Displaying items by tag: Black Ensemble Theater

Black Ensemble Theater celebrates 50 years of its mission-based theater with a full season of musicals and special events. The season opens with the return of one of its biggest national hits The Jackie Wilson Story, followed by Muddy Waters: The Hoochie Coochie Man, the celebration of You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music and the holiday-time favorite The Other Cinderella.

Information and tickets are available at www.blackensemble.org, (773) 769-4451 and at the Black Ensemble Theater Box Office, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

"Throughout the past 50 years, Black Ensemble Theater has welcomed audiences to celebrate Black excellence, history, and artistry through music and storytelling," said Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor. "As we honor this milestone season, we reflect on the legacy we've built while continuing our mission to eradicate racism through education, inspiration and communication.  We continue to inspire future generations through powerful, purpose driven theater.

The company will continue with the Plays With A Purpose series for school groups, Black Playwrights Initiative, Soul of a Powerful Woman on June 14, 2026, the annual Gala on October 15, 2026, and the free summer concert series Fridays on the Green.

The 50^th Anniversary includes:

The Jackie Wilson Story
Written and directed by Founder & CEO Jackie Taylor
March 7-April 26, 2026
Opening: Sunday, March 15, 2026 at 3pm

Originally premiering at Black Ensemble Theater in 2000, this outstanding production began a highly successful national tour in 2002, including a record-breaking run at the legendary Apollo Theater in New York. In 2012, The Jackie Wilson Story made history once again by opening the new Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center.

This award-winning production continues its remarkable legacy as it opens the 50th Anniversary Season. Experience this thrilling tribute to the most dynamic and electrifying entertainer of all time—Mr. Excitement, Jackie Wilson.

Muddy Waters: The Hoochie Coochie Man
Directed by Producing Managing Director Daryl D. Brooks

Written by Founder & CEO Jackie Taylor and Jimmy Tillman

June 20-July 26, 2026

Opening: Sunday, June 28 at 3pm

Muddy Waters: The Hoochie Coochie Man is a soul-stirring celebration of the man who popularized the blues and carried its sound around the world. Follow McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield from his humble beginnings in the Mississippi Delta to his groundbreaking success as the Father of Chicago Blues.

Packed with electrifying performances of his iconic hits, Mannish Boy," "Got My Mojo Working," and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", this exhilarating production explodes with the grit, power, and genius of a true musical revolutionary. Muddy Waters' influence shaped rock, soul, and rhythm and blues, leaving a legacy that continues to pulse through generations of artists and audiences alike.

 "Hey, hey—the blues is alright."

You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music

Written and directed by Producing Managing Director Daryl D. Brooks

September 5-October 25, 2026

Opening: Sunday, September 13 at 3pm

Hop aboard the Mothership and take a groovy ride back to the era when Afros were high, bell-bottoms were tight, and the music was truly out of sight! You Can't Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music is a high-energy, feel-good celebration of the sound that defined a generation.

From Sly and the Family Stone to Parliament-Funkadelic to Earth, Wind & Fire, this electrifying production will have you dancing in the aisles and testifying to the unstoppable power of the Funk.

Ya dig?!

Jackie Taylor's The Other Cinderella

Written and directed by Founder & CEO Jackie Taylor

Music by Jackie Taylor and Michael Ward
December 12, 2026-January 24, 2027

Opening: Sunday, December 20, 2025

Jackie Taylor's The Other Cinderella is a beloved Black Ensemble Theater classic that has delighted audiences for decades. This joyful African American version of the timeless fairy tale is filled with laughter, soul, and heart. In this story, Cinderella is from the projects, the Stepmamma works at the post office, the Fairygodmama hails from Jamaica, and the Brothers from the Hood keep the kingdom jumpin'!

Overflowing with show-stopping songs, vibrant dancing, and unforgettable characters, The Other Cinderella is a treasured family tradition, and the perfect way to close our 50th Anniversary Season, reminding us to embrace our greatness and follow our spirit!

Performances are Fridays at 8:00pm, Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $69 (fees included). Valet parking is available for $13 (cash only).

The 5-Play Card

Black Ensemble Theatre's 5-Play Card is a digital ticket package unlike any other. At a cost of $280 (including fees), it offers a savings of $65 over regular ticket prices. One of the greatest perks of the 5-Play Card is its flexibility – use the five tickets any way you want! You can: bring five people to one show, treat yourself to five different shows, or use the 5-Play Card in any ticket number combination until all five tickets are spent.

The 5-Play Card is good for 18 months and becomes active immediately after purchasing. If you buy multiple 5-Play Card packages, please note that a maximum of five tickets can be redeemed on a single show date.

Black Ensemble Theater   

Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Four Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally, and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational, and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists.  

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts and community engagement.  For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.  

Taking part of its title from a defining song that drew attention to the AIDS crisis in the mid 80s, That’s What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne and Patti combines thoughtful storytelling and fantastic music to honor the cultural contributions of three outstanding artists.  Currently playing at Black Ensemble Theater (BE) through late July, it also highlights how the three women referenced, now each in their eighth decade, have been able to sustain a close and abiding friendship for over fifty years.  That BE fulfilled its mission to offer a fresh look back on the careers and discography of Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle so brilliantly is more refreshing than it is surprising.   Proving that even when you’ve honed your craft expertly for nearly half a century, you can still innovate and discover new approaches to offer the theater going public something novel and tremendously exciting. 

Written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, the theater’s Producing Managing Director, the musical’s more dramatic elements take place in the Green Room of a leading Vegas nightclub where the three legends will be headlining a performance.  Chic and relaxingly plush, it reads as a fitting setting for a reunion of luminaries.  Acting as their tender who’s indubitably accomplished at what he does and has a history serving at least one of the women in the past, ensemble member Dennis Dent dials up the comedy quotient by compulsively oversharing some of the racier parts of his own love life while accommodating their every desire. It doesn’t take long to become comfortably acquainted with who’s who and embrace the authenticity of the high regard the women hold for one another. 

We’re initially introduced to the three stars in their fully formed and mature personas.   Rose Marie Simmons portrays the contemporary Gladys Knight and Sybyl Walker and Tamara Batiest play the mature versions of Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle respectively. Later, as the play progresses, different actors will represent the younger fledgling versions of each of them.

What appears to be a chance comment by one of the trio early in the show launches Gladys, Ms. Simmons, into a rendition of Oh Happy Day that’s so rousing it makes you sit up straight and causes your eyes to widen.  Captivating your attention with its power, conviction, ingenious arrangement and artistic mastery, a classic is transformed into something splendidly new.   You soon learn singing and blue-chip musicality on that level would be the standard for the entire performance. 

As the women reminisce about their early years, how they all started out as backup singers whose distinctiveness eventually took them to the standalone mic at the center of the stage, the music and sound that led to their discovery and fame was brought back to the fore.  This was done most effectively when focused on Dionne Warwick’s career.   

Anyone faintly familiar with Warwick’s rise knows how pivotal her association with Burt Bacharach was in fueling her fame and it’s the scene with the young Dionne (Brianna Buckley) and Mr. Bacharach, played by Michael Santos, that riveted for its realism and resonance.  When the mature Dionne states she’s always been a “no-nonsense black woman who knows her worth”, it’s Buckley who brings the depth of that conviction to blazing life.  Unyielding in her indignation when she learns her mentor and partner has given a song written expressly for her to another artist, her fury, its intensity made more potent because it was so contained and focused, reverberated like shock waves through the theater.  With the steely ardor Buckley brought to it, the power of that scene could have been used to inspire and spawn an entirely new companion play. Its real-life outcome was to provide the seed for one the biggest hits Bacharach would write for Warwick, Don’t Make Me Over.

Similar insights about pivotal moments and crucial intersections that would go on to define the trajectory of each of their lives swirled through the production; giving each of their lives fuller dimension and engendering greater respect for what they all eventually accomplished.  Fame and fortune have no impact on how well Cupid shoots his arrow and all three women knows, as the play recounts, the sting that comes when it strikes badly.

Reflecting on how their careers overlapped and remembering the friendships they shared with others in the industry, unexpected delicacies were woven into Brooks’ tight illuminating script.  When some of “ReeRee’s” (Aretha Franklin’s) idiosyncrasies were playfully and lovingly recalled, her music was also resurrected with a sensational rattle-the-rafters medley of a few of her signature masterworks, Respect, Think and Ain’t No Way. 

Similar delights lay in wait when Luther’s name entered the conversation.  Characteristically suave, another ensemble regular, Dwight Neal, can always be counted on to nudge the bar to impressive new heights; but his vocal interpretations of Mr. Vandross, in tandem with the outstanding musicianship of BE’s rock-solid band, were remarkable.  Adding another layer of excellence to an already break-out show.  And as wonderful as it was, his performance was not its highlight.  That distinction goes unequivocally to Tamara Batiest in her role as Patti LaBelle. When you consider Ms. LaBelle’s vocal range, outsized charisma and the signature theatrics she’s been known to exhibit on stage, filling her shoes would seem like an intimidating task.  Batiest’s take on Patti makes the challenge look trivial, becoming an avatar who’s as realistic and enthralling, if not more so, than the original.  Garnering her a standing ovation every time she sang.   Seeing Batiest commanding a Chicago stage more often, in addition to Ms. Simmons and Ms. Walker, would be a boon to the cultural vitality of the city.

Also adding to the production’s luster, Tanji Harper’s choreography included a dash of smooth sophisticated elegance to the steps she devised for the Spinners and Ms. Knight’s faithful Pips.  Complemented by Keith Ryan’s polished costume designs, That’s What Friends Are For’s visual pleasures ideally framed a night of marvelous music.  

That’s What Friends Are For: Gladys, Dionne and Patti

Through July 27, 2025

Black Ensemble Theater

4450 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL   60640

https://blackensembletheater.org

Highly Recommended

*Extended through August 10th

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/! 

As I neared the Black Ensemble theater, an undeniable sense of eager antcipation pervaded the atmosphere. While I stood there, patiently awaiting the arrival of my companion, I couldn't help but observe the diverse array of theatergoers—people of various ages and ethnic backgrounds,converging from all directions. They were in a hurry, eager to secure their seats for a performance they knew would satisfy their craving for pure, unbridled entertainment. These theatergoers were in for a treat.

 "Taste of Soul," skillfully crafted and directed by the talented Daryl D. Brooks, transcended its modest title. It proved to be an extraordinary event that exceeded all my expectations.Brooks has ingeniously crafted an engaging live cooking show, featuring the dynamic duo of Thee Ricky Harris and the equally remarkable Qiana McNary as the lead chefs. In addition to sharing brief biographies of soul artists, the hosts impart valuable lessons on preparing soul food to the audience. Their camaraderie and delighf ul banter contribute to the overall enjoyable experience.

Harris and McNary are aided by a slew of talented sous chefs. Vincent Jordan, Trequon Tate, Spencer Davis Milford, Catlin Dobbins, Britt Edwards, Makenzy Jenkins, Percy Nesbary III, Laron Jones, and the guy you can’t take your eyes off of when he’s on-stage dancing, Brandon Lewis, bring artists as varied as Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Simply Red, McFadden & Whitehead, The O’Jays and Gamble & Huff to life.

While the ensemble delivered a powerful performance, it’s important to highlight exceptional individual contributions. Vincent Jordan possesses a timeless stage presence that's truly innate; it's a quality that can't be taught and he undeniably possesses it. Witnessing Percy Nesbary III once again was a pleasure. Earlier this year, I had the chance to see him shine in The Beverly Arts Center's production of "Five Guys Named Moe," alongside Thee Ricky Harris. He stood out then, and he stands out now. His portrayal of Nick Ashford was a joy to watch.

Caitlin Dobbins and Britt Edwards, as the sole women in the ensemble, had the duty of playing most of the women in this show and they rose to the occasion. Edward's “Tina Turner” had all the energy and dances moves of the real Tina. Dobbins with her powerhouse voice would make Gladys Knight proud. Spencer Davis Milford proved soul has nothing to do with ethnicity, giving us a simply beautiful rendition of “Holding Back The Years.”

It goes without saying, Robert Reddrick is the premier Musical Director in Chicago, full stop. The band is the best band I have heard in any theater of any size in any city. Granted, the band overtook some singers, it was hardly noticed because everyone in the audience was singing along.

Marquecia Jordon’s costumes and Keith Ryan wigs effectively created the illusion of the various artist. The fantasized kitchen framed with projections of various artist is the brain child of Set Designer Denise Karczewski. I especially liked the oversized oven, when opened suggesting something hot is coming out. It never disappointed.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects on society. What better way to achieve this mission than to invite everybody to the barbecue. If you yearn for entertainment, this is your show. I must warn you, eat before you come, with all the talk about food, Black Ensemble Theater didn’t serve one morsel of food. I really didn’t mind; I left quite full.

When: Through October 15, 2023
Where: Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark Street
Running time: 2 hours- with a 15-minute intermission
Tickets: $65. - Seniors $55.
Contact: 773-769-4451

*Extended through October 29th

With MY BROTHER LANGSTON, Black Ensemble Theatre continues its 2022 Season of Excellence: The Season of Healings. This third of four world premiere musicals showcase the power of music to heal. Jackie Taylor, BET’s Founder & CEO, says: “… through these outstanding plays, the spirit of the music, the hope and faith experienced through our stories—we proclaim that Black Ensemble Theater is in the healing business!"

Playwright and director Rueben D. Echoles says of Langston Hughes: “I am honored and grateful to pay tribute to the legacy of such a brilliant and prolific writer”. In My Brother Langston Echoles tells Langston’s life story through his poetry and the evocative music of the age. “T’ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do”, “Take the A Train”, “In my Solitude” and of course “God Bless the Child” are only a few of the songs performed. Poems include Countee Cullen’s “I Have a Rendezvous with Death”, “In the Morning” by Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and “I Sing the Body Electric” by Langston’s idol Walt Whitman. All the rest are by Langston, including gems like “Dreams”, “The Negro Mother”, “Harlem”, and (my personal favorite) “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”. 

Chris Taylor plays Langston, with an ensemble of four portraying the key figures in his life and serving as a Greek chorus. Reneisha Jenkins as Lady Day singing “God Bless the Child” gave me chills, and she is equally brilliant as both Langston’s disinterested mother and devoted grandmother. Nolan Robinson plays Langston’s brother Gwyn, and Andre Teamer is Countee Cullen. De’Jah Jervai completes the quartet, and together they use dance and music to make pure magic.

Langston Hughes, born 1901, was one of the earliest innovators of jazz poetry, and a leader of the Harlem Renaissance.  His writing – prose, poetry, plays – expresses the racial pride and commitment to activism imbued in him by his grandmother. From 1942 to 1962 he wrote a weekly column for The Chicago Defender promoting the emergent civil rights movement.

The use of ‘Brother’ in the title both evokes the racially definitive use of the term, and acknowledges Langston’s close relationship with his half-brother Gwyn. The brothers initially appear quite unequal: Langston is the idolized Big Brother that Gwyn boasts of. But later, as Gwyn consoles a deeply-discouraged Langston, their connection equalizes.

Langston finds his spiritual home in Harlem. He moves to New York to attend Colombia – grudgingly financed by his father – but the bigoted campus is a non-starter against the Cotton Club. There Langston hears Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald… and meets fellow poet Countee Cullen. Biographers may waffle over Langston’s sexuality, but not Echoles! Langston’s relationship with Countee Cullen unmistakably blends Eros and Agape, and Langston is crushed when he returns from a year’s absence to find Countee married. Clearly, both his race and his queerness are intolerable to America’s white supremacy.

I have to say that the best parts were when Langston himself speaks. His poetry is magnificent, and is presented very well, particularly “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”. The music is superbly performed as well by the ensemble. 

The production depends on the musicians: Oscar Brown Jr (guitar), Myron Cherry (drums), Mark Miller (bass), and bandleader Adam Sherrod on keys. Robert Reddrick is musical director, and adroitly intertwines the Jazz Age music and jazz poetry.

Playwright Rueben D Echoles is director, choreographer, and costumes, supported by Pamela Avery as Assistant Director, Jessica Moore as Stage Manager, and Producing Managing Director/Equioty Stage Manager Daryl Brooks. My Brother Langston is a multimedia production utilizing the talents of a full team of designers: DJ Douglas (sound), Denise Karczweski (lighting), Sydney Lynne (set), and Dre Robinson (projection).

My Brother Langston is deeply satisfying on many levels. As they say, “It’s Almost Like Coming to Church”!

Recommended

I’ll let you all in on a little secret: Whenever I’m having a lousy day, I pull up YouTube and take in Mahalia Jackson’s performance of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” at the 1970 Newport Jazz Festival. This performance is notable, of course, for the special guest who joins Mahalia onstage near the end: Louis Armstrong. It’s also notable for the fact that Satchmo would be dead in less than a year, and Mahalia would join him on “thy kingdom’s shore” in less than two. With that in mind, seeing this musical icon in the last bit of her life not only still in complete control of her stage and her audience (I dare you to find me any rock ‘n’ roll singer from that era, or any era, with such a commanding presence!), but exuding such joy, makes whatever gripes I might be imagining on any given day disappear.

That command, that presence, and that joy that Mahalia spread around the world are on display throughout the Black Ensemble Theater’s current production, Mahalia Jackson: Moving Thru the Light. Written and directed by the theater’s indefatigable, inspired, and inspiring founder, Jackie Taylor, the show is framed as a series of dialogues between a recently deceased Mahalia and a trio of heavenly beings there to welcome her to the afterlife. These scenes are fine — giving the audience biographical information about Mahalia’s life and her relationships both personal and political (MLK, JFK, and RFK, among them) — but mostly act as a breather between the show’s 18 wonderful musical numbers. Because, in a show about one of America’s finest musical talents, the music should be the message, right?

In the role of Mahalia, Robin DaSilva certainly has a large gospel robe to fill. But spread the gospel, she does. DaSilva’s voice is a beautiful instrument, ranging from a rich alto to shimmering highs, emoting pain and, yes, frequently spreading joy. She fills the stage and her vocals fill the theater. Joining DaSilva onstage throughout the show are Cynthia F. Carter, Dwight Neal, and Stewart Romeo as the “Masters,” three heavenly beings welcoming Mahalia to her heavenly reward. Carter charmed last year in the Theater’s tribute to Chuck Berry, and both Neal and Romeo are her equals, the trio’s voices blending effortlessly as they harmonize with Mahalia and with one another. The three also each shine on their own, with Carter’s voice showing quite a range, Neal’s tenor piercing the room, and Romeo’s energy and enthusiasm equaling his vocal prowess. During the show’s first half, an ensemble acts as the story’s narrators, but near the end of the second, they join us in a tribute to Mahalia’s life and music.

And again, it’s the music that is the star of the show. As I said, 18 different songs are featured, and many are the favorites that gospel fans would expect. From “How Great Thou Art” to “How I Got Over,” from “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” to “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” all of Mahalia’s “hits” are there. The show ends with the crowd singing along to “Down by the Riverside” and “When the Saints Go Marching In.” And near the end of the first act, perhaps DeSilva’s finest performance comes as her Mahalia sings Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” But for me, it’s the tune that ends the first act that filled me with joy. As DaSilva’s Mahalia sings “When my feeble life is o’er” in her rendition of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” my heart soared as I was able to spend a beautiful spring Sunday afternoon with the music of this legend and the legions of likeminded fans who’d come to the Black Ensemble Theater to hear it.

Mahalia Jackson: Moving Thru the Light - through April 14th at Black Ensemble Theater.

