Review: Theatre Three’s ‘Lizzie the Rock Musical’ slays the stage in two axe
Theatre Three’s ‘Lizzie the Rock Musical.’ (Photos by Jeffrey Schmidt) Lizzie Borden has her own famous poem, but at Theatre Three, her story comes alive through showtunes perfectly timed for Halloween.
Lizzie the Rock Musical centered on a cast of four women with Presley Duyck in the titular role. But as the cast belted out the show’s playlist of songs by creators Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner and Alan Stevens Hewitt, they also delivered a story of sisterhood and empowerment — just with murder involved.
Told primarily through songs, Lizzie’s tale breaks out of the gate with immediate power with rock ‘n’ roll vibes. We are introduced to of course Duyck as Lizzie along with Ja’Naye Flanagan playing Lizzie’s sister Emma, Lauren Urso Gray as her friend Alice and Lauren Le Blanc as the Borden family’s housekeeper.
Through these perspectives do we get insight into Lizzie and her family that led to the infamous act. Director Shyama Nithiananda brought an urgent pace to the show’s two acts that ramped up to the moment everyone was waiting for.
