BWW Reviews: ONE TOUCH OF VENUS - A Fantastically Fun Forgotten Show

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS is based on Thomas Anstey Guthrie's novella The Tinted Venus and lightly spoofs the Pygmalion myth. Rodney Hatch, a humble barber, tells Whitelaw Savory, a wealthy art connoisseur and museum proprietor, that his intended's fingers make the newly recovered statue of Venus' fingers look like sausages. To prove his point, he places the ring he plans to propose with on the finger of the Venus, accidently brining the goddess of love to life in 1940s New York City. The romantic farce leads audiences through comedic misunderstandings and changing affections with a score that flits between moments of haunting beauty and 40s dance melodies. While the show itself may be new to Houston audiences, the score does feature a selection of Broadway standards, primarily "I'm A Stranger Here Myself," "West Wind," and "Speak Low."

Founding Artistic Director and Director of the production, Paul Hope, has every right to be full of pride. There is no doubt that Paul Hope is a superbly skilled and expert director. Everything about this production works perfectly. Paul Hope has done a marvelous job assembling a top notch cast, creative team, and orchestra to deliver a pristine and thrilling production of Kurt Weill's ONE TOUCH OF VENUS to Houston audiences. Like Venus does to the men in the show, Paul Hope's direction easily casts a spell over the audience, leaving them fully enchanted and delighted.

Rob Flebbe as Rodney Hatch, the male lead, is a pure joy to watch perform. His tenor voice radiates from the stage and intoxicates the audience. With a mastery of control over his instrument, his vocals are always appropriately powerful yet light. Rob Flebbe fantastically characterizes Rodney as a humble and simple working class guy full of convictions and dreams that is completely relatable, charismatic, and altogether a good guy.

Like her male counterpart, Danica Dawn Johnston as Venus captivates the audience with grace and style. She exudes sensuality and beauty, bewitching the characters and audience with ease. Danica Dawn Johnston's voice, a comfortable mezzo-soprano is full of vivacious life, earning thunderous and lengthy applause after each mesmerizing song performance. Lastly, Danica Dawn Johnston may get to have some of the most fun on stage, beguiling the audience and fellow cast mates alike with witty innuendo that surely made the 1940s audiences blush.

Joe Kirkendall's Whitelaw Savory is brusque and ultimately masculine. He never shows his softer side, and his love for Venus is more attuned to conquest than romance. Joe Kirkendall's sleek and smooth rich baritone voice perfectly mirrors his refined characterization of the rich Whitelaw Savory, charming the audience throughout the entirety of the performance.

David is a Special Education teacher with a passion and love for the performing arts. He aspires to become a full time theatre critic and/or professor of Drama as Literature.

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