My overall impression
My Darling Josephine is a lighthearted vaudeville styled comedy featuring a bit of Gilbert and Sullivan and slapstick comedy. It all starts with an acoustic band that includes a cigar box banjo, guitar, flute, upright piano and washboard as well as a couple of saloon girls belting out song. Sayed Sabrina’s marvelously rich contralto backed up in harmonies by Jessica M. Wilson brought the audience into the time and place; an old timey wild west saloon.
Katherine King as writer and female lead plays Josephine, a local ingénue who can’t sing and can’t make up her mind about which man she wants to jump claim for the day. Charissa Wheeler is Mattie Blaylock, the other woman. The story delightfully revolves around their competition for the same men, the same roles, the same clothes and money. They even get to stage a bar fight. J Scott was fully committed to his role as Barrett Remington and never ever missed opportunity for the laugh. Justin Baltz was seriously Johnny Behan, the Sheriff of Tombstone. Many laughs at his expense but the last laugh is his. Michael Reeveson took on the role of Wyatt Earp and was most believably Wyatt Earp.
The action takes place on stage and among the audience with customers grabbing for their drinks as ensemble members make haste in their chase. The end had the characters bringing willing audience members on stage to dance to the refrain of the catchy title song “My Darling Josephine.” Toe-tapping fun.
