'A Strange Loop' Grabs 11 Tony Nominations

The Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway show A Strange Loop, the story of a Black queer writer, who is writing a musical about a Black queer writer writing a musical about a …, has received 11 Tony nominations and is leading the pack. 

Below are reactions from some of those nominated for Michael R. Jackson’s historic show.

A STRANGE LOOP has been nominated for 11 Tony Awards, including:

Best Book of a Musical, Michael R. Jackson

Best Original Score, Michael R. Jackson

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Jaquel Spivey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, John-Andrew Morrison

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, L Morgan Lee

Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Arnulfo Maldonado

Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Jen Schriever

Best Sound Design of a Musical, Drew Levy

Best Direction of a Musical, Stephen Brackett

Best Orchestrations, Charlie Rosen

Best Musical

 

REACTIONS:

 

STEPHEN BRACKETT, Director – A Strange Loop

“My partner and I were watching, and he broke out into tears and then I got a phone call from my mom, I answered, and she asked me for tech support help. I love everything about this show and I am so honored to be nominated.” 

JAQUEL SPIVEY, Best Actor – A Strange Loop

"This type of stuff doesn't happen for folks like me. Or so I thought. Until today..... I've put the possibility of even a Tony nomination out of my mind because I never believed it was possible for a person like me. I thought I had to be skinny, I thought I had to be masculine, I thought I had to be from a wealthy family, and I thought I had to be "Perfect." Turns out all I needed to be was Jaquel and that feels good as hell right now." 

L MORGAN LEE, Featured Actress – A Strange Loop

“My mind isn't processing that this is real. I can't stop crying. To specifically be a Trans actress in the company of these incredible women that I respect and have enjoyed for many years...This nomination is SO much bigger than me. I hope someone will see this moment and feel like they can go on. No matter what the world, or school, or people tell them they are "supposed" to be, how they are "supposed" to sound...that they will keep striving to love and embrace the fullest version of who they ARE. That they can safely find breath in choosing truth. That they will keep studying and working and dreaming the biggest dreams. I'm so full of gratitude this morning that I'm likely to burst! But first, an iced coffee and I'll probably watch The View.” 

JOHN-ANDREW MORRISON, Featured Actor – A Strange Loop

“I was trying to pretend like I wasn’t going to watch and something forced me out of bed and in front of the TV. I'm in shock but I’m thrilled. I’m thrilled for our show, and for all the folks that got nominated. It’s been a journey and I’m so very proud of us. I don’t know what to do with myself and my phone is going nuts. I keep telling myself to breathe and remember where my feet are. This is amazing. I want a latte.” 

BARBARA WHITMAN, Producer – A Strange Loop

“When I first heard Michael R. Jackson’s work, I knew I was hearing an exciting and important new voice in American Musical Theatre. I was taken on a trip that was funny, insightful, wild, and challenging – and I wanted to share this story that I had yet to see on a Broadway stage. I am so grateful to be able to work with the most talented creators, actors, and designers who have come together to tell this game-changing story eight times a week.”

JENNIFER SCHRIEVER, Lighting Design – A Strange Loop

“I’m sobbing in the Delta Sky Club near Terminal A in Boston Logan, where I'm flying back to NYC for 24 hours to see my 5-year-old son on my day of Tech in Cambridge. I don’t know how to express how emotional it was to be sitting here as so many deserving artists, and my dear friends, got recognized for their amazing work, and then I realized, THIS PARTY IS GOING TO BE INSANE!” 

ARNULFO MALDONADO, Scenic Design – A Strange Loop

"I am beyond thrilled and humbled by this nomination. I couldn't be more proud of our Strange Loop family -- over the moon, I am a part of this big, black, and queer-ass American Broadway show!" 

CHARLIE ROSEN, Orchestrations – A Strange Loop

“I’m THRILLED to be nominated for my collaboration with the genius Michael R. Jackson on this project. It is truly an honor to contribute to this show and music which shares its truth honestly and without compromise. It will be a standout moment in my mind and heart for the rest of my musical life. 

