‘LIBERATION’: Audrey Corsa, Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio & Adina Verson. Photo: Little Fang.

LIBERATION
By Bess Wohl
Directed by Whitney White
Through February 1, 2026
James Earl Jones Theatre
138 West 48^th Street
https://liberationbway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Stories about feminism and the women’s movement more than 50 years ago might seem anachronistic to some. However, Bess Wohl’s Liberation, set in Ohio in 1970, is quite relevant and topical today. It’s disturbing to think that the same rights and freedoms feminists fought for back then are all issues women still face in 2025 America. Women must still fight for the right to choose and equal pay. They battle sexism and grapple with double standards in a male-dominated society. This production (which premiered off-Broadway this past winter at Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre) features one of the best ensemble casts on the New York stage in years.

‘Consciousness raising’ in an Ohio town

Lizzie (Susannah Flood) is a journalist in a small Ohio town and decides to start a “consciousness-raising” group. They meet weekly in a rec center’s basketball court to talk about women’s issues and ongoing struggles with men. She acts as narrator for the tale.

The story of young Lizzie is interspersed with that of her daughter in the 2020s. Ms. Flood also portrays Lizzie’s daughter in the present day, interviewing original group members years after her mother’s death. Her daughter wants to discover why her mother went from being a feminist activist to a more traditional woman later in life. Lizzie’s daughter wants to find out what happened to the group’s idealism over the years.

…And ladies of the club

One of the unique aspects of Liberation is the way it shows a microcosm of women from diverse backgrounds, races and socioeconomic levels, all facing similar oppression simply because of their gender. The only other women’s group that meets at the venue is a knitting circle.

Members of the sisterhood

The sisterhood of Lizzie’s group includes Margie (Betsy Aidem), the oldest member who has been married for decades to the same man. Joanne (Kayla Davion) is the group’s first Black member. She’s an author and feels slightly out of place because, as an African American, her level of oppression is far worse as a female woman of color.

Dora (Audrey Corsa) stumbles into the group unexpectedly, thinking it was a knitting club, but she’s frustrated as a beautiful woman working for a wine company, forced to grapple with sexism and objectification by the men at her job.

In addition, Isidora (Irene Sofia Lucio) is from Italy and the only immigrant. She has a unique perspective on women’s issues that differs from the American women. Susan (Adina Verson) is a radical feminist, while Celeste (Kristolyn Lloyd) is a Black woman who joins the group later in the story. Bill (Charlie Thurston) plays a key role in young Lizzie’s past.

A memory play from a woman’s perspective

Lizzie tells the audience at the beginning of the show that Liberation is a memory play. The show’s full title is Liberation: A Memory Play About Things I Don’t Remember. Memory plays often feature a main character recalling past events. Prime examples include The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams and Betrayal by Harold Pinter.  Lizzie uses this method as present-day narrator to examine her mother’s past.

Women’s struggles remain consistent over decades

Playwright Bess Wohl captures the essence of intergenerational conflicts and the thorny issues related to activism. Ms. Wohl also shows how feminism and the ongoing fight for women’s equality are both different for every woman based on her circumstances and identity. However, the need for women to be heard, taken seriously by men, be paid a fair wage and also appreciated is something that has not changed much since the dawn of the women’s movement. Women today still are expected to have and raise children, work, manage a household and also live up to overwhelming expectations created by men and society in general.

Razor-sharp direction of an excellent ensemble

Director Whitney White does an outstanding job of directing this excellent ensemble. There are so many fine performances here that it’s difficult to single out any as standouts because each actress is so great in her own right. Susannah Flood does a remarkable job as narrator, young Lizzie and her daughter. Betsy Aidem is sensational as Margie, the eldest group member who has struggled living the only life she knows as wife to man who can do little for himself. Audrey Corsa is often poignant as the beautiful, naïve yet powerful career woman Dora. Kayla Davion as the intellectual Joanne is always entertaining with her nonstop wit, and Kristolyn Lloyd as Celeste, Irene Sofia Lucio as Isidora and Adina Verson as the militant feminist Susan are equally superb.

Liberation is a brutally realistic, consistently funny “herstory” lesson that speaks volumes about the inequitable state of women in past and present America. The play shows why there should not be anything “radical” about treating women as equal to men and giving women the respect they deserve. Without question, Liberation is one of the best dramas of the year.

Published November 1, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on October 29, 2025

‘LIBERATION’: Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio, Betsy Aidem & Audrey Corsa. Photo: White Fang.

‘LIBERATION’: Susannah Flood & Betsy Aidem. Photo: Little Fang.

‘LIBERATION’: The cast. Photo: White Fang.

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‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’: Adrienne Warren & Nick Jonas. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS
Book, music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Whitney White
Through June 22, 2025
Hudson Theatre
141 W 44th St
https://thelastfiveyearsbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Last Five Years originated in Chicago in 2001 and was first produced Off Broadway in New York in 2002, starring Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Renee Scott. It was adapted into a 2014 film starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. Now, the one act has arrived on Broadway with Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren and former teen pop star and Broadway veteran Nick Jonas. Some may not know it, but Nick Jonas has been appearing in Broadway shows since he was a child, long before he hit it big with his sibling pop group The Jonas Brothers. He even did a fine job replacing Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 2012.

Unorthodox narrative

This musical has gained a devoted cult following for its unorthodox narrative. The Last Five Years chronicles the five-year marriage of aspiring actress Cathy (Ms. Warren) and up-and-coming novelist Jamie (Mr. Jonas).  Cathy’s story is told backwards, from the end of her relationship with Jamie to the beginning. Jamie’s story is told the conventional way, from beginning to end.

