Displaying items by tag: Rueben Echoles

Invictus Theatre delivers the finest acting in Chicago. The current run of Lynn Nottage's 2009 Pulitzer Prize winning play 'Ruined' is no exception.

Originally commissioned by Goodman Theater, where Nottage workshopped it in 2007, 'Ruined' is set in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It tells the story of sexual exploitation and abuse of women, where rape of women is a weapon used by warlords in factions battling within the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The action takes place in Mama Nadi's tavern and brothel, where women are fed and protected by Mama Nadi, but in exchange for accepting a controlled exploitation. As Mama Nadi, Tekeisha Yelton Hunter is on stage most of the play, and rules as an actress who is fully immmersed in her role. Please order the Jeff now. 

But most surprising is Courtney Gardner as Salima, a farmer's wife stolen from her garden, and enslaved at an encampment. Largely silent in her early scenes, Nottage teases out ever more of Salima, as she does with all her characters. In this evolution on stage, Gardner goes from quiet and retreating, to bitingly sarcastic, funny, even wise, and delivers the essence of the play's message in a shattering and tragic soliloquoy.  

The production team includes Rueben Echoles, whose costume design was notable, and Kevin Rolfs came up with a set that is practical and functional, and realistic.  

Goodman mounted the world premier of 'Ruined' in its 2008 season, and Nottage's script does not shy from the brutal facts. As an audience, we are spared directly witnessing the suffering and degradation leveled upon these innocent women, carried off and tied down in their abusers encampments. And yet their words, and the power of the acting in this Invictus show, delivers the story viscerally, bringing this reviewer to tears, to cry out in woe, to bury my head in my arms

This is the third play by Lynn Nottage I have seen. 'By the Way, Meet Vera Drake' was a homerun for me; both 'Sweat' and 'Ruined' seem to have a diffuse first act. But the second act in 'Ruined' is incredible, and at curtain, I realized how I was applauding for a dozen fully-formed characters that Nottage had built right there on the stage. She's good. And so is 'Ruined.'  It runs through March 20 at Invictus new home, the Reginald Vaughan Theatre, 1106 W. Thorndale.

It was 1982 in America, and premiering on Broadway was "Pump Boys & Dinettes," a show recalling the "good ole days" of the South (for some).

While it doesn' have much of a plot, if you enjoy escapist theatre with a country and western feel, this is the show for you. The original cast—Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Foley, Mark Hardwick, John Schimmel and Jim Wann—created Pump Boys, and though it was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, it was up against “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Nine,” and "Dreamgirls," the fictionalized tale of the Supremes which pretty much swept up the awards.

The original "Pump Buys & Dinettes" closed after 573 performances, then went quietly into obscurity until someone mounted a version in 1984 at Chicago's Apollo Theatre on Lincoln Avenue, where it ran for nearly five years, closing in July 1989 following 1,976 performances and selling 600,000 tickets. 

So Porchlight has chosen a likely winner with this revival. But its original all-white cast and its setting in the 1950s—when filling stations and diners in the South notoriously discriminated against people of color—demanded a dramatic revamp 30 years later. Porchlight has done just that. 

Under the direction Daryl Brooks, a name you may know from The Black Ensemble Theater, this cast gives a lively energetic jolt of life lessons, foibles and desires by way of country western songs. The genius of Brooks was in casting an inter-racial group of people to play the pump boy and dinettes, thereby making it a broadly American Musical.  

Shantel Cribbs (Prudie, above right) and Melanie Loren (Rhetta, center opposite Ian Paul Custer) are cast as The Cupp sisters, proud owners of the Double Cupp Diner. Prudie, the more sentimental of the two sisters sings the torch song “The Best Man,” while Rhetta lays down the law with her fiery “Be Good or Be Gone.” The two create a melancholy moment with the surprisingly tender song “Sister,” but not before explaining what it is a waitress want, “Tips.”

These women have phenomenal voices and acting abilities. The Cupp Sisters also provided percussion by way of salt boxes, washboards, pie tins, basically anything that is handy and could make a sound.

As to the boys, they not only pump gas and fix cars, but they are also accomplished instrumentalists. Ian Paul Custer on rhythm guitar as Jim, is our tour guide and leader of the Pump Boys. He engages the audience with his down-home charm whether he’s singing about “Taking it Slow” or reminiscing about childhood memories with his "Mamaw."

On lead guitar is the handsome heartthrob Jackson played by the equally handsome Billy Rude. His “Mona“ is a hilarious but sweet crush on a Walmart clerk. His energy is infectious as is his comedic timing. Rafe Bradford is pump boy Eddie. What makes Eddie such a fun character is he seldom speaks but says a great deal with his facial expressions while playing his bass guitar. L.M (Ladies Man) is the co-owner of the filling station, a role played for everything it’s worth by Frederick Harris, a first-rate musical comedy actor. One of the funniest songs is done by LM. I won’t spoil it by giving it away.

"Pump Boys and Dinettes” is at its best when the entire company is working together. Thanks to Music Director Robert Reddrick, Choreographer/Costume & Wig Designer Rueben Echoles, and Director Daryl Brooks, they work together beautifully. As a gift to the original creators, I suggest a brand new 40th anniversary cast album. This deserves to be heard more than once.

