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| Cicely Tyson, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Photo: Joan Marcus |
By
Lauren Yarger
The creative team who brought us the world of Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle (the winner of Drama desk, Outer Critics and NY Critics' Circle Awards for its 2009 run at Signature Theatre) and Dividing the Estate take us on another delightful voyage, this one The Trip to Bountiful, with an exceptional cast along for the ride.
Cicely Tyson shines (look for a Tony win here) as Carrie Watts, a elderly woman living in cramped Houston apartment with her son Ludie (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and controlling daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae (Vanessa Williams), who wants to return to her roots in her hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time. She has worried Ludie with repeated attempts to go off on her own, but Jessie Mae seems more concerned about making sure Carrie doesn’t take off with the pension check that helps the family make ends meet and funds her her daughter-in-law's frequent trips to the beauty shop.
Carrie consoles herself with reading her bible and singing hymns, though Jessie Mae complains that the frequent bursts into song make her nervous. One day, Carrie manages to leave with her secreted check and buys a bus ticket. At the station, she is befriended by Thelma (Condola Rashad), a young girl on her way to stay with family while her husband serves overseas. The two bond and when Carrie leaves her purse with everything in it, including that important pension check, on the bus that just departed, Thelma and station attendant in Houston (Devon Abner) help her out.
Meanwhile, the local sheriff (Tom Wopat) realizes that Carrie is the woman Ludie reported missing and lets him know where she is. He kindly takes her to her old home in Bountiful, now decrepit (the scene is stunningly designed by Jeff Cowie), and there the family reunites.
Once again, Director Michael Wilson lovingly allows Foote’s characters to command the stage and finds an undercurrent of family harmony and love under the surface of what appears to be dysfunction and cacophony. Instead of being depressed and gloomy in her stifling circumstances and frustrated at not being able to return home, Carrie delights in her faith. Tyson’s joy as she sings “Blessed Assurance” is so contagious, that the audience joins in. It’s truly a beautiful theater moment and apparently happens at each performance, according to reports.
Rashad turns a minor part into a major memory as she brings the sensitive, loving Thelma to life. When Carrie tells the girl that she would want a daughter just like her, we feel the same. At the same time, it’s a sad statement about the daughter-in-law she does have, who doesn’t appreciate the treasure she has in this wonderful woman. (I just wanted to go up on stage, hug her and sit with her as she rocked in her chair reading her bible and singing hymns. We all should be blessed to have such a woman in our lives.)
At first glance, Williams seems too glamorous and beautiful to be this working class woman in Texas. Soon that beauty takes on new meaning -- her trips to the beauty parlor and obsession with movie magazines are evidence of a life that might have been for such a beauty. The casting gives Jessie Mae a new dimension. Gooding is understated as the man caught between the two women in his life, racked with guilt for feeling like he hasn’t provided adequately for either.
Only two criticisms entered my thoughts during this otherwise absorbing, delightful evening at the theater. First, it isn’t clear why Carrie decides not to stay in Bountiful. It should be a devastating decision, born out of realization of a past long gone and of hope lost, but instead, she seems almost happy to return to the domain of Jessie Mae, who hands her a written list of “dos” and “don’ts.” Is it because deep down, they really love each other? Possibly. Is it because just seeing the old homestead somehow returns the dignity she sought? That's possible too, but this take doesn't answer the question, so we’re not sure how it happened. We're left feeling like we followed a map to Bountiful that suddenly takes us to an unexpected destination with no explanation for how we arrived there.
Second criticism: the theater is freezing. Isn’t it supposed to be hot in Texas? Later I wondered whether the cold temperature was needed for a wonderful fog effect that creates low-hanging clouds over Bountiful. Perhaps, but be sure to bring a sweater -- and some tissues. Lots of people were wiping away tears at he end.
The Trip to Bountiful runs through Sept. 1 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 West 43rd St., NYC. Tickets and info: http://thetriptobountifulbroadway.com/#sthash.g06sszwK.dpbs.
Christians might also like to know:
No content notes. enjoy!