The 75th Annual Tony Award Awards will take place on Sunday, June 12th at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The celebration can be viewed LIVE at 8-11PM ET/5-8PM PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+. The Tony Awards press release is attached for details.

'Tambo & Bones': A Thesis on Race in America

   

W. Tré  Davis and Tyler Fauntleroy are 'Tambo & Bones'  

© 2022 Craig Schwartz Photography

By Darlene Donloe 

One of the characters in Dave Harris’ latest show, Tambo & Bones, declares that what is being presented on stage is a “thesis on race in America.” 

From some people’s perspective, that’s exactly what it is, while some others, of a different hue, could get lost in the presentation. 

It’s hard to define Tambo & Bones, currently playing at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. It’s a lot of things, to a lot of different people. 

It’s part minstrel show, underground rap concert, and a commentary on race in America, all wrapped up in a theatrical production that allows the audience to decide for itself what is being presented on stage.  

The show opens with Tambo (W. Tré  Davis) and Bones (Tyler Fauntleroy) apparently trapped in a minstrel show. Both men are down on their luck.

Tambo seems content to just sleep the day away under a “fake ass tree,” under a “fake as sun.”

Bones, on the other hand, wants desperately to get out of the cycle of poverty by doing minor acts of entertainment – and then imploring the audience to give him a quarter for the performance.  

When things don’t go their way – they blame, who else, the playwright for writing them into a minstrel show in the first place.

“You had the possibility to dream up any world you could have and the extent of your imagination was to put us in a minstrel show?”  

Their goal is to get enough quarters and dollars to get out of the show.

It’s mad hard to feel like a real person when you're trapped in a minstrel show.

So, they run into the audience, bring him (a dummy) up on stage and pull him apart – only to find he is full of quarters.

They are on their way.

Their escape plan: get out, get bank, get even.

(l-r) Tyler Fauntleroy and W. Tré  Davis are 'Tambo & Bones'

 © 2022 Craig Schwartz Photography

The 90-minute, three-act show has been described as a rags-to-riches hip-hop odyssey, where Tambo & Bones roasts America’s racist past, wrestles America’s racist present, and explores America’s post-racial future—where what’s at stake, for those deemed less-than-human, is the fate of humanity itself.

After lifting themselves from the minstrel show, the two find themselves headlining a full-on hip-hop show complete with thumpin' music, fabulous kicks, low-riding pants, gold chains, and a flashy grill. That’s when Tambo takes the opportunity to remind America of the racist wrongs it has allowed to happen, while Bones believes the best revenge is to make that chedda, get out and live the American dream.

Unfortunately, due to the sound system, a lot of the rap’s dialogue was lost. But those who know – know! 

W. Tré  Davis and Tyler Fauntleroy literally bring Harris’ words to life. The chemistry between the two is what makes this show work. 

This isn’t an easy show to watch or to hear. The word “nigga” is freely flung about in a predominantly white audience. At times you could feel the uneasiness of those in attendance as white people didn’t know whether it was suitable to laugh at some of the clearly-inappropriate-for-mixed-audiences dialogue. It’s clear that one of the show’s goals is to alienate segments of the audience. 

The sweet spot is to read the lines and those in between. There is a message for everyone – although it is and isn’t presented in black and white. 

WORD TO THE WISE: If you are white, save yourself!

DO NOT USE THE WORD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!

This show isn't for everybody - and yet, it's for everybody! 

The end of the show is when the harsh realness is unmasked.

In the third act, Tambo & Bones present two white robots meant to represent what’s left of white people.  Tim Kopacz and Alexander Neher are brilliant as robots. Kudos on their performances. 

When they begin to malfunction, Bones’ real emotions are revealed, he can’t handle them, and something unexpected happens. 

The audience is denied a “bow” at the end of the show. To understand why go see Tambo & Bones. 

