Fringe: Josephine an homage to U.S. entertainer that's worth seeing

NOTE: This show was reviewed at the 2017 Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Rating:

Part history lesson, part musical revue, this one-woman show tells the story of American entertainer Josephine Baker, who rose from humble beginnings to international stardom.

• Winnipeg Fringe 2017: read our reviews

Yes, the source material is fascinating (who knew Baker was a spy with the French Resistance?). And yes, we get tosee the scandalous dance routine that made her famous, in which she wears a banana skirt and little else. Beyond thebiography, we're also given thought-provoking commentary about racism and how black women's bodies are consumed as entertainment: ideas as relevant today as they were in 1926.

A triumphant homageto a life worth remembering.- Marlo Campbell

Tymisha Harris' performance is a tour de force. Not only can this gal sing, her burlesque numbers are captivating and her dalliances with audience participation are perfection. When she belted out Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin', I cried.

Josephine is a triumphant homage to a life worth remembering. Go see this one.