HE WROTE IT AT THE END BUT IT'S
ABOUT THE BEGINNING AND IT IS
SUCH A POWERFUL PLAY.
DIRECT BIDE CHUCK SMITH WITH
FABULOUS PERFORMANCES MANY AND
WHAT IT DOES IT GOES --
IT'S SET IN PITTSBURGH BUT IT IS
A STORY OF A WOMAN WHO IS 280 OR
300 YEARS OLD WHICH MEANS SHE
CAME OVER ON THE EARLY SLAVE
SHIP AND THE YOUNG BLACK GUY
FROM THE SOUTH WHO HAS COME
NORTH AND SHE HAS TO TEACH HIM A
LOT OF LESSONS.
AND SHE DOES IT IN WHAT IS
ALMOST LIKE AN OTHER RHEA ABOUT
THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE OCEAN
AND TO THIS CITY OF BONES WHICH
IS WHAT SHE CALLS IT.
BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO THE
SHOW I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AWAY
THE STORY.
IT IS ABOUT A HOUSEHOLD IN
PITTSBURGH AT A ROUGH TIME AND
YOU GO AWAY AND YOU THINK THAT
YOU'VE BEEN I DON'T KNOW,
RAISED.
THAT IS THE BEST WORD.
>> THAT IS A RINGING ENDORSEMENT
SET IN PITTSBURGH.
AND RELENTLESS AT TIMELINE
THEATRE WHICH IS WRITTEN BY
SOMEONE YOU CALL PERHAPS A
BURGEONING AUGUST WILLSON
SUCCESSOR.
>> SHE IS A FEMALE AND I THINK
SHE MIGHT BE THE FEMALE
ALTERNATIVE TO AUGUST WILLSON.
SHE WROTE A PLAYSET IN 1919 AND
ABOUT AN ASPECT OF BLACK CULTURE
CALLED THE BLACK VICTORIANS.
ALTHOUGH THEIR GRANDPARENTS AND
PARENTS WERE INVOLVED IN
SLAVERY, THEY ARE FREE AND FOR
VARIOUS REASONS, THEY'VE BEEN
EDUCATED AND THEY ACTUALLY NOW
ARE PART OF THE BLACK ELITE.
AND IT'S ABOUT TWO SISTERS ABOUT
TO EMPTY THE HOME OF THEIR
MOTHER AND IN A SERIES OF
DIARIES THEY FOUND OUT THE TRUTH
OF THE PAST WHICH THEY NEVER
KNEW AND IT IS A FASCINATING
PLAY BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND
BEAUTIFULLY ACTED.
DIRECTED BYRON ENABLED PARSON
AND I THINK IT'S ONLY GOING TO
RUN FOR EIGHT OR NINE DAYS I
HOPE PEOPLE WILL SEE IT.
>> THEATRE WEEK AT THE TIMELINE
THEATRE.
NEXT WOMEN OF SOUL.
IT IS SORT OF A TRIBUTE TO ALL
THE GREAT SOUL SINGERS IN
HISTORY ROCK HISTORY ARETHA
FRANKLIN AMY WINEHOUSE BUT MORE
THAN A MUSICAL REVIEW, CORRECT?
>> IT IS IT'S BEAUTIFULLY PUT
TOGETHER IT IS A LITTLE BIT ON A
TIME-FRAME FROM THE EARLIEST TO
THE LATEST.
AND HOW ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT THE
WOMEN WERE SOME RELIGIOUS, SOME
HIPSTERS, IT IS A VERY, VERY --
>> JANICE JOPLIN.
>> AND EACH OF THE ACTRESSES
CAPTURE THE SOUND OF THE
SINGER'S VOICES THAT WE KNOW SO
WELL.
AND AT THE END OF THE SHOW THERE
IS A TRIBUTE TO ARETHA FRANKLIN.
>> ARE ALL THE WOMEN SOUND
ALIKES FOR THE LIKES OF MAVIS
STAPLES AND JANICE JOPLIN?
>> THEY HAVE REALLY HAVE CAUGHT
THE TIMBER OF THE VOICES AND THE
PERSONALITIES AND THEY ARE
DRESSED UP TO THE 9s.
AND I THINK IT IS A SHOW THAT IS
REALLY WORTH SEEING.
>> THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF
FUN.
WE HAVE BLUES IN THE NIGHT.
THIS IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN AROUND
FOR A WHILE.
TELL US ABOUT THIS ONE AND THE
SONGWRITERS REPRESENTED HERE?
>> IT HAS.
THIS ONE HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE
THE EARLY 1980s AND IT'S SET
IN 1938, THE END OF THE
DEPRESSION ABOUT THREE WOMEN ALL
AT DIFFERENT AGES AND ALL KINDS
OF PROBLEMS.
LOVE AFFAIR PROBLEMS, MONEY
PROBLEMS, LIFE PROBLEMS IN
GENERAL.
AND THEY ARE ALL LIVE IN SINGLE
ROOM OCCUPANCY HOTELS A HOTEL
THAT WAS ONCE POSH BUT NOW ON
ITS HEELS.
AND THEY SING AND IT SORT OF
FOLLOWS THE LINE OF THEIR LIFE
AT THE MOMENT.
AND SO ALL THE SONGS ARE BLUES
SONGS AND SOME OTHER FAMOUS
SONGS THAT THEY SING.
AND THEY ARE FABULOUS.
FELICIA FIELDS AND DON LYNN, AND
PAT KENNEDY AND THE THREE ARE
WONDERFUL AND THERE WERE TWO
GUYS.
ONE WHO IS A DANCER WHO IS KIND
OF THE BACKDROP FOR THE WHOLE
THING AND A SINGER AT THE HOTEL
WHO HAS ISSUES WITH GIRLS.
>> LET'S MOVE ON TO "WEST SIDE
STORY" AT THE MARRIOTT
LINCOLNSHIRE.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE STEVE VEP
SPIELBERG ADAPTATION HOW DOES
THIS STACK UP?
>> I HAVE NOT SEEN THE "THIS IS
A ROBBERY"VIE U THIS IS AN
INTIMATE SPACE IN THE REALM AND
THE DANCING WHO DID SOME OF THE
DANCE SETTINGS FOR PARADISE
SQUARE WHICH IS GOING TO
BROADWAY IS TERRIFIC.
AND THE VOICES ARE GREAT AND
IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO HEAR
BERNSTEIN, SONDHEIM TUNES AGAIN.
>> THEY DO ELABORATE PRODUCTIONS
AT MARRIOTT.