Tambo & Bones, directed by Taylor Reynolds and written by Dave Harris, stars W. Tré Davis, Tyler Fauntleroy, Tim Kopacz, and Alexander Neher. 

The show is a co-production with Playwrights Horizons. 

The creative team includes Stephanie Osin Cohen (scenic designer), Dominique Fawn Hill (costume designer), Amith Chandrashaker (lighting designer), Mextly Couzin (lighting designer), Mikhail Fiksel (sound design), Justin Ellington (original music), and J. David Brimmer (fight director). 

Tambo & Bones, Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City; 8 p.m., Tues.-Fri.; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday through May 29, 2022; $30; (213) 628-2772. 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), Tambo & Bones gets an O (oh, yeah)

Entertainment and Sports Figures Attend The George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic's Gifting Lounge

  

By Darlene Donloe

For the last 15 years, comedian/actor George Lopez has been teeing off to raise money for his golf charity.

On Monday, May 2, 2022, a perfect day for playing on the links, he continued his charitable efforts by hosting The 15th Annual George Lopez Celebrity Golf Classic at one of Toluca Lake's prestigious golf clubs, with proceeds benefiting the George Lopez Foundation.  http://www.georgelopezfoundation.org

VIP Sponsor The Marijuana Factory with George Lopez

Once again, Doris Bergman brought the heat as she hosted the event’s Fifth Annual “Gratitude Lounge” co-hosted by Sway® Premium Audio, Twisted Silver, and Robosen®.

Doris Bergman

This is a high-profile, invitation-only event boasting participants like Alysha Del Valle, Amaury Nolasco, Andy Vargas, Andy Garcia, Bailey Chase, Ben Baller, Billy Magnussen, Brian Krause, Celine Pelofi, Chris Spencer, Christopher Judge, Debbe Dunning, Derrex Brady, DL Hughley, Dondre Whitfield, Edward James Olmos, Emilio Rivera, Eric Martsolf, Eugenia Kuzmina, Galen Gering, and Gary Valentine.

Kim Estes and Twisted Silver's Debra Mitchell

Norm Nixon with Bearded Sailor

Joe Pesci (l) and The Marijuana Factory

Roland Martin and Milena LA

Norm Nixon and Milena LA

Chris Spencer with Cannabolish

Other celebs in attendance include Jack Wagner, Jackie Flynn, Joe Mantegna, Kelly Sheehan, Kendall Schmidt, Kim Estes, Kyle Lowder, Lee Trevino, Mark Rolston, Matt Cedeno, Michael Irby, Mike Phillips, Lisa Vidal, Neil Giraldo, Norman Nixon, Oscar De La Hoya, Patrika Darbo, Phillip Boyd, Richard Karn, Roland Martin, Ryan McPartlin, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Sarah Hyland, Steven Michael Quezada, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wells Adams, William Wilson, Wilmer Valderama, Joe Pesci, Don Cheadle, Cedric The Entertainer and more.

Sugar Ray Leonard with VIP Sponsor Art Lewin Bespoke

VIP Sponsor The Bearded Sailor with Andy Garcia

Presenting Sponsor Sway Audio with Joe Mantegna

 
Presenting Sponsor Robosen®.with Caroline Rhea

Celebrities, athletes, and other entertainment vets were feted with free luxury swag featuring fashion for him and her, including bespoke tuxedos and suits, beauty, skin & hair care, cannabis topical & edible products, exotic chocolate, jewelry, soy candles, grooming must-haves, electronics, organic Tequila, gourmet sweets and more. 

Both veteran vendors and new vendors lavished attendees with envious gifts.

Twisted Silver

Twisted Silver

Longtime crowd favorites in attendance included Twisted Silver, Art Lewin Bespoke, and Milena LA.