About the set: If you’re like me and you peek into a diner before going in, you would have noticed a picture of that country western star Lil Nas X hanging on the wall. It's a safe bet the original Double Cupp Cafe would not be listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book published by Victor Hugo Green for African American travelers, on seeing Lil Nas X, that prop immediately signaled to me that this wasn’t my grandaddy’s “Pump Boys and Dinettes” – this was gonna be something different.

In fact the set for Porchlight’s production of “Pump Boys & Dinettes” is outright gorgeous. This set was so fully realized, I could smell the coffee coming from the kitchen. Going out on a limb, it’s probably the best set you’re going to see this season. An explosion of color and neon lights, all beautifully lit by Denise Karczewski, the view of Sydney Lynne’s 1950’s retro art deco diner and filling station is worth the price of admission. Karczewski changes the lighting design from song to song, creating a different effect depending on the tempo and subject of the number.

Porchlight Theatre's Pump Boys & Dinettes is at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn through December 12. 
Created by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann Directed by Daryl Brooks
Music direction by Robert Reddrick
Choreographed by Rueben D. Echoles
Thursdays at 7 pm
Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 3 pm and 8 pm
Sundays at 2 pm
Thru December 12th

It was 1982 in America when “Pump Boys and Dinettes” first premiered on Broadway. Developed by a band whose members worked at the nearby Cattleman Restaurant, the show is based on their experiences working there, but trasposed to a setting recalling the "good ole days" of the South (for some), through the lens of the staff working at the Double Cupp Diner. 

It doesn’t have much of a plot. But if you enjoy escapist theatre with a country western feel, this is the show for you. It was nominated for a Tony award for Best Musical, right along with “Dreamgirls," “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Nine." "Dreamgirls" won most of the Tony's and Pump Boys finished after 573 performances before disappearing into obscurity.

But in Chicago, it the musical has had a very different history. After opening in November 1984 at the Apollo Theatre on Lincoln Ave., it closed in July, 1989 after 1,976 performances and selling more than 600,000 tickets. So locally, its a known crowd-pleaser. 

But to be staged 30 years later, it was too much a product of its times. The Double Cupp Diner in its previous versions would never have made it into the famous Negro Motorist Green Book—a guide published by Victor Hugo Green to steer African American travelers to motels, restaurants and filling stations that would serve them in the South. As a Black man, I have admit a bias against the heart of the original “Pump Boys & Dinettes.” (How’s that for critical race theory?)

But Porchlight has updated the production significantly, with the people of color running the production and included in the starring roles. And the music 

The set for Porchlight’s production of “Pump Boys & Dinettes” is gorgeous. Going out on a limb, it’s probably the best set you’re going to see this season. Sydney Lynne’s 1950’s retro art deco diner and filling station is worth the price of admission. This set was so fully realized, I could smell the coffee coming from the kitchen. It is an explosion of color and neon lights. It’s all beautifully lit by Denise Karczewski, whose lighting design changes from song to song creating a different effect depending on the tempo and subject of the song. If you’re like me and you peek into a diner before going in, you would have noticed a picture of that country western star Lil Nas X hanging on the wall. I immediately knew this wasn’t my Grand-daddy’s “Pump Boys and Dinettes” – this was gonna be something different.
Under the direction Daryl Brooks, a name you may know from The Black Ensemble Theater, this cast gives a lively energetic jolt of life lessons, foibles and desires by way of country western songs. The genius of Brooks was casting an inter-racial group of people to play the pump boy and dinettes, thereby making it an American Musical .
Shantel Cribbs (Prudie) and Melanie Loren (Rhetta) are cast as The Cupp sisters proud owners of the Double Cupp Diner. Prudie, the more sentimental of the two sisters sings a torch song “The Best man” while Rhetta lays down the law with her firery “Be Good or Be Gone,” The two create a melancholy moment with the surprisingly tender song “Sister,” but not before explaining what it is a waitress want, “Tips.” These women have phenomenal voices and acting abilities. Th Cupp Sisters also provided percussion by way of salt boxes, washboards, pie tins, basically anything that is handy and could make a sound.
Not only does the boys pump gas and fix cars, but they are also accomplished instrumentalist. Ian Paul Custer on rhythm guitar as Jim, is our tour guide and leader of the Pump Boys. He engages the audience with his down-home charm whether he’s singing about “Taking it Slow” or reminiscing about childhood memories with his "Mamaw." On lead guitar is the handsome heartthrob Jackson played by the equally handsome Billy Rude. His “Mona “is a hilarious but sweet crush on a Walmart clerk. His energy is infectious as is his comedic timing. Rafe Bradford is pump boy Eddie. What makes Eddie such a fun character is he seldom speaks but says a great deal with his facial expressions while playing his bass guitar. L.M (Ladies Man) is the co-owner of the filling station played for everything it’s worth by Frederick Harris, a first-rate musical comedy actor. One of the funniest songs is done by LM. I won’t spoil it by giving it away.
“Pump Boys and Dinettes” is at its best when the entire company is working together. Thanks to Music Director Robert Reddrick , choreographer/Costume & Wig Designer Rueben Echoles and Director Daryl Brooks they work together beautifully. As a gift to the original creators, I suggest a brand new 40th anniversary cast album. This deserves to be heard more than once.
The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn
Created by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel, Jim Wann Directed by Daryl Brooks
Music direction by Robert Reddrick
Choreographed by Rueben D. Echoles
Thursdays at 7pm
Fridays at 8pm
Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2pm
Thru December 12th

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.

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.”.