Review from AllArtsReview4U.com

At MetroStage, Bernadine Mitchell gives a masterful performance as Ethel Waters from her being a "Philadelphia bastard" to her ending her life as a "child of God" in the company of preacher Billy Graham. The show is titled after her most famous song "His Eye is on the Sparrow" (To 3/20). It is a wondrous two hours as Ms. Mitchell follows the life of Ethel Waters in all of her feistiness as a child as well as an adult in show business. It is also a very sad story as it pictures the tortuous life of all Black entertainers in their show biz life in the United States. (Ms. Waters always wanted to be referred to a "colored" and, of course, it was Billy Graham's saying that God is multi-colored which turned her towards religion at the end of her life). Ms. Mitchell has a golden voice of superb range and her renditions of "Suppertime" ...with a back- wall picture of a lynching...that is totally poignant. And her renditions of "Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue" brings tears to the eyes. But there is lots of bouncy and comedic songs that completes this picture of a very accomplished "colored" entertainer. Music director and pianist William Knowles is top rate in his accompaniment and his solo of a stride jazz piece brought forth strong audience applause. The mostly senior-citizen audience raved with a standing ovation at the end of this concert. Take your seniors to the show as well as the rest of the family for a very inspirational two hours of musical theater.

- Bob Anthony