“Hats are like people: Sometimes they reveal and sometimes they conceal.”
That’s one of the opening lines of “Crowns,” a gospel musical that uses hats as a mechanism for the church ladies who wear them to share stories about their history and identity. Written by Regina Taylor based on a photography book called “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats,” Moonbox Productions’ “Crowns” is directed by Regine Vital and at Arrow Street Arts through May 4.
The musical begins with Yolanda (Mirrorajah), a teenager from Brooklyn whose mother sends her South to live with a grandmother after her brother Teddy is shot. Her grandmother, known as Mother Shaw (Mildred E. Walker), is a devoted churchgoer (and hat-wearer), and it’s time spent with her and other Black female elders that helps Yolanda grow. At the beginning of the play she’s a resistant teen who would rather wear her brother’s flat brim than touch a church hat; by the end she’s a more mature version of herself with an appreciation for traditions and a warm embrace of her culture.
The plot is compelling on paper, but it falters on stage because there’s not actually much to go on. Yolanda’s story is not a narrative that goes from point A to point B, but rather more of a backdrop for a series of vignettes in which the characters share stories from their lives.
Though I wanted more of Yolanda’s story, those anecdotal vignettes are largely well done. There are amusing explanations of hat etiquette and propriety alongside moving, emotional memories. One woman remembers her blind mother, who liked to put her hat on by herself but looked to others to straighten it out, teaching her to read by the shapes of letters; another buys a hat for the first time at a store that once refused Black customers; a third makes sure her mother is buried wearing her best hat.
The cast, when not performing, sits in the front row or stands next to the action, so they’re never really off-stage. They participate, with nods and sounds of affirmation, “mmm” and “uh-huh,” occasionally a shout of “amen!” The decision to have peanut-gallery-esque participation contributes to the chemistry among the group and to the churchlike environment, which is further embraced by printed hymnals and church fans for everyone, as well as a collection plate that comes around midshow. Likewise, the audience is encouraged to sing and clap along, if the spirit moves them.
That the narrative feels disjointed becomes of little consequence every time one of the cast opens their mouth to sing. Where “Crowns” truly shines is in its songs, and in its singers. The musical has a gospel score with classics such as “When the Saints Go Marching In” and “Marching to Zion,” some of them slightly jazzified by music director David Coleman.
Walker and Lovely Hoffman truly brought the house down, but across the board, this cast – Walker, Hoffman and Mirrorajah alongside Janelle Grace, Cortlandt Barrett, Cheryl D. Singleton and Kaedon Gray – can sing. The group numbers are particularly memorable because these beautiful voices are even more beautiful together. “That’s All Right,” sung by the company and “His Eye is On the Sparrow,” sung by Hoffman as Velma and company, took my breath away. “Crowns” is worth it for the singing alone.
When “Crowns” ends, we’re supposed to believe Yolanda has undergone a big transformation, but it’s unconvincing, because we haven’t seen much of it happen. I left still wanting more of her story. Narrative issues aside, “Crowns” is an uplifting watch, and if you’re looking for 90 minutes of outstanding feel-good gospel, you’ll find it.
“Crowns” through May 4 at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Harvard Square, Cambridge. $25 to $55.
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