The two characters’ tales finally merge but just once, at their wedding, and this happens halfway through the show. The musical is almost like an operetta since there’s little spoken dialogue. However, the overall tone is serious and ultimately gloomy. The show isn’t exactly an operetta nor is it a traditional musical. Nothing about the production fits any conventional category, so perhaps that is why The Last Five Years has an ardent fanbase.

‘Nice Jewish boy’ novelist Jamie

Mr. Jonas’s Jamie is a stereotypical “nice Jewish boy” from New York. He’s ambitious and tired of the women he meets in his social circle. When he meets Cathy, she’s unlike anyone he has ever met. With effervescent songs such as “Shiksa Goddess,” “Moving Too Fast” and “A Miracle Would Happen,” Mr. Jonas is in fine voice. As he finds success as a novelist, Cathy struggles.

Aspiring actress Cathy

Theatergoers already know Adrienne Warren has a powerful, angelic voice. She originated the role of Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical both on London’s West End and on Broadway, earning her an Olivier and Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination and a Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award. From the moment the show opens with Cathy belting out “Still Hurting,” a song about the painful ending of her marriage to Jamie, Ms. Warren starts out on a proverbial high note. Her vocals are consistently lush and melodic from beginning to end.  She is top notch when singing such songs as “I Can Do Better Than That” and “Goodbye Until Tomorrow” with her mellifluous voice.

Show’s edgy appeal

The fact that the narrative follows two opposing timelines (Cathy’s in reverse and Jamie’s chronologically) makes the musical edgy, and one can see why it has developed a dedicated group of enthusiasts the past 24 years

Both Mr. Jonas and Ms. Warren have amazing chemistry and stage presence. Fans of either star won’t be disappointed seeing them both shine in the 90-minute one act. Whitney White directs both actors well and they are both continuously fluid and have great timing.

Despite the two amazing performances and the superb vocals, this chronicle of a love and marriage falling apart is not exactly upbeat material. In addition, the awkward and wonky book is exactly why The Last Five Years may not please mass audiences. This cult favorite will certainly thrill those who are already fans of the show, but the confusing nature of the story could make winning over new aficionados difficult indeed.

Published April 16, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on April 9, 2025

‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’: Adrienne Warren. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’: Nick Jonas. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘THE LAST FIVE YEARS’: Nick Jonas & Adrienne Warren. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING: Brittany Adebumola & Dominique Thorne. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING
Written by Jocelyn Bioh
Directed by Whitney White
Through November 19, 2023
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street

(212-239-6200), www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com

By David NouNou

It’s a busy day at Jaja’s African Hair Braiding salon. The events take place in a 12-hour period from opening time at 9am in the morning to 9pm closing time on a very hot day in Harlem. We know the clients and their relentless demands; that’s nothing new. What is new is getting a better understanding of the hardworking women that are on their feet all day long working in this shop. These working women are all different and each one has her own aspirations.

For the most part, nothing special is going on in the shop (except for the unique design of David Zinn’s exceptional authentic set) other than the masterpieces being created. The specialty is the showcasing of the women themselves. They are indeed all talented in hair braiding. There is the usual bickering, the usual dishing, and the uncomfortable awkward situation of (whether you are a woman or a man) going to a hair-dressing salon or a barbershop and deciding you want to change the person who has been doing your hair and the dilemma it presents. That one particular incident is a sidesplitting moment in the play. Amidst all the hilarity, there is a curve ball thrown in to illustrate the complexities that life can present to these women.

Some of these women are African immigrants: Miriam (Brittany Adebumola) is from Sierra Leone. She has been here for a few years to make money and returning back to her country to return here with the daughter she left behind. Owner Jaja (Somi Kakoma) has been here for many years and is getting married today to a white man, and her daughter Marie (Dominique Thorne)— who has been running the shop—has great misgivings about the event. Bea (Zenzi Williams) has been working at Jaja’s for more than 10 years and dreams of opening her own top-notch salon, and she has a meltdown scene with her best friend, Aminata (Nana Mensah), for taking back an unfaithful husband.

Although this is an ensemble piece, there are genuine performances worth noting: Ms. Adebumola is a standout in retelling her life story up to this point, and is simply wonderful. Ms. Williams is indomitable and Ms. Mensah is formidable as the feuding friends. Maechi Aharanwa as Ndidi, the youngest of the stylist, is terrific as the “can’t we all just get along” member of the group. Kalyne Coleman does a mean Beyonce after she gets her hair braided like Miss B. Lakisha May plays three distinct customers to perfection.

The one flaw in the show is Whitney White’s inconsistent direction. She takes time in fleshing out and presenting the characters, but I’m sure that is due to playwright Jocelyn Bioh’s writing. However, Ms. Bioh has packed and tangled so many issues in the last 15 minutes of the play that it is very difficult for Ms. White to properly unravel them and make them fully comprehensible for the audience to digest.

That being said, one must admire the play because it has an important message. It pays homage to all the hardworking immigrants who come here to find a better life. In this case, it is a hair-braiding salon in Harlem. For every immigrant who has come here to perform a service, she or he has a story of their own and deserves the respect of each of their clients.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published October 6, 2023
Reviewed at October 5, 2023 press performance.

‘JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING’: Nana Mensah, Dominique Thorne (in background) & Somi Kakoma. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING’: Kalyne Coleman & Maechi Aharanwa. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING’: Rachel Christopher & Zenzi Williams. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING’: Lakisha May (seated) & Nana Mensah (in mirror). Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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