Milena Popovich of Milena LA

Other vendors on hand included Olita Skin Care; The Bearded Sailor; Robosen®, Sway Audio; Movo®; Nukka Razors; Arrowhead Water; Cannabolish; Fresh Wave Works; The Marijuana Factory; Sub Zero Ice Cream; Dulce Vida Organic Tequila; Gyber Pizza Oven; Actual Veggies; Aloha; Alter Eco Foods; Arrowhead Water; Bala; Boost Oxygen; Kings Brewing Co.; Brownie Brittle; Cask & Kettle; Chef’s Life; Chipz Happen; ChocXo; Crispy Green; Eastern Standard Provisions; Essentia Water; Field Trip Foods; Food Huggers; Frunutta; Green Peach; Happy Grub; Herbion Humanitea; Jackson’s Chips; Liquid Death; Live P.S. Skincare; Mariner Flat Breads; Nukka; Nutri Care; NuvoMed; Pickle Power; Portland Pet Food; Potent Kitchen; Rain; Raw Gear; Raws; Simply Gum; Smart Sweets; Sow Good; SUJA; Tampico; Tosi; True Made Foods; Unisoy Jerky; Whisp’s Cheese Snacks; Wish Garden Herbs; UP2U; Feel Good Super Foods.

Rob West with Sub Zero Ice Cream

Olita Skin Care

Cannabolish

Frunutta

Robosen®

Arrowhead

The Marijuana Factory

Sway Audio

Kings Brewing Co. Owner Jeremiah Cooper and his wife, Doreen

The Ultimate DJ – Mr. Craig Scime, kept the music bumpin'.  Pink’s Hot Dogs served up its classic footlongs.

The mission of The George Lopez Foundation is to create positive, permanent change for underprivileged children, adults, and military families confronting challenges in education and health, as well as to increase community awareness about kidney disease and organ donation.  georgelopezfoundation.org

 

 

 

 

 

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: A Review

 

(l-r) Zachary Quinto and Calista Flockhart

By Darlene Donloe 

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton famously played the volatile, but surprisingly loving George and Martha in the classic film, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" 

It’s hard to imagine any other actors doing justice to the roles, but Zachary Quinto and Calista Flockhart, currently starring in The Geffen Playhouse version of the comedy/drama, give it a valiant effort.  

Quinto’s George is a brow-beaten, unambitious husband while Flockhart’s Martha is a boozy, often unkind, frustrated, shrewish wife.

Both Quinto and Flockhart are exceptional in their roles and bring fresh nuance to Albee’s material.

Here’s the story. George and Martha, the American theater’s most notoriously dysfunctional couple, have invited the young and naive Nick and Honey over for drinks. What begins as harmless patter escalates to outright marital warfare, with the provincial newcomers caught in the crossfire.

It all takes place circa 1962, in the living room of a house on the campus of a small New England college. 

This marks the 60th anniversary of the hilarious and harrowing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? one of Edward Albee’s most famous and most vicious masterpieces. 

(l-r) Graham Phillips and Aimee Carrero

Albee’s tome, through biting dialogue, examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, as guests, and draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship. 

This is a no-holds-barred, in-your-face show. It raises uneasy questions and peels back some intimate marital layers that should be handled behind closed doors and especially not in front of a young married couple that you’ve just met.

At times this show is brutal and tragic. For instance, at one point during the show, George and Martha pay tribute to their son on his 21st birthday. In an act of cruelness, George tells Martha that their son has died in a car crash.  When she demands to see the telegram announcing this news, he claims he has eaten it. George sings a song, “Who’s Afraid of the Virginia Woolf,” as the curtain on Act 11 falls. 

The audience is left wondering if, indeed, there actually is a child or if the kid is coming from George and Martha’s imagination.

It’s all too sad! 

(l-r) Graham Phillips, Aimee Carrero, Zachary Quinto, and Calista Flockhart

Martha’s diabolical tendencies are evidenced in her quote: “George, who is out somewhere there in the dark, who is good to me - whom I revile, who can keep learning the games we play as quickly as I can change them.”  

