Drew and Lea Lachey, local celebrities and arts champions, have created quite a piece of theater with their show, label•less, running at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through the weekend.
Featuring well-known pop songs, Lachey and his team have crafted a throughline of meaningful monologues and emotional dance numbers to evoke change. The show’s themes confront discrimination and ignorance about race, mental health, sexuality, or physical appearance.
The show can feel a bit preachy at times, but the sincerity of the cast more than compensates for its ultra-wokeness. And let me tell you, this is a stacked cast full of sensational dancers, brilliant vocalists, and charismatic personalities. There are several show-stopping moments, including a gorgeous ballet between Alyssa and Kendall Maley, made extra special because Alyssa is in a modified wheelchair due to some physical differences. Also powerful was the vocal work of Nichelle Lewis (“Respect,” “Rise Up”), Sara Reynolds (“Together is Better”), Hannah Adams (“Man’s World”), and Kristen Das (“Hands.”)
The dance ensemble was stunning, but the duet between Aubrey Jones and Brian Cheung overtop Colby Miller’s rendition of “Hate” was one of the most emotional movement-based pieces I’ve ever seen. Micah Day’s monologue was heart-wrenching, Je’Shaun Jackson’s personality lit up the stage throughout, and Jerry McKenzie’s motivational “A Change is Gonna Come” was a major highlight. The entire ensemble was beyond incredible, and I hope to see more from all of them.
I was seated in the second row; I could not hear very well initially, but my ears adjusted. If I were to buy tickets for the rest of the run, I’d definitely sit back further to get the full effect as the speakers are at the top of the building and therefore projecting over the first few rows. The gorgeous projections, though, and the rock-style lighting were breathtaking from any seat.
Finally, let me praise the choreography from Lea Lachey and the vocal direction from Laurie Wyant. This is a professional quality production; without these two elements, the show would not be as strong.
The Lacheys announced that the show will debut in Chicago next weekend and hopefully in Indianapolis the following. If you’re in either of those cities, I’d recommend seeing it; it’s 90 minutes of ear candy, eye-popping choreography, and a timely message being spread by the generation that I’m counting on to heal our world.
What a show.
label•less runs this weekend at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Tickets and more information can be found here.