Blue Heaven
What happens when you put a minister's daughter, a kid that liked to play in the mud, two men with an abusive childhood, and a former cotton gin worker together? You get a glimpse of Blue Heaven. Written and directed by Daryl D. Brooks, Black Ensemble Theater gives us vivid and passionate insight into four great blues legends helping a newcomer to the crew understand he is no longer in the land of the living.
Big Mama Thornton, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, together with the newest member of Pearly's Club, B.B. King — reminisce about the triumphs and trials during their careers. The crew of Thornton, Wolf, Waters, and Vaughan have no idea who "The Boss," referencing God, is calling up to Blue Heaven, but they are eager to help. When King shows up, he is confused as to why he has been brought to Pearly's until they inform him he has transitioned from life to death and that he needs to come to grips with his past and seek self-forgiveness before processing to meet "The Boss."
Lyle Miller (Howlin' Wolf), Miciah Lathan (Big Mama Thornton), Dwight Neal (Muddy Waters), Billy Rude (Stevie Ray Vaughan), and Aaron Reese Boseman as B.B. King were outstanding. Their chemistry on stage was electrifying, making you feel like you were a part of their jam session — with no one wanting to leave this 90-minute production.
Miller as Wolf and Neal as Waters was tremendous, and Rude and Boseman as Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. Kings were exceptional — but none of the men were sensational as Miciah Lathan as Big Mama Thornton. Lathan's pure and powerful voice will tingle your soul.
Blue Heaven's message of self-forgiveness is something we can all learn from — and it is therapeutically refreshing. Black Ensemble Theater has always been excellent in chronicling historical figures, and each actor brilliantly performed Blue Heaven's inspirational and touching narratives of these blues legends.
"Blue Heaven" featured 24 songs, singing "Smokestack Lightning (Howlin' Wolf), "Ball and Chain" (Big Mama Thornton), "Hoochie Coochie Man" (Muddy Waters), Pride and Joy (Stevie Ray Vaughan) and (B.B. King's) The Thrill is gone. Boseman's rendition of B.B's "There Must Be A Better World Somewhere" had the audience believing King's spirit was in the room.
Brooks's Blue Heaven is one of the best production written for the Black Ensemble Theater and is delightfully entertaining from beginning to end. This play has traveling wings and should land somewhere in one of the off-broadway theaters.
This play is like food for your soul, so, Let the good times roll and get to Black Ensemble to see Blue Heaven.
Let’s Play Theatrical Review Highly Recommends Blue Heaven.
Black Ensemble Theater
Blue Heaven
Written and Directed by Daryl D. Brooks
Playing Now until November 27, 2022
