More Tales of the City

Maupin's tales weave vignettes of a utopian San Francisco in the 1970s, recounting the relationships among gay and straight characters who revolve around the eccentric Anna Madrigal and her lodging house at 28 Barbary Lane. Romantic suspense abounds, and true love is always just around the corner. Cynthia Nixon plays delightful games with Maupin's world, sometimes delivering a naòve, arch tone, other times suggesting a delicate naughtiness. With the awed tone of a storyteller, she encourages listeners to believe in these miraculous tales. Her voice ranges from sultry to sly to indignant as she delivers an impressively versatile performance. A small flaw is that her voicing for the character of Bruno is noticeably inconsistent. That aside, she and Maupin take listeners on a delightful trip. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine