Nat King Cole & Me

Relationships between celebrities and their adoring public are double-edged swords—they can inspire or obsess—but in the Denver Center Theatre Company's world premiere of Gregory Porter's musical, Nat King Cole and Me: A Musical Healing, we get to see the upside of such a reverential symbiosis.

(Left to right) Gregory Porter as Gregory and Tyriq J. Swingler as Young Gregory. Photo credit: Terry Shapiro

Raised by his hard-working mother and stung by his absent father's inattention, Porter spent long hours alone listening to the music of Nat King Cole. There he found solace and a father figure he could depend upon.

Weaving a combination of biographical and imaginary events, Porter provides living proof of the power of music to heal and transcend difficult circumstances. We are touched not only by the real-life horrors of an unfeeling father (a painter and part-time preacher), but by the daydreams Porter uses to resolve the emotional issues that resulted from his childhood traumas.

Eloise Laws as Mother and Gregory Porter as Gregory. Photo credit: Terry Shapiro

While the second act concert substitutes for a more thorough dramatic arc, Porter's winsome personality and singing talent, including an impressive imitation of his hero, provides for an entertaining evening. Eloise Laws, as his mother, has a voice equal to any of the great gospel and blues singers, and cuts a strong and sympathetic figure as the matriarch.

Lloyd C. Porter as Father. Photo credit: Terry Shapiro

Lloyd C. Porter, Greg's brother and accomplished actor in his own right, plays Greg's father with impressive range, from a measured, self-involved man in the non-fiction re-enactments to a jovial romantic in the fictional passages. Tyriq J. Swingler, an 11 year-old theatre student at the Denver School of the Arts, holds his own as young Greg.

With a dozen songs made famous by the man with the velvet voice, a half dozen original songs by the playwright/performer, and an engaging story that speaks to contemporary single-parent households, Nat King Cole & Me makes for an instructive and feel-good evening. 303-893-4100.

Bob Bows