Milwaukee Repertory Theater salutes hitmaker Houston in 'The Greatest Love for Whitney'
In its Stackner Cabaret, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater has staged many shows saluting the music of Black performers from blues, jazz and the Motown era. But the Rep is stepping into new territory with "The Greatest Love for Whitney," a musical tribute to a towering hitmaker of the 1980s and '90s.
Created by artistic director Mark Clements, "The Greatest Love for Whitney" opened Sunday evening before an enthusiastic audience. If you like the music of Whitney Houston, you will enjoy this show, which is all about the singing and the songs.
Clements has enlisted three vocalists, but only two perform in any given show, a rotation that reduces vocal stress. I saw Milwaukee native Alesia Miller and Alina Cherone, two powerful singers who, like Houston herself, grew up singing first in church. (Miller shouted out to her childhood congregation, St. Matthew CME Church.)
They perform on a simple, elegant stage with music director Dan Kazemi at the piano; pre-recorded musical accompaniment from other instruments is also used.
Houston's astonishing vocal technique was never solely ornamental. Rather, she gave the impression that her emotional urgency was so great it forced her voice into those amazing leaps. Happily, Miller and Cherone are similarly good vocal performers who know when to hold back and when to let it go. Everyone in the house likely needed a towel after Miller's dramatic rendition of "I Will Always Love You."
As has become common in revues, the singers shared stories from their own experiences that connect them to Houston's life. In a better-than-usual example of this kind of patter, Cherone described being a Brooklyn schoolgirl on the day of the Sept. 11 attacks as a prelude to "The Star Spangled Banner." Cherone and Miller delivered the anthem with soul, treating it with respect as a song (instead of simply as a vehicle for vocal pyrotechnics). As great as their big solos in this show are, I really loved the moments when the two sang together, as they did playfully on "I'm Your Baby Tonight."
For those keeping score, Act One reminds listeners of Houston songs they may have forgotten or overlooked. Act Two brings on the hits.
While this tribute concert mentions Houston's untimely death at age 48, it doesn't delve into her struggle with addiction or troubled marriage to Bobby Brown.
If you go
Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs "The Greatest Love for Whitney" through May 28 at Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Repertory salutes Houston in 'The Greatest Love for Whitney'
