REVIEWS

"AMY WINEHOUSE LIVES AND BREATHES"

BY NANCY SASSO JANIS REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN MAY 18 2022

Renée embodies the role of Winehouse, making the audience believe that the performer is alive. This heartfelt tribute to Winehouse is a soul-searching journey that left me with a much deeper understanding of this brilliant star that burned out far too soon.

I highly recommend catching this Connecticut premiere before it closes.

"THE ACCENT. THE ATTITUDE. THE RED BUSTIER. THE HEELS. THE BLACK TRENCH COAT. ABOVE ALL, THE VOICE"

BY CHRISTOPHER ARNOTT HARTFORD COURANT MAY 19 2022

All these elements are well represented in “Amy Winehouse: Back From Black,” which brings the British bad-girl pop singer — who died from alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27 — back to life for a couple of saucy, debauched hours of powerful pop ballads.

She sings and snarls and recreates some of her biggest successes and debacles.

Winehouse is played with reverence by Alexa Renée.

The show becomes about the songs and about knowing that Renée will get through them with style and grace. This is a fine way to pay tribute.

Knapp and Alper are smart to surround Renée with a larger-than-expected backing band of seven players, three of whom make up a blistering horn section.