This quote tells you everything you need to know about Martha. 

Director Gordon Greenberg has assembled an impressive cast. Quinto and Flockhart fit like a hand and glove. They play off of each other in a very familiar way – that works well on the stage. Aimee Carrero and Graham Phillips play the young couple that comes to visit George and Martha at 2 a.m. after a faculty meeting at the college Martha’s father helms. Carrero’s “Honey” is hilarious as a naïve, or not so naïve drunk. Phillips’ “Nick” plays it straight as the husband and the new employee at the college of which Martha’s father is the president. He’s also caught the eye of Martha, who, every chance she gets, openly flirts with him – even in front of her husband.

Quinto’s comedic timing and delivery are brilliant.  His almost shuffle-like saunter around the apartment rings true as does his angst for his wife and his wife’s father.  Flockhart’s emotionally out-of-control Martha speaks to what’s going on in her life.

But that’s not all. Her husband has disappointed her on several levels including not giving her a child and not rising in the ranks of the college.  He’s a professional failure, and both are dissatisfied with his lack of ambition for their own reasons.

This version of Albee’s “Woolf” is a winner! 

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, directed by Gordon Greenberg, stars Calista Flockhart, Zachary Quinto, Aimee Carrero, and Graham Phillips. 

Wilson Chin’s scenic design is delicious and a legitimate part of the cast, as is Alejo Vietti’s costume design, Lindsay Jones’ original music, and sound design, and Elizabeth Harper’s lighting design. 

On the DONLOE SCALE: (D) don’t bother, (O) oh, no!, (N) needs work, (L) likable, (O) Oh, yeah, and (E) excellent, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? gets an E (excellent). 

Running time: Three (3) hours, including two 10-minute intermissions. 

"Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday through May 22, 2022; $30-$149; 310 208-2028, www.geffenplayhouse.org 

Not recommended to those under the age of 14. Children under 6 years of age will not be admitted. 

Proof of vaccination and masks are required – additional policy details can be found at https://www.geffenplayhouse.org/plan/reopening/.

 

'Hadestown,' At Ahmanson, Is A Helluva Musical

By Darlene Donloe 

There is a reason why Hadestown won eight 2019 Tony Awards® including Best New Musical.

It’s the music, the acting, the choreography, the lyrics, the direction, the lighting, the sound, the set design, the script, and the costumes.  

If I left anything out, it’s for that reason, too. 

For all of those reasons and more, this is one of the best musicals ever to grace Broadway or the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. 

When these various elements are firing on all cylinders, it makes for a tremendously enjoyable night of theater. 

Believe the hype! This play, a reimaging of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice amid a funky score, is a must, must-see!! 

This is a totally-engrossing show about good and evil, love and fear, destruction and redemption. 

There’s a lot going on in this musical by Anais Mitchell (music, book, and lyrics) and developed with director Rachel Chavki.  They deliver something unquestionably timely and seductively entertaining.

Hadestown is a helluva show. 

It’s too much fun. It’s a nonstop, thrilling ride through a dark world.  The dialogue is crisp, poignant, and smart, and the acting is terrific and on point.

The heart and rhythm of the show are infectious.  

Hadestown follows two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.

Performance after performance the temperature continues to rise in this show, whether it’s the principal performers or the ensemble cast. There is no weak link to be found in this show. 

The audience is invited on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back.

In the musical, Eurydice, effectively played by Morgan Siobhan Green, is perpetually hungry and struggling as she roams the world. 

Eurydice is subjected to some wear and tear by the Fates (Belén Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne) until starving and exhausted, she falls into the pit of Hades (Kevyn Morrow), King of the Underworld. 

Orpheus (Nicholas Barasch), her lovestruck suitor, who wants to marry Eurydice, is determined to bring her back from the clutches of Hades.

Anais Mitchell’s music and lyrics are hypnotic, and her melodies are captivating. Hadestown delivers in so many ways.

