Old Globe Theatre
San Diego
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“In an ideal world, the posthumous legacy of Sammy Davis Jr. would be as renowned as that of Elvis or Michael Jackson,” said Bob Verini in Variety. The gifted performer was a true triple threat: He could sing, he could act, he could dance. Composer and librettist Leslie Bricusse has penned a love letter of a bio-musical to Davis, for whom he wrote such memorable hits as “Who Can I Turn To?” and “The Candy Man.” Unfortunately, the musical speeds through the key dramatic moments in Davis’ life with alarmingly little “pretense at interpretation.” Davis’ early years in vaudeville, his conversion to Judaism, and his “booze-soaked” days running with Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack are all barely touched upon. It’s as if the show were based on the singer’s “Wikipedia article.”
The musical may be unwilling to engage its subject, but lead performer Obba Babatundé clearly relishes the opportunity to take on a legend, said James Hebert in The San Diego Union-Tribune. More than just “one long Davis impersonation,” Babatundé’s performance captures Davis’ unique blend of “swagger and fragility,” and his formidable singing and dancing do Davis proud. His voice doesn’t have the top notes or “velvety” texture that Davis so effortlessly laid onto such tunes as “Gonna Build a Mountain” and “Yes I Can.” What he lacks in polish, though, he makes up for in effort. His bitter take on “The Joker” in Act 1 and his “brooding” evocation of “Mr. Bojangles” are true showstoppers, and offer glimpses of a “more real, raw show” than this Sammy turns out to be.
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