Theater Review

Dallas Theater Center’s Bella upends any expectations you have going in

There is a lot to unpack in Bella: An American Tall Tale, the latest world premiere musical from Dallas Theater Center. While it explores the experience of being African-American in the late 1870s, it does so through the use of fantastical storytelling, odd and sometimes corny subplots, and a wide variety of music that will likely upend any expectations you might have had going in.

Playing through October 22 at Wyly Theatre, Bella follows, well, Bella (Ashley D. Kelley) as she takes a train from Tupelo, Mississippi, to New Mexico to surprise Aloysius (Clifton Oliver), her boyfriend who is a member of the Buffalo Soldiers. Or, at least, that’s the idea, as her wild imagination sidetracks her, concocting conversations with her mother (Kenita R. Miller), Aunt Dinah (Liz Mikel), and multiple other characters along the way.

You know you’re in for an unusual time at the theater when the first song out of the gate is one titled “Big Booty Tupelo Gal,” with lines like “That ain’t my bustle/that’s my derriere.” And that’s hardly a one-off song; the state of Bella’s behind is admired, pondered, and debated throughout the production, both for comic effect and not.

Many of the songs in the musical are extremely funny, including one in which Bella imagines a charismatic and handsome Mexican cowboy, Diego (Yurel Echezarreta); an inexplicable one involving a Chinese man named Tommy Haw (Paolo Montalban); and one with the hilarious title of “One Ass to Another.”

But while comedy is used often and to great effect, playwright and songwriter Kirsten Childs has much more on her mind than making you laugh. Bella is traveling cross-country under an assumed name, as she’s wanted for an unknown crime back in Tupelo. As layers are unveiled about her background, it’s intimated that her “crime” is no crime at all, but rather a function of being black in the post-Civil War south.

Multiple songs touch on the racial conflicts or experience of the time. “Kansas-bound” in the first act speaks to a supposed safe haven for African-Americans, while “White People Tonight” in the second act finds Bella fighting back against yet another oppressor in a funny yet deadly serious way.

Through it all, Kelley’s sunny disposition and irrepressible charm carries the day. Despite the musical having 12 different characters, Kelley is on stage for almost every second of the production, which makes her performance that much more outstanding. The strength of her voice and her sheer endurance make her and her role one to remember.

In addition to Mikel, Miller, and Echezarreta, other standouts include M. Denise Lee as Bella’s grandmother and Donald Webber Jr. as the train’s porter, who lends a hand to Bella on multiple occasions.

It’s next to impossible to put Bella: An American Tall Tale into any kind of box. It has great songs and is laugh-out-loud funny at times, but it also deals with racial issues in ways that make it much more than just a period piece. Simply put, it’s yet another stellar production from Dallas Theater Center.

Ashley D. Kelley and the cast of Dallas Theater Center's Bella: An American Tall Tale.

Dallas Theater Center presents Bella: An American Tall Tale

Photo by Karen Almond

Ashley D. Kelley and the cast of Dallas Theater Center's Bella: An American Tall Tale.

RIP Mark

Colorful Dallas musician and DJ Mark Ridlen passes away at 65

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Mark Ridlen RIP

A bright and colorful light in Dallas' music scene went out: Mark Ridlen, DJ and musician, passed away on November 17, following a bout with cancer; he was 65.

From his appearance in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ under the moniker "DJ Mr. Rid," Ridlen had been a steady staple on the local creative scene.

He surfed pretty much every musical wave: from Dallas' epochal dance music scene in the early 80s, to punk rock to his role as one of Dallas' top DJs — the guy you called when you wanted your event to be cool and fun.

Ridlen had been quietly battling kidney and lung cancer for the past three years. Over the summer, he had his second kidney removed, which meant he was on dialysis treatment a couple times a week.

He remained upbeat, but according to friends of the family, two more tumors were recently found in his brain. His family and friends decided to forego further treatment and were by his side when he died.

He remained in demand until his passing. In May, he DJed a party at the Kessler Theater, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Starck Club, the legendary '80s dance music club designed by Philippe Starck, which had a huge influence on Dallas, and which Ridlen was part of.

He was invited to DJ at the Starck Club when it opened in 1984 and remained in that role until the club closed in 1989.

Reid mark ridlen Mark Ridlen (right) with close friend Reid RobiinsonFacebook

From there, he migrated to Expo Park, the underground neighborhood across from Fair Park where art and music ruled. His stints at XPO Lounge, Double Wide, and other neighborhood venues made him a staple in the community.

At the same time, he was a member of Lithium Xmas, a psychedelic art-rock band which he formed with acclaimed musicians Chris Merlick and Greg Synodis.

He was also a pop culture savant with a comprehensive knowledge of music, who balanced a low-key charm with a vibrant sense of style, whether it was a vivid pop-art tunic or a flashy sequinned jacket, he did it all with originality and panache.

In late August, a large circle of musicians and friends rallied to participate in a benefit for Ridlen, to help pay for his medical costs — a sweet indication of the high regard in which he was held.

“I do want people to know that I am not being slowed down by cancer,” Ridlen said at the time. “I'm ready to continue working. I have more-or-less a clean bill of health for the moment, and hopefully that doesn't change.”

music deaths