April 17, 2009

Fantastic reviews for 'Joe Turner' revival on Broadway

The revival of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” last night opened on Broadway to stellar reviews for the lyrical play set in Pittsburgh 50 years after slavery was abolished.

Flaws are few as it’s called “essential viewing” by AP, a “must see” by the Wall Street Journal and “an (almost) unconditional pleasure to watch” by the Times.

“Joe Turner” is chronologically the second in Wilson’s 10-play cycle depicting the African-American experience in the 20th century. Set in a boarding house filled with strong characters, the story is part mystical as it traces a search for identity. (The title refers to Joe Turney, a brother of the Tennessee governor, who was able to keep slaves in chain gangs on his plantation even after slavery ended.)

The play is staged by Lincoln Center Theater, directed by Bartlett Sher and features Marsha Stephanie Blake, Chad L. Coleman, Michael Cummings, Aunjanue Ellis, Danai Gurira, Andre Holland, Arliss Howard, Ernie Hudson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Amari Rose Leigh and Roger Robinson.

“Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” plays through June 14 at the Belasco Theatre, 111 W. 44th St., map. Tickets are priced from $51.50 to $96.50.

The reviews for “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone”:
Variety - ” August Wilson’s gift for storytelling has rarely been more beguiling than in this lyrical 1986 drama, and in his searing revival, director Bartlett Sher makes every note strong and true.”

New York Times - “It would be a shame if this production doesn’t find a wide and enthusiastic audience. It’s an (almost) unconditional pleasure to watch.”

Newsday - “Sher (“South Pacific”) - the first major white director of Wilson’s insistently black work - directs the large cast with passion, a few jarring special effects and an atypical - for Wilson - presentational clarity. But for all the lucidity, it’s hard not to miss the spell of the off-center atmosphere, the luscious musicality that lingers beyond the straightforward meaning of Wilson’s words.”

Wall Street Journal - “This is a show you must see. Like David Cromer’s Off-Broadway revival of “Our Town,” it will remind you of how good live theater can be — and send you home unwilling to settle for anything less than the very best.”

Daily News - “Hudson, who’s known from film and TV, is a sturdy presence who brings feisty humor. Robinson’s playful take on the weird, wise voodoo man casts its own irresistible spell. The burly Coleman expertly conveys the anguish and uncertainty of a lost soul. And in her few scenes, Marsha Stephanie Blake makes a vivid, deeply moving impression as a fragile boarder seeking some stability. “

Bloomberg - “Robinson makes the far-fetched Bynum irresistibly real, in a performance for the ages. Not far behind is Coleman’s sinister Loomis. High praise, too, is due Ernie Hudson’s mercurial Seth and Latanya Richardson Jackson’s heartwarming Bertha, as well as the seven winning others. “

Associated Press - “‘Joe Turner,’ which opened Thursday at the Belasco Theatre, is one of Wilson’s finest, rich in character and a poetry that suggests the world-weariness of the blues. Both come through in this impeccable Bartlett Sher-directed revival, more impressionistic than its predecessor but, nonetheless, ablaze in the theatricality you expect from Wilson.”

Hollywood Reporter - “An operatic revival of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” elevates August Wilson’s drama with its religious fervor.”

NY1 - “This moody, moving production features a rock-solid cast of stage veterans and younger performers, and it captures perfectly the natural rhythms and mythic dimensions of Wilson’s mid-career play, last seen on Broadway 21 years ago.”

USA Today - “When Loomis first appears, he has technically been a free man for four years, but his soul is still tethered and tattered. In the new production, which opened Thursday at the Belasco Theatre, director Bartlett Sher and a robustly talented cast make Loomis’ predicament and the struggles of other black men and women painfully accessible.”

Post - “Bartlett Sher’s superb production captures all of the emotional and stylistic nuances of the play, even if his staging gets a bit gimmicky. “

amNewYork - “But on second glance, one must remember that Wilson’s plays invoke a musicality of language and depth of emotion that transcend the boundaries of normal stage realism. And on the whole, this is an absorbing and satisfying production of a difficult three-hour play.”

Hartford Courant - “Now Coleman has put his stamp on it, in a production that lives up to the play’s reputation as Wilson’s best.”

Image source: Lincoln Center Theater

April 17, 2009 8:01 AM in Broadway, Midtown

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