The creative team who brought us the world of Horton Foote’s The Orphans’ Home Cycle (the winner of Drama desk, Outer Critics and NY Critics' Circle Awards for its 2009 run at Signature Theatre) and Dividing the Estate take us on another delightful voyage, this one The Trip to Bountiful, with an exceptional cast along for the ride.
Cicely Tyson shines (look for a Tony win here) as Carrie Watts, a elderly woman living in cramped Houston apartment with her son Ludie (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and controlling daughter-in-law, Jessie Mae (Vanessa Williams), who wants to return to her roots in her hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time. She has worried Ludie with repeated attempts to go off on her own, but Jessie Mae seems more concerned about making sure Carrie doesn’t take off with the pension check that helps the family make ends meet and funds her her daughter-in-law's frequent trips to the beauty shop.
Carrie consoles herself with reading her bible and singing hymns, though Jessie Mae complains that the frequent bursts into song make her nervous. One day, Carrie manages to leave with her secreted check and buys a bus ticket. At the station, she is befriended by Thelma (Condola Rashad), a young girl on her way to stay with family while her husband serves overseas. The two bond and when Carrie leaves her purse with everything in it, including that important pension check, on the bus that just departed, Thelma and station attendant in Houston (Devon Abner) help her out.
Meanwhile, the local sheriff (Tom Wopat) realizes that Carrie is the woman Ludie reported missing and lets him know where she is. He kindly takes her to her old home in Bountiful, now decrepit (the scene is stunningly designed by Jeff Cowie), and there the family reunites.
Once again, Director Michael Wilson lovingly allows Foote’s characters to command the stage and finds an undercurrent of family harmony and love under the surface of what appears to be dysfunction and cacophony. Instead of being depressed and gloomy in her stifling circumstances and frustrated at not being able to return home, Carrie delights in her faith. Tyson’s joy as she sings “Blessed Assurance” is so contagious, that the audience joins in. It’s truly a beautiful theater moment and apparently happens at each performance, according to reports.
Rashad turns a minor part into a major memory as she brings the sensitive, loving Thelma to life. When Carrie tells the girl that she would want a daughter just like her, we feel the same. At the same time, it’s a sad statement about the daughter-in-law she does have, who doesn’t appreciate the treasure she has in this wonderful woman. (I just wanted to go up on stage, hug her and sit with her as she rocked in her chair reading her bible and singing hymns. We all should be blessed to have such a woman in our lives.)
At first glance, Williams seems too glamorous and beautiful to be this working class woman in Texas. Soon that beauty takes on new meaning -- her trips to the beauty parlor and obsession with movie magazines are evidence of a life that might have been for such a beauty. The casting gives Jessie Mae a new dimension. Gooding is understated as the man caught between the two women in his life, racked with guilt for feeling like he hasn’t provided adequately for either.
Only two criticisms entered my thoughts during this otherwise absorbing, delightful evening at the theater. First, it isn’t clear why Carrie decides not to stay in Bountiful. It should be a devastating decision, born out of realization of a past long gone and of hope lost, but instead, she seems almost happy to return to the domain of Jessie Mae, who hands her a written list of “dos” and “don’ts.” Is it because deep down, they really love each other? Possibly. Is it because just seeing the old homestead somehow returns the dignity she sought? That's possible too, but this take doesn't answer the question, so we’re not sure how it happened. We're left feeling like we followed a map to Bountiful that suddenly takes us to an unexpected destination with no explanation for how we arrived there.
Second criticism: the theater is freezing. Isn’t it supposed to be hot in Texas? Later I wondered whether the cold temperature was needed for a wonderful fog effect that creates low-hanging clouds over Bountiful. Perhaps, but be sure to bring a sweater -- and some tissues. Lots of people were wiping away tears at he end.
The Trip to Bountiful runs through Sept. 1 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 West 43rd St., NYC. Tickets and info: http://thetriptobountifulbroadway.com/#sthash.g06sszwK.dpbs.
Christians might also like to know:
No content notes. enjoy!
The New York Times had a front page article on this phenomenon of the audience singing "Blessed Assurance" with Tyson: "Something Happened on Way to Bountiful: Everyone Sang Along".
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