Director Rachel Chavkin keeps the rhythm of the show at a good pace. She makes good use of the entire, massive stage. Her use of a spinning floor for some of the dance movements is sensational and worth a standing ovation.

Hadestown has been transformed into a genre-defying musical that blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to reimagine a sweeping ancient tale. 

Levi Kreis kicks off the show with a standout performance as Hermes, the storyteller/narrator who takes the audience on a slow, seductive excursion. 

Every principal performer is a standout including Nicholas Barasch (Orpheus), Morgan Siobhan Green (Eurydice), Kimberly Marable (Persephone), Kevyn Morrow (Hades), and Kreis.

The Fates are killin it. Their role is to determine the destinies of mortals, measuring their lifespans and apportioning their suffering. Their harmonies are insane. They include Belen Moyano, Bex Odorisio, and Shea Renne. 

The workers' chorus is spectacular in voice and in choreography. They literally steal the show, delivering show-stopping songs and choreography. It’s mesmerizing. Kudos to Lindsey Hailes, Chibueze Ihuoma, Will Mann, Sydney Parra, and Jamari Johnson Williams.

The Swings for the touring production include Tyla Collier, Ian Coulter-Buford, Alex Lugo, Eddie Noel Rodríguez, and J. Antonio Rodriguez.

The on-stage band is tight. 

Not to be outdone is the lighting and set design, both of which are characters unto themselves and are instrumental in bringing the play to life.

David Neumann’s choreography is exceptional and absorbing. He put his foot in it, – which, for the uninitiated, means he did an exceptional job. 

The acclaimed new musical is by celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award® winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with innovative director and Tony Award® winner Rachel Chavkin. “Hadestown” marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat. 

Hadestown won the 2020 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Theater Album and has been honored with four Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.

Hadestown, Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., 8 p.m., Tues.-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; tickets are $35. For information: (213) 972-4400.

Hadestown will also perform at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Cosa Mesa CA 92626, from August 9 to 21. Information at SCFTA.org 

On the DONLOE SCALE: (D) don’t bother, (O) oh, no!, (N) needs work, (L) likable, (O) Oh, yeah, and (E) excellent, Hadestown gets an E (excellent).

 

 

 

Opening Night Pics Of "Blues for an Alabama Sky"

(L) Director Phylicia Rashad and
the cast of "Blues for an Alabama Sky"

The revival of Pearl Cleage’s rich and beautiful work “Blues for an Alabama Sky” opened Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum and continues through May 8. Directed by Center Theatre Group’s Associate Artist and Tony Award-winning actor Phylicia Rashad, this production features Joe Holt, Nija Okoro, Dennis Pearson, Greg Alverez Reid, and Kim Steele. Opening night was star-studded with Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon, Raven Symone and Miranda Pearman-Maday, Chante Adams, Cedric Sanders, Anna Maria Horsford, Kiki Shepard, Dawnn Lewis, Angelica Ross, Folake Olowofoykeo, Vivian Nixon and more that attended.

Dawnn Lewis

Raven Symone

Anna Maria Horsford

The setting is 1930s Harlem. Angel is a free-spirited Cotton Club singer who's out of luck but never out of dreams. Guy is a costume designer waiting for Josephine Baker to invite him to join her in Paris. Delia, a young activist, is trying to give the women of Harlem a choice about their future. Sam, a prominent physician, is either delivering babies or out at the club letting the good times roll. And Leland, who recently arrived in Harlem from Alabama, is haunted by the wide-open skies and lost love he left behind. The lives and dreams of these men and women converge with passion and politics as the art and celebration of the Harlem Renaissance give way to the harsh realities of the Great Depression.

Norm Nixon and Debbie Allen

Tickets for “Blues for an Alabama Sky” are currently on sale at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum and start at $30. They are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012). Performances run Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Call for exceptions.

