Review: GET READY at The Ensemble Theatre

GET READY is a play with music that explores the joys and pains many African American musicians grappled with as music shifted from 1950s doo-wop into what is now considered either mainstream pop or rhythm & blues. Fictional group The Doves are well past their heyday but are preparing to "get ready" for their great comeback in hopes of recapturing the bliss of days gone by.

Doo-wop music, Motown and harmony groups have been staples of my music education for as long as I can remember. The Four Tops, The Platters, The Temptations, and, of course, The Supremes (among many others) still hold a cherished place in my vinyl collection. It's this spirit that The Ensemble brings to the stage to close out its 2025–2026 season.

There is not much to find online about this show's history, so it was especially wonderful to hear from co-creator Joe Plummer before the curtain on Opening Night. Created with Debi Stewart and the late Jaye T. Stewart, GET READY tells the story of dreams left behind and the hope of reigniting the spark of fame in a musical landscape that has moved on.

The musical numbers are where both the production and the cast truly shine. The seven original songs actually left me wishing there were more. They perfectly capture the genre through both solos and group numbers, giving each cast member a moment in the spotlight. The audience was clearly in the groove as we clapped along and swayed in our seats.

Just as a quintet needs each vocal part to create harmony, every actor in this production contributes something essential, making for a cohesive cast. Michael Moses is an animated and entertaining Knobby, The Doves' choreographer, channeling Redd Foxx to perfection. Each member of The Doves brings their own strengths to the stage: Trevin Bond, as lead singer Roscoe, croons brilliantly; Kyle G. Stephens is consistently funny as the spiritual and perpetually hungry Bunch; Kevin Davis Jr. earns plenty of laughs as the one-eyed, would-be frontman Frankie; Ali Hits showcases a terrific voice as the womanizing Corby; and Anthony Boggess-Glover grounds the group with a calm, steady performance as Vern (having played his brother Frankie in a previous staging). As Eva Dee, Liz Rachelle is equal parts villainous and hilarious, bringing the house down with her first number. Fortune Onwunali also steals more than a few scenes as J.R. and several supporting characters.

As usual, The Ensemble delivers the polish and production quality audiences have come to expect. The versatile set and spot-on costumes transport us back to the Berry Gordy era with style and authenticity. Set designer James V. Thomas gives the actors a variety of playgrounds, from Knobby's studio to Eva's dressing room and the club where The Doves and Eva Dee perform. Costume Designer Gregory Horton provides each character with a distinctive 1990s street style before uniting them in matching uniform befitting any great 1960s R&B group. Every production element works together to bring this world vividly to life.

Director and choreographer Patdro Harris has a clear understanding of what it takes to entertain an audience. The story itself is somewhat slight, as the defining moments of The Doves' career have already happened long before the curtain rises. Their attempt to reunite and reclaim past glory doesn't always provide the dramatic weight the music deserves. Even so, Harris keeps the production moving with energy and heart, while musical director Phillip Hall brings together a vocally strong cast that makes every musical number a joy to hear. In the end, GET READY succeeds because its greatest strength lies where it matters most: in the music, and audiences are likely to leave with a song on their lips and hope in their heart.

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