These days, the antihero has become the new hero. Talented, but tortured. Acclaimed, but complicated. We have gotten to a point in culture where those we place upon pedestals are not just allowed to be, but expected to be, both ingenious and imperfect. And I’m fine with that; seeing my heroes as humans not only makes them more relatable, but more real and much more fascinating.

One of music’s true heroes – and a legend we lost at age 90 in the past year – gets this realistic treatment in Black Ensemble Theater’s Hail, Hail Chuck: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, written by L. Maceo Ferris. That’s not to say that the show, directed by Daryl D. Brooks, isn’t a delightful musical production, because it is. But instead of simply focusing on the beloved songs Chuck Berry left us, we get a look at the man who made the music.

We see Chuck’s childhood as a deacon’s son – which, coming from this son of a preacher man, can lead to a far from perfect adulthood – and his run-ins with the law. We witness a young Chuck struggle against racial inequality, both while touring through the Jim Crow South and right at home in St. Louis, as well as the unfair practices of record labels and managers. But while these episodes might explain the famously curmudgeonly man Mr. Berry became, especially later in life, they do nothing to dampen the pure joy his music brought to the world.

And that music! That rock and roll music!

That music is played, and played perfectly, by a band led by musical director and drummer Robert Reddrick. The band performs above the stage, so we see and appreciate every note, every backbeat. Oscar Brown fires off those licks we all know, those riffs that Chuck invented, with all the virtuosity and attitude you’d desire. Gary Baker and Mark Miller hold it down on rhythm guitar and bass, respectively. And Adam Sherrod is a highlight on keyboards, not just playing the piano parts of Johnny Johnson, but of Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino, as well.

But in front of the band, in front of the mic, is the man. Or men, as we get an older Chuck as narrator, performer, and actor, played by Lyle Miller. Miller’s got the look – the sideburns, the sequined shirts, the pigeon-toed strut – and he’s also got the musical chops, as vocally he kills it. But what he brings most of all is that pure joy. Chuck, despite his difficulties as a man, was always the ultimate performer. And Miller brings that, a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his, admittedly, aged step.

What Chuck might have lost in spryness when he got older, the young Chuck always had, and that is what Vincent Jordan provides us as Berry in his earlier years. A lanky, cocky, duck-walking “black man playing hillbilly music,” Jordan has the confidence that Chuck had, that Chuck had to have, as he played as an underage prisoner, as an unknown in a St. Louis nightclub, and as an unsigned talent at Chicago’s legendary Chess Records. He had it, and he knew it. What I didn’t know, what I couldn’t have known, is that Jordan was a last-minute fill-in for the role, having had only days to learn the part, learn the songs, learn to be Chuck Berry. If he’d prepared his whole life to play Chuck, I’d have applauded Jordan’s performance. But to learn he did so in less than a week, now that’s something special.

Also special is the rest of the cast. As younger and older versions of Chuck’s longtime musical partner and pianist, Johnny Johnson, Rueben Echoles and Kelvin Davis bring humanity and humor. And it’s nice that Ferris’ script works to rectify the decades Johnson spent receiving little to no recognition for his hand in making the man we know as Chuck Berry. Jeff Wright plays two important roles in Chuck’s legend. First, he plays Leonard Chess, the Chicago label owner who made Chuck famous, and himself very wealthy in the process, as well as a sneering, leering Keith Richards, one of many white men who built careers on reworking what Chuck had invented. Dwight Neal was a particular favorite of mine, also handling dual roles. His Muddy Waters howls and growls the 1950s electrified Chicago blues, while his Fats Domino is regal, tickling the ivories to “Blue Monday.”

The rest of the ensemble is impressive, too. Kylah Williams is affecting as Chuck’s loyal and long-suffering wife Themetta. Cynthia Carter brings additional joy and humor each time she graces the stage. And Trequon Tate is great as a late-period Bo Diddley, leading the audience in a singalong.

And that’s what this show is all about, really: the songs, and how the audience loves them, how everyone loves them. Old and young, black and white, nobody could stay still as those frolicking riffs were played and those transporting lyrics were sung. And while Jackie Taylor’s Black Ensemble Theater does look at some of the more honest and serious aspects of Chuck Berry’s life, it is almost impossible to make human the kind of hero, the kind of superhuman who could write those songs and perform them. Hail, hail Chuck Berry. Hail, hail Black Ensemble Theater. And hail, hail rock and roll.

Hail, Hail Chuck: A Tribute to Chuck Berry is being performed at Black Ensemble Theater through April 1st. For more show information, visit blackensembletheater.org.

Josephine Baker leapt from the Harlem Renaissance via the Paris Folies Bergère to become a global phenomenon, the first black international superstar.

Consider this: Baker’s fame was so great in her day among African-Americans, that Coretta King immediately appealed to her to guide the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in the wake of Martin Luther King’s assassination. Born in 1906, Baker died in 1975 - yet she is vaguely remembered, if at all.