Okoro Is An 'Angel' In 'Blues For An Alabama Sky'

 

Nija Okoro

By Darlene Donloe 

Talking to Nija Okoro, it’s clear that she loves what she’s doing. You can hear the joy emanating from her voice when she talks about the theater, her acting career, and her latest show. 

Up next for the talented actress is the lead role of Angel, in the Pearl Cleage drama, Blues For An Alabama Sky, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum through May 8, 2022. Opening night is April 13, 2022. 

The character, said Okoro, has a lot of issues and has even more layers that she’s able to peel back and explore. She enjoys that process.

“That’s the good stuff,” she said.

Since taking on the role, Okoro has enjoyed the process of developing a rich, complex character, and is excited about sharing her with the audience. 

Angel is described as a free-spirited Cotton Club singer who's out of luck but never out of dreams. 

The rest of the characters in the show – are just as interesting as Angel. 

Her friend, Guy, is a costume designer waiting for Josephine Baker to invite him to join her in Paris.

Delia, a young activist, is trying to give the women of Harlem a choice about their future. 

Sam, a prominent physician, is either delivering babies or out at the club letting the good times roll. And Leland, who recently arrived in Harlem from Alabama, is haunted by the wide-open skies and lost love he left behind.  

The lives and dreams of these men and women converge with passion and politics as the art and celebration of the Harlem Renaissance give way to the harsh realities of the Great Depression.    

Okoro, who grew up in the Bronx, is trusting the process. She loves the character, appreciates the author – and already has a working relationship with the show’s director – Phylicia Rashad, who played the role of Angel 25 years ago. 

Okoro, a graduate of the Juilliard School, has appeared in some solid productions. She was in the national Broadway tour of “Jitney” directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” directed by Phylicia Rashad at the Mark Taper Forum, “Two Trains Running” at The Matrix directed by Michele Shay, and the 2017 West Coast premiere of “The Legend of Georgie McBride” at the Geffen Playhouse.

Surprisingly, Okoro “honestly didn’t want to go to Juilliard.” 

“I just auditioned,” said Okoro who received a B.A. in psychology from City College of New York. “I didn't think they would accept me. My high school, FAME High School, was across the street from Juilliard. I had a fear of not being good enough for the school. I just wanted to get over a fear of auditioning. So many from my high school auditioned but didn’t get in. When I got to audition, I realized, it was the opposite of what I thought. It’s a roll-up-your-sleeve kind of place. It’s very nurturing. It wasn’t snobby. I received a full scholarship. It was a free ride.” 

I recently caught up with the affable Okoro, who was in her dressing room at the theater trying to be quiet so as not to disturb her castmates. She was eager to talk about Blues For An Alabama Sky.

DD: Describe the show in your own words.

NO: This showcase plays in the middle of the Great Depression. It’s 1930. There’s a stock market crash. There’s desperation. People are getting put on the streets. It’s about people fighting for what they believe in during the shift. 

DD: Describe Angel. 

NO: She’s a bit of a mystery. She has a lot of secrets she holds. She’s from Savannah. She comes to Harlem to make something of herself. She just wants to survive. She wants to become a showgirl. 

DD: Do you like Angel? 

NO: I understand her. When I first read the script, I questioned her motivation. She does some dirty stuff in the play. I wish she knew how powerful and wonderful she is.

DD: What don’t you like about her? 

NO: I’m not one to not like something about my character.  I don't agree with much of what she does. I have to understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing what I’m doing.

DD: Do you have to like a character, in order to play them?

NO: I don't have to upon initially reading it. But invariably, I find something to connect to.

DD: Why did you want to do this show?

NO: I love Pearl Cleage’s work. I had never done one of her shows before. I’m doing this one because it was about Phylicia asking. I’ll always do something for her. If she asks, I’ll say, yes. Plus, I love working at this theater. 

DD: Before you got the role, had you seen the show before?

NO: No, I had never seen it. I read it years ago, though.

