At Last: A Tribute to Etta James

At a time when American Idol and its many rip-offs clog the airwaves, it's hard to remember that the vocal pyrotechnics of gospel-pop were once backed by emotional depth and musical virtuosity. In the new faux-pop climate, Black Ensemble Theater's (BET) Etta James revue is a welcome reality check.

Created by BET founder Taylor, At Last gives us not one but five Ettas, each representing a stage of James's illustrious career. Urged on by Ms. Real (Echoles), the revue's drag-queen emcee, the Ettas belt their brains out as they reconcile with their collective checkered past. It's an almost postmodern premise for a tribute: Ms. Real cajoles the Ettas, kicking and screaming, into creating the tribute in the hope of teaching the singer to love and accept herself. Along the way, we're treated to stellar performances, from the twitchy, young, strung-out Etta (McCullough) to the earthy, centered, eldest Etta (Jean-Baptiste). While the cast is uniformly solid, Epison and Mitchell make an especially spectacular showing; a money note from these full-throated divas causes chills.

That said, At Last, like Etta herself, stumbles occasionally in its attempted self-actualization. The pacing is uneven, and the fabricated premise is puzzling at times, overplayed at others. In the end, these two flaws threaten to derail the production. But then, almost miraculously, you hear the familiar opening strains of the grand finale "At Last," and it's impossible not to proclaim along with Ms. Real, "I love me some Etta James."—Kay Daly