“Ella The Musical” a colorful tribute at Long Wharf

NEW HAVEN — “Ella The Musical,” a colorful tribute to the legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald stars the inimitable Tina Fabrique at Long Wharf Theatre.
The show, which has been in production off and on since 2005, is a series of songs set in a concert hall in Nice, France, interspersed with mostly monologue from Fabrique telling the story of Ella’s life from the time she was a teenager until her step-sister died in 1966.
It’s not easy to compete with an icon, and for the most part Fabrique does an admirable job, with some pyrotechnic scat bebop singing, a style that Fitzgerald perfected.
Fabrique sounds best, with clear, clarion notes, when she hits the higher ranges, while the lower tones are scratchy and less clear and pure.
Everyone has a story to tell, but Fitzgerald had the disadvantage of being “the good girl.” No drug additions, alcohol abuse, or diva temper tantrums for this consummate driven performer. Her worst qualities appeared to be her lack of maternal instinct and her choice of looser men for lovers.
“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and I don’t sleep around,” Fitzgerald tells us, adding that she is more Doris Day than Lady Day, the nickname of singer Billie Holiday.
She also had some good men in her professional life, we learn, such as the bandleader Chick Webb, and a couple of decent agents including Norman Granz played by Harold Dixon.
In earlier productions, all directed by Rob Ruggiero, she spoke of some of the discrimination she endured while travelling around the globe, that is missing from this show.
Fabrique with her toothsome grin has a Kewpie doll awe-shucks cuteness that is cloying when she sings with Ron Haynes Ron Haynes who does an admirable job as Louis Armstrong, while playing a fine trumpet in “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off.”
It’s a heavy load to carry an entire show, but she has fine support with her band, including pianist and musical director George Caldwell, Rodney Harper on drums, Cliff Kellam on bass and Haynes.
There are zuds of nostalgic tunes in this two act play, including one that Fitzgerald wrote called, “A-Tisket A-Tasket,” along with “That Old Black Magic,” “The Nearness of You,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and “Night and Day.”
The set by Michael Schweikardt is filled with art nouveau curves and rainbow colors by lighting designer John Lasiter, that change from lavender and blues, to gray and black, to radiant red and brilliant yellow that help make this production so appealing.
The sound system, by Michael Miceli, is too loud for the intimate space of the Long Wharf, with some audience members plugging their ears, and needs to be taken down a couple notches.
Once she gets warmed up, Fabrique takes the audience to another time in this night of all “Ella,” running through Oct. 17.


3 Stars
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Book by Jeffrey Hatcher. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Conceived by Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison. Musical direction by George Caldwell. Set design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Alejo Vietti. Lighting design by John Lasiter. Sound design by Michael Miceli. Wig design by Charles LaPointe.
Running time: 2 hours plus a 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. through Sunday, Oct. 17.
Tickets: $35 to $65. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Tina Fabrique … Ella Fitzgerald
George Caldwell … Piano
Ron Haynes … Trumpet
Rodney Harper … Drums
Cliff Kellam … Bass
Harold Dixon … Norman Granz