REVIEW: “Rosie is Red and Everybody is Blue” at Capital Repertory Theatre

The world premiere of Rosie Is Red and Everybody Is Blue by John Spellos at the Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany is NOT a play about political division, as I originally presumed. Rather it is a comedy about a family in Albany dealing with loss, financial struggles and difficult family relationships, headed by strong and fiery Rosie (Inga Ballard).

Ballard, previously seen at the Rep in Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, plays a school bus driver who is recently widowed and in frequent conversation with her dead husband’s ashes. Her late husband’s younger brother, Lenny (Montae Russell) has moved in with her, and her 28-year-old son, Chris (Chris Blunt) is back home, unemployed after a failed engagement. Rosie is not happy that her house has been invaded by her depressed son, and her brother-in-law, who can never remember to put the toilet seat up or close the bathroom door.

Before the play opens, an associate artistic director informs the audience that this play is a comedy. We are expected to laugh. As we are faced with miserable Chris, mourning his beloved fiancée and crushed because he has lost his job, we are not laughing. Sounding suicidal, Chris believes he has no future, has no fight left in him and is spiraling down. Rosie, recognizing his relative youth, and wishing he can take comfort talking to his late father, makes him realize he does not want to die. And, that is where the humor begins. Ballard, as Rosie, is loud, no-nonsense, and pulls no punches. She gives Chris six months to get his life together. As no fan of his ex-fiancée, she urges him to do something for others, as his late father recommended, and not continue to date actresses, as has been his pattern.

As for moving on, Rosie is sleeping on the couch since her husband’s death and shows no intention of moving to her bedroom, despite her brother-in-law’s encouragement.

The stage lights up with the entrance of Maya Jackson as Vanessa, Chris’s new love interest, introduced to him by his Uncle Lenny who frequents the diner where she works. A yoga instructor studying to be a massage therapist, Vanessa is adorable, bubbly and seems to be a ‘catch.’ Everybody is convinced she is a perfect mate, but Rosie worries everything is moving much too quickly. As her nervous excitement ramps up, her health takes a turn as Act One ends.

Ballard, Blunt, Jackson and Russell are a solid ensemble and play well off each other. Ballard commands the stage with her strong energy. Extremely excitable, she rarely calms down. Nothing seems to stop her. We see the profound effect caring for and losing her husband has on her and the subsequent choices she makes.

 At first believing Lenny is a freeloader, we see Russell’s evolution in his role, eventually understanding his desire to live with Rosie and his need to help her. We also see Blunt’s transformation as Chris learns how to engage in a healthy relationship. After being depressed, his charm comes through. Jackson’s Vanessa is pure joy. By the end of the play, we all want to be in a relationship with her. We see her soothing effect on Ballard’s Rosie.

The set, the tidy inside of an Albany home with dated furniture, is ably designed by Alexander Woodward. The wooden box with ashes is prominently placed on a top shelf of a bookcase. Impressively, Costume Designer, Karen Perry dresses the cast in vibrant, sharp contemporary clothes, highlighting the style of each character.

Reginald L. Douglas seems to have fun directing this talented cast. While the time between scenes sometimes lags, I imagine the pace will pick up with the run of the show. Fortunately, familiar music plays when the lights are low, ending with Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family,’ the ultimate theme of this play.

With the poignancy, wit, and talent of some of our favorite Norman Lear sitcoms of the 70’s, Spellos offers us a play where Rosie Is Red, but we are left far from blue.

“Rosie is Red and Everybody is Blue” by John Spellos, directed by Reginald L. Douglas, runs April 27-May 19, 2025, at Capital Repertory Theatre, 251 N. Pearl St., Albany, NY. CAST: Inga Ballard as Rosie, Chris Blunt as Chris, Maya Loren Jackson as Vanessa, and Montae Russell as Lenny. CREATIVE TEAM:
Scenic designer Alexander Woodward, lighting designer Travis McHale, costume designer Karen Perry, sound designer David Lamont Wilson, production stage manager Shayne David Cameris, and Michaela Savoie is the assistant stage manager.

Tickets range from $30.50 – 75.50. For tickets and information, call the Box Office at Proctors 12-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at (518) 346-6204, or visit attherep.org. The Box Office at theREP will open 60 minutes before show time.