. When she finally reached the climatic “Rise Up” (Andra Day), a power ballad, it was exciting to hear a different style, and the performer met the challenge of something more dramatic, showing the audience what could be if she had provided herself with more theatrical material.
As a playwright, Andrews is consistently witty and often moving. As an actress, she has an off beat charm. Perhaps working with a director would help her to focus her material a bit more in order to create a vehicle for herself.
