Review: I PUT A SPELL ON YOU: NINA SIMONE at Signature Theatre
Felicia Curry kicks the art form of cabaret up five notches and then some.
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There is no question that actress/singer/not of this world performer Felicia Curry is truly DC theatre royalty. There is a reason why those of us in the know address her as Dame. This recently Lortel Award nominated performer has been lighting up area stages for years while also making her Broadway debut in the revival of Into The Woods and more.
One of the things that Dame Curry has been associated with over the years is the music of Nina Simone. She has performed in the show Nina Simone: Four Women both at Arena Stage and Berkshire Theatre Group. In the latter production she actually played the role of Ms. Simone.
For her “cabaret” at Signature Theatre, Curry wanted to pay tribute to Nina Simone as a way of coping with all that’s going on right now in this country. I put the word cabaret in quotes because Curry’s show is a step above your standard cabaret offering. I Put A Spell On You: Nina Simone actually feels more like a regular show that needs to continue on after this engagement. Think One Night With Janis Joplin on a smaller scale.
The show begins with a song called “Feeling Good” from the musical The Roar of The Greasepaint, The Smell of The Crowd which was written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. This song sets the tone for the entire performance as Curry not only takes us through some of Nina Simone’s most famous songs, but she also literally embodies the activist/singer/songwriter.
Throughout the evening, Dame Curry treats us to such audible delights as Lewis Allan’s “Strange Fruit” and Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas’ “Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free.”
One feature that you don’t get in a lot of cabarets are dramatic sections that just leave you speechless. The Song “Brown Baby” by Oscar Brown Jr. is a moment where the song ends and you are paralyzed because it is just that moving.
Most of the arrangements in the show were created by Nina Simone herself but one pairing honors a local talent that was taken from us far too young. Simone’s “Sinnerman” paired with “Four Women” was arranged by Darius Smith who some of you probably remember as a musical director/pianist at many of our local theatres.
Curry is backed by the superb musical talents of Lonell Johnson on piano and Arnold Gottlieb on upright bass.
When Curry asks the audience to join in on George Harrison’s “Here Comes The Sun” she says the following “I believe it is an act of resistance to be kind to one another. I believe it is an act of activism to treat people with humanity.” As far as I’m concerned, those lines and that song sums up what Curry was going for with this show and what Nina Simone truly stood for.
The show ends with a swinging version of Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin’s “Tomorrow” which leaves us with an optimistic cherry on top.
Dame Felicia Curry takes what cabaret can be and then kicks it up five notches and then some. We are not worthy of this kind of talent!!! ALL HAIL!!
Running Time: 80 minutes with no intermission.
I Put A Spell On You: Nina Simone runs through April 19th, 2026, in Signature Theatre’s ARK space. The venue is located at 4200 Campbell Ave in Arlington, VA.
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