Black Pearl: A Tribute to Josephine Baker helps remedy that, ably recounting the trajectory of her stardom. Baker may have lived too big a life character to fit on any stage (she was style-setter, movie star, civil rights activist, even an agent for the French Resistance in World War II) but writer and director Daryl Brooks and the high-energy ensemble cast have gotten enough of the high and low points of her life to build a great show, with special emphasis on her rollicking dancing style.

Two women perform the role of Baker – Joan Ruffin as the Older Josephine largely plays narrator; Aerial Williams - a great dancer and with a lovely voice - is the Younger Josephine.

Baker really did it all – singing, dancing, movies. Arguably Baker was the first global personality, driving fashion trends (her hair style was widely copied), dispensing lifestyle advice in women’s magazines – think Gwyneth Paltrow, Kardashians, Oprah, with a touch of Grace Jones. Baker kept a pet cheetah, and later in life adopted a brood of children from different countries, housing them in the palatial chateau her wealth afforded.

She was first brought to Europe by the French under a government-sponsored cultural program, and became an overnight sensation during a period when France was colonizing Africa. By today’s standards some of her signature performance expressions might not be judged politically correct, but Baker’s artistic influences were segregated minstrel shows, where blacks performed in exaggerated black-face, and jazz-infused free-form dance was the norm.

Her hard-scrabble life of poverty and abuse growing up in St. Louis is captured well in Brook’s script, especially her awakening to music and dance as a teenaged girl. The choreography in Black Pearl (Baker was known by that name) mines Baker’s movies and the historical record to accurately portray contemporary dance styles. To the French, Baker was a genre-busting exotic, as she created a romanticized, imagined portrayal of African natives in their new colonies.

Her famous Banana Dance is carefully rendered on the Black Ensemble stage. Though Europe had its racial and cultural prejudices, it did not have Jim Crow laws like the U.S. – rules that barred Baker from staying at 36 hotels on a return U.S. tour celebrating her global stardom. Her mother had to sit in the balcony section for blacks. Baker renounced her U.S. citizenship and became a French citizen. But on her next U.S. tour she successfully set her contract to require venues to be integrated, and her mother sat in the front row at Carnegie Hall.

As she matured into a style icon, Baker evolved in to a chanteuse, and several of the songs are performed in French during Black Pearl. One show stopper, a transition right before intermission, has Williams’ young Josephine sing a love song to France, with Ruffin’s older Josephine repeating the lyrics in English. It is very affecting.

Like most Black Ensemble productions, the live music backing is excellent, able to swing through all the stylistic periods. The script is occasionally wooded in scenes from later years, but it makes all the points that matter – and keeps the focus on the performance art. Running through June 18, Black Pearl at Black Ensemble Theater is highly recommended.

Just after the show’s beginning, Jackie Taylor asks the crowd what the world needs. In unison, many voices shout back, “Love!”. And when do we need it? “Now!” Love is the theme in Black Ensemble’s latest production, From Jackie with Love (What the World Needs Now), a three-day engagement that centers around loving one another and putting away with senseless violence and racism. Wasting no time getting to the point, Taylor begins the program with an inspired version of the self-explanatory titled “No Matter What Race”, a song that sets the tone for what is to follow. 

For those unfamiliar with Jackie Taylor and her contributions to the Chicago Theatre community, she is the Founder and Executive Director of the Black Ensemble Theater, producing, writing and directing in nearly all its presentations. Prior to her work with Black Ensemble, Taylor, a theatre grad from Loyola University, made her mark on the Chicago stage where she performed at many venues including The Goodman Theater and Victory Gardens Theater. The talented actress also made her presence known in film and television as she was featured in 1976’s Cooley High and later appeared in Barber Shop II, Losing Isiah, Chiraq, Early Edition and The Father Clements Story among several others. 

From Jackie with Love is a production from the heart. Backed up by Black Ensemble’s accomplished band featuring Musical Director Robert Reddrick on drums, Taylors swoops into a collection of songs that are sure to pull the heartstrings of most, each written by hers truly. Throughout the show, Taylor breaks from music giving the audience a peek at her personal life be it by short stories or in the performance of monologues that were meaningful to her from such as A Raisin in the Sun, a play she declares as her “favorite of all time” written by Lorraine Hansberry.

Taylor reminisces about her time as a teacher in the Chicago Public School system, her childhood while living in Cabrini Green and growing up thinking her mother did not love her. She talks passionately about her persistence in moving forward with Black Ensemble even when its outcome seemed bleakest. 

“I am fortunate enough to have spent my life teaching in Chicago Public Schools, at colleges like Loyola University and Roosevelt University and in numerous, numerous programs as an artist teacher,” says Taylor. “Along the way, I created Black Ensemble Theater, raised a wonderfully intelligent daughter and now have the best grandson in the whole wide world.”

Taylor is accompanied on stage by Black Ensemble veterans Rhonda Preston, David Simmons and Yahdinah Udeen who serve as back up vocalists for Taylor and offer friendly banter back and forth. Each is showcased in their own featured number, Preston stunning the crowd with a vocal demonstration for the books in “A Mother’s Love” and Udeen performing an emotionally-charged rendition of “Mother’s Lament”, a moving song that Taylor could write a play about on its own. Simmons closes the second of three sets with the lively number “Happy Ending”. Each are again brought to the forefront towards the end of the show in a piece that has each one, including Taylor, breaking out dance moves.  