DD: What was it about the show that attracted you to want to be part of the production? 

NO: Honestly, Angel fascinated me in all the scary ways. She was such a mystery. The challenge of her thrilled and terrified me. I’ve never played a character like her. I knew that if I could get there, it would be revelatory for me.  I like to understand why people do what they do. She is very complicated. She has so much past trauma. She is suffering from PTSD.

DD: How did you develop Angel?

NO: I let her speak. I read the play over and over again. She started speaking to me. The more questions, I have the more answer came. She has a lot of layers.

The work is never done. It doesn’t end. The revelations keep coming. 

DD: Can you sing? 

NO: Not usually. Phylicia says I can. I used to turn down auditions even if it's a little bitty singing. I’m discovering my voice, though.

DD: Do you understand the blues? 

NO: I understand the concept behind the blues and what it means to be in it. I understand the roots, the pain, and the reaching for joy. 

DD: Why did you become an actress?    

NO: I was a bit of an overachiever in school. Everything came easy, except math. Acting was the hardest thing I had tried. Every role is a challenge. Nothing was cookie cutter. There was no formula. 

DD: Do you like being nervous about going on stage?

NO: You ask good questions. I guess it’s better than not being nervous. I would be nervous if I wasn’t nervous. It doesn't serve me to let the nerves overtake me. 

DD: What happens to you when you’re on stage?

NO: If I’m at my best, I go moment to moment. I think to myself, what is the first thing I’m doing? It's breath to breath. Looking at the whole picture overwhelms me. I connect with my first thought.

DD: How did you prepare for the role?

How did you go about developing her? Were you able to bring something to the role or was it all on the page?

NO: It’s a combo of both. Cleage writes in such a way – that it seems like it’s on the page. The more you delve – it’s pointing to something else. Her work demands it. 

DD: Do you learn anything new about yourself when you do a new show? 

NO:  Good question. Yes, I do. I’m a really nice person. That’s my calling card. My middle name is “happy.” My character, Angel, will do whatever she needs to do to get what she wants. I try not to do that. Maybe I’m learning how much fun that is. 

DD: Talk about working with Phylicia Rashad. You’ve done it before. Do your styles mesh?  Does she like to rehearse a lot? Do you like to rehearse a lot?

NO: I love to rehearse. I’m flexible. Phylicia is very special. I have worked with her several times. I love how she always goes off of you – the artist. She wants it to be honest. She’s looking at human connections and what’s underneath. She wants you to push past yourself. She is never going to let you look bad. Everyone shines. Everyone’s story gets told. She’s very meticulous. 

DD: You have done a number of August Wilson plays. What is it that you like about his works?

NO: Everything. There is a rhythm to his work. There are a lot of similarities between Wilson and Cleage. They both have a beautiful way of putting something on the page.

DD: What is it about theater? What does theater do for you? 

NO: It’s my church. It's a holy place. People can put down their stuff and bring their stuff and have a cathartic moment, a God moment, a good laugh. It’s a beautiful place for communing. 

DD: Did you have a Plan B? 

NO: No! This is it. 

DD: Why should people come to see this show? 

NO: Because it’s a brilliant reflection of the time. There is an easy and fast connection. It shows how human behavior and humanity don’t change. The audience will have a good time. I don't know what they will take away. That’s none of my business. 

Phylicia Rashad (bottom left) and the cast of 
Blues For An Alabama Sky
(l-r) Greg Alverez Reid (standing) and Joe Holt (standing)

(bottom) Rashad, Okoro, Kim Steele, and Dennis Pearson

Blues for An Alabama Sky, written by Pearl Cleage, directed by Phylicia Rashad, stars Okoro, Joe Holt, Dennis Pearson, Greg Alverez Reid, Kim Steele, Nathan James, Charrell Mack, and Desmond Newson. 

Blues for an Alabama Sky, Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Avenue; tickets start at $30. They are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office.  Performances run Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Call for exceptions.