Theater review by Raven Snook
There's an enchanting new chanteuse at Moto Moto, a sultry hot spot in Mombasa, Kenya, where people from all walks of life go to dance the night away. Played by Amber Iman, who is stunning in voice and stature, Nadira is a truly heavenly creature: the human form of Marimba, the goddess of music, in hiding from her tyrannical mother, the goddess of evil. Marimba is looking for love, and she finds it. As she casts a spell on the mortals who hear her sing, she's enthralled by them in return—and particularly by Omari (Austin Scott), the scion of a conservative political dynasty who plays sax on the sly at Moto Moto. Before long, these two rebellious kids are making beautiful music together.
Goddess | Photograph: Courtesy Joan Marcus
That's the setup for Goddess, a musical loosely inspired by an African folktale that has captivated the Kenyan-born director and book writer Saheem Ali since he was a teenager. When the exuberant cast and band are performing Michael Thurber's fabulous score—a seductive blend of Afrobeat, Taarab, R&B, soul and jazz that reflects Kenya’s multicultural makeup—the show soars to the skies. But Goddess’s nonmusical scenes weigh it down with an unfocused narrative and an array of underwritten stock characters: a jilted fiancée (Destinee Rea), a domineering father (J Paul Nicholas), a worried mother (Ayana George Jackson), a lecherous club owner (Jason Bowen), an all-knowing shaman (Reggie D. White).
Goddess | Photograph: Courtesy Joan Marcus
Given the musical’s rocky history, that’s not entirely a surprise. Playwright Jocelyn Bioh, who had been with the project since 2016 (including for its 2022 world premiere in California), dropped out just two months ago; South African writer Mkhululi Mabija had the gig before her. For this iteration, Ali has added some personal elements—like Omari, he was raised in an observant Muslim household where music was forbidden—and, with an assist from Fat Ham dramatist James Ijames, embraced a Hadestown template. There's an inciting myth, a “Griotrio” of narrators and a secondary romance; in the show’s most successful (and sexiest) subplot, Moto Moto emcee Ahmed (a boisterously animated Nick Rashad Burroughs) pursues hard-to-get bartender Rashida (the alluring Arica Jackson).
Goddess | Photograph: Courtesy Joan Marcus
For all its flaws, there's a lot to cherish about Goddess. Arnulfo Maldonado's lush set brilliantly bridges the secular and celestial worlds. Dede Ayite decks out the cast in African-influenced streetwear complemented by Nikiya Mathis's luxurious hairdos. Bradley King's purple and blue lighting gives off an ethereal glow, and choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie's athletic moves are impressive. And best of all, there's Iman, every inch a deity, beguiling us with her smoky, honeyed timbre and delivering an emotional epiphany through music that the dialogue can’t match. The show may be imperfect, but the woman at its center is certainly worthy of worship.
Goddess. Public Theater (Off Broadway). Music and lyrics by Michael Thurber. Book and direction by Saheem Ali. Additional book material by James Ijames. With Amber Iman, Austin Scott, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Arica Jackson. Running time: 2hrs 20mins. One intermission.
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Goddess | Photograph: Courtesy Joan Marcus
