By Eils Lotozo INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Me and Mrs. Jones may feature Grammy-winning Lou Rawls and his velvety baritone in a central role, but the true star of this new show is the music.
Packed with 44 of the infectious, hook-filled 1970s R&B hits produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff at their Philadelphia International Records, this is one supremely soulful musical.
While the easiest route would have been to turn this list of songs into a simple revue, Kathleen McGhee-Anderson and Charles Randolph-Wright, who also directs, aimed higher, cleverly fashioning Gamble and Huff’s chart-toppers into a wonderfully entertaining saga of loves lost and found.
Rawls, who was the force behind getting this world premiere launched, plays a married Philadelphia judge infatuated with an also-wed attorney (‘Nita Whitaker). Also struggling with love are the judge’s college-student daughter (Anika Noni Rose) and a DJ (Orfeh) with a crush on her on-air partner. Most of the action takes place in a bar where a posse of aspiring songwriters hangs out, and the judge canoodles with Mrs. Jones.
This quartet of conflicted couples offers plenty of opportunities to work in songs in a way that seems surprisingly natural. Some numbers even function as dialogue between characters. “If You Don’t Know Me by Now,” a Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes hit, becomes a poignant exchange between estranged partners. “You’ll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine),” Rawls’ biggest seller, is used effectively in a showdown between the judge’s wife and his paramour.
I grew up with this music, but I found myself amazed as the evening went on to realize just how many pop masterpieces Gamble and Huff presided over, among them the Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” the Soul Survivors’ “Expressway to Your Heart,” the Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly Wow,” and the O’Jays’ rousing “Love Train.”
The uniformly fine cast of 18, backed up by a 15-piece band and costumed in the kind of amusingly garish ’70s attire we all hope will never make a comeback (remember hot pants?), is full of just the kind of powerhouse singers the material demands.
Rawls, though he proves to be a somewhat stiff stage presence, sounds better than ever. Standouts in the cast include Darlene Love, who does a dignified turn as the judge’s wife; sexy David St. Louis, as the angry Mr. Jones; ‘Nita Whitaker as his straying Mrs.; Eugene Fleming as the tell-it-like-it-is barkeep J.C., and Orfeh as the yearning disc jockey. Bobby Daye, replacing with just two days’ notice an actor with throat problems, did a stellar job as the DJ Calvin.
Me and Mrs. Jones
Book by Charles Randolph-Wright and Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, music and lyrics by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and many others, directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, scenic design by Thomas Lynch, costumes by Paul Tazewell. Presented by Prince Music Theater.
The cast: Lou Rawls (Judge Murray), Darlene Love (Lillian Murray), ‘Nita Whitaker (Mrs. Jones), Bobby Daye (Calvin), Orfeh (Tammy), Anika Noni Rose (Cookie), others.
Playing at: Prince Music Theater, 1412 Chestnut St., through Dec. 9. Tickets are $40 to $45. Information: 215-569-9700 or www.princemusictheater.org.
