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Review: "Ella" swings to the sounds of a cherished performer
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Photo: Ed Krieger, Laguna Playhouse
Of all the influential artists to emerge from jazz, few could match Ella Fitzgerald’s unique vocal gifts. Her singular skill was of such extraordinary power that her interpretations of standards – whether soft ballads, dynamic swing, or improvisational scat – are now often considered the defining versions. Yet for all of the spotlight shone on her talent, the First Lady of Song’s personal life has remained backstage. Ella, the new musical production playing at the Guthrie Theater, attempts to coax out the woman behind the iconic voice. While a notable effort heightened by a gorgeous setlist of Ella’s signature tunes, the overall narrative doesn’t deliver quite so harmoniously.
Staged on a set that recalls the ballroom band shells of a more lavish era (elegantly designed by Michael Schweikardt), Ella finds the vocalist in preparation for a 1966 concert in Nice, France. Mere days after the death of a beloved family member, Ella is consoled and cajoled by her manager who demands that the show must not only go on, but that a number be cut in order to make time for audience “patter.” An introvert more comfortable with chords than conversation, Ella receives the news with weary resignation. Tired of being confined by her reputation as “the good one” of jazz, the artist goes on to recount the moments of her life that brought her to this stage.
Ella’s rich life story references such luminary influences as Chick Webb, Dizzy Gillespie, and Louis Armstrong. Her anecdotes tell of a troubled home life, struggles with her body image, the unanticipated rise of her career, and a succession of broken romances along the way. But although the dialogue brings forth revealing details, the rapid recollections make the narrative feel like a perfunctory beat between musical numbers. Rather than crafting a moving portrait of Ella, the narrative more accurately resembles an itemized sketch.
Despite the comparatively flat notes in the narrative, once the music kicks in Ella absolutely soars into the melodic stratosphere. Featuring no less than 23 works from Ella’s incomparable songbook, the music leaves no doubt as to why the singer remains so cherished. Of course, it helps immeasurably that the Guthrie has a stunning vocalist in Tina Fabrique. Playing Ella’s on-stage persona with emotive resonance, Fabrique uncannily captures the legend’s nuance and phrasing regardless of the style. Fabrique is equally adept at a carefully balanced “The Nearness of You” as with a free-wheeling “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing.) Perhaps most impressively, Fabrique even nails the notoriously difficult scatting characterized by such a number as “Flying Home.”
The backing band is of no less caliber than their singer, smoking through a versatile set with verve and panache. With musical direction by pianist George Caldwell and boasting trumpet player Ron Haynes, percussionist Rodney Harper, and bass player Clifton Kellem, the music utterly mesmerizes with rollicking rhythms and propulsive beats. Considering that each of the players also serves double duty as one or more voices from Ella’s past, the quartet’s already impressive skill is rendered all the more remarkable.
As a biographical study Ella might leave depth to be desired, but as a musical revue there’s no denying the play’s compulsive power. By the end, in fact, the audience seemed to have been transported to an actual Ella concert, rising to their feet and applauding for an encore. Narrative faults seem inconsequentially academic against such a moving reaction, testifying to just how potent Ella’s music remains. While the production might not provide new insight into the woman’s life, Ella nevertheless demonstrates the superlative beauty of her voice. Always content to let her music speak for her, one suspects that Ella would have preferred it that way.
Ella runs through September 6th.
For more info: Guthrie Theater
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