Joe Turner's Come and Gone

This is an August Wilson’s production at the Mark Taper, directed by Phylicia Rashad.  I’ve always enjoyed Mr. Wilson’s plays and this is just another edition of his work.  Unfortunately, Mr. Wilson passed away soon after Radio Golf was presented at the Mark Taper.  I don’t remember seeing that play, hence the reason for the summaries and critiques of all the performances we’ve seen since 2009. 

This play takes place in the early 1900’s in Pittsburgh.  A couple owns a rooming house and has several characters that rent rooms in their home and we see the interaction.  I find Mr. Wilson’s work very interesting because it portrays the black characters during the era of American history, yet brings in the flavor of their culture.  Despite 40-50 years earlier when many members of their race were slaves, this couple is proud and owns property.  They have their moral and spiritual standards and will not stand for anything less from their tenants.

The primary focus in this play was a man and his little girl who have traveled for many years looking for his wife who left them.  He is a mysterious dark man, travel worn with a long coat and dusty boots. People draw back from the tormented angry look, yet he tenderly holds the hand of his daughter who is well behaved. 

We learn later that his wife is doing well as a respectable church leader in the neighborhood.  She was also looking for them, but was always one step behind them.  With great sadness, the man leaves his little girl with her mother because that is what is best for her.  As he leaves, a female tenant runs after him.

I always leave his plays with greater understanding and empathy not only for the African-American, but with people in general.

End of the Rainbow

If anyone has seen Wizard of Oz and the old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney Andy

Hardy Babes movies, they would be very protective of the musical icon, Judy Garland.  Everyone loved her.  So going into this musical, we were not expecting much from this person, Tracie Bennett who had the nerve to not only portray Judy, but she was a British actress as well. I wasn't looking forward to an aging woman trying to sing her heart out who would not compare to the incomparable Judy Garland.

We were so wrong.  We were astounded by Tracie’s performance.  She had Judy’s behavior nuances that we remembered so well.  No, it wasn’t the innocent child or teenager from the 30’s and 40’s.  This is from her later years in the late 60’s when she performed on her TV show or in Las Vegas.  The

show takes place in London as Judy checks into a high-end prestigious hotel and is trying to get out of paying for the room in advance. Apparently she is known for being financially flakey.  She loves her fans and she loves being loved.  But she was older and fading and she knew it.  When she was younger, her mother and agent got her hooked on drugs to keep her at peak performance, then other drugs to help her sleep.  Despite her years of experience and adoration from her fans, she felt anxious before every performance, thinking she would not live up to her fame.  Her agent/new husband and piano accompanist were trying to keep her away from prescription drugs and liquor.  But she begged, pleaded and threatened before she finally got her way.

It was funny but also sad to see her bounce back after she got her drug fix.  In one scene she was on all fours pretending to be a dog, barking and crawling around the room.  Everyone fell over when she raised one leg next to a chair. 

She embodied Judy in her waning days before her death, the vulnerability, terrified of performing, drug craving and demanding love. And her voice was unbelievable. As I looked at the audience around me, I could tell there were huge fans in the audience who seemed to relive Judy through this performance. 

There was no doubt, we immediately stood for the standing ovation because the cast and Tracie deserved it. Our tell-tale rating is yes, we would see it again, plus Max said, “It was Rigoletto.”