It has taken almost 40 years for Charles Fuller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1981 drama about the corrosiveness of racism to reach Broadway, but it is finally here, in previews at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre, in a riveting production directed by Kenny Leon (American Son, Raisin in the Sun). Although it is technically a murder mystery, the issue of who is responsible for the death of a black sergeant at a Louisiana army base in 1944 is hardly the main point. Fuller paints a shameful picture of the status of black American troops, particularly in the Deep South, during WWII. The unit we meet is made of former Negro League baseball players, who are tasked with the most menial chores when they are not playing ball for the base’s glory. Their sergeant (David Alan Grier; Dreamgirls, Race, Porgy and Bess), whose duties include coaching the team, is a hard man to please. When he ends up with two bullets in him, the suspects include the local klan, racist white officers and disaffected members of his unit. A black JAG captain (Blair Underwood; A Trip to Bountiful, Paradise Blue) with a law degree is brought in to conduct an investigation of the murder, to the consternation of the unit’s white captain (Jerry O’Connell; “Jerry McGuire,” “ Mission to Mars”), who does not want to make waves. The story is told largely in flashbacks narrated by each man being interrogated. While the play is occasionally creaky, for the vast majority of the time, it is absolutely gripping. The entire ensemble (Nnamdi Asomugha, Good Grief; McKinley Belcher III, The Royale; Rob Demery, Jared Grimes, Billy Eugene Jones, The Jammer; Nate Mann, Warner Miller, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark; J. Alphonse Nicholson, Paradise Blue; Lee Aaron Rosen, Indian Ink) is superb. The performances by Grier and Underwood are sensational; O’Connell’s, not quite as strong. Leon has interpolated moments involving singing and stylized movement, some of which work better than others. Derek McLane’s set, composed mainly of wooden planks, is appropriately stark. If you are uncomfortable with racial epithets, be forewarned that there are plenty. The play’s final moments are quietly devastating. Although circumstances specific to the military have changed a lot since WWII, as a society it is depressing to see how far we have yet to go to overcome racism. Running time: one hour 55 minutes, including intermission.
Showing posts with label David Alan Grier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Alan Grier. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Porgy and Bess ****
(Click on the title to read the entire review.)
Considering today's glut of high-concept, revisionist opera productions, I find it ironic that the new Broadway production of "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" directed by Diane Paulus has caused such a stir. Surely much more violence is done to composers' and librettists' intentions on any given night in opera houses around the world than anything that takes place on the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. A Broadway musical is not an opera; it has different conventions. A viable Broadway version of Porgy in no way detracts from its validity as an opera. For me the question is whether the present adaptation, by Suzanne-Lori Parks and Diedre L. Murray, works as a Broadway musical and my answer is an emphatic "yes." It is musically glorious and emotionally gripping. Rarely will you find such a talented group of singing actors on one stage. There is not a weak link in the cast. I expected Audra McDonald to shine as Bess and she does not disappoint; her singing and acting are marvelous. The revelation for me was Norm Lewis, whose Porgy is absolutely riveting. David Alan Grier makes a properly lubricious Sportin' Life and Phillip Boykin perfectly captures Crown's malevolence. Much as I enjoyed the evening, I will grant that all is not perfection. Some of the orchestration seemed too jazzy. Occasionally the blocking seemed awkward. Finally, the set by Riccardo Hernandez is oppressively ugly and looks more like a decrepit airplane hangar than a tenement in Charleston. I know Catfish Row shouldn't look like Park Avenue, but this hideous set cheapens the entire production. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable evening.
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including intermission.
Considering today's glut of high-concept, revisionist opera productions, I find it ironic that the new Broadway production of "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" directed by Diane Paulus has caused such a stir. Surely much more violence is done to composers' and librettists' intentions on any given night in opera houses around the world than anything that takes place on the stage of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. A Broadway musical is not an opera; it has different conventions. A viable Broadway version of Porgy in no way detracts from its validity as an opera. For me the question is whether the present adaptation, by Suzanne-Lori Parks and Diedre L. Murray, works as a Broadway musical and my answer is an emphatic "yes." It is musically glorious and emotionally gripping. Rarely will you find such a talented group of singing actors on one stage. There is not a weak link in the cast. I expected Audra McDonald to shine as Bess and she does not disappoint; her singing and acting are marvelous. The revelation for me was Norm Lewis, whose Porgy is absolutely riveting. David Alan Grier makes a properly lubricious Sportin' Life and Phillip Boykin perfectly captures Crown's malevolence. Much as I enjoyed the evening, I will grant that all is not perfection. Some of the orchestration seemed too jazzy. Occasionally the blocking seemed awkward. Finally, the set by Riccardo Hernandez is oppressively ugly and looks more like a decrepit airplane hangar than a tenement in Charleston. I know Catfish Row shouldn't look like Park Avenue, but this hideous set cheapens the entire production. Nevertheless, it was a very enjoyable evening.
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes including intermission.
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