All songs performed in From Jackie with Love are written by Jackie Taylor, a couple borrowed from past Black Ensemble productions. As Simmons states about the production, “The show is called From Jackie with Love because it really is from Jackie – all of it – and with tons of love.”

It’s easy to see Taylor’s high level of comfort on stage whether it be singing, dancing, acting, interacting with the audience or even playing guitar – the same one her mother bought for her as a child. The stage is her playground, but more so a tool to bring people together. 

“Through the hundreds of plays that I have produced, written and directed – I never lost my passion for performing,” says Taylor on taking the stage once again. It’s clear the passion is still there along with the talent as she still performs with command.

From Jackie with Love is a nice way to meet the woman behind Black Ensemble, bringing with it a positive message in that life is too short to waste time hating when we can be loving each other. It’s a simple message but powerful as she eludes to the root of the issue being that of money and greed also recognizing the steps that are taken to program our children towards violence at such a young age. A warm tribute is made to the many young black men who have lost their lives – just for being black. Taylor’s message is delivered ever so profoundly in this production that is also sure to entertain with its vast variety of touching songs.

From Jackie with Love (What the World Needs Now) is being performed at The Black Ensemble Theater only for a limited time. For tickets and schedule information click here.

Black Ensemble Theater CEO/Artistic Director Jackie Taylor has yet again brought a story to the forefront that is as entertaining as it is remarkable, this one written by Associate Director Rueben Echoles. Their current production, “My Brother’s Keeper: The Story of the Nicholas Brothers”, is just the latest at Black Ensemble Theater that relives an iconic piece of history that, to some, is lesser known than it should be. If you are not already familiar with the Nicholas Brothers, you will be after this energetic account that is both engaging and visually stimulating. 

Long before Michael Jackson, Gregory Hines, Justin Timberlake, Alvin Ailey, James Brown, Bruno Mars and John Travolta made their mark in the industry, Harold and Fayard Nicholas blazed a trail to which our just mentioned dance heroes would later be greatly influenced and heavily benefit. Cited as the greatest dance team in the 1930’s and 1940’s, The Nicholas Brothers (formerly called The Nicholas Kids) were revolutionaries, creating some of the most complicated and eye-popping routines to date. Best described as high-flying and dynamic, their inventive dance sequences regularly invoked enthusiastic (and fearful) “oohs” and “aahs” from audiences across the world. 

“My Brother’s Keeper” is the captivating story of The Nicholas Brothers’ rise to fame, but it is also the story of love, discipline, hardships and the unbreakable bond between two African American brothers that were not allowed to patronize the clubs in which they performed during their heyday. 

The play is a timeline that follows the brothers from their childhood, to their stardom, to their marriages and through their deaths – Harold in 2000 and Fayard in 2006. We quickly see and are touched by the strong support the two are given by their parents, college-educated musicians that had once performed in their own act. Though never receiving formal dance training outside of his father’s instruction (he was a drummer), Fayard became something of a dance prodigy, eventually teaching his younger siblings. The story flows like a series of waves with its ups and downs, never in danger becoming stagnant. 

Rueben Echoles not only finely directs and choreographs this dazzling musical, he also suits up for the role of younger brother, Harold. Teamed with Rashawn Thompson as Fayard, the two recreate the magic of The Nicholas Brothers with a slew of heart-stopping tap dancing routines that accurately capture the spirit of the famed duo. Shari Anderson plays the brother’s ever-caring mother, Viola, lighting up the stage herself, particularly in her heartfelt rendition of “Master Give Me Strength”. The boys’ father, Ulysses, is warmly played by Dwight Neal while Jessica Seals is strong as little sister, Geri.  

As the show opens, we are taken inside a 1940’s-ish jazz club, at one point becoming the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. The talented musicians play behind band stands on a stage that has several tiers to allow the singers and dancers ample room to perform. Each performer is staged in glitzy costumes of the period, creating an immediate “Wow” factor.  

Musically, this production contains just about everything one could hope for - including a finale that will take one's breath away. Electrifying tap dancing numbers and exceptional vocal performances are worked into a driving soundtrack that includes favorites such as Louis Prima’s “Sing, Sing, Sing”, George Gershwin’s “I’ve Got Rhythm”, Cole Porter’s “From This Movement On”, mixed in with several beautiful pieces created for the show by Rueben Echoles. We also get a taste of Cab Calloway, whose commanding stage entrance, while donned in his trademark white suit, brings with him the excitement of an era that was ever so rich in music and originality. Vincent Jordan crushes it as Calloway, “Hidee-hidee-hidee-ho-ing” along with the crowd throughout his lively version of “Minnie the Moocher”. The polished performances by cast members in this show are endless, but make no mistake – Rueben Echoles and Rashawn Thomas are on a tier of their own, their vocal contributions, fancy footwork and “stunt dancing” as I would call it, just extraordinary. 

Though centered around the bond between The Nicholas Brothers and their plight to greatness, one story line in the show that some might find particularly interesting is that of Harold’s marriage to Dorothy Dandridge and the many challenges that take place between the two. A relationship sometimes blissful, but often turbulent, we feel a strong sense of love as much as we do regret. The show also delves into Dandridge’s life as a celebrity and the racial obstacles she had to overcome. Taylay Thomas is absolutely stunning as Dandridge and sings the part flawlessly. 

In “My Brother’s Keeper”, Jackie Wilson gives us another history lesson that so well amalgamates importance with entertainment. Wilson has brought several fine works to Black Ensemble Theater in the past including “The Jackie Wilson Story”, “Marvin Gaye Story”, “The Other Cinderella” and “Dynamite Divas”. Jackie Taylor has always had a propensity to bring music-filled productions to Black Ensemble, once profoundly citing music as a tool that can cross cultural barriers and bring people together in their mission to eradicate racism. Perhaps we need that now more than ever. Theater goers will have the chance to see Taylor sing and dance during a three-day engagement March 6th-8th in “From Jackie with Love”, a work that embraces her upbringing in Cabrini Green and her dealings with a dysfunctional family life.  

Recommended as show the entire family can enjoy, “My Brother’s Keeper: The Story of the Nicholas Brothers” is being performed at Black Ensemble Theater through March 26th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here. 

Black Ensemble has a fun-packed season ahead that includes the productions “Black Pearl: The Josephine Baker Story” and “Sammy: The Story of Sammy Davis Jr.”.

Singer Jackie Wilson was one of America’s great pop songwriters and vocalists. A vibrant production of The Jackie Wilson Story at the Black Ensemble shows, tells, and sings his story in a celebration that shakes the rafters.

This version of The Jackie Wilson Story is even more exciting as an upgrade over the original, in the caliber of the staging and music - which take full advantage of the Black Ensemble’s 299-seat main stage, opened in 2011. The awesome Black Ensemble Theater Musicians give full expression to the developing musical styles over the course of Wilson’s career, from the early 1950s (he first recorded what became a signature classic, “Danny Boy,” with Dizzy Gillespie in 1952) through 1968’s “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher,”  with big hits including "Doggin, Me Around" and "To Be Loved."

Though I came of age in the 1960s, I didn’t realize how familiar Wilson’s work is to all of us - until I saw the original release of  The Jackie Wilson Story in 2000. A breakout hit for Black Ensemble Theater, that production spawned a national tour that culminated in a run at the Apollo Theatre in New York City.  After seeing it I ran out and bought his records, listening to them non-stop for weeks. That’s how good he is.

 A challenge for an actor portraying Wilson is measuring up musically. Kelvin Roston, Jr. has Jackie Wilson nailed musically, but he is neither a mimic nor impersonating: he is acting. Roston is a damn fine singer, to be sure – but he is an actor first, and to us, he is Wilson on that stage.

The real Jackie Wilson wooed the women in the audience; Roston does the same, in real time – with a nod and a wink that we are watching a master performer deftly be both in the role, and beside it. When his wife Freda reaches the end of her rope with his philandering, Roston's rendition of  "Lonely Teardrops" (recorded in 1958) is a not just a great performance, it is a full throttle emotive expression of Wilson's plea for her to stay.

While Freda doesn't sing, Jackie Wilson's mother does - by way of explaining his musical chops. And in this production, Wilson's mother Eliza (Kora Green) is even a better singer than Roston's Wilson. (You can probably check out Wikipedia to see if that were true in real life.)

Along with the musical backing, Black Ensemble Theater's troupe has expanded, and this show features a dozen singing, dancing performers. Direoce Junirs demonstrates quite a range as Freda's angry father in coveralls, and later a fay stage manager. Reuben Echoles stands out as B.B., Wilson's confidant and manager. 

The sets (Denise Karczewski) also deserve a mention: the neutral backdrop puts in relief the spare placement of mid-century modern furniture, with fabrics and colors spot-on from the period.  (There might be a less cumbersome way to show the big hospital bed in which Wilson lingered for nine years before he died - it rolls in and out repeatedly.)

While there are some frayed edges in the original script (the dialog is laced with exposition of the background, which makes for some wooden exchanges) one could make the case that the times have caught up with the style. This recount of the high points in Jackie Wilson’s biography are more like a graphic novel than a conventional drama. Real people’s lives don’t usually fit neatly into dramatic packaging.

The final wow is a number I had forgotten about, one of Wilson's greatest songs: O Danny Boy. That cross-cultural standard, a plaintive Celtic lament, is sung by a ghostly Wilson as the story closes. Recorded in 1965, it never fails to bring tears to this Irishman. 

In that sense, The Jackie Wilson Story also fulfills a bigger mission: reminding us of the greatness of Wilson’s singing and performances, and that great music helps bridge wide cultural gaps among us. Highly recommended, it runs through September 4, 2016 at the Black Ensemble Theater, 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago.