Review Roundup: Amber Iman Stars In GODDESS At the Public Theater

Tony-nominee Amber Iman stars in the new musical GODDESS at The Public Theater, making its New York debut after a successful world premiere at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Read reviews for the production's NYC premiere!

GODDESS comes to The Public for its New York premiere featuring music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, book and direction by Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director Saheem Ali, additional book material by James Ijames, and choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie.

A mysterious singer arrives at Moto Moto, a steamy Afro-jazz club in Mombasa, Kenya. She casts an entrancing spell on everyone, including a young man who has returned home from studying in America. Will the big plans for his life—stepping into a political legacy and marrying his fiancée—be upended? Inspired by the myth of Marimba, the Goddess who created beautiful songs from her heartbreak, this new musical is a rousing tale of romance, the supernatural, and the quest towards one’s truest self. 

The GODDESS cast includes Brandon Alvíon (Ensemble), Jason Bowen (Madongo), George Brown (Understudy), Nick Rashad Burroughs (Ahmed), Melessie Clark (Griotrio/Understudy), Zachary Downer (Ensemble), Amber Iman (Nadira), Arica Jackson (Rashida), Ayana George Jackson (Siti), Quiantae Mapenzi Johnson (Ensemble), Christina Jones (Ensemble), Parris Lewis (Understudy), Kareem Marsh (Swing), Nayah Merisier (Swing),  J Paul Nicholas (Hassan), Isio-Maya Nuwere (Ensemble), Teshomech Olenja (Griotrio/Understudy), Destinee Rea (Cheche), Jasmin Richardson (Ensemble), Awa Sal Secka (Griotrio/Understudy), Austin Scott (Omari), Teddy Trice (Ensemble), Ekele Ukegbu (Understudy), Wade Watson (Ensemble), Reggie D. White (Balozi), and Christopher Henry Young  (Understudy).

Jesse Green, The New York Times: And Iman is what joy sounds like: satiny, sultry, unpredictable, unforced. There is no tension in her steamroller belt. Her riffs and curlicues drop off her like cherry blossoms. If Thurber’s lyrics are too often generic, not repaying close attention, no matter; the star gets the big points across. That is, after all, what stars do, in heaven or on earth.

Jackson McHenry, Vulture: Its humans are a lot less interesting than its god, but it relies on them to generate its plot. That’s no offense to Scott, who sings well and is charming enough to hold the stage. It’s more that, outside of its portrayal of Nadira, the show’s book... is made up of a series of generic complications... This makes Goddess less a musical about a goddess and more ‘What if Fiorello! were about Zohran Mamdani?’

Melissa Rose Bernardo, New York Stage Review: It’s no wonder that Omari wants to hang out at Moto Moto: The music is hot (the often-spellbinding Goddess songs—which include elements of R&B, Afrobeat, pop, East African taarab—are by Michael Thurber); the dancing is even hotter (thanks to choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie); there’s a super-sweet budding romance between Ahmed and proprietor Rashida (Arica Jackson); and he, and we, can’t get enough of Nadira’s soulful vocals. Side note: Someone needs to do a jazz album with Amber Iman, and it needs to include the ultra-lush ‘Honeysweet.’

Adam Feldman, Time Out New York: For all its flaws, there's a lot to cherish about Goddess. Arnulfo Maldonado's lush set brilliantly bridges the secular and celestial worlds. Dede Ayite decks out the cast in African-influenced streetwear complemented by Nikiya Mathis's luxurious hairdos. Bradley King's purple and blue lighting gives off an ethereal glow, and choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie's athletic moves are impressive. And best of all, there's Iman, every inch a deity, beguiling us with her smoky, honeyed timbre and delivering an emotional epiphany through music that the dialogue can’t match.

Austin Fimmano, New York Theatre Guide: If there ever was an actress who could easily be the literal embodiment of music itself, it’s Amber Iman. Tony Award-nominated for her role in Lempicka last year, Iman is a powerhouse in the role of Marimba, the goddess in disguise as mild-mannered Nadira. Marimba/Nadira was an instant hit with my audience, bringing down the house before her first song (the sultry ‘Honeysweet’) had even finished. And for all of Nadira’s belting and ballads, Iman’s innate sweetness gives the character an essential vulnerability that highlights just how out of place she is in the mortal world when she’s not singing.

Andrew Martini, Theatrely: Amber Iman glows as the goddess in hiding. Her richly textured and far-reaching voice envelops the audience and makes it easy for us to imagine her as the goddess who is music. Iman has the numinous gravity of a being not of this world and the vulnerability of a mortal woman longing for love. It’s a sensational performance.

Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater: If ‘Goddess’ is a vehicle for Iman’s talent, there’s LOTS of other traffic. The musical is lively, long and busy. The staging, set and costumes are sometimes so vibrant it’s hard to know where to look. Composer Michael Thurber has created an eclectic score of some two dozen musical numbers, some from Kenya, where the show is set, but also jazz and pop and soul – and at least one percussion-heavy number that felt borrowed from Buena Vista Social Club.

Average